I am "Ee-a"

I decided yesterday that being an aunt is the greatest thing ever. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it before, but not nearly as much as I do now. My mom has this passion for babies, but I tend to have a passion for toddlers. My first nephew, Levi, will be 2 years old in April, and my other two nephews, Luke and Tristan, are almost 3 months old, and five weeks old, respectively.

The two babies I love and adore, but they’re just not as much fun as I would like. I think they’re the cutest things on the planet, and of course I have a tender spot in my heart for tiny little ones (what girl doesn’t, really?) but I just love and adore little kids more than I do tiny babies. My nephew Levi is the perfect example.

Since I was gone to Baltimore all summer, Levi completely forgot who I was. Coming back was like introducing him to a totally new person he had never met before. Living an hour away from home and going to college doesn’t help much either. I come home probably about once a month, and that’s all that he gets to see of me. I, of course, am his favorite aunt ;) so he is beginning to remember who I am now.

Levi is starting to talk. He first learned “papai” and “mamai” (daddy and mommy in Portuguese...I have no idea if I spelled that right), and “Papa” and “Mama” (for grandma and grandpa) and things like juice in Portuguese, and my two favorites, “airplane” and “touchdown!” Of course, I’ve been trying to teach him how to say Lori. But he just won’t. Instead, he just recently came up with the idea of calling me “Ee-a” [I don’t know phonetics at all, so, it sounds like the letter “e” and a as in “a horse” (not the letter A)]. Anyway….it’s SOO cute. No idea how he got it. I asked his parents what it could have come from and they have no clue either, especially since it sounds nothing like my name. But whatever, I am “Ee-a” and I love it.

Yesterday my brother and sister-in-law invited me to go out to lunch with them. We went to a place called “Dolittle’s Café.” It’s at the Ogden Airport. Levi absolutely LOVES airplanes, and this restaurant has airplanes hanging all over the ceiling and painted all over the walls. We walked in and he pointed all around and said “airpae” in his cute baby accent because he was so excited to be there! The whole time, he was happy to be there, and was happy to be with “Ee-a.” At one point, he had to have his diaper changed. As his mom took him away, he cried out, in desperation “Eeeee-aaa!!” hoping that I would save him!

We had to walk around the restaurant later and look at all the "airpaes" and Christmas decorations together after we were done eating. He loved showing his favorite aunt around, and I loved looking around with my favorite nephew.
We enjoyed the car ride home, too! We loved laughing together, without even talking! Ahhh…it’s just great being an aunt.

I don’t want to go back to school. It sounds great when I say that I don’t have to until next year!! Too bad next year is just over a week away. But then again… I’m very, very grateful that next year is coming up so soon ;) Next year will be a great one, I can’t wait to see what there is to come.