More travels

Yesterday -- Tuesday -- I took an unplanned trip to New York City. Yep. Just hopped on a train and headed up to the Big Apple. You'd think I was tired of traveling after last week but this one was a personal trek. It was fun being on the train in jeans and walking around Manhattan and not lugging a laptop and other miscellaneous work stuff for a change. See, I was there to meet my nephew. Big smiles! :)

Nephew Tate arrived early Tuesday morning and this first-time aunt just HAD to be part of his welcoming committee. Want to see? Here is Mr. Tate Emerson:

Aw! What a cutie patootie! On his birthday, January 26, he weighed in at 7lbs 13oz and 21.5" long.  Tate's mom is doing well and getting much-needed rest in the hospital, while his dad (my bro) is exercizing his parental rights as a photographer. Case in point:

Apparently photographer dad has already exhausted one memory card with baby pictures and was making headway on a second while I was there. I helped stage a few shots -- the baby's fingers with dad's wedding ring on, lots of feet and hand shots, sleeping on a lap, that kind of thing. Tate's dad will hopefully post some of them soon (hint!) so I can repost here later, but here's what came home on my cheapo camera yesterday:

Check out those long toes! It's so cute how his toes stretch and curl and grip. I had forgotten how much fun it is to play with baby toes.

I had a good time with my brother and sister-in-law and baby Tate yesterday. We chatted for a few hours in the hospital before I headed out to grab dinner and catch a train home. The best part of the trip, though, was ... wait! Can you guess what the best part was? Cuddling with a new bambino? Um, super nice but not the best. Becoming an aunt? Totally groovy but not the best. Seeing my little brother as a dad? A little surreal but not the best. Out of guesses? The best part of the day was ...

... giving Tate lots of love, spoiling him rotten and then giving him back when I left! AWESOME! I think I'm really going to dig being an aunt. :-)