Going to the Chapel...

My best friend's little sister got married yesterday. Gosh, I feel old. Marie (the bride) represented a lot of "firsts" in my life.

She was the first newborn I have memory of holding. It was 2:00AM and her parents wouldn't wake up. They were so exhausted, they couldn't hear her crying. So Denise and I got up. Thinking she was going to take care of her baby sister, I went in the living room and sat in the rocking chair. Denise comes down the hall carrying Marie. "Here, I need to fix her bottle." She plopped her into my arms and I swear I went as stiff as a board. She had just come home from the hospital. She was only a couple weeks old and had already had an operation. That was scary enough to me. But she was barely over 6lbs. I couldn't even feel her in my arms she was so tiny. I was so afraid I was going to hurt her or drop her. Then Denise handed me a bottle. I looked at her like she was nuts. She said, "You'll be fine. Just put the nipple in her mouth." I did and she drank. Then she showed me how to hold her to pat her back. From that day on, everytime I hold a baby I think of Marie.

Marie and I were passengers in the same car when I was in my first car accident. Through no fault of Denise, we were rear-ended. The car behind us had a bunch of kids in it. The driver was trying to tickle his girlfriend and wasn't paying attention to the road. We stopped because there was a car at the stop sign. Then we pulled forward to take our turn at the stop sign. The kid behind us thought we kept going and rammed right into us. It's a good thing Denise had been babysitting her cousin's baby earlier that day. The baby's car seat was still buckled in and Marie thought it would be funny to squeeze into it. It probably saved her from getting seriously injured. Denise and I ended up in neck braces for a couple weeks. Marie had a sore knee from hitting the back of my seat.

I like to play with kids. I get right down on the floor with them and play with whatever they're playing with. I let them tell me stories. I read to them. I like to tickle. Marie was the first kid who ever tickled back. She still does. hehe When we see each other, we try to be the first to tickle the other one.

I almost feel like it was my baby sister who got married last night. I cried when she walked down the aisle. I cried during her reciting of her vows. I cried when she danced with her dad.

I don't usually get so emotional at weddings. It was just such a pretty ceremony and she's such a special girl. I only want the best for her and I think she found it.