Announcement

Dear Scarlett,
There is big news in our family, and if someone were to ask you about it, here's what you would say: "Shishie, baby." Though it would take quite a talented translator to figure that one out, the message is that your beloved Aunt Lizzie and Uncle Rob are expecting a tiny cousin for you at the end of July. WE ARE THRILLED! I cried when I found out, after I finally figured out what they were talking about. I'm really slow about things like this, and the way they told us is as follows:

Shishie: Rob, do you want to tell Scout about her Christmas present?

Rob: Uh, do you mean her real Christmas present or her summer Christmas present?

Shishie: Her summer one.

Rob (with a very, very big smile): Scout, do you want to have a cousin?

I was so confused trying to figure out what a summer Christmas present is that I just looked back and forth at them like a codfish, and I might have kept doing that until the baby was born, but suddenly it sunk in. A baby! A cousin for you, a niece/nephew for me and Dad, a BABY for Shishie and Rob! Later this month we will find out if she gets to wear all of your old clothes or if he will have to buy all new clothes for himself.

Though you profess to know what's going on and tell us at regular intervals that Shishie has a baby in her belly, I know you have no clue what you're in for. This is likely going to be more radical than if Dad and I announced we were having a new baby. Shishie and Rob are people who belong to you, and sharing them with a smaller person may not be easy. Especially a smaller person who gets to live at their house. But I am confident that you will love your new cousin, and I am really hoping that you don't give him or her the same treatment that Emma got today, when you hauled yourself up onto my bed and announced "Step on Emma!" before doing just that. You had a timeout in your room, which you did not enjoy. Let's get this all out of our system now, ok?

Woo-hoo!!

Love,
Mom