Meeting Miss Rue!

Last week my mom, Taryn and I went down to see my cousin Joey, his wife Jackie and their new baby Emma Rue (they call her Rue). It was a bit of a haul in the car, but fortunately, my mom acted as baby entertainer and I did the driving. Teamwork!

Stopped for a gas station snack break!
Welcome to Kentucky. Geez.

Our hotel had a pool and my mom was able to coax Taryn into the pool.

Yeah... This is the girl that wouldn't go in above her knees a few weeks ago. It's amazing the things she'll do for Grandma but not for Mom!

Hotel room entertainment... Cheers!

Finally!! We had been promising Taryn the whole way down she would get to see a baby. I think she was starting not to believe us!

Baby love!

Rue loved her 2nd cousin Lauren! I kept getting good smiles from her and she even fell asleep on me one day.

Taryn was so excited to hold the baby. But, as soon as she was done, she tried to just push Rue off of her. She doesn't quite get it.

The new parents...

I just love talking to new parents! I remember going through so many of the emotions. There are such great highs and such awful lows in those first months. It can seem so overwhelming. As I was going through all of it, I felt so often like I was failing at this or that or that I was weak. I was fortunate to have family and friends going through the whole baby thing just a few months ahead of me, and when I got the chance to talk to them, it was such a relief to hear I wasn't the only one going through the emotional rollercoaster. It feels good to share some of that with Joey and Jackie. They have it a little rough down there without any family in the state. We tried to give the new parents a little date night. They were a little nervous to go, so dinner and a movie turned into KFC and a trip to Babies R Us. But, hey, at least they got out for a moment to themselves!