Baby.

Today in my teenage angst, I give you Karlie. Even though you've met her before.

Karlie and I have been together since we were eight. Early in our friendship we really had very little in common. Her family owns one of the biggest ranches in Saskatchewan. I'd never been on a horse and wasn't interested in doing so. Their livelihood is beef. I didn't eat red meat. I'm proud to say that I've come around. At the beginning, her dad was pretty against our friendship - that's mostly kidding - because I was so opposed to their livelihood. I obviously wasn't against it; I was eight. I just simply didn't want to participate in it. Once, Karlie's mom made me mix the meatballs we were going to eat. It was one of those character building moments.

Karlie and I graduated together and went on to College together. At registration we met this guy - who I may or may not have had a tiny little crush on. What? I said that out loud? - and I told her, you guys are going to get together. She scoffed. Two months later, they were legitimately in love.

They got married and have been kicking the difficulties of marriage in the butt for three years now. It's been the biggest pleasure to watch. My friend, who is now way cooler than me, has someone who loves her just so incredibly much. I can't even fathom that measure of love.

Fourteen months ago, Karlie told me they were trying to have a baby. I asked them to make it their new year's resolution to make me an Auntie. They laughed and maybe weren't intending to but they totally did. As soon as Karlie told me she was pregnant - which was a hilarious conversation - I started plotting her baby blanket.

I am not a creator. I'm not crafty and never look at anything and think "I could make that." I feel like that's a lucky part of my life. But I can knit in a straight line. What else do you need? So I set out to make six inch squares, varying in color that would suit Karlie and Tim's personalities as well as the future of this precious gift of life.

And so I knit. For eight months I knit. 48 squares later, I started sewing.

By the time it was finished I loved this blanket almost as much as I love the little darling that this blanket will keep warm in the spring breeze. 

Suzy wrote the baby a letter, something I could never have penned, and I scorned her - only a little - for doing it first. I'm not going to do that. I had it in my mind to write up eighteen letters for the baby to read on it's first eighteen birthdays. But then I tried to think of even eighteen single points of encouragement and wit and depth to write and I got tired and took a nap. I think at this point, as Karlie prepares for the birth of her first baby tomorrow, it's more important that I tell you how much I love her. And how amazing I think she's been through this entire pregnancy and how I can't believe that one of us is going to be a mom and how much I praise God that it's her.

I'm so excited for Karlie and Tim to have this little one in their lives and there is no doubt in my mind that they're going to be the best parents of all time. It's not even a question. I'll be sitting by my phone all day tomorrow to hear of the miracle that is her birth. Or if baby feels like surprising us, his birth.

Wouldn't that be a slap on the knee.

Also. Look how good she looks pregnant. She looks better pregnant than I look regular.