At the age of 16, I was thrust into “Aunt-hood”.Â
It didn’t happen like it usually does but that is just how my family rolls, and I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way.Â
When my brother started dating my future sister-in-law, she had just had her second child, Kyla. Kyla was barely a month old when I first met her. Her older Brother Joshua (JJ) had just turned three-years-old.Â
Kyla (1), me and JJ (4)Â
It was love at first sight.
You know how people always say “You never know how much you can love someone until you have kids.” Well, that is how I felt. I grew up around kids my whole life because my mom babysat kids since I can remember, so I honestly didn’t know I would get so attached to these babies.Â
They lived with us during the beginning of my brother and sister-in-law’s relationship, so I grew attached fast. I honestly did not believe I could love someone so much. But here we are, and these babies are my whole life.Â
Kyla and JJ
Then in September of 2015, my brother and his soon-to-be wife announced they were pregnant! They were expecting a baby Goodwin come May. To say I was excited would be an understatement. Soon after the announcement my brother and sister-in-law got married then told us that they were expecting a baby girl.Â
It was so much fun coming up with names and buying baby clothes. This was our first time actually going through the motions as Kyla was already a couple months old when we met her.Â
On May 11, 2016, Kora Sky was born. Â
At first, it was so weird, like she was “ours.” It’s hard to explain; I loved her just as much as the other two, but it is so weird to watch her and see pieces of myself in her. As she gets older she starts showing more and more “Goodwin” traits.Â
We have the same squinty eye.Â
Kora and I
It was so scary because I loved JJ and Kyla so much I didn’t know if I could love another one just as much. But I could. My heart just grew larger when Kora came along. As hard as it was at times with three babies in the house, I knew they were going to be one of the best things to happen to my family and me.
This cheesy smile is just one of three that has made me a more loving and independent person.  Kora
I will say one hard part is buying three Easter, Christmas and birthday presents every year on a college kid’s budget. Thank goodness for the campus bookstore for having toddler size t-shirts.
JJ, Kora and KylaÂ
They obviously loved their Kent merchandise they got for Christmas. In reality, it was early and none of them wanted to get dressed, and JJ was complaining that he got a yellow one and the girls got blue. Oh, Kids, you gotta love them!Â
I wouldn’t change my life for the world. I love these three kids more than I ever thought I could love a person. I refer to them as “my babies” so much that I know some people who don’t know me would probably suspect they were really mine. But they are mine; they are the loves of my life. I want to thank them for loving me so much…unconditionally.Â
There really isn’t anything better than the unconditional love of a baby and that’s what keeps me going.Â
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