Nicholas has no idea (yet...) just how much he has changed the dynamic of all of his relatives' lives. Both my parents and Sarah's now answer to "Grandma" and "Grandpa," to give just one example.
What's even more touching—and this is something Nicholas will largely miss, since toddlers don't get context and nuance—is how much everyone defines himself or herself in relation to him even when whatever he or she is doing has nothing to do with the little boy.
I was reminded of that fact this morning when I went to look at the online NCAA pool that the siblings have set up (no money involved, Dick Cheney, I promise!). Several of the pool names include "Aunt" or "Uncle" in the title. Now, to be fair, Brian appended the title "Uncle" to his name even before any of his brothers had gotten married. But still, it's a sign of just how much little Nicholas has affected everyone around him.
Yeah, I still get emails from folks about how they miss us and seeing Abby and such, even though they are folks we only saw once every three or four months! Don't want to be one of THOSE people, but just wait until you actually move...
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