Dear my 3-day old niece, Alexia,
I'm sorry I wasn't there when you announced your arrival on this earth, although I'm not sorry I wasn't there to witness the whole process because, well, you know... Let's just say this aunt of yours is only comfortable with special effects blood and not the real deal.
I know we haven't met in person but from the photos I've seen so far, that highly munchable cheeks of yours are more than sufficient to steal my heart. I would so love to say that I'm one of those cool aunts but I'm afraid to say that at the age of 25, I think I'm already falling behind. I mean, I don't even know how Snapchat really works and as much as people rave about it, I still don't get it. I don't know, if by the time you're old enough to read this, Snapchat is still going to be relevant. If it isn't, then ask your mom and dad to explain what it is because I'm hopeless and I won't be able to help you.
Just giving you a heads up, I'm not good with kids, so if you see me acting all awkward when we finally meet, it's nothing personal okay. Your brother had a little taste of this whenever I tried to hold him when he was 3 months old. The dude would always look like he was on the verge of crying when he sensed my presence too close to him. It's alright, though, based on our brief bonding sessions a couple months ago, we're good now.
You know what, Alexia, another thing I'd like to say is that being an adult is so overrated. Like the other day, I said to my friend, "My classmates in my French class are mostly older, they're adults." And my friend replied in bewilderment, "Aren't you also an adult...?" Oh darn, I guess I am an adult. But deep down, I still don't feel like one. Aren't adults the responsible ones who know how to take care of things? Aren't adults the ones who know what they're doing in life? Are these adults for real? Nobody is faking it??
What I'm trying to say is please enjoy your childhood (or infanthood at this stage?) and take your sweet time growing up. Yes, you might have fights here and there over a toy or two with your brother but who knows when you're all grown up and living continents apart, you might just miss it. You might resent having to learn all those subjects in school you deem irrelevant but when you're done with school and have to face the unknown, suddenly school subjects might not seem all that bad. I'm not saying growing up totally sucks. Of course being an adult has its own perks, for example, watching "Finding Nemo" is a lot more thrilling with some Bordeaux wine, and also Champagne tasting is so much fun... Okay, I'm sensing your mom and dad aren't too happy with where I'm going with this so I'll change the subject for the moment.
Oh, you might be wondering what am I doing in a French class? At some point, you and I might have to sit down (me with a glass of Rioja wine in one hand and you with a glass of orange juice) and have a long chat.
Welcome to the world, Alexia! This adventure is going to be lots of fun!
Hugs and kisses,
Your aunt