Getting older.

I find it difficult to keep track of the passage of time. Sure I'm getting older, yes things are happening, but time is like this amorphous enigma housed in an illusory-scented intangible. It's true, I can no longer put my socks on the way I used to -- I can't bend that much anymore. Pretty soon I'll have to heave myself out of chairs and fall slowly into them. Other than that, though, not much has changed. I don't really look different (I don't, ok?) and every year kind of seems the same...just like my bedroom, which hasn't changed since I moved in as a fresh college grad. Spiderman poster and all.

This isn't generally an issue, except when I need to confirm that I am, in fact, myself and not a better looking impostor. One day I called the IRS for information on my taxes, and they asked me where I worked in 2008. Um...I'm sorry, when? I couldn't think of any answers...so we accidentally got cut off...oops. Bye!

The solution?

Babies.

People need to have more babies. They're like living clocks. My trip to Greece was pretty epic but it's not continually getting older before my eyes so I have no idea how long ago it was. I find myself looking at my friends who are having babies and second babies and thinking, "Wow, it's really been a year?" Or 2 or 18. It's a great measuring tool!

My little brother is graduating from high school this summer. This is a picture from when he was born:

We were all really excited...

Yes, I'm the one on the right. Kathryn, the sibling next to me, is the one getting married. Crrrrrazy. Off to college, Jamesy. Off to woo girls. Off to conquer the world.

And now, I have my own little drooling timepiece. Well...kind of. On September 2 I became a god-aunt. I don't care what her parents say, she's even named after me.

Meet Nora Jane Alene:

That was at about 2 1/2 months. Here she is at 7:

Babies, babies, babies!

There...now you can consider this an official blog.