Happy birthday, Miss Natalie

About five and a half years ago, I was about to walk into the Kroger in Charlottesville to do some grocery shopping when I got a call from my sister Valerie. 
This was odd, considering she and her husband lived in Tanzania at the time.

I stood outside to talk to her, slightly concerned about what would warrant an unexpected phone call from across the world. A minute of chatting, and then,

"So...I'm pregnant!"

A second's pause, a moment of processing the meaning of what she oh so casually just announced, and then my eyes got really big and I yelled,

"WHAT?!?"

way too loudly for a public place. Everyone within earshot (most of the shopping center) stopped and stared in my direction. I smiled sheepishly and shrugged my shoulders, Val laughed, and I started imagining the baby who was soon coming (yes, I have reacted similarly to the announcement of all 5 nieces and nephews. I never do seem to expect it.)

A few months later I was spending Thanksgiving 2008 with my parents at the hospital in Harrisonburg, waiting to meet my new niece.
She was so beautiful!

Natalie had an enormous amount of hair when she was born (must have been the Kenyan side!), and she soon grew into an adorably chubby baby.

She turns 5 today, my beautiful, sweet, crazy, fun, wonderful, adorable Natalie. 
Give her a huge happy birthday hug for me please, Val :-D