Francesca<\/a>. I can hardly handle the cuteness, but I can also hardly handle holding them all at once, as evidenced by the blur as I hastily sat down to avoid dropping them. \ud83d\ude00<\/p>\nBeing a tia to thirteen kiddos is a very blurry and noisy business, but I love it, and I love that I can send them back to their parents when the day is over and the good humors have run out. It’s the best of both worlds, and I feel unduly fortunate to be close by almost all of them currently. After all, it takes a lot of proximity to achieve that coveted Favorite Tia position, you know? \ud83d\ude00<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I just wanted to show you, this is what people THINK being an aunt is like… …and this is what it’s actually like. True story. As I’ve told you, they come in batches in my family, and here we have the last three, Elliot, Caspian, and Francesca. I can hardly handle the cuteness, but I can also hardly handle holding them all at once, as evidenced by the blur as I hastily sat down to avoid dropping them. \ud83d\ude00 Being…<\/p>\n
Read More Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6851,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[90,92],"tags":[114,350,394],"class_list":["post-6342","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-humor","category-relationships","tag-family","tag-favorite-tia","tag-triplets"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/img_5810.jpg?fit=2735%2C2448&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8A8kG-1Ei","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6329,"url":"https:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/?p=6329","url_meta":{"origin":6342,"position":0},"title":"Welcome to the World","author":"Rachel","date":"April 10, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I just wanted to say, welcome to the world, Caspian Wilder. You make me so happy to be a tia again, and in a few short hours, you have successfully and completely wrapped me around your teeny tiny finger. I quite forget between nieces and nephews just how soft and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Relationships"","block_context":{"text":"Relationships","link":"https:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/?cat=92"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/IMG_3550.jpg?fit=1200%2C1020&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/IMG_3550.jpg?fit=1200%2C1020&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/IMG_3550.jpg?fit=1200%2C1020&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/IMG_3550.jpg?fit=1200%2C1020&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/IMG_3550.jpg?fit=1200%2C1020&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6397,"url":"https:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/?p=6397","url_meta":{"origin":6342,"position":1},"title":"Sweet Baby Girl","author":"Rachel","date":"May 8, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"It's been quite a weekend. After lounging in-utero for two extra weeks, baby Francesca Chante finally decided it was time to make her appearance. Due to some complications, she ended up in the hospital for a few days, covered in wires and tubes and tape residue. The weekend quickly turned\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Relationships"","block_context":{"text":"Relationships","link":"https:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/?cat=92"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/img_4328-e1525782308564.jpg?fit=1200%2C647&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/img_4328-e1525782308564.jpg?fit=1200%2C647&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/img_4328-e1525782308564.jpg?fit=1200%2C647&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/img_4328-e1525782308564.jpg?fit=1200%2C647&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/img_4328-e1525782308564.jpg?fit=1200%2C647&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2108,"url":"https:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/?p=2108","url_meta":{"origin":6342,"position":2},"title":"Rosie","author":"Rachel","date":"February 10, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Rosie is my go-to person. She's the one to whom I can send my self-deprecating texts, my purposely awful snapchats, and my whining about feeling like a drugged cow or whatever, and she\u2019s sure to have the right response. She is honest and straightforward, she's smart and hilarious, she\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Relationships"","block_context":{"text":"Relationships","link":"https:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/?cat=92"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/cuppacoldwater.files.wordpress.com\/2017\/01\/img_9694.jpg?w=350&h=200&crop=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/cuppacoldwater.files.wordpress.com\/2017\/01\/img_9694.jpg?w=350&h=200&crop=1 1x, https:\/\/cuppacoldwater.files.wordpress.com\/2017\/01\/img_9694.jpg?w=525&h=300&crop=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5558,"url":"https:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/?p=5558","url_meta":{"origin":6342,"position":3},"title":"Little Letters","author":"Rachel","date":"November 23, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Dear Thanksgiving, You don't get nearly the attention you deserve. You were by far my favorite holiday, growing up, and although Christmas is creeping closer each year, you'll always have a special place in my heart. My family knows how to do Thanksgiving right, and this year, most of us\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Musings"","block_context":{"text":"Musings","link":"https:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/?cat=91"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/pexels-photo-619421.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/pexels-photo-619421.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/pexels-photo-619421.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/pexels-photo-619421.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/pexels-photo-619421.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5978,"url":"https:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/?p=5978","url_meta":{"origin":6342,"position":4},"title":"Christmas Alone, an Experiment","author":"Rachel","date":"January 18, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"My family celebrated Christmas a few days early this year. We got together and worked on my brother's kitchen remodel (okay, other people worked on that. I drank coffee and fried plantains) and ate mountains of tortillas y frijoles y semitas y cafe y tacos, and I may or may\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Musings"","block_context":{"text":"Musings","link":"https:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/?cat=91"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/img_2648.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/img_2648.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/img_2648.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/img_2648.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/img_2648.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7550,"url":"https:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/?p=7550","url_meta":{"origin":6342,"position":5},"title":"Little Letters, Thanksgiving 2019","author":"Rachel","date":"December 5, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"I know Thanksgiving has come and gone, and Christmas is now making its presence known with blaring music and lights everywhere I look, and even the prettiest snowfall, drifting down on this city of mine and creating a hush in the mania. But for those of us trying to fill\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Musings"","block_context":{"text":"Musings","link":"https:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/?cat=91"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_1061.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_1061.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_1061.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_1061.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_1061.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6342","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6342"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6342\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6905,"href":"https:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6342\/revisions\/6905"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6851"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6342"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6342"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6342"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/img_5677.jpg?resize=640%2C480&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/img_5676.jpg?resize=640%2C480&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n