My best "little" girlfriend!

This would be Elizabeth, my niece!! She is awesome! I've actually pretty much helped raise her. I remember at my sisters baby shower almost 7 years ago...I was short on money so I got her some little things, and then in her card I gave her a little card that said, "I would babysit for FREE any time she needed me." Well she really took me up on that. I babysit all the time, I worked nights and my sister worked days, so it worked out pretty good. And it was really awesome to create a bond with her! I am very lucky to have a wonderful niece like her. So then my BIL was in an accident and got paralyzed from the waste down, well then I really stepped up and moved in with my sister, so now not only was I taking care of my niece, I also took care of my BIL who was dealing with not being able to walk only at 24 years old.(thats another blog in its self) The crazy thing is when he finally was able to come home a month after his accident, my niece was 7 months old, and while her daddy was in the hospital she was learning to walk, it was pretty amazing that when her daddy wheeled his chair in the front door for the first time, his daughter walked over to him. The fact that he couldn't walk anymore but she learned how to was crazy. It was like she knew what was going on. So I pretty much changed my whole life to help out, I was fine with that, my family needed me and I wanted to be there for them. So now 6 years later, my niece is my little best girlfriend, she informed me of this yesterday. And while its hard to explain to her that I still love her with all my heart, things have to be a little different b/c I now have my own baby. I'm pretty sure she gets it, but just doesn't like the fact that now its harder for me to just drop everything and come running to her needs. I would love to , but I really have to put my son first, but she comes right after him. She really is an amazing little person!! She also let me know yesterday that she is a super duper reader!! she has read 85 books this year!! I'm very proud of her!! We are both excited for summer break to get here so we can spend more time together. When I think I want another baby, I babysit her and have my son, all alone, and then reality kicks in, and I realize I really like having my son, and my niece together, but it sure is nice when she leaves at the end of the day and I only have one! So yeah she is pretty amazing! Its really nice to have a best little girlfriend like her, I feel very lucky:)