My nephew is obviously the cutest kid in existence. Yet he lives many, many miles from me, and that makes me pretty sad.
I’ve carried him, and he’s fallen asleep twice during that time. I’ve made him laugh, and I’ve been helpless in the face of his crying (where I tried everything EXCEPT the one thing he was crying about! Dammit!). I have big plans for undoing the mind control my sister plans on inflicting on him, and for introducing him to the things I like. 
But most of all, I only really see him during Christmas or fairly major family events, and that’s what’s bringing me down a bit.
I mean, I knew that I’d be missing a lot when my sister became pregnant and her plans for where to raise her family became clear. After all, how many times did I really see my mom’s sister when I was young? Not many, that’s for sure. Extended families living near enough each other to meet more often than I meet up with my family probably aren’t overly common, so it’s something that millions of folks other than me experience and think about every day. So it’s not like I’m anywhere close to unique.
But that doesn’t make me feel a whole lot better. One bright spot: the Internet. No more waiting for someone to have time to develop a bunch of photos, pay for extra prints, and mail them. Yay!
Ah, well, that just makes the time I do get that much better. Now if only I could find a goddamn job…
Damn, he is a cutie. Get a Mac, make your sister get one, and then iChat with the little guy! We did that for a while after my nephew’s liver transplant (couldn’t risk our icky germs getting anywhere near him- he was only six moths old) and it was a blast.
SQUEEEEEEEEEE! And may I say again, squeeeee!
I see what you mean. He is too cute to adequately describe with words. Of course you miss him.
When growing up, I had a couple of “subversive” uncles whom I saw only infrequently; yet they made a deep and lasting impression on me. So, don’t worry too much about that. You will very likely be a demigod to him one day.
iChat! That’s brilliant! And we both have Macs!
Sadly, the problem will be the webcam/video input. I certainly don’t have one, and I don’t know if my sister’s laptop has one.
But it’s something to plan for! Thanks for the thought! 
That mouse outfit is to die for!
All I can suggest is to keep sending stuff/emails/pics. “Talk” to him on the phone often. Spend lots of time with him when you are around. Ask him to draw pics once he’s older.
But most importantly, work on your relationship with your sister. For all I know, it’s great–but really strengthen those ties to make your long distance self a presence (a welcome one) in their home and in his life.
I wish you all the luck with him–he’s a cutie!
So adorable!
I can relate to the situation. I have four nephews and a niece. The niece, Samantha Ann, and her three older brothers (George Howard the III, Jason Michael, and Christopher Daniel) all live in North Carolina. The eldest, Little Georgie, is four years younger than I am, so we are extremely close (despite the distance!). My youngest and newest nephew, Joseph Leland the II, lives here in Maryland – er, I mean Incredimissiland – like myself. However, he is still a good two hour drive away. Watching the five of them grow up through pictures, videos, and the like has been extremely hard on my parents and I. Especially with Sammy since she is the only girl and youngest of her siblings (like myself!). Being the only niece/granddaughter so far has made her extra special…
The best thing is to keep in touch! Don’t let him forget that you’re out there and that you care for him. Visit as often as you can and send a picture every now and then as well or a small video clip of you talking to him. This way, you are even less inclined to be forgotten.
