It's Ryleigh in my belly!!
Ryleigh was born on December 15, 2003 8lbs 9oz.
Dear My Sweet Baby Ryleigh,
You are just over 2 weeks old, which means we have just a few days of parenting under our belts. We must let you know that we are new at this parent thing. Sure, we read books, we practiced holding friends' babies, and we took the classes at the hospital, but we have no idea what your cries mean. It makes us cry when your lip quivers and tears stream down your cheeks because you're hungry and Mom makes you wait a few more minutes to eat or when you get mad at bath time because you don't like getting wet.
"It can't be that bad!" we say. "You've got it pretty good."
We don't know how to entertain you, and we question every decision we make. I am sure we will all get the hang of each other soon enough. You'll be manipulating us in no time.
Our lives changed on December 15, 2003 just before 6 p.m. When the doctor told us to look at our baby, we exclaimed, "It's a boy!" I remember thinking how beautiful you were, I never knew I could love someone one much. Our love for you was so intense.
Right away, we had so many dreams for you. We knew our family name would continue on, and we knew your dad would have a little boy to take to Broncos games and share his love of sports. However, we hope you would inherit dad's athletic abilities! We immediately had visions of a playroom full of cars and superheros and dinosaurs and airplanes. We knew our summer nights would be at a baseball field and eventually your Saturdays would be spent at the golf course with your dad and papa, assuming it's not soccer season. That is the biggest dream come true for him.
We hope you will become a mommy's little boy too and spend time with your mommy cooking or doing art projects. We have so many adventures dreamed up for you.
We also have dreams for the kind of student you'll become. We hope you enjoy learning, find something you are passionate about and hobbies you are good at too. We know we will help you find exactly what you want to do. And looking even further ahead (like 20 or more years from now!), we hope you will be a kind, witty and loving young man and find a sweet-as-sugar girl with similar values to what you learned growing up.
There are so many unknowns to your life, being that you're not even 3 weeks old. You've never experienced a major holiday, traveled, or seen snow. You've yet to put your toes in white sand or have your heart broken by your favorite sports team. Your dad assures you it will happen sooner than later! You have a lifetime ahead of you, and we are so excited to be your parents and watch you see the world through your eyes. We can't wait to experience growing up with you, but for now, we're just taking it day by day -- one poopy diaper at a time.
Love,
Mommy and Daddy
