Meeting the cousins!

Ryan already has two cousins--my sister Natalie's kids! Dax is two and is the funnest little boy ever--and boy is he ALL BOY!!! Riley is just 3 weeks old and her and Ryan were actually born in the same hospital room only 17 apart. They even had the same doctor--Doctor Sanders. However, Dr. Sanders was gone to the home show when Ryan was born so his partner Dr. Heath stepped in and did a fabulous job!!
When Ryan met her cousins it was amazing! We laid Ryan and Riley on a blanket on the floor and they both rolled in towards each other and reach out like they were going to hug or something!! I have never seen Ryan roll like this! It made me wonder if these two little girls weren't great friends in Heaven!! Then Dax felt like he should lay down next to the girls for some pictures!! He looks like a monster next to these two!!

Ryan is a cutie!!

Although she is only a few days old, Ryan is the most beautiful baby!! She sleeps well at night, she hardly ever screams, and she is loving! I think that she is getting to the point where she recognizes both Jared and my voices too! She is so precious!!

Bringing Ryan Home!

Around 8 am we had our attorney Michael come and take the signatures of both Kenzie and Jeremy. It was at that moment that I realized how great these families were! It still amazes me the amount of love that was in the room at that moment!! Later at 12 pm we were all discharged from the hospital. Kenzie and her family walked us to our car and one by one they all gave her a final kiss! This was the most heart wrenching and touching experience that I have ever taken part in. Then, each of the family members gave Jared and I a hug also! Words can't even describe the feeling--I still cry when I think about it! We told Kenzie that we love her and that she should call us if she should ever need anything!! (We really do mean it too!! she is part of our hearts now and there is no changing it!!) When we left we thanked them all for changing our lives and then headed home. When we got home there were a number of family members waiting to meet Ryan. My mom, dad, and sisters BreeAnn and Andrea. Jared also had a number of supporters including his mom, dad, sister--Abbie, and Nana--great Nana now!! They all shouted and cheered as we opened the door! I felt like a movie star with all of the flashes from the camera! Then we shared tears of love, sorrow, and joy when we passed her around for everyone to meet! This again was one of the most memorable experiences that I have!!

Ryan's Birth Family

We were fortunate to meet a number of Ryan's birth family! She has a very loving and supportive family who love her very much. Kenzie is her birth mom and what a great mom she is! She has proven to be the most self-less person that Jared and I know! Kenzie is our hero in a lot of ways!! Jeremy is the birth father. He has the cutest baby face--he has passed it on to Ryan. He is the most country cowboy that I have ever met--I don't know many. He is soft spoken but you can see that he loves this little girl so much it hurts! Then there is the birth grandma Sheila--I hope I spelled that right! She is so loving! It takes a lot to do what she has done in helping Kenzie and we admire that! Next is Aunt Bev and Uncle Mike. Jared and I loved these two from the start! They have both been a pillar of strength in this story! They are great people and we love them! We did get a short opportunity to meet Jeremy's mother, and she is perhaps where Ryan gets her beautiful dark hair. Although we don't know her well we really admire her! I can only imagine how all of these hearts ache, however, they should know that Ryan will always be brought up to know and love each of them! Jared and I feel that we didn't just add a daughter to our family but rather an entire family!!

Feburary 23, 2008--Happy Birthday Ryan!

On Feburary 22, Jared and I went to the hospital to check on Kenzie and see how she was dealing with labor! As we got there she was just getting her epidural block--needless to say she was feeling very well!! We also go to meet Kenzie's mom, friend, Aunt, and Uncle. They are the greatest family, and such a strong group of people. Kenzie let us hear the heart beat, and we chatted for a little bit. Later we left, and Kenzie told us that she would call us when the baby came. Jared and I were so anxious and nervous--although we didn't know Kenzie terribly well, we felt like we loved her a lot!

The next morning we got a call at 2:30am from Kenzie. She told us that Ryan was here and the she was healthy and strong!! I could here Ryan screaming in the background and she sure sounded healthy. She was born at 2:25 am on Feburary 23, 2008. She was 7 pounds 4 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. She had a full head of dark hair and the most perfectly shaped head I have seen! She is beautiful! She looks a lot like her mom, Kenzie, and yet her mouth looks like Jeremy, her father! She is a blessing all around!

New Addition

We are so fortunate to have the opportunity to have a new baby in our home!! We are grateful for the love and support that we have recieved from eveyone around us!! We can't even begin to thank Kenzie, Jeremy, and their families for changing our lives in a way that no other could. We feel so blessed to be new parents!!