Happy birthday, our sweet Kylie Ryann. Two years ago today,
we held you in our arms. Up in heaven today you are celebrating your second
birthday! We are celebrating your life here on earth, our baby girl.
As I reflect on your life today, oh my goodness. I cannot
articulate how blessed we are by you and your short time with us here on earth.
A year ago, I could see the blessings you brought to this world. One more year
has come and gone. I cry tears of gratefulness as I write this letter to you.
God has given us such a gift in allowing us to see how your life has impacted
so many here on earth. He continues to use your life to show His goodness.
We will always miss you, our baby girl. Your daddy and I
laid in bed last night, looking at our pictures we have of you. We cried tears
for you. We now hold your baby brother in our arms each and every day. I look
at him and wonder if you would have had the same chubby cheeks and glorious
smile. I wonder if your eyes would have been blue. I believe that you may
have turned him back to earth on the night of his birth, our dear sweet girl.
If that’s the case, from the bottom of your mommy’s heart, thank you. I know he
joined you in heaven for 18 minutes. I wonder if you hugged your brother and
then told him that his mommy and daddy need him here on earth. What a wonderful
big sister you are.
Today we will bring baked goods to the labor and delivery
unit at the hospital where you were born to honor your life. We will walk out
to your garden and admire the beautiful flowers blooming on your tree. I’ll
hold your tiny hat and remember what you looked like wearing it. I’ll hug your
blanket close and remember the way you looked wrapped in it. We will share your
pictures with your brother. He will always know of his angel sister.
Kylie Ryann, you have blessed your mommy and daddy more than
we ever could have imagined. We love you so much. Happy birthday, baby girl.
Love, Mommy & Daddy
As I reflect on Kylie’s life and all she’s given us over the
course of these past two years, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
Last Sunday I went to a Sisterhood Night at a nearby church
with “Nurse Nickie.” As I drove to the event, I reflected on the day Kylie was
born. I remember wondering that day if Nickie believed in God. I wondered if
she believed that our baby girl was in heaven with Jesus. On the afternoon of
that day, we were playing the song, “Holy Spirit” in our hospital room. I
remember that Nickie came into the room, and I turned the music off because I
was not sure what she would think. This past Sunday, I told her this. Nickie shared with me that as she came on
shift that day, she was concerned. She was concerned that she wouldn’t be what
we needed her to be that day. She cried tears in worry that she would not be
enough for us. She shared that Nurse Jen, our nurse when we arrived at the
hospital, told her that God would allow her to be what we needed that day. As I
think about that day and the events that have transpired over the last two
years, all I see is God’s work; God’s amazing plan playing out. God
specifically handpicked those women to be our nurses on the day Kylie was born.
He allowed them to speak words of truth to one another. He gave them the
strength and the wisdom to be exactly who we needed as we delivered our sweet
baby girl and grieved over her. As I try to so often remind myself, God knows
not just today’s story, He knows the whole story. You see, our story is already
written. God already knows it. What peace that provides.
Nickie and I kept in contact after Kylie’s birth. Early on
November 11, 2016, my water broke with Beckett. Patrick and I headed to the
hospital to deliver our sweet boy, and who did we see? Nickie. Nickie passed
our labor along to Emily, another faithful servant of God. Beckett was born
into some extreme circumstances. Our good God intervened to save our sweet son.
Nickie prayed so faithfully for our family. She asked every person she knew to
pray for Beckett. She stood in a room of 200 women, and they prayed some
powerful prayers over our son. And then last Sunday we stood side by side with
our hands lifted high, in a room full of hundreds of women, and we worshiped
our amazing God together. You see, God already knew that our lives would
intertwine. He knew the role Nickie would play in Kylie’s delivery, our second
delivery, and He knew we would both glorify Him because of all that He’s done
in our lives.
Out of Kylie’s ashes, God has created something so
beautiful. The most beautiful piece of all is that God is still revealing Kylie’s
story to us. We are forever grateful for our daughter.
