Happy 3rd birthday in heaven, our sweet Kylie
Ryann. Three years ago today, we held you in our arms. We kissed you; our tears
dripped onto your tiny 7.4 oz. body; we examined every inch of you. We love you
so much, our sweet girl. As I write this, I cry tears for you. I cry tears over
the memory of our first pregnancy, over feeling you move within my womb, over
learning of your passing, over your delivery, over the short time that your
daddy and I spent holding you. You, dear sweet girl, made me a mommy, and I am eternally
grateful for your life.
As your third birthday is upon us, I wonder what you’d be
like. I wonder how long your hair would be. I wonder what you’d think of your
brother. I wonder if you’d like dresses or if you’d prefer to always wear pants
and shorts. I wonder if you’d like soccer or dolls or riding bikes (or all of
it).
I still shed tears over you, our daughter, but this year, I
have found so much joy and peace in your short life and the fact that I will
one day meet you in heaven. You, our girl, are still impacting so many here on
earth. This year, Mommy and a friend started regularly meeting with a group of women
who have lost babies and for those who are walking the journey of infertility.
Three years after your birth, I see that God is still writing your story. He’s still
revealing your purpose. Your life is glorifying our Heavenly Father. Kylie Ryann, you are one special girl, and we are
eternally grateful for your life.
With Love,
Your Mommy and Daddy
On Kylie’s birthday, we deliver some sweet treats to the Labor
and Delivery Unit where she was born. This year, I’d like to share the note
that will accompany our treats. These nurses have had an astounding impact on
our lives.
Nurses of Fairview Ridges OB Unit,
Today is Kylie Ryann Byer’s 3rd birthday in
heaven. Today, our family honors her life by thanking you, dear nurses. 3 years
ago on this day, we experienced one of the most difficult days of our lives.
Because of you, we also experienced one of the most memorable and holy days of
our life. It was a sacred day. It was one in which we felt the ever present
power of the Holy Spirit in a way that has only been matched on the day of
Kylie’s brother’s birth. The Holy Spirit worked through YOU, nurses. I have
written this to you on her past two birthdays, but the respect, love, and care
we received on the birthday of our angel daughter was unbelievable. Thank you.
Thank you for coming to this job each day and giving your best. We understand
how difficult it is to walk with families through the hardest days of their
lives. We’ve seen you cry with us, laugh with us, pray with us, and love us.
What you do is so much more than a job. It’s a vocation. It’s a way to serve
God’s greater purpose for you.
You go home at night after a day like April 30,
2015, and you are tired, weary, and emotionally drained. You see your spouses,
your dogs, your kids; you take care of so many other people. Yet, you serve
your patients with such kindness and love. You help them walk along journeys no
one would choose. Thank you for taking on this burden. Thank you for caring for
our family with such love, grace, and compassion.
We think of you all so often. We pray for you. You have all
made such an impact on our life. The days we have spent inside the walls of
your 4th floor are the holiest days we’ve ever experienced. You have
shared those days with us. They are the days in which our good God has revealed
himself and His power to us in ways that are not even describable. He has
revealed Himself through you. Thank you, labor and delivery nurses. We are so
grateful for you.
Jen, Nickie, and Sara, you will always hold a special place
in our hearts. Thank you for serving our family the way you did on April 30,
2015. You have left a lasting impact on our hearts.
As you enjoy a treat from our family, please take a moment
to think of our sweet Kylie Ryann in heaven. We would be so grateful.
With Love,
The Byers
(Patrick, Ericka, and Beckett)
