Five years ago today, at 7:15 pm, Rob and I happily welcomed our first born baby, Ryan Michael. He weighed in at a modest 6lbs 15oz and was 19 inches long. As all parents do, we stared at him, examined his every toe, kissed him, cried with joy and wondered what his personality would be.*
During delivery I used a mirror because I was nuts enough to want to see everything. While ONLY Ryan's head was delivered and we were working to get the rest of him, I looked in the mirror to see a perfectly calm baby with his eyes wide open. It was an utterly surreal moment that I cherish as my absolute favorite in life thus far. They had to make Ryan cry to get a noise from him. Clearly there was no health issue, because he was busy trying to check out the world...head moving, eyes blinking. That evening, I analyzed this birth (because I cannot but help thoroughly turning every stone of thought...I am intense...I fully recognize that) and decided he was going to be a calm, easy going, pensive child and that I had just hit the parenting mother load. Well...
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Five years later I can tell you that Ryan is NOT calm, easy going, or pensive. Rather, he's high energy like a pinball bouncing off the walls. He was a colicky baby and cried non-stop! He's demanding and highly opinionated. He's scary intelligent with a fire in is soul unlike anyone I have ever known. He's kind, yet assertive. His heart, spirit, and passion are larger than the earth the houses him...and guess what, we did hit the parenting mother load! We couldn't be more proud (and maybe a little scared of our ability to raise this larger than life personality) .
*
Happy Birthday, Ryan. You'll always be my first baby!
**When Tristan was born, Ryan, like many kids, wanted me do everything for him since he was feeling insecure. So, I would hold him like a baby and say, "You'll always be my first baby." He loved that and while we have moved on from that stage as Tristan has gotten older, I still say to Ry "You'll always be my first baby" and he still smiles and gives me a hug...every time.
10 comments:
Happy Birthday, Ryan!
Happy Birthday Ryan. We love you!
we have birthed identical first boys (separated at birth and by two years, but nonetheless...). this is a great tribute to your little tasmanian devil. if we ever get him together with henry, we might all have to run for cover.
happy birthday ryan! you are everything your mother described and so much more...a special kid with a personality that'll move mountains. love you!
that's so sweet! something wierd is happening...i read your "my first baby" disclaimer at the bottom and shed a tear. don't ask me why.
i asked for the mirror for sofia...and within a 1/2 second i said "get the bleep bleep bleep mirror out of here"...
Happy Birthday Ryan! You are a great kid with tons of bright things in your future!
Ryan is so interesting. He's 'the energizer bunny' with a sense of humor and intelligence to boot.
Ryan has a short attention span, and will always need lots of challenges in his life.
He and Tristan are the most wonderful grandchildren imaginable.
We live to see them and only wished they lived next door (yes, NEXT door, not in the same house, you understand).
I love you so much, Ryan, you have no idea!
Pop Pop Giorgio
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LITTLE RY may all your wishes come true.
Pop Pop, It's so nice of you to say that you'd like them to live next door...I wonder if you know what you're wishing on yourself...
Although Tristan is my Lil' Buddy Too, Ryan will ALWAYS be my LIL' BUDDY! He is my special and magical Ry.
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