Dear Payne...

Where do I begin? Three years ago today, I was as anxious as I have ever been in my entire life! You were in mommy's belly, not China. (side note: My sister asked Payne a couple of days ago if he knew where he was three years ago and he said, "China!" Not sure where that came from!) We had been waiting 9 LONG months for you to arrive...and the day was finally here.

Because of my high blood pressure, they decided to induce me a week early...so your birthday would have been May 25th. The night before you were born we went to the hospital to be induced. I vividly remember everything about that night (and I'm not usually good with the details). After the induction, the nurse had to put an IV in my left wrist because my arm was no good and it hurt! Your daddy went to Quiznos to get us something to eat, but I couldn't eat until an hour or two after we arrived so I was STARVING!! We watched the American Idol finale and it was between Taylor Hicks and Katherine McFee (I was pulling for Taylor)...I even politely asked the nurse to move out of the way of the TV so I could see it (she didn't mind...she wanted to see it too!) I had a hard time sleeping because of all of the monitors and I woke up in the middle of the night and my water had broken. So many little things to recall...but I think that's the way the mind works...allowing you to soak it all in because it is so precious and fleeting!

After that, it was a whirlwind. Nurses, doctors, sleeping, waking up, sleeping, waking up, family, friends, more sleeping (I slept through much of my labor)...and then it was time! And then the most special miracle happened to us on that Thursday, May 18th 2006 at 2:16 p.m...you were born! Healthy, happy, beautiful... all of the things that we had prayed for...you were above and beyond those things! God blessed us beyond measure and the verse that I had written in your journal which I wrote to you in while I was pregnant, "If we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it." Romans 8:25, had allowed me to be patient...and now I could see you...and what a beautiful sight it was!







And now you are three...and what can I say...my life in my mind never existed without you in it. Your daddy and I cannot express how much we love you, how much we have prayed for you and your future, how much we have prayed for guidance in how we raise you...and the common theme of all of this is prayer. Without it, we could never be the parents that we are striving to be. Without it, we couldn't raise you in this world that is undoubtedly a scary place to live sometimes. Without it, we wouldn't appreciate the joys and blessings that God has given us.

So know this my sweet Payne, our relationship with God is what brought your daddy and I together, which is what brought you into this world, and is what will carry you so far in your life. We love you so much and the joy and appreciation that we feel to be chosen as your parents is beyond anything that I could ever truly put into words. I cannot believe three years have come and gone...and no matter what you say...you will always be my baby!

I love you!!
Mommy