Bailee Ray 1.2

Dear Bailee,

Have I ever told you how AMAZING you are?  You have brought so much love and happiness into my life.  I am so lucky to have you Bailee Ray!

Mom and I were so excited to be having a girl.  After telling family and friends, we got to work preparing for you arrival.  Your due date was October 19^th, and we didn’t have any time to waste.  Lucky for us, your Mom had been buying baby clothes months before she had even become pregnant.  I thought she was crazy for doing that, but it paid off in the long run.  She literally had your entire wardrobe bought before you were born.  Mom purchased your favorite blanket during that time.  That blanket is still your favorite, even to this day.

Watching your Mom’s belly grow was amazing.  She was so skinny to begin with, so to see her with a big belly was fun.  I can remember feeling you move for the first time.  I couldn’t believe you were in there.  I tried talking to you as much as I could.  It would annoy your Mom, but I did it anyway.  I was convinced you could hear every little thing I would tell you.

Every single day I was thinking about you.  Your due date was fast approaching, and I was getting so nervous.  My health was not the best, and I was having a hard time staying positive.  I didn’t feel like I was prepared to be your dad.  I could see you telling me to cheer up and not worry about it.  I worried that I wouldn’t be what you were expecting.  I was feeling sorry for myself.

We had to take a trip to Arizona, so I could do some physical therapy.  While we were there, we decided to name you Bailee.  We both agreed right away.  The name just fit.

Bailee

Mom and I took a birthing class to prepare for your arrival.  Our doctor told us it would be a good idea, so we did it.  I wasn’t too happy about having to pay for the class, but your Mom made me do it anyway.  It was awkward really.  A room full of pregnant women and their husbands.  You could tell it was the first child for all of us.  We had no idea what we were getting ourselves in to.

The teachers tried scaring us.  They talked about ALL the things we should look out for.  It was strange.  The last night of class, they showed us a movie of 6 live births.  There was no holding back with that video, it showed us everything!  I wasn’t ready for that.  I’m still haunted by that video!

Your mom continued to get bigger and bigger.  She started to have trouble sleeping at night, and couldn’t get comfortable.  We would go on a nightly walk to try and put her in labor, but it never worked.  You were taking your sweet time.  Mom had her last appointments with her doctor, and everything was looking great.  You had a strong heartbeat.

Little did I know, but my life was about to change in a way I could never have imagined!

Love,

Dad