dear little prince

dear little prince,

would you look at this sweet little face? your nose and furrowed brow. you remind me so much of your sister's sonograms in this image...and you both look a whole lot like your papa. i can't wait to see your face for realsies.

we are more than half-way to getting to meet you! june will be here before we all know it. you don't really know what all that means...but based on your current daily rate of kicks and punches and flips, it is a little over 13 thousand of those before you make your debut.

and speaking of movement, you are pretty wild in there. all boy. which is great. i appreciate the mild preparation for your boyish ways. we are trying to plan lots of fun things for you to do around here...and i know that you will have many willing participants. from a papa who is eager to read to you when you are young and run around with you when you are older to a little sister who will create wild imaginary lands and teach you how to make messes to your grandpas who will play sports and take you on outdoor adventures to uncles who know all about the wilderness and guns and crafting lego lands. you will have quite the education, little man. we've got you covered from books to music to art to science to sports and recreation and everything in between.

and your whole family is already working on the most important thing, lifting you up to your Heavenly Father. we are praying for you, ridley. that you may come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ at a young age. that you may grow in wisdom and righteousness. that you will be a man after God's own heart. and let me tell you, the men in your life may be great examples of educated, athletic, driven, daring, creative men...but they've really got it down where it counts. they love Jesus. they are godly examples of what it is to be a son and husband and father and uncle and friend and employee and boss. they are the manliest of men, according to God's word.

may you walk in their footsteps. may they point you to Christ. "he has told you, o man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" we pray this for you. that you will do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly. whether you are a bookworm or star athlete or musician or outdoorsman or all of the above or none of the above...we pray that you first and foremost are a disciple of Christ. that you love reading His book. that you run hard after Him and run the race set before you with endurance. that you address others in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart. that you marvel at His creation and praise Him for His great works.

we can't wait to meet you and have so much fun with you. i am starting to collect things for your room and look forward to spending hours and hours in there together...reading and singing and praying and nursing and snuggling and swaddling and dressing you up in bow ties and attempting a diaper change without getting a pee shower. you know, all that fun stuff. and i hope that you have an extra special soft spot for your mama, because your mama sure has an extra special soft spot just for you.

all our love,

mama + papa + elinor