Welcome, Riley Robert Janzen




Well, my sweet boy, you have FINALLY arrived. It feels like we have been waiting for you for a lifetime, and even though we are SO blessed you arrived two weeks early, it feels like you were years late. Love is a funny thing, darling boy, and although you will think it is silly that we could love you before we even know you, that is how it is. And what a love it is, at only 3 days in.
We have only KNOWN you for 3 days, but I think it says SO much about you by how desperately you wanted to join us, just after Christmas.


Sweet Riley, you were born two whole weeks early and just could not WAIT to join us. Your Mommy thought she knew what was happening when she thought her water broke on December 27th, but was "assured" by two hospital visits/tests, and two very competent midwives that, in fact, my water had not broken, that it was normal for women to "leak" like this at the end of pregnancy, and that the contractions that I'd been having for days were just my body getting ready for labor. Your Mommy was ready for you and was sure that you would arrive soon, despite the knowledge and findings of science, and after leaking and contracting for 3 days, our wonderful midwife Hailey was just not convinced you were not trying to join us, so in to the hospital for yet another the test, the 99.8% accuracy test, and sure enough, you WERE trying to join us!
What a whirlwind day December 30th was. Your Mommy and Ava spent a whole morning together, the best I had a felt in a few days, with few contractions...the time for your sister and I was just what your Mommy needed. And what was thought to be a quick trip in to the hospital for a test at 1:00 turned into a quick trip, followed by a quick phone call to your Daddy to tell him to come home because induction was happening, a quick trip home to shower, and a quick drive back into the hospital for 3:30. By 3:45 I was induced, and by 9:41 pm, there you were!



What your Mommy thinks this says about YOU is that you just HAD to join us early. You must have known how badly your Mommy and Daddy and sister wanted you, and how impatient we all were, and most importantly we are sure you know just how much you were going to be loved when you arrived that you could just not wait two more weeks.
Your Mommy's biggest blessing on that day, in conjunction with THE most painful couple hours of your Mommy's life, was to be able to bring you into this world without the morphine that had zonked me out when your sister was born. What that meant for us was that your Mommy experienced an amazing amount of pain, but what it also meant was that your Mommy was so, so present, and so overwhelmed with love and with pride for you the moment you joined us. The most painful day of your Mommy's life was also one of THE best days of our lives because we got you out of the deal.





Darling boy, one of my biggest fears has been how your big sister Ava would feel about you joining our family, and although we are only 3 days in, your arrival has brought out such an amazing side of our Ava, and we think the fear was for nothing. I don't know of a big sister who could be more proud of her little brother, more helpful, and more loving. When she first met you in the hospital it was only moments in and she was asking her Daddy to put you onto her imaginary train so that you she could take your for a ride, and then to put you onto the floor so that she could teach you how to crawl.
Your big sister takes being your very first teacher VERY seriously. She does not yet understand that you aren't able to learn everything RIGHT now and she is dying for you to say "Ava", to crawl, to grab toys, and to tell her you love her.
We are so lucky to have your Ava and we know you hit the jackpot with getting her for a sister.

Sweet Riley, you were born into this world on December 30th, 2015 at 9:41 pm. You weighed 7 pds 13 ounces and were 20 inches long. We are so, so blessed by you and your sister and can just not wait to see who  you become. We love you, little man!

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