As many know, Kristi and I had our fourth child and first boy, Evan Ross, at 5:13 CDT on August 29, 2005. At birth, he weighed 6 pounds 14 ounces and measured 19.5 inches long. As of this past Monday, he weighs nearly 7 pounds 10 ounces, and his doctor feels he has turned the corner on gaining weight. He has even smiled for us on rare occasions—something not expected until at least six weeks of age.
Our loss of Emily is still hard to bear; if she were alive today, she would be four and a half, and she'd be the most doting sister, as she loved everyone, especially babies. The emotional challenges of having another child are difficult, though I’m not sure that maintaining the surviving family would have been any less difficult. Emily was and is a wonderful spirit whose love and joy compelled us to have other children when she was here, and Evan’s sweetness suggests we made a good decision.
