Ryker Joseph Smolens

     Ryker Joseph, our first born son, was born at 7:40 am on 6/9/12.  He weighed 1 pound 2.9 ounces. He was so much bigger than his brother and sister and I honestly thought he would have a chance at life. Even though it was early, doctors were on standby waiting for him to come so they could assess him. Sadly, he was born sleeping. I'll never know when he passed, but I do know that at my last ultrasound the night before I asked for one last look at my baby boy and I could see his little heart beating away and his little body moving across the screen. The doctors printed me one last picture that I will treasure forever.

     Ryker is a name neither one of us ever considered. We don't know anyone else with that name and had never even heard of it being used for a baby. One night Michael and I were looking at names online and I found a site where you put in names you like and it recommends names for you. I believe I put in Tommy and Ethan, and Ryker showed up. Michael immediately liked it because there's a Star Trek character named Riker. At first I was hesitant and didn't want to name a baby from a show I never even watched, but the more we talked about it and said it out loud it really started to fit his personality. And we got the name from a baby name website first, not just from the show.

     Ryker means strong, a powerful ruler.  Good qualities for our first born.  Ryker was always our biggest baby, consistently measuring a week ahead of his siblings. He was our strongest, and the name seemed to just fit. We imagined him growing up a tough boy, protecting his little brother and sister. That's what the oldest does, and Ryker would have been a tough, but loving brother. He would have made his mommy and daddy proud.

     Ryker's middle name, Joseph, comes from his daddy.  Michael's middle name is Joseph, and I love the fact that my 3 boys (Ryker, Tommy, and Michael) all have the same middle name.