Thinking of you Wesley. Send big hugs to your family from the Shanks family.

Dear Wesley,

It was one year ago today, that you left us feeling so sad and empty. We would no longer be able to hold you or kiss you or watch you grow. Although we were sad and so very mad our love for you will continue to grow. We are thankful for the time that we had and we will hold the memories in our hearts forever! We hope you are happy in Heaven with all your Angel Friends. I just can't believe that there are so many Beautiful Babies up there. It is definitely one of the saddest things that any parent would have to go through. But it's you, DEAR ANGEL, that keeps us going. Knowing that you will never have to struggle or feel any pain, brings us Peace. We will be reunited one day and that gives us Hope. I know you are helping the little Angels that aren't so strong and showering them with your Love. I hope you can feel all the Love we have for you down here on Earth. You are probably dazed and living in a haze because of all the Love and Kisses we keep sending you. Well, you better get used to it because it will never stop! We are looking forward to the day when we can hold you again and smother you with all our Love and Kisses. We Love You Always!!! Great BIG TEDDY BEAR HUGS TO YOU!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETHEART!!!

Thinking of you today and wishing we had you here with us to celebrate your birthday! We love you and miss you terribly. We know that your birthday celebration will be really special up in heaven with all your ANGEL FRIENDS! I guess you will have two BIG parties, one today as you turn ONE and one on February 18th, the day you got your wings. I'm trying to picture what a party in heaven might be like... Thousands of balloons in every color of the rainbow, soft and comfy chairs of white and puffy clouds, moon shaped tables in bright yellow and joy and laughter from the crowds! All your little ANGEL FRIENDS gathered round to see, the sweetest, cutest ANGEL BOY that there could ever be!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gifts of many colors piled high upon the tables, cake and ice cream for all to enjoy for the worlds most loved and sweetest boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY!!!!!!!!! WE MISS YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

Merry, Merry Christmas, to Our Special Angel,

Hi Honey, we celebrated Christmas yesterday with our family. We were thinking of you and missing you the whole time! It would have been a great joy to have you there with us, to see you enjoy the wonder and merriment of Christmas! We were all sad without you! But you know, Mommy and Daddy got your Grandpa and I the most wonderful gift! It's a digital frame, filled with pictures of you! WE ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!! We love that it holds all of your pictures and we love the way the pictures change, it looks so beautiful and real, it takes us back to our sweet baby boy! And Mommy even put all of the special songs that she chose to honor you on there so we can hear them anytime we want! It was the most perfect, special gift!!!

I sure hope you and all of your Angel Friends had a Wonderful Christmas! You are and will always be our Special Angel! We love you and miss you so much!!! Sending You BIG BUSHELS of LOVE and GREAT BIG TEDDYBEAR HUGS!!!

HI SWEET LITTLE PUMPKIN,

Mommy stopped by for a visit on Sunday, she's really busy, we don't see her very much. It was a nice visit. You would be proud! We didn't talk politics at all!

Halloween is just a little over a week away. I hope you have some HOWLING FUN! We are sure gonna miss not having you here to dress up and go out TRICK or TREATING with your cousin's. HAPPY HALLOWEEN HONEY!!! 

Mommy's surgery is drawing closer and closer. I know she's excited and can't wait to get it done. We are all hoping that this will make Mommy pain free and better than ever!!! Of course the pain of losing you will NEVER be gone!!!!!! I hate that when Mommy says your name, it almost feels like a dream! You were here and then you were gone! Those 26 days went by so fast! Besides being thankful to have you as our Grandson, we are most thankful for all the photos. It hurts so much to think that if we didn't have all those photos, we wouldn't have hardly any memories of you!

Thanksgiving is right around the corner too. It gets me thinking of all the things I'm thankful for. At the top of my list, IS YOU!!! I'm thankful for the short time we had together, but I think I'm most thankful that you are not in any pain! It's hard to say that there's anything in this world that could possibly be more painful than losing you, but seeing you live in pain or watching you fight to live would certainly be at the top of the list!

Send some LOVE down to Mommy, she misses you so much!!! Share some HUGS and GIGGLES with all your Friends and Family that are there with you! The thought of this brings me joy!

I LOVE YOU LIL' PUMPKIN!!!

Hi Wesley,

Just want to let you know I'm thinking of you and missing you, just like I will all the days of my life. You are 8 months old now and I'm sure you are a lot of fun! I just know that you have tons of friends! It's fall now and I'm sure you like all the vibrant colors. I bet you can see all the best colors from your view up above. I miss not having you here, you were supposed to be my lil' buddy and my sweet company while Mommy and Daddy worked. We would be going together everyday up to the school to pick up your cousin Lennon, she's in kindergarten now. She misses you too and she misses her doggie Akua. Be sure to spend some time with Akua, she is a good dog and you and all your little friends will have a lot of fun with her. Time sure does fly! It's almost October already! What are you going to be for Halloween? I know you will be " too cute to spook!" Did Mommy tell you that she and her best friend Liz are raising money for the Virginia SIDS Foundation? Mommy is getting so much money from her friends, because they all love you and miss you too! Mommy and Liz are doing the SIDS walk on October 12, 2008 to honor you. I think Mommy said your name is going to be on a tee shirt. That's really cool, huh! Mommy wants to make sure that more things are being done to prevent SIDS from taking any more beautiful babies from the arms of their loving parents. Well, I just wanted to say HI to my little guy and tell you that I think of you and miss you everyday!!!

Hi April and Jeff

I'm just sitting here thinking about Wesley. He was so cute and so perfect! I miss him terribly! We would be having so much fun together! Mom told me on Saturday that when she looks at Wesley's picture, she gets the feeling that he was trying to tell us something. I sure wish that he could have! I know he would be sitting up and getting around on his own by now. He probably would have been @ 4 mos. He would be a happy, happy little guy, always smiling, laughing and trying to talk! I sure feel short changed, having to miss all that. It makes me think back to when Christine was born. She was born in May and 3 1/2 months later, you, April, started kindergarten. It would have been, much the same, Wesley born in January and 7 mos. later, Lennon starts kindergarten. It would have been pretty cool to go through that learning process again, with the 5 year difference. It would have had me thinking and remembering the two of you @ those ages. But now all I can do is try to imagine what Wesley's doing up in heaven. I know he is having fun because he has so many friends. And they are all good, loving and caring friends. I see all the little boys and some of the little girls, playing baseball with Bob! I bet they beg to play it everyday! And always, I see our angel babies, smiling and happy! I think of Jeff's baby pictures and I see Wesley! I think that is awesome! Well, you know we will be there soon w/Wesley. It has taken far too long to return to his resting spot. I hope all of his doggie friends are still there! It meant a lot to see the life up on that mountain. I would love to see the beauty up there when the leaves are in their glory! I bet that's a sight to behold! It is a beautiful place! Wesley, we will be there with you again in 12 days! I can't wait! I'm sure we will have something special planned for you! Mommy and Daddy were the best parents and they did not deserve to lose you! We all continue to hurt and we will always feel the emptiness. That place in our heart is yours and always will be, no one could ever take your place!!!

April,

 

We chatted online a couple of months ago and you gave me the link to Wesleys website and that day I looked at all the pictures of your BIG BOY.... and he was a very big guy wasn't he?  So I was just checking it out again and saw where I can write you something ....I just want you to know that I am so sorry for your loss and would never want any parent to go through this.....especially knowing how much he was wanted and loved by you and your husband....

Hi Wesley,

I am thinking of you today and missing you. It sucks that you couldn't stay here with us! We can't accept that you are gone. We can't watch you grow and learn. You were so sweet and innocent, losing you should never have happened. You never even had the chance to develop your own little personality. I just got to thinking about you and how unfair it is, that you're gone. I know you are in Heaven and that is said to be a nice place. I hope you are Happy there! My sister ( she would be your Great Aunt ) has me thinking about you at the moment. She has had a long life and she has done everything to wreck it. It is so unfair that the losers on the earth have so much time to make it right and they almost never do! And so many sweet little innocent babies never even have that chance. I'm so sorry that you were one of the chosen ones. It breaks our hearts again and again and again. The only thing I do know is that we ( with the exception of your Great Aunt )  have lived a good life and we will be with you again one day!  And we can't wait to  see you and hold you! So you have fun with all your little ANGEL FRIENDS until we meet again!

Hey Wesley,

It's a new month. It's June 2008 and I'm thinking of you and missing you. The weather is getting warmer and warmer. I'm missing your little personality. I know you would be smiling all the time, you wouldn't be able to help it, with all the attention you would be getting. I am trying to imagine your little personality? I think it would be a happy, cheerful one! I am feeling robbed of the joy of watching you grow and learn. I was so ready to bring in all of the baby stuff, from the shed. I had already put my rocking chair in the livingroom, for all those days and nights that I would rock you. All the baby stuff I have was used for your big girl cousin Lennon. I have a lot of really cool stuff! A Johnny Jump-up, I think that would have been your favorite. An activity center, that would probably be your second favorite. I also have a really nice stroller for all those long walks we would have taken, on nice days. I know you would have LOVED that!!! And you would be looking so cute in your little jean shorts and baby Tee's. I know Mommy would say," don't you mean big jean shorts?" Well, maybe, you were a big baby, but still cute as a button! I just wanted you to know that I MISS YOU and I AM THINKING of YOU and I'LL LOVE YOU FOR ALL ETERNITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! P.S. Your big girl cousin MISSES YOU TOO!!! She always catches me sitting here at the computer looking at your photos and writing to you. She says, "Grandma, you're making me feel like crying, just looking at Wesley's pictures! I wish he could magically come back to life!!" Well, guess what? She's not the only one who wishes you could magically come back to us!!! Be HAPPY LITTLE GUY!!! WE ALL LOVE YOU!!!XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO Those are HUGS and KISSES from your family, Mommy, Daddy, your doggies-Bonnie and Toshi, Grandma, Grandpa, our doggie-Shelby, Auntie Christine, Uncle Ben and cousin Lennon!!!

Good Morning Wesley,

I really miss you. I think of you all the time. I see your picture every where. Every time I visit family or friends, you are there, just like it should be. Your GreatGrandma has your picture on her tea cart in her diningroom. Your GreatAunt Cindy has your picture on her entertainment center, your friend Christa has your picture in her diningroom on a shelf and it's framed and I have your picture in our office above the computer and in the bedroom on the dresser. As soon as I can I will have a lot more pictures of you all over the house. I bought a new magnet board from IKEA for my scrapbook corner. I am going to hang it above my other magnet board so I can display pictures of you and your cousin Lennon. I am also going to frame some of your pictures and enlarge and frame some of your pictures so I can have them in more rooms.

Your little buddy Trey was at GreatGrandma's yesterday. Oh, how I wish you could be there too! The whole time I was holding Trey I was thinking of you! Trey will be 6 mos. on the 28th and you will be 4 mos. old this Friday the 23rd. It hurts to have to miss out on all of the cool things you are learning. I like to think that you are growing and having fun up in heaven with all of your friends. It helps so much to write on this site and the DailyStrength site. I now have a face for all of your angel friends and it brings me solace and joy picturing all of you together!

So keep having fun up there in heaven and know that I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER!!!

I am a mom too and I feel your pain so much just know I am here

 

Natasha

Good Morning Sweet Little Wesley,

We recently learned why God took you so soon. It just breaks my heart to think that you were fighting to stay alive and we didn't even know it! I sure hope you didn't have to suffer for too long. Mommy was with you every second and she did everything possible to make you comfortable. Where was that little birdy when we needed him? Where was that feeling that we feel when we know something is just not right? You were and still are the most gorgeous baby! I bet you are fighting the girls off! I bet they are fighting fo your attention!  It kills me to think of all the things that we are missing out on as you grow.I find myself sitting and staring at your picture. I kiss your picture and I talk to you. I know you can hear us and I know you can feel us. There is so much LOVE down here on Earth for you. Every time I look to the sky I see you. I see you laying on the softest cloud there is and you are smiling down on us, because you have no pain and no worries. You are God's Special Angel and you are needed there to help all the little angel babies who were not as big and strong as you when God called them home. You make us sad because you had to go, but you make us proud too because of your strength to carry on. Thank you for Blessing our lives, your time here was short but the impact you made is the strongest thing I've ever felt! I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART, MY SOUL and MY BEING! Sending a WORLD full of LOVE and HUGS and KISSES to YOU!!!

Hi Sweetie,

We have been having a lot of rain here for the past few days and today will be the same. Just this morning I was thinking of all the raindrops that have fallen and wishing I could turn them all into hugs and kisses and send them to you. You know, that's probably just about as many hugs and kisses you would have had by now from all of your friends and family. I hope you are enjoying Akua's company. She is a very good, loving dog. She loved you so much! Every time you cried she was right there by your side, with that look, that look that said,"is there anything I can do for you?" She just loves babies. When your cousin Lennon was born, Akua was there by her side, under her crib and outside her bedroom door. Lennon misses Akua so much, but she does find comfort knowing that her beloved doggie is with you now. Take care of each other. Remember when you feel little tickles all over, those are the many hugs and kisses being sent your way. And I just bet, that you can never keep still, because they keep on coming and always will! We LOVE you and we MISS you Baby Wesley!!!

HAPPY EASTER APRIL, JEFF and WESLEY,

      We know this is not the Easter you had in mind. We know that you had plans for a family celebration. We had the same plans. We are missing our little guy and the many photos we would have taken. We are missing the way we always go way overboard with all the holiday picture props in search of the perfect photo. We can see it now ! The Easter basket overflowing with stuffed animals and big, colorful plastic eggs and baby Wesley right in the middle! Unfortunately it was not to be and it will have to be shared in our minds eyes. We know that Wesley is missing the warm, loving arms of Mommy and Daddy. We have to look beyond the sadness and imagine all the Easter fun he will have with his new found friends in Heaven. We Love You Wesley !!! And We Love Your Mommy and Daddy too !!! HAPPY EASTER SAYLER FAMILY !!!