Ryder's 'Welcome to Earth' party

To welcome Lisa's little bundle of joy into the world officially, a naming ceremony was held in the garden of the Hassell residence with bunting, baking, booze, babies, birthday books and a bit of brooding from some of the Bristol bunch.

Man I luuuuurve the cake!

As one of Ryder's 'mentors', my duties included writing and reciting a verse (or seven) for the little man's special day, and here is how it went:

They say that having a baby is the greatest thing you’ll do, 
And nothing could be more important than recreating a part of you, 
A child is the greatest of all the gifts that life could ever bestow, 
And there is no greater pleasure than watching that new life grow.

But with the joy and happiness there comes a couple of snags, 

Not just the sick, the sleepless nights and endless nappy bags, 

But there’s a scary fact that to this day has been announced… well never, 

And it pains me to have to tell you my friends, that a baby is yours forever!  

Mentors, munchkin and mum

Now this might come as quite a shock and cause a bit of stress, 

But no baby that’s ever been brought by the stork came with a ‘return to’ address, 

So when your little bundle arrives, you’d better hope that it has some appeal, 

‘Cause once it arrives at your front door, it’s pretty much a done deal.

As daunting a fact as this may be, there is a saving grace,

The love that swells inside your heart when you look at your baby’s face,

Their beautiful eyes, their soft lipped smile and baby button nose,

Make all the hard work seem teenier than tiny baby toes.

When Lisa announced that her lady oven was busy baking a bun,

Excitement spread amongst all she knew about her forthcoming son,

The best thing Lisa would ever create was growing deep inside her,

The gorgeous baby we all adore, our precious little Ryder.

May you grow up to be a wonderful person with a beautiful heart and mind,

A courageous soul who’s not only strong, but sensitive, warm and kind,

The type of fella who everyone loves and wants to be their best chum,

And may you have just an ounce of the kindness from within your beautiful mum.

Let’s raise a glass to Ryder, the coolest kid on the block,

‘Cause I have the strangest feeling that this little boy will rock!

May the lights that guide you on your path be bright as a summer’s day,

But should you encounter any moments of dark, we’ll be here to guide the way.

Amazing Inky Goodness birthday book

© Holly Purcell 2012