March 15, 2011
“Rock-a-bye Baby, in the tree top.
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock.
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall.
And down will come baby, cradle, and all.”
Dear Emily,
Your cradle is waiting for you! But not just any old cradle. Old yes…126 years old to be exact…but very special. When you come home from the hospital, you will sleep in the same cradle that your daddy slept in when he was a new baby. In fact, I slept in it, your great-grandfather slept in it, and your great-great grandfather slept in it!
William Harris Ogilvie was born in 1885, and the cradle was originally built for him. One of four children, he grew up on the same farm where your great Uncle Jimmy lives now. He married your great-great grandmother in 1917 and moved her into the same house with his parents. Together, they managed the farm and raised a family of four sons, one of which was your great-grandfather. All four of those sons slept in the cradle. Three of those sons married and their children (nine in all) slept in the cradle as well. Then the tradition started again with the next generation – your daddy. Now it’s your turn! You will be the fifth generation of Ogilvies to sleep in this beautiful cradle.
Special babies who have grown up to do amazing things have been rocked in this cradle. Farmers, teachers, doctors, accountants, and even a nationally known athlete have known the security of sleeping in this heirloom. But none of those babies was any more special than you are Emily Michelle Brown. The world, your family, and your cradle await your arrival! You, no doubt, are destined for greatness!
