Thursday, August 2, 2012

heaven will hold them


Our journey toward parenthood hasn’t been easy. I'm sure some of you can relate. I was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome as a teenager, so we knew from the start that it might be difficult for us to conceive. I took my last birth control pill on my 24th birthday and we gave it a few months before asking my doctor for a little extra help. She wrote a prescription for Clomid and sent us on our way. About a week later, when the Clomid didn’t seem to be working, she referred us to a reproductive endocrinologist. Dr. C spent over an hour with us, explaining the plan and the medications. He wanted to reboot my system with a month of birth control pills but needed me to take a pregnancy test first. It was just a formality. I peed in the cup, set it in the little box and joined Andrew to wait for the nurse to bring us the birth control pills. She never came. Instead, Dr. C dropped off a pregnancy test with two beautiful pink lines. We couldn't believe it! Joy rushed in full force.


Four months later, I was starting to show. I bought my first maternity shirts and Andrew and I began discussing how we were going to fit another whole person into our tiny house. I remember being at church on a Saturday night, soaking up the worship, my heart exploding with gratitude for this little life in my belly. I rested my hand on my little bump and knew I'd never felt happier than I did in that moment. 

And then he was gone…

We went in for a regular appointment, and when the physician’s assistant couldn’t find a heartbeat, they sent us for an ultrasound. I’ll never forget the sweet technician’s words, “I’m so sorry, you guys. There are no heart tones.” I cannot begin to explain the agony we experienced in that moment. We felt betrayed, dumbfounded, gutted. Our son was already in Heaven.

The next 24 hours were a tornado of despair, pain, prayer, anger, and even joy. I was honored to be able to deliver our son. The induction...the contractions...hallucinations caused by the strong pain medication...trying to sleep. The room was dark and Andrew was dozing next to me on a pull-out bed. I felt a small rush of fluid and knew he was there, his teeny body tucked up against the inside of my thigh. It was like my skin was extra sensitive all of a sudden. I could feel his head, knew where his little legs touched mine. I laid there in silence, not wanting to tell anyone, not even my husband. I just wanted to be with my boy, me and him, skin to skin. I knew the sooner we called the nurse in, the sooner they'd take him away and I couldn't wrap my mind around that goodbye just yet. 

When I was ready, I woke Andrew. Together we marveled at his tiny hands, his perfect nose, and the slight way he resembled his dad. My mom got a chance to hold him too and the nurse took a roll of film. Everyone said that we'd want pictures someday and that it wouldn't hurt to take them, so we did. 

And then we handed our son's body over to the nurse, knowing that a couple of days earlier, we had unknowingly handed his soul over to the Father.


We named him Ethan Andrew.


thanks, Kristin Cook, for this picture

I tried to pass the placenta but I couldn't do it. I didn't know how. We hadn't taken classes yet! I hadn't read any books! I wasn't supposed to need to know this stuff yet! So they sent me for a D and C to clean out my uterus as if Ethan had never been there. As I waited for surgery, my mom came in with the pictures the nurse took. I told her I wanted to see them. I looked at the first picture in the stack and started to wail. I hadn't ever cried like that before and I haven't cried like that since. The images in the pictures were so unlike our actual experience of meeting our boy. The sweetness was gone. In the actual moment, his body hadn't mattered much because it wasn't him anymore. But the pictures were so clinical. His body looked so strange, distorted, even scary. The story the pictures told was so different from the quiet, priceless moment I remembered. I gave the pictures back to my mom and she took them, tears streaming down her face as well. Those pictures are somewhere in my parents' house. It's been two and a half years and I still can't look at them. 

Before they took me to surgery, I had to give up my glasses. I'm nearly blind without them, so there I sat in a thin hospital gown, slumped into a wheelchair, nurses and doctors buzzing around me, talking to each other. I couldn't see a thing. I felt completely isolated, abandoned in a sea of blurred scrubs and crushing grief. I didn't know where Andrew was, where my mom was. I quietly started to sob. A nurse anesthetist with a bald head and funky glasses bent down and asked if I was scared of the surgery. I gave him a partial answer, just a no. But I wanted to say, "I'm not crying because I'm afraid. I'm crying because my child is dead."

We went home after surgery. Our family was great. Our friends were great. Our church was great. Our dog was great (except when he destroyed the lilies the pastors dropped off and left a giant pile of dirt on our living room carpet). I read books about losing a child. I got a couple of necklaces with Ethan's name on them. We planted a lovely tree at Andrew's parents' lake home. We started to tell our story. 



A few months later, after finding out that Ethan had died as a result of Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), we lost another baby at just a few weeks. Again, our hearts were broken. Strangely, I loved when people asked me if I had kids because I got to say, “Yes, I’m a mom, but my children are already in Heaven with Jesus.” I love that they give me an opportunity to share my Savior boldly and joyfully with anyone who asks. We will never stop missing Ethan and his little sibling, but we will forever praise God for allowing us be part of their story, a story that only started with their deaths. We have already seen pieces of their purpose fulfilled here on earth. We cannot begin to imagine all of the glorious things they are doing with Jesus now in Heaven. 

My Grandma Henry passed away a couple of months before Ethan did, and it gave us such joy to know that she and Andrew’s Grandpa Allen were there to greet our children. We prayed every day that God would bless us with more children. But during those years, we were empty nesters, missing our kids and crawling into Jesus’ lap so He could remind us that even in our grief, God is glorified. 

We rest in the assurance that our babies are with Jesus, and that Heaven and worship and perfection are all they will ever know. We also find so much comfort in the fact that during their short time on this earth, they only ever experienced the feelings of being fully loved and desperately wanted. Some days that's enough. And other days, we just miss them. 

24 comments:

  1. I have read this post twice now and tears streamed down my face both times. I cannot imagine the heartache. Still, I am glad you got to experience little Ethan as you would want to remember him.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you for sharing your story. It's beautiful and heartbreaking and I hate that anyone has to go through something like this, ever.

    I absolutely love the tree.

    We thought of planting a tree for our lost baby, but I didn't know where to plant it that I was sure we could visit forever. We "adopted" a sea otter at the aquarium, instead.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We struggled with the same question - where can we plant a tree so that we can always visit it? We decided on my inlaws' lake home, but you still never know what's going to happen. Maybe somebody else will own that land someday. You can never be sure. I LOVE the sea otter idea. I had never thought of that but it's such a beautiful idea. Thanks for sharing it.

      Delete
  3. Hi, Em. I'm new to your blog and just reading this now. I am so sorry for what you've been through. However, there is just so much to your last paragraph! I know that many people don't view pregnancy loss this way, but I do. Knowing that all your children ever felt was love is a very calming thought to me. Knowing they're with family in heaven is peaceful. I'm so glad you find peace in these things!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words. I really appreciate it. And welcome to my blog!

      Delete
  4. I am so thankful you found me and that I have the opportunity to read your story. I am so sorry for your losses. I love how you acknowledge that you are a mom to two beautiful children in Heaven. For the first time aloud I am saying the following words: "I am a mom of four, 3 in Heaven, 1 on Earth". That is empowering and healing. Getting past my losses have been so hard. But reading yours story has helped. You have a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing your story with the world, with me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Ann! Welcome to my blog! Thank you for your sweet words and also for stating what you wrote above about your children. It was empowering and healing for me, even just reading it.

      Delete
  5. I just discovered your blog now, and I've hurt my throat trying to stop myself from crying. I'm at work so I can't just let tears run down my face. I'm struggling with infertility too, for six years...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh Claire! I am so sorry to hear about your struggle with infertility. Six years...is a really, really, really long time. You know that better than anyone. I am so sorry to have made you cry. I really hope that they were healing/cathartic tears. Wishing you all the best.

      Do you have a blog so I can follow your story?

      Delete
  6. I'm new to your blog. I'm so so sorry to hear about the hardships you've experienced trying to grow your family and for your loss. Huge hugs.
    I've suffered 2 twin losses and the heartbreak is something that words cannot describe. I'm looking forward to following your journey.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am so sorry to hear about the losses of your babies. Oh how my heart breaks for you! I'm glad that you found my blog. Haven't looked yet, but I'm hoping that you have one too so that I can follow your story as well!

      Delete
  7. Oh my gosh, I am beside myself after reading this! What a moving and genuine way you've documented your heartbreak here, and my heart breaks for you at the memory of this event. I'm sure there is a woman right now reading this who lost her own little one and who is feeling consoled and a little less alone. Bless you for sharing it, though I'm sure it was very painful.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thankfully, I just happened upon your blog and am going to start following you as I sense that you, through your stories and struggles, can help give me hope :). We lost our baby girl at 12w2d back in June due to Turner's Syndrome. We then lost another baby in October at just a few weeks. All my life, all I've ever wanted to be is a godly wife and mother. As we now face a new year, I'm reminded that God gave me these desires of my heart and I'm again placing my trust and hope in Him. Thank you for sharing your story.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Em,
    I just stumbled across your blog today. On July 12, 2014 I lost my precious son, Malachi James. He was born at 25 weeks on March 3, 2014 and lived for 127 days. Your last paragraph is so true.
    lots of love
    Jamie
    www.wifemommywork.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Beautifully shared.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm really glad I found your writings. I also love the last paragraph

    ReplyDelete
  12. I just happened across your blog today. My husband and I lost our sweet precious baby at 12 weeks on October 28th 2012. It has been such a hard road of grief. You put it into such sweet words that our baby will only ever know being fully loved. Our creator has a grand plan for our lives and you said it so perfectly, "even in our grief, God is glorified." Thank you for sharing your honest and pure words.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Em,
    I stumbled upon your blog which I feel may have been more of a divine appointment. I, too, lost a child at 12 weeks of gestation many years ago. My comfort has come from knowing that they are in the arms of Jesus and with great grandparents and a cousin. I love your last paragraph in knowing that "Heaven and worship and perfection are all they will ever know" and "they only ever experienced the feelings of being fully loved and desperately wanted." I can't wait to meet them! Thank you for your wonderful words.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Em,
    My sweet William went to Heaven June 15, 2013 at 17 weeks gestation. William is buried in a beautiful cemetery on a hill over looking our city and I am so grateful I have a place to go to remember him. My experience was similar to yours and I found great comfort in reading your words. I am a mom to 4, two on earth and two in heaven. P.S. my name is Em too!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to reading more from you down the road!

    ReplyDelete
  16. You shared very nice and detail information with us .This article contain very useful things for us I am very excited bout this one it is so nice and very useful to us.Thank you for this information .I expect this kind of important information in future also so keep it up this nice work.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Bluemen 100 is a prescription medicine and requires proper medical attention before medicine use.
    Bluemen 100 Tablets For Male
    For More Info Visit Link : https://t.ly/XxQD

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...