Our Story

This is our story of Henry, who was diagnosed with anencephaly at 20 weeks. We cherished his time with us and made the most of every passing day. We think about Henry constantly. He will always be part of our family.

As Hazel says, there are four of us now.


Friday, December 24, 2010

Christmas Approaches

We have tried so hard to look forward to Christmas day and the promise it holds. But every day marked off the advent tree is another day closer to the inevitable. We have purchased gifts for Henry. Clothes for his first day. Small toys. Items parents would normally buy for their child. But all these come with a heavy reminder. Even buying diapers for Henry is a struggle. We want to bury him in something natural, no plastic diapers. But the ladies at the store are very suspicious of why we only need one. It's hard to explain.

People have been so generous. We cannot escape God's grace during this time. Friends have brought us meals, helped Sarabeth with house work, watched Hazel. Even strangers have blessed us with baby announcements, gifts for Henry and massages for Sarabeth. This Christmas season will hold special meaning for the rest of our lives.

We bought stockings for Hazel and Henry with their names on them. I don't know what that will mean for future Christmases. But this year, everyone has a stocking with small gifts. Most of what Henry gets will be kept in his memory box. A few select items will be buried with him. My little lion man. We are having a casket hand made for him. His burial shroud is handmade by his great grandmother. We want so much to honor our son - in each small way.

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