Henry was born February 14, 2011 at 7:15 am. He was born alive but lived only a short while, spending his whole life in the arms of his proud mom and dad. Henry was welcomed by family and friends who held him and loved him with great joy during his brief time with us. He was 5 pounds 12 ounces and 18.5 inches long. Henry has big hands - we had to rip the seams in his sleeves to get his shirt on. He is beautiful with dark blue eyes and a wisp of dark brown hair.
We baptised Henry at birth and he was dedicated to the Christian church by pastor Jeff Cannell.
Henry's big sister Hazel was able to hold him, help give him a proper bath and dress him in his dinosaur clothes. As tragic and terrible as this day was, the peace of God was present. We have many wonderful pictures to remember this day - thanks to Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep.
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.
As Hazel says, there are four of us now.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Final Visit
This morning was our last visit with Henry. We went to the maternal fetal clinic at Riverside Hospital for the 7th time. We were able to see Henry, take all his measurements and get pictures and video. This has been a really important time for us to bond with our son. Watching him grow and develop on the screen has helped us learn about Henry and appreciate being his parents.
Henry has long legs and big hands. He stays tucked down low towards the cervix. Henry likes to box and roll. He never hides his boy parts but often covers his face. He is a beautiful boy. Without this time at the maternal fetal clinic, we might not feel as close to Henry. These visits have given us time to bond and really enjoy Henry.
Now we count down the days until Henry is to be born. We wait with anticipation and anxiety. We are as ready as we can be to face this day. And this has been a very challenging 17 weeks. I'm not really sure how many more weeks we would endure. We wouldn't choose not to have Henry. He is our baby no matter what. We would not chose to deny his existence or hope that he had never been. He is - and that is precious to us.
Henry has long legs and big hands. He stays tucked down low towards the cervix. Henry likes to box and roll. He never hides his boy parts but often covers his face. He is a beautiful boy. Without this time at the maternal fetal clinic, we might not feel as close to Henry. These visits have given us time to bond and really enjoy Henry.
Now we count down the days until Henry is to be born. We wait with anticipation and anxiety. We are as ready as we can be to face this day. And this has been a very challenging 17 weeks. I'm not really sure how many more weeks we would endure. We wouldn't choose not to have Henry. He is our baby no matter what. We would not chose to deny his existence or hope that he had never been. He is - and that is precious to us.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Due Date Approaching
Henry's official due date is February 17. We are coming down to the final days with our son. We enjoy every jump, roll and kick. Sometimes we can even make out the impression of his foot. We know that our time with Henry is short. Every moment is meaningful.
We have expected that Sarabeth may be induced to get things moving. At the last OB appointment, our doctor suggested a date - February 13. Which would mean that Henry would likely be born on Valentine's Day. That might be good. His birthday would always be associated with a holiday, as trivial as it is.
Naming a date makes our time seem more limited. We love Henry so much. We have gotten to know him through many ultrasounds and procedures. Our last opportunity to visit Henry before his birth will be February 4. We have another 3D ultrasound scheduled. That will be our last chance for pictures and video before Henry is born. Because of these appointments we have been able to see Henry grow and development. To admire is long legs, his hands and feet. To see him be an active baby. And we will be able to put these images together in a slide show to enjoy. We have been able to be parents, to learn about our baby, and to love him thoroughly. And for that, we are thankful.
We have expected that Sarabeth may be induced to get things moving. At the last OB appointment, our doctor suggested a date - February 13. Which would mean that Henry would likely be born on Valentine's Day. That might be good. His birthday would always be associated with a holiday, as trivial as it is.
Naming a date makes our time seem more limited. We love Henry so much. We have gotten to know him through many ultrasounds and procedures. Our last opportunity to visit Henry before his birth will be February 4. We have another 3D ultrasound scheduled. That will be our last chance for pictures and video before Henry is born. Because of these appointments we have been able to see Henry grow and development. To admire is long legs, his hands and feet. To see him be an active baby. And we will be able to put these images together in a slide show to enjoy. We have been able to be parents, to learn about our baby, and to love him thoroughly. And for that, we are thankful.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)