Ellis's Life in Pictures

We didn't have much time with our little boy, but the time we had was precious. We tried to capture as many moments on camera as possible. These pictures give you a glimpse into the short time we had with Ellis.

The song used in the slide show is significant to us. After we found out about Ellis's complications, a few people recommended the book I Will Carry You by Angie Smith. Angie is the wife of Todd Smith, one of the members of Selah. A few years back they had a similar experience with their sweet little girl Audrey Caroline. Rebecca read the book back in May, during a particularly difficult time when we weren't sure how long Ellis would be with us. Angie's words communicated so much of what we were feeling and experiencing. We found out that Selah had written a song in honor of Audrey. Two versions were made: one for the loss of a baby girl and one for the loss of a baby boy. In the week following Ellis's birth and death, we spent hours sorting through his photographs, choosing the perfect ones for the slideshow we'd share at his memorial service. We immediately knew we wanted to use the song I Will Carry You, but couldn't find the "boy" version anywhere. Rebecca had emailed with Angie after reading her book and took a chance by asking her where we could find the song. Angie so kindly passed on a copy of the song to us to use with the slideshow. We are so grateful. The words so perfectly convey our thoughts.

We wish we could have shared Ellis with each of you in more real, tangible ways, but we are so glad to share what we have with you. We hope that as you watch the slideshow you will be able to sense the joy we had in meeting Ellis. We miss him terribly, but are thankful for the way these pictures spark our memory.

 

Part 3: Going Home

Part 1 and Part 2 of the story.

Our hearts were full. He was here. And, he was alive! We saw him gasp for a few breaths and felt his body move in our hands. For us, those were sacred moments. Ones we will never forget. Although he only breathed for a matter of minutes, his heartbeat lingered for a while longer. During that time Grandma Linda, Grandpa John, Aunt Sarah, and Aunt Hannah got to meet and hold him.

The rest of the day was truly beautiful. We were able to hold our son, take pictures, and share him with family. Tim's parents and brother, Nate, all made it there that day as well. Uncle Matt, Aunt Molly, Aunt Heather, Uncle Scotty, Aunt Lydia, and Uncle Dave were all there via skype and phone calls throughout the day. We wish we would have had more time to spend with Ellis and to share him with our family and friends, but God gave us a great gift in what we had that day.

Another blessing was the incredible medical staff who took care of us during our stay at the hospital. Every nurse and doctor showed compassion and respect while dealing with such a difficult situation. We felt they truly cared for us and Ellis. It helped make the day more sweet.

At the end of the day, we had a time of prayer with our family. It was a time of thanksgiving for Ellis's life and to say good-bye to his earthly body. After our extended family left, we had time to say our final good-byes and spend a short time together as a family. We journaled with him in our laps, read him one more story, took a few more pictures, gave him one last kiss, and said good-bye. God covered us with grace and peace in that moment.

We miss our boy, but celebrate that he is healthy and whole in Heaven.



Baby Bump

There are some curious to see how big Ellis is getting. So, here we are: Henry Family Photo at 32 weeks!