I got an email from my friend Nancy yesterday (or maybe it was the day before yesterday... time is kinda a weird thing to me right now...) asking if I would post something on my blog to get the word out. I thought, sure, I'll post it, no problem. But then Fox started crying, I had work to get done, take a shower, eat, sleep, repeat, so on and so forth. I didn't get around to reading the details of what she wanted posted until last night.
30 seconds after reading Kirsten Petermann and her husband James' blog and their story, I starting bawling. Crying my eyes out. Waterworks galore. Their baby Ewan was born on Sept 18 2010 and passed away a few weeks later on Oct 4 from a serious heart condition.
30 seconds after reading Kirsten Petermann and her husband James' blog and their story, I starting bawling. Crying my eyes out. Waterworks galore. Their baby Ewan was born on Sept 18 2010 and passed away a few weeks later on Oct 4 from a serious heart condition.
I imagined myself in her shoes and thinking what if I didn't have Fox sitting in my lap right now, staring up at me with his beautiful gray eyes? It's unfathomable.
So what can I/we/everyone do? There is a class bundle along with other goodies that they're selling to raise money for Seattle Children's Hospital (I heart Seattle). You can see the info here and here. And you can read all about their journey on her blog here.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart and this little guy's:
So what can I/we/everyone do? There is a class bundle along with other goodies that they're selling to raise money for Seattle Children's Hospital (I heart Seattle). You can see the info here and here. And you can read all about their journey on her blog here.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart and this little guy's:
Before I ever had Karsen or was ever pregnant with him, I'd read or hear about stories like this and think "oh, how sad!" Now I'm bawling my eyes out! Sure I could blame it on pregnancy hormones, but I can't help but put myself in her shoes and try to imagine what it would have been like without my sweet little boy. Seeing his sweet smile, hearing him laugh, take his first steps and reach his arms out to me because he wanted ME! Those are things that I cherish so deeply and I can't in a million years imagine what it would have been like or what it would be like to lose him.
ReplyDeleteAbout a month and a half before I had Karsen, my husband's cousin's wife had to have an emergency c-section as she had developed preeclampsia. She was only 23 or 24 weeks along. It is very rare for babies to live outside of the womb at such a young gestational age, but baby Jake was a fighter. He lived for 9 glorious days. His organs just hadn't developed quite enough for him to make it on his own, and they had to make the call to let him go. A decision that no parent ever wants to make. I never got to meet him, as they live in California and I'm in Washington, but I saw pictures, and he was beautiful.
Since I was so close to the end of my pregnancy and everything was looking perfect, I couldn't help but wonder and ask myself, how come both me and my baby are ok and healthy? Why did this happen to them?
Of course I didn't wish for it to happen to me, but they had already suffered a heartbreak and loss. Just 2 weeks before their wedding, a year a half before baby Jake, my husband's cousin lost his father at the hands of a drunk driver while he was driving home from work. Why did everything bad keep happening to them? They are such great people! They didn't deserve any of this!
She is now pregnant again (it's funny that we're both pregnant at the same time again.) The doctors are monitoring her more closely this time and she has been ordered to not work during her whole pregnancy as a precaution. But I am happy for them, as they will be unbelievable parents!
I truly believe that things like this only happen to those who God thinks can handle it and learn from it. My heart breaks for Ewan's family, but I know that he is smiling down on them and will always watch over them. Just like baby Jake and his grandfather, who he never got to meet in this life, are looking over their famiy.
Thank you for sharing this Paige! (And sorry for such a long post, but I couldn't stop the words from coming!)
PS - Cute pic of Fox! :-)
Hi Paige,
ReplyDeleteThis is Kirsten (Ewan's mom). I'm a friend of Melissa's, also. Thanks for drawing attention to Melissa's project and for weeping along with me (I'm doing plenty on my own, but it doesn't hurt to have company).
October 5 was my due date, but Ewan was actually born on Sept 18 and passed away on Oct 4. I miss that sweet boy so much ...
Thanks again for spreading the word and be sure to cuddle that little boy of yours lots. <3
kirsten
Thank you so much, Paige!!! You're a sweetheart. :)
ReplyDelete