Elena Marie is our second child, our first daughter. Her name Elena is a variation of my paternal grandmother's middle name (Elenora). It means "light." Her middle name Marie is also a family name. It is my own middle name and also the middle name of my mother and of my husband's paternal grandmother. The meaning of Marie seems to be debated. The common meanings I have found are "star of the sea," "bitter," and "wished-for child." She most certainly is very much wished for and wanted.
Elena was born in a wee morning hour on May 23, 2011. I had been hospitalized for the previous ten nights. We were just past 21 weeks gestation, expecting to spend the entire summer in the hospital. Things changed fast. The nurse called the doctor and the chaplain. Elena's Daddy, Big Brother, and Oma rushed to the hospital. Elena arrived quickly, before even the doctor or the chaplain. The charge nurse delivered her, and we were so thankful to learn that her heart was beating. Her Daddy immediately baptized her. Then the nurse wrapped her in a blanket and gave her to me to hold. My sweet baby girl! She was absolutely perfect! She looked very much like her big brother, only so tiny and somehow much more feminine. She was just shy of a pound and over 10" long. She had long hands and feet. She never opened her eyes, but she had pretty eyelashes. We held her, bathed her, dressed her. The nurse was kind enough to take over a dozen pictures of us spending that precious time with her. We were blessed with over 2 hours before she was called to her Heavenly home.
We don't understand God's plan, and honestly, we don't really expect that we will this side of heaven. We do know that God blessed us immensely by letting us have Elena, even though our time with her was brief. We rejoice in knowing that we will spend eternity with her someday, and we look forward to our reunion.
We miss Elena greatly. She is constantly in our hearts and on our minds. We always love and remember her. We desire for others to remember her as well. We want her life to leave a positive impact on this world. To read about how Elena has touched our lives and the lives of others, please see the tab called Elena's Echoes. If Elena has touched your life or if you have done something to impact the world in her memory, please let us know so that we can add to her Echoes.
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