Elijah Sthothram Thomas

For over four months, we expectantly waited to meet our baby, and Simon loved talking to my belly, and kissing the baby. So, it was with great sadness that we learned at a routine check-up that our sweet baby had been taken to heaven. I was admitted to the hospital to deliver him, and we named him Elijah because he was taken to heaven in a whirlwind. His middle name, Sthothram, is Malayalm for "Praise the Lord," and throughout the pregnancy, when we would ask Sy what we should call the baby, he would always respond with "Praise the Lord!"

How sweet it is to be reminded by our first son to praise the Lord for the life of our second son, even through our grief. If you ask Simon, he will tell you that Baby Elijah is in heaven with "Je-Je," and we look forward to learning together with him more about our eternal home.

There are so many emotions right now, and lessons and truths that we cling to each day. One of the most humbling thoughts, though, is that the son we were supposed to teach about Jesus now knows more about him than we could ever hope to this side of heaven.

We are so thankful for your support and prayers during this time. We know we are not the first to exerience this very tragedy, and we are thankful for everyone that has chosen small ways to share the grief with us. Thank you for the calls, emails, tears, and prayers - we do find comfort in all of them, even from this side of the world.