Little Girls, Little Angels: Part 2: Sophia Maria

After Alexis was born, Bobby left for Afghanistan and he was there for 4 months. Then he was given a break from the long assignments away from home and we were all glad.

Soon, Maria was pregnant again with a third child and we were all happy. This time it was another boy, Michael, and just five months after his birth she was pregnant yet again. Steven was born prematurely in July instead of August so he was a little small, but normal and healthy.

 However, each time they had hoped for a girl and each time were a little disappointed. In just a short period of time, the family had grown by two more children. But that wasn’t it; about 8 months later Maria was pregnant again and again we were excited, but a little wary. We were a little concerned about Maria’s stamina to have so many kids so close together.

 This time, both Bobby and Maria firmly believed it was a little girl. She would be named Sophia Maria because her initials would be the same as Super Mario Brothers, Bobby’s favorite video game.

Soon, it was time for a visit with both Maria’s parents and us. Her parents live in Houston on the other side of the Gulf. So it was all planned. They would leave Germany where they are stationed with the Air Force and arrive in Houston just a day before July 4^th. That visit would be about 1 1/2 weeks and then they would visit us for 2 ½ weeks.

However, about three days after they arrived, Maria began to bleed profusely. At first, we were not too alarmed. We had been through this all before with Alexis. But then the next thing we knew, she was in the hospital getting four units of blood. The doctor said she had a blood clot on her placenta and also a possibility that the baby was too small for its age. She would have to be on complete bed rest for at least a month.

When it came time for them to see us, Bobby and three of the kids came out without her and the youngest child, Steven. We understood the probability that the visit would be longer than the 2 ½ weeks planned. Meanwhile, she came home from the hospital to her parent’s house and was resting comfortably.

But after only a few days home, her water broke. She was rushed back to the maternity ward. Within 24 hours, she gave birth to a 5 ½ month old fetus that weighed only about one pound. It was too young to survive outside the womb. We were sad and we cried on a very rainy day as I believe the Lord cried with us. Then we found out it was a girl after all. Maria took pictures of her dressed up like a little doll. Bobby bought a locket for her picture so she would always be remembered and she could wear her close to her heart. She was the little girl who didn’t make it, Sophia Maria.

Good-bye, little angel! Someday, we will sing praises with you, too, to our Heavenly Father. And we will all be happy and united as a family again loving and praising God forever. This is our blessed hope…

Little Girls, Little Angels: Part 1: Alexis

“Hi, Grandma!” Alexis, exclaims, “When are you coming to my tea party?”

“Soon,” I always say, “Very soon, when I see you again.”

 Of course, that’s seldom for us. You see, she lives 6000 miles away in Germany and I only see her on a computer screen. Her dad, my son Bobby, is stationed there with the Air Force along with the rest of the family.

I remember the day he enlisted. It was September 11, 2001 and it was a day that changed my life forever. That day was not only the day of the terrorist attacks, but also the day my 18 year old son left us forever. A few months later he graduated from basic training in San Antonio, Texas and from there he went on to Biloxi for further training and finally ended up in Albuquerque, New Mexico at Kirkland, AFB. There, he met a little lady who could really make great tortillas. Her name was Maria and next thing I knew they had eloped and set up residence in a little house by the base. Then a few months later, we heard the announcement that she was expecting their first baby. Bob and I were both thrilled! I was going to be a grandparent; a young one, though; a very young one.

Anyway, the next thing we knew, she had lost the baby. We were very sad at this announcement and we all felt the loss very hard. I believed, however, that the little soul we never knew was now in heaven worshipping the face of his or her heavenly Father and we would meet them some day.

Before long, we had heard that she was pregnant again and we rejoiced. And two years and two weeks after they were married, she gave birth to their first live birth, a boy, Robert the IV who is another story all by himself. Soon after he was born – about 9 months later – she was pregnant yet again with another baby.

It was the spring of 2006 and Bobby was stationed in Korea. Maria and little Bobby came to visit us in Plant City, Florida. It was during this visit that I got a phone call at work one day and Bob’s voice was on it.

 “Maria thinks she just had a miscarriage so I’m rushing her to the hospital,” said the shaky voice on the phone. “You better get off as soon as you can. Maria needs you.”

Immediately, my eyes filled with hot burning tears and I was gasping for breath as if hit in the stomach, so I took the afternoon off. By the time I got home, they were home from the hospital.

 “What happened?” I gasped as I rushed into the living room. “It was a miscarriage, wasn’t it?”

“Maria lost some blood today.” Bob replied.

“Did she lose the baby?” I asked again.

Maria then spoke up.

“No, Laura, there’s still a heartbeat. The nurse said everything checked out okay and the sonogram came back as normal. They think it is a girl.”

“A girl! And she’s still alive?”

“Yes, she’s still in there.”

 A weight felt lifted off my shoulders.

I gave her and Bob big hugs and tears of joy flooded my eyes.

“Thank you, Lord, hallelujah!” I exclaimed as we all felt greatly relieved and happy. And six months later, Alexis Mercedes Bentz was born. Daddy came home from Korea just in time to be there with his wife and new baby and we all rejoiced. To be continued…