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| Sloan Grandbaby #18 Brandon Spencer Sloan |
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| Blue iced cupcakes announce a baby brother for Abigail! |
As Latter Day Saints, however, we know that our spirits existed before this mortal life and as part of the Plan of Salvation, we come to this earth to receive a mortal body to continue our eternal progression before returning to live with our Heavenly Father for eternity. The choicest spirits come to this earth for the shortest period of time, coming only to receive their mortal bodies before they return to Heavenly Father to continue their progression and fulfill their missions on the other side of the veil.
That said, Bart & Emily knew that they needed to give this special little spirit his opportunity to come to earth, to receive his body, no matter how short a time they may have him. Brandon Spencer Sloan (named for his Uncles Brandon Sloan and Spencer Crabtree) was born February 29, 2016 at 1:38 pm in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, weighing in at 5 pounds 8 ounces and 19 inches long.
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| Abigail gets her first look at her baby brother! |
He was given a name and a blessing (the LDS alternative to infant baptism) by his daddy, who was assisted by Uncle Brandon and Grandpa Crabtree, shortly after his birth, so the ritual would be complete prior to his passing.
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| Baby Brandon Spence with Daddy and Uncle Brandon |
Emily had everything planned extremely well for Brandon Spence's birth day! Knowing we wouldn't have him long and wanting to make the most of every minute we did, she had outlined her plans to all of us, so we would be prepared for whatever happened and what the sequence of events would be.
Once the vital steps in the plan had been completed, it was time to begin photo opportunities and giving everyone a chance to hold our special little stripling warrior. Abigail was first in line!
Uncle Brandon was very excited to get to know his namesake.
Grandma & Grandpa Crabtree were excited for their turns as well!
Baby B had a very special monogrammed first outfit. Emily also found a woman who had started a foundation for families of children born with this condition, as she had also lost a baby this way. She asked Emily what color Baby B's outfit would be and sent Emily three little hats of varying sizes to cover his little head and protect his exposed brain. He was very stylish in his new outfit and hat!
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| Handsome Sloan Men! |
Daddy would sing to Brandon Spence. I'm sure he was soothed by the familiar sound of his Daddy's voice and, on occasion, he was joined by Abigail and Uncle Brandon! .
Especially touching were times when the songs were "Heavenly Father Loves Me" and Uncle Brandon's special Buzz Lightyear song! Abigail made sure there was soothing Primary music playing on her iPod for Baby B to listen to when Daddy wasn't singing.
Heavenly Father Loves Me
Abigail even had an opportunity to introduce her baby brother to some favorite videos.
As each hour of our precious baby boy's life passed, we all celebrated. One hour turned into five; five turned into ten; ten turned into twenty and when we reached 1:38 pm on March 1st, we all sang "Happy One Day Birthday" with excitement and joy in our hearts! He made it one full day! He was indeed a fighter!
Shortly after that, however, it was time for Uncle Brandon and I to say our good-byes to Baby B.
And in that time, Barton and Emily began to notice him having more frequent little seizures and experiencing problems breathing. As the grandma, the hardest part of all was watching the pain my babies were experiencing. Shortly before we left, Baby Brandon was experiencing a seizure, Barton was leaning close to Emily to offer her comfort and Brandon was there rubbing his brother's back, trying to offer comfort and support of his own.
Brandon Spence returned to live with his Heavenly Father while Brandon and I were on our way to the airport. As Barton called to relay the news, he told Brandon that Baby B had a big smile on his face when he fell asleep for the final time. And why wouldn't he? He knew better than any of us where he was going and what experiences lie ahead of him.
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| Adorable smile for Mom the night he was born. Dreaming of angels? I believe so... |
He fulfilled his mission here on earth. He received his mortal body. He became part of an eternal family. And now he's gone on to prepare the way for the rest of us to join him one day and to serve his Father in Heaven. There was never a baby born who experienced more love in a short twenty-five and a half hours than our baby Brandon Spencer. And never did such a tiny baby embody such a huge spirit as the one who reached out and touched each of our lives.
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| Brandon Spencer Sloan Met his Forever Family February 29, 2016 Returned to his Heavenly Father March 1, 2016 |
How grateful I am for the gospel in my life and in the lives of my children. How grateful I am for the blessings we receive each day and in the knowledge that there is a God in Heaven and that Families CAN be Together Forever.
Families Can Be Together Forever
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