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Julia Howell

Julia Howell

Veterans Funeral Care Julia Howell

 

Julia, even before drawing a breath on earth you have impacted our lives and the lives of so many others. I remember the moment that God said to me that it was time to have another child. I told your mommy this and this made her quite happy. Really I think your mom was growing a little impatient with me, but she knew that I would not move until I heard from God.

 

I remember the day that your mom and I were at your Papa and Gigi’s house. Mommy suspected something was up and decided to do her normal “I need to run to the store to get something”. She came back with a pregnancy test and there in the bathroom, your mommy and I saw for the first time that you were being formed. Your mommy was pregnant. I think initially I was shocked and your mommy was ecstatic. How excited we were to be parents again!

 

The time came to tell your brother Jared and sister Louren the big news…that there was a little one on the way and that they were going to be big brother and big sister. How excited Jared and Louren were, knowing you were on the way. Your brother and sister were so excited about you, that the arguments immediately began about whose room you would be sleeping in. We made Jared and Louren promise not to say anything because we wanted to be creative in how we announced to the family that you were on the way.

 

The night came that we made some random excuse to get everyone on Skype. We patiently waited as everyone signed in and we just simply started talking. It was then that we had your brother and sister, tell the news. At the count of three Jared and Louren held up the pregnancy tests and yelled out, “We’re having a baby!” That was such an exciting night filled with lots of laughter.

 

Of course mommy had many doctor’s visits to make sure everything was progressing, as it should. Your brother and sister were always with mommy on these visits. I would go to as many as I could. I especially made it a point to be at every ultrasound appointment. Those were your mommy, daddy and siblings favorite visits. The very first ultrasound the technician must have liked us…she gave us quite a few image shots of you. There you were…our little peanut.

 

The months progressed and mommy was getting bigger and was beginning to feel your flutters. We all began talking to you while you grew inside mommy. This was something that mommy and daddy started with your brother and then it progressed down to your sister and then to you. It was such a joy to hear your brother and sister giggle when they did this.

 

Mommy, daddy, brother and sister could not wait for the day that we would find out if you were a boy or girl. The day arrived. I took the day off from work and we had the entire day planned out. Again, your mommy and I wanted to be a little creative with how we planned this day and how we would tell of the news of you being a boy or a girl.

 

We made our trip to St. Petersburg, Florida to meet with a specialist at All Children’s Hospital. They would be the one’s performing special ultrasounds due to mommy being considered high risk. Before Carla, your ultrasound technician started the process we told her that we did not want to know what you were because of the special day we had planned. We simply asked her to write down boy or girl and seal it in an envelope. She got to the point in the ultrasound and told us to close our eyes or look away…you see daddy, brother and sister had our own monitor that we could watch. We left the office that day with many more images of you. We had pictures of feet, hands, head, belly, legs and arms. Most importantly we had the image and writing of what you were going to be.

 

We drove to Fort DeSoto beach directly after that visit, but stopped at a store to get balloons. The balloons were going to be part of what would tell mommy, daddy, brother and sister what you were going to be. We went to the store attendant and asked her to open the envelope and to fill up color specific balloons based on what was inside. We let her know that we would be next door and would be back to pick up the balloons. Oh, the balloons were in a dark bag so that we would not be able to guess what you were while on our way to the beach. However, the excitement was pretty big and all of us had our guesses.

 

We picked up our balloons as the store attendant told us congratulations with a big smile on her face. You impacted her life that day because she never had anyone request her to do something like this before and she thanked your mommy and daddy for including her in on this special day.

 

We arrived at the beach and picked out our spot. It was very windy that day, but the show was going on. We struggled with the bag as the wind blew it around, but finally your brother and sister grabbed one end, your mom had the other end and I had my cell phone, recording the entire thing. Your mommy had a grin on her face and revealed that she had seen the tip of one of the balloons as she was getting them ready to pull out. So she already knew. No fair! On the count of three, Jared and Louren pulled the bag away, mommy had the strings in her hand and out came the color pink! We were having another baby girl. We were all excited to know that you were a girl, but Louren was especially excited!

 

Before we left the beach I drew a big heart in the sand and wrote in the center “BABY GIRL”. This brought a smile to all of our faces and drew more giggles from mommy, daddy, brother and sister. We took a picture on daddy’s cell phone and then sent that picture out to the entire family immediately to tell them you were a girl. They had been waiting all day to find out as well.

 

Now plans had started as to what your colors would be. I had grown fond of Pink and Black lately and your mommy was beginning to like this as well. There were lots of little girl things in pink and black. We began to fall in love with many things and were so excited to be planning for all the items we would need for you once we brought you home.

 

 We still needed a name for you. This was not proving to be an easy task. Mommy and Daddy wanted something special for you! We decided that we wanted to include family and friends with the naming process so we placed a status update on Facebook asking for suggestions. We had hundreds of suggestions, but mommy and daddy were being very picky.

 

Then the day came that we will never forget, we were given the news that your heart had stopped beating. That was a Friday. Mommy and Daddy and your entire family and friends of the family were not giving up hope. We will never know how many people were praying for you, but it was in the hundreds.  Mommy kept talking about the name Julia, and your brother and sister declared that needed to be your name.  I agreed and that weekend we gave you what we felt was already your name…Julia.

 

 

Throughout the course of that weekend, we went through many tests and finally made an appointment to go back to All Children’s Hospital that following Monday.  Carla, the ultrasound technician that told us what your were going to be a few months before, did the same images as before and with tears in her eyes she told me, your mommy, and your Papa and Gigi that your heart had indeed stopped beating. We drove home that day in complete silence.

 

As we faced this news with all ranges of emotions and questions, we did not let our faith grow weak. Just a few short days later, your mommy went through labor and delivery and we met you for the first time at 1:42 pm on November 17, 2011. Mommy held you, daddy held you and so did Papa and Gigi. You were so small. Knowing that you would not be coming home with us was one of the hardest things mommy and daddy have ever faced, but we know that this is not our last time meeting you. We will see you again Julia Katae Howell when we are reunited with you in heaven. Until then, know that mommy, daddy, your brother Jared and your sister Louren will always love you and that you have made an eternal impact on our lives and on the lives of your extended family and our friends. You will forever be in our hearts.

 

Julia Katae Howell is survived by her parents, Rev. Mark Anthony Howell and Rev. Kelli Lyn Howell, her brother Jared Quinn Howell and her sister Louren Alyse Howell. Paternal Grandparents Lloyd Beuford Howell and Betty Joe Howell. Maternal Grandparents Rev. James Robert Pickens and Rev. Patricia Ann Pickens. Her uncles J.J. Pickens, Adam Kyle Pickens and Terry Hamrick. Her aunts Keri Lynn Hamrick and Melissa Pickens. 

 

We would like to invite all of our family and friends to a memorial service to honor Julia Katae Howell. The service will be held at House of Faith 15225 US Hwy 19 Hudson, FL 34667 this Sunday, November 27, 2011 @ 3P.M. To honor the memory of our precious baby girl, we will be wearing black and pink which were the colors we fell in love with while choosing a baby theme. You are welcome to wear those same colors in her honor.

 

Veterans Funeral Care, Tampa Bay, in charge of arrangements.

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