1 month

Well that was the fastest month ever. I don't even know how that happened, but Elle is 1 month old! She makes us all so happy! She is a great sleeper... usually having a 6 hour stretch during the night. So happy God saved her for our last baby. She really is perfect.

And just in case you were wondering... girls are super fun to dress ;)

Heart

Sweet little Elle. I love her more than anything, and wish I could just trade spots with her. I hate having to worry about my baby.

We went to Children's and had an appointment with Elle's cardiologist. What was originally thought to be a small hole actually is now classified as moderate. Elle has VSD (ventricular septal defect)... a congenital heart defect. It has a chance of closing up on it's own, but a lot of cases surgery is necessary. We go back in about a month to see if there have been any changes. If not, they'll probably schedule open heart surgery for our baby when she's around 3-4 months. For now she's on medication for her lungs. The hole in her heart allows extra fluid to flow to her lungs, and makes it harder for her to breathe, so this helps make her more comfortable. 

Just praying our little love gets a miracle and is healed.

Here is our precious girl. She was in such a good mood and so content there. Made me so happy!

Imperfectly Perfect

Our sweet baby Elle has a hole in her heart.

We took her to her doctor appointment when she was a couple days old, and her doctor asked if anyone had mentioned a heart murmur. This was the first we had heard of it. He sent us to have an echocardiogram done, and they found that she has a small hole in her heart causing the murmur. Scares you to death when you hear your baby has a heart problem. It could either be something that fixes itself in a matter of days or months, or something that could require open heart surgery. 

We are just praying it's something that heals soon and we can forget this ever existed.

We head to Children's Hospital (same one Parker was at for his first week of life) on Friday so she can meet her cardiologist. Hopefully we'll have more of an idea of what's going on after that appointment.

Please pray for our baby girl!

Baby Elle

Elle Taylor Loughran

June 14, 2013

1:22 am

8lbs 4oz

19 3/4" 

Our family is complete! So so in love with this perfect baby girl.

Last Days

38 weeks 2 days. Longest I've ever been pregnant! It's so weird, but oddly I'm not over it yet. I think it has something to do with enjoying these last few days/weeks with my boys. I am SO anxious to meet this sweet baby, but I also know it's the last time we will do things as a family of four. 

We've been trying to take advantage with fun little things...

s'mores on the beach

walks to the tide pools

dinner dates

donut mornings

dates with Garrett

pool days

painting the baby's room together

And as uncomfortable as I am, I am so thankful for this pregnancy. Having a healthy baby is all that matters right now, and knowing this is my last pregnancy makes me want to enjoy every second. Not that those seconds are comfy or painless, but it's still mine. My little baby kicking inside of me for the last few times.

All that to say: COME OUT, BABY!! WE WANT TO MEET YOU!

 Your big brothers are almost out of school, and they want to snuggle you!

 

 

Home Depot

Never thought this could get construed into adorable words, but my boys did it.

Parker has called it "Don Hippo" for years.

And apparently Hudson never needed to say it before last night, but he calls it "Home Beepo".

 

baby love.

We had our big ultrasound/anatomy scan on Thursday. It was still so exciting to see our baby even though we didn't find out if it's a boy or girl... we hadn't seen him/her in 10 weeks! And I know I'm their mommy, but our baby is pretty dang cute ;)

Baby was measuring 15 oz. and a couple days ahead. As healthy as can be!

Seriously, look at that nose. And is the baby a mini Hudson or what?

 Parker when he saw the sonogram: "oh, that's totally for sure a girl"... we'll see in about 18 weeks if he's right!

Can't leave out the cutest big brothers in the whole world.

 Hudson: "Parker, you're my best buddy"

it's been a while

Wow, I can't believe how much has happened since I last came on here! It is so weird to go through old posts, they all just seem like such a long time ago.

Went to Kentucky

Went to Cabo for the second time

Took the boys on their first plane ride to NYC

Parker turned 4, then 5. Started T-k at his Elementary school

Hudson turned 2, then 3. Started preschool.

Garrett had his big 30.

We celebrated our 5th and 6th anniversaries.

We have been pregnant 3 times. 

Finally adding baby number three to our family this June after two extremely painful miscarriages last year.

Last year was one of the hardest years of my life. The most trying, painful, confusing, scary, faith strengthening, promising times in our lives. We kept going back and forth on whether we were going to add another baby to our family. I was a little more into the idea than Garrett, but we just kind of lived our lives and didn't plan anything out.

Well, we got pregnant. Not purposefully, but completely and fully welcomed.

6 1/2 weeks later, our baby was gone. Heartbroken and so much physical and mental pain I never expected to go through. In a sense, it was a blessing because we did realize just how much we wanted another baby. Not that it took losing our baby to know that, but it just made it so clear.

We couldn't wait to start trying again, and it took 3 months. Forever when you want a baby so bad. 7 1/2 weeks later, our baby was gone. Heartbroken again, and so much physical and mental pain that I never would have expected to experience TWICE. Twice. Why? After testing, waiting a month per doctors orders, being referred to an infertility specialist in case we wanted to go that route, we were anxiously and nervously waiting to be able to try again. God blessed us with a sweet baby that very first month. And here we are, 21 weeks later with sweet baby number three (or five).  Our little rainbow after the storm baby. 

This baby is more wanted than anything. After two healthy pregnancies with Parker and Hudson, I just assumed it would be like that every time, and it wasn't.

Still at 21 weeks, I am nervous every single day of this pregnancy. It's hard to relax when things went wrong twice. I am trying my hardest to enjoy these 40 weeks, knowing they are most likely my last as a pregnant mama... and it's making it that much more special feeling this sweet baby kick and reminding me how blessed and grateful we are.

We chose to not find out the gender this time. It's just so not important to us after all we've been through. A healthy baby is truly all that matters. 

And I hear that that delivery room surprise is just amazing.

Parker says girl, Hudson says boy.

And Hudson is the sweetest... he'll just come up and smoosh his little lips on my belly and give it a kiss. Sweetest brothers ever. They are going to be so great, I can't even wait to see them as big brothers together.

Parker was absolutely devastated after losing our two babies... he kept saying "when do we get a baby to keep? Why does God keep taking our babies?" I think he's almost nervous to get attached to this baby until it's actually here. My poor sensitive little guy.

So happy to have two sweet babies to snuggle for eternity when we get to Heaven. Mama can't wait to meet you, little loves.

Thanks for sharing in our family's journey. And here's some pictures over the past couple of years (gasp) since I've majorly slacked :)

 20 weeks. Half way there, baby love.