A Milestone

Lucy Belle McLaughlin

Lucy was born September 26, 2011.  I cannot believe that it has been FOUR years since I first held this Sweet Love!  We had a small birthday party at our home yesterday for the Birthday Girl. We didn't want her to be overwhelmed with too many people and too much noise, so we kept the number small.  It ended up being absolutely perfect, and I feel incredibly blessed to have had such precious and dear people here to celebrate  Lucy Belle's life!  I kept wanting to pinch myself during the entire party as I truly felt so loved and I knew that each person there sincerely loves Lucy.  She's friends with the people who came to her party . . . FRIENDS!!  LUCY HAS FRIENDS!  

The My Little Pony party proved to make Lucy's day amazingly special, and the boys both commented that it had to be one of Lucy's "Best Days Ever" (especially after having spent time with the Waddle Family last night!).  Check out some pictures of the cute party and the wonderful cake made by Icing Smiles!!  

We could never thank Icing Smiles enough!  Thank you, Miss Melissa! 

Lucy wasn't too sure when it all began

Special Decorations (Pony OVERLOAD!)

Ellie Kate loved My Little Ponies too!! 

Some of you  have been with us from the beginning of our journey, when it all started at the birth of Ellie Kate December 4, 2005.  Many of you though, have just starting following our story and are so kind to faithfully pray for our family.  Some know ALL the stories, while most don't know much about the details of our "ride".  If I share something you already know, you don't have to be annoyed. Choose to see it as a reminder from the Father for some important reason.  Ask Him to show you that reason.  Maybe He just wants you to pray for us or for another family on a similar journey.  Or maybe He wants you to go out and recklessly love a special-needs or terminally-ill child!  Please know that I don't double, triple or quadruple share our stories to annoy each of you, ensuring you pass over the current post.  The blog is healing for me and I also love the chance to share about what God has led us to and through.  

That being said, being able to celebrate Lucy's fourth birthday here on earth is incredibly . . . INCREDIBLE!  Because of CVS testing, we knew ahead of time that Lucy had NKH (we found out when I was about 14 weeks pregnant).  We also knew that she had the same type of NKH as Ellie Kate, who was diagnosed with "severe" NKH early on in her life.  We didn't know if Lucy would cry when she came out, or if she would be breathing, as many severe NKH children do not do either of those things at birth.  There were so many unknowns, so we had Lucy at Children's hospital where Ellie Kate's specialists were.  My dear friend, Holly Hall was there in the delivery room to capture the first few moments of Lucy's life.  She followed the doctors, medical team, specialists, nurses, and Mike up to the NICU, where Lucy stayed for the next month.  


It was there in the NICU that we all really got to know Lucy Belle McLaughlin.  This Little Sprite who came out with blondish/redish hair; the smallest baby I had delivered, who, when she decided to first cry at age 2.5 weeks, sounded like a teeny tiny kitten, was loved on by all of us during her stay.  Grandparents graciously stayed a few nights in the NICU Village so that I could be home with the rest of the family.  We knew that Lucy would be dainty and feminine, as that has been her character from the beginning.  As we celebrate these four miraculous years, I've made a little list of special things about Lucy so that you can know who she is, and so that one day, we can remember exactly how she was at this very point in time.  

"Fun Facts at Age Four"

Lucy Belle McLaughlin

1.  Nicknames: Lullie, Lu Lu, Lu Lu Belle, Lucy Loo, Lucy Loo Hoo, Sissy, Sister-Sue

2. Your Smile: You have so many sweet smiles, but my favorite is your "coy" smile, which you give your Daddy and brothers quite often.  You smile BIG when you laugh, and it's even cuter now with your little chipped tooth, right there in the front.  

3.  Femininity: You are the picture of femininity, always crossing your legs, even when you sleep!  You fold your hands gently across your lap and move with intention and grace, just like Ellie Kate (sometimes, absolutely EXACTLY like EK!).  You love to toss your short hair back and forth, as if you have long, flowing hair that's blowing in the wind.  Mirrors are your friends, now that you've discovered them, and you like to look at your image, making different poses, just like a gorgeous and confident model! You like to be dressed up and you beam when we tell you how pretty you are, just like any other little girl.  Sometimes you get shy when given compliments about your beauty and behavior, and it's just the sweetest thing to watch.  You also give "The Princess Look", which we have deemed the demonstrative, feminine and capturing presence you put off from time to time (it is HILARIOUS to watch you pull this off, My Darling - especially when you put that little nose up in the air). 

4.  Tastes:  Recently, you've shown more interest in FOOD!  You are so brave to taste each thing that I offer you, even if I have to really "help" get it into your mouth.  You don't like sweets very much, other than cake-icing.  You are like your momma and love those salty things like gold fish crackers (in your mesh bag).  You haven't met a lolipop you didn't like though, and it's fun to watch you try to hold them and put them into your mouth by yourself.  You don't like to drink anything but water, and we've let you try pop and juice!  You are a water-gal for sure.  

5.  Independent: You are quite independent, Lucy Belle!  You like to choose your OWN items and put them into your hand of choice.  You also like to put things into your mouth on your timeline - it all needs to be your idea, Miss Priss, and that is fine by me, although it does make your various therapies quite entertaining (and LOUD).  

Sometimes when you are cuddled, you make it obvious that you want to be down on the floor so that you can move freely.  You will cry and fuss, pulling hair and biting until you get your way and are down on that floor, although Mommy has to draw the line when we are out in public (those floors, those feet - eww!).  Really, you are quite good at letting us know what you want, in your own way.  Even though you do not have words (most of the time), you share your thoughts clearly with babbling and other non-verbals.  It's so fun to watch and I'm proud of BOTH independent ladies that I've given birth to! 

6.  Affection:  Last year, you learned to kiss.  You LOVE to kiss, and will sometimes still do it on demand.  You especially love to kiss Nunnie and Daddy, and like to use your tongue; you love to open-mouth kiss (which is hilarious)!  You no longer kiss everyone we tell you to, but just the people that you love, which is precious to me.   It means that you LOVE and that you KNOW the ones that you know and love and you can separate them from the ones that you don't.  Hugs are also a favorite, and the bigger the person, the bigger and tighter the hug from you will be!  You also pull hair as a sign of love, and really like to pull on shorter hair (like Daddy's and Nunnie's).  You grab both of their hair to pull them in close for kisses.  YOU do that, Lucy, making decisions and loving your family!  You will even hug and kiss the babies that you love (toy, dolls).  There aren't too many that you really adore or connect with, but for the ones that you do . . . you are just so sweet with, My Love.  

7.  People: Lucy, you are a social butterfly!  You love to be around the buzz of conversation, and you enjoy physically being around other people.  It is usually so easy to take you places for this very reason!  You will join in on the conversations in your own special way, and your Daddy and I enjoy watching you taking the world in, since we too love people!  

8.  Shopping: My Little Shopper!  You get excited when I ask you if you want to go shopping.  It's the cutest thing, just like a typical girly-girl, but instead of jumping up and down about it, you kick your legs and rock back and forth, slapping your hands on your lap in JOY.  I think you like to "shop" because you like people and you like music, and whether we are in the mall or in the grocery store, both of those things are pretty much guaranteed! 

9.  The Outdoors: Not only do you love shopping, you also love to be outside in pretty much any way!  You light up when we talk about going outside, and you take joy in going for walks, especially around the neighborhood.  I don't know how many miles the nurses and I have put in, taking you around and around AND around the streets of our neighborhood, but we happily do it because it makes YOU so happy!  When I walk slowly or stop, you will kick your legs and your chair until I start moving again or pick up the pace.  Swings are one of your MOST favorite things, and you love your little pink one on our swing-set.  Daddy and I want to have a big swing in the backyard someday, in a little garden in honor of Ellie Kate.  It will be a place we can take you to sit and swing, and we can sing and talk to you, reminding you of how special you are - I can just see us spending endless hours out there together with you, Princess.  

8.  Words: It's a true miracle that you are here, much less that you babble, Miss Lucy.  You babble purposefully, using facial movements (like narrowing your eyebrows) to show us your emotions.  You babble purposefully and participate in conversations at times.  You've said, "yeah", "momma" and "dadda/dad".  Your favorite though is Momma, and I am totally fine with that!  I love to hear it, although you often say it when I am not around.  That actually makes it even more special to me because it shows that you are aware that I am not with you!  For example, a friend was babysitting you last night and you called out, "momma?" while you were there.  Clear as a bell!  PRECIOUS.

9.  Current Favorites: 

• Family members (You are enthralled with loving on them physically as well)
• Your dogs - Scout, in particular, is very loving towards you and will run over and cover you with kisses each time I set you down on the rug.  You delight in her attention and reach out for her fur each time she is close by.  
• School - Each time you go to school, you smile!  Every time we talk to you about it, you smile and at times, give us a good giggle.  We ask you questions about your day and you are quick to babble back to us, letting us know all the details of your school-day (that's what I choose to think:)).  Whenever I walk you into your classroom, you start kicking your chair and clapping, smiling all the way down the hall of the school as well.  I'm SO glad that you thrive on the relationships, structure and instruction that comes with school! 
• Bed/Room - Just like your Big Sissy, you absolutely love your bed.  You cry out for it, and when you get overwhelmed, you make it known that it's where you want to be.  It's a place of solace and security for you, with four walls and a theraputic mattress.  You don't always sleep in bed - in fact, most of the time you do not.  Much to our shegren, you kick the walls of your bed harder than anything I've ever seen and I don't know how you don't have bruises on those precious, tiny feet!  You adore the tumbleform chair, and you get a huge smile every single time we put you in it!  I am so grateful for the way it makes you feel so safe, and you quickly will fall asleep when we put you into it.  You also love the music we continually play in your room (we got that idea from Ellie Kate, who sang and danced to the music in her room each and every day).  
• Baths - you LOVE the water, so bath-time is super fun!  I have no doubt that you would stay in there all day if I let you.  You like the water hot, and you like bubbles in your bath as well.  Getting your hair scrubbed is one of  your very favorite things, and you sometimes close your eyes when we do it.  You also like to splash and have a "water-blee"/wash cloth in the bath with you.  
• Swimming - you LOVE the water, as I mentioned above!  I imagine you feel free as you are able to move your body so easily in the water.  You kick and turn in my arms.  You even try to put your face into the water!  I'm not sure why you do that, but you love to do it, and it scares me to death, seeing that you don't know how to swallow a large amount at one time.  Nevertheless, you try to do it every time, so we have to be extra vigilant.  The person holding you in the pool needs to be very strong, as you move around so much!  I sometimes pretend that you are a typical child and that I am just teaching you to swim.  We have so much fun in the water, Lucy and Daddy and I are working hard and praying so that we can have a pool so that you can swim anytime that you want to!!
• Music - you adore strong beats of any kind, just like Ells Bells.  We try to surround you with worship music so that your little Spirit is nourished.  I just know that the Holy Spirit moves and touches your little heart through music! 

So, there you have it . . . 

a few precious things about our special Lucy Belle, Our "Beautiful Light"!  

God is so faithful, Friends.  He has given us a Rainbow Baby before we lost Ellie Kate.  Lucy has saved us in so many ways, allowing me to still experience parenting a special-needs child, even after losing one.  Appointments, therapies, nursing, feeding tubes, etc, etc, - none of that had to stop after Ellie died, which means that my life didn't have to change as drastically as it could have.  Isn't that so good of God to do?  It's amazing how His timing works!  I NEVER could have planned or dreamed out this life, or how God would settle my soul and heal my heart, and He has done it through our Lucy Belle.  Before I was even pregnant with Lucy, I dreamed that we had a baby and the words the Holy Spirit kept saying over and over was, "Beauty for Ashes".  

When we found out that Lucy had NKH, I wondered just how God would work that out.  "How will you work beauty for ashes when she is sick with a terminal diagnosis, God?  How's THAT gonna work, huh?!". Yes, I admit that foolishness that was in my heart, but I share it with you because God has done SO MUCH MORE than I could have hoped or dreamed.  He knew that a part of me would still long to have a forever baby, and I have that in Lucy Belle, even though Ellie Kate is now in Heaven.  He knew that Lucy would bring joy and comfort and again, SO MUCH JOY!  Beauty.  Lucy brings beauty.  Thank you, Father for Lucy.  You give the most perfect gifts!  

Enjoy these sweet pictures from Lucy's adventurous, happy life!