Melissa L’s Story

I am a boy mom times three now but most people only see a pregnant mama with one little boy. I will always have three boys:

Isaac
Eli
Asher

My husband Shelby and I welcomed our firstborn Isaac on September 6, 2018. We were overflowing with love for our little snuggler and really wanted to give him a sibling close in age. We got pregnant with our second child pretty easily and we were so excited to welcome a second son and little brother.

At the height of pandemic restrictions, Shelby and I woke up early on December 8, 2020 and drove to the hospital for our scheduled C section at 39 weeks. Once there, our world crashed down around us with the life altering phrase. “There is no heartbeat.” Eli had died sometime in the previous 8 hours unbeknownst to me or my traitorous body.

Eli Alexander was born via C section, 21 inches long, weighing 7 pounds, 4 ounces. He was absolutely beautiful and perfectly healthy. His cause of death was a tight nuchal cord and a true knot in his umbilical cord that formed early in utero. Shelby and I had to say hello and goodbye to our child in the span of 24 hours, isolated to our own little world of grief in a pandemic.
Our world changed forever.

9 months later to the day, I found out I was expecting again. A baby we had been hoping and praying for. We wait with baited breath for baby Asher to make his appearance into this world. A treasured miracle. Our rainbow baby. A sibling for Isaac. A little brother for Eli. So dearly wanted. Never a replacement. We desperately hope to complete our family with Asher’s birth on April 25, 2022 via planned C section.