Logan Michael Dragna

Where to begin?? Larry and I always knew that we wanted three children as part of our family. Larry had to remind me that when I was surprising him with the good news that we were expecting our third child, I left the "bun in the oven" sign on the counter instead of in the oven! Whoops! Larry called me at work to ask if I was serious! Great memories from the beginning.....We found out we were pregnant prior to our Mardi Gras 2016 Disney trip. We didn't tell the kids yet, but Grammy knew since she was coming on the trip with us. Logan's pregnancy was the one where I experienced the most morning sickness. Addison was always super sweet asking if I was feeling okay and bringing me cold rags when I needed them. I could already tell she was going to be a great big sister to Logan. Dylan was so loving to my belly too!

As they all did, this pregnancy flew by and before we knew it, August was here and the new school year for Addison and Dylan were starting. I'll never forget August 4, 2016 when both Addison and Dylan had open houses for their schools. I stayed late at SJP and on my way home, I was in a car accident. I remember immediately worrying if everything was okay with the baby. After an ambulance ride, spending the evening in the hospital and another check up the next day with our OB, everything seemed to be fine with our baby. We took maternity/family pictures the next day. These are memories of Logan that I will always remember and cherish. My due date was September 30; however, due to Logan's size, Dr. Cheree opted to schedule my C-section on September 23 instead. I would have been 39 weeks at that time. I remember that day. I was so upset that I couldn't get September 26 due to Addison's school fair, etc that was going on around that time! I took the 23rd appointment, but asked the nurse for a later appointment. She called me back to say I was scheduled for September 27th. I called Larry to tell him what was going on. I also called Kayla to get her opinion. I don't remember exactly, but I think I changed back to September 23rd since Kayla was off that day and could take care of me. It took several steps to get to our appointment time, but nonetheless, we had an appointment!! It wouldn't even matter since Logan decided to make his grand entrance even before our scheduled surgery.

The next month was crazy as we were preparing the house for baby #3 as well as adjusting to the kids' school schedules. I had an extremely busy week at work prior to Logan being born. Finally, Saturday, September 17th arrived. Larry worked that morning while I was at home with the kids packing my hospital bag and getting things ready. That day, Larry was also taking Addison to her first ever LSU football game versus Mississippi State. Larry and Addison left around Noon that day, and he was testing me pictures of them enjoying the day. Dylan's exciting news around that time was working on his potty training. He was working on pooping on the potty! I vividly remember changing Dylan's underwear and shorts three times that day. For that third time, I put the worst pair of shorts Dylan owned! They were these shiny blue shorts from Grammy! He ended up wearing them along with his pajama shirt that was still on from that morning.

I was on my feet all day getting the house ready and packing suitcases that I still had not packed. I started to notice dribbles of fluid when I went to the bathroom. Let's just say that for my previous two pregnancies, my water had been broken by my doctor in the hospital. I tested Larry to make sure his phone had a signal just in case. I tested Kayla since she was working at Woman's that day telling her how I was feeling and to get her opinion. She finally told me that I should probably call the Assessment Department at Woman's Hospital. I think that was around 4:00 pm. I called and Dr. Lafranca was on call for my group. I told her what was going on, and she recommended that I take a shower and make my way to the hospital to get checked out. I called Mom to come to the house with me. I took FOREVER to get ready to go! I was still packing stuff for myself, Dylan and Addison. I was still washing baby clothes too! I didn't even bother with washing my hair or putting make-up on that day. I guess I didn't think I was really having a baby that day! Boy was I wrong!

We were finally ready to leave. Larry and Addison were going to leave the football game and meet us at the hospital to save some time. I told Mom I wanted to drive so I could go the speed and route I wanted. I think we left around 6:30 pm or so. I don't remember those details much because I was definitely starting to feel some pain. We had trouble getting the driver's side door of Larry's car to close since he and Addison had my truck in case the parking at LSU was difficult. I was so afraid that I broke his car door, but we finally got it to close and we were on our way! Driving down 1-10, as we were approaching the Highland Road exit, my water broke. I was pretty nervous and not sure what that meant since that had not happened to me before prior to being in the hospital for Addison and Dylan. It continued to leak all the way to the hospital. I parked in the patient discharge instead of the Assessment Department.....whoops!! I thought it was hilarious that Larry and Addison beat us there!!! At least they did get to see an LSU touchdown! I was put in a wheelchair and went with Larry while Grammy followed with the kids. I spent a little time in Assessment then headed to Labor and Delivery. I had been in touch with Kayla too and she was off work by that point, but was going to meet me back at the hospital. Dr. Cheree was not on call that weekend, so Dr. Lafranca was going to be my doctor that evening. We waited in the room for a short time while the nurses took my stats and measured my very active contractions. I didn't get to have Christina be my nurse that day like she had been for Addison and Dylan since I was in labor and didn't make it to my scheduled surgery appointment. Grammy came up with the kids so that we could see them before we went to the Operating Room. We all looked a hot mess! Addison and Larry were wearing sweaty LSU gear. I didn't wear make-up or have nice fixed hair. Dylan had on his shiny blue shorts and pajama shirt. These are things I will never forget about Logan's birth day.

The time had come, and Larry and I were taken to the Operating Room. Kayla helped keep me calm in the OR for my epidural while Larry had to wait outside. I remember chatting with the anesthesiologist casually and in my mind thinking that there's no way this is happening already. I wasn't mentally prepared for a baby to be born that day, but ready or not he/she was coming! Since it was a Saturday night, we had to wait for the on-call doctor to arrive. It seemed like forever. Larry and the anesthesiologist were watching the rest of the LSU vs. Mississippi State game in the OR. I was halfway listening but still concentrating on the task at hand. Dr. Lafranca finally arrived and things got started. Larry was by my side the whole way through just like he has always been. I don't remember things taking much time and before we knew it, I heard Kayla and Larry say "it looks just like Addison" when the head was out. I figured the baby was a girl. We were all wrong!! Even though the time was debated between 10:02 and 10:03 pm, that evening our sweet angel boy was born. We named him Logan Michael Dragna. He weighed 8 lbs 4 oz and was 21 inches long and arrived at 10:02 pm. He's brought smiles and happiness to our family ever since.

Just like this biography was started....where to begin?? Never would I have ever imagined that I would be reminiscing about our sweet Logan as he is now in Heaven. The details of the memories seem to be fading, but the impression that he has left on our hearts will remain forever. If you asked, if we could do it all over again, would we? My answer every time would be absolutely yes. The heartache is unbearable, but the smiles and memories of Logan help to ease that pain. Larry and I are so grateful to have been chosen to be Logan's parents and give him unconditional love from the moment we knew him. Not an hour goes by that we don't think of him, miss him and yearn for him to be here with us. Not a day goes by that we don't imagine what he would be doing if he were here. We don't ever expect to understand why Logan was on earth only a short time. It won't be until we are re-united in Heaven one day that hopefully this will all make sense. All we can do is trust in God and pray to our Saint Logan to watch over our family. We pray that Addison and Dylan will know how truly special they are to us, and that they have the most amazing little brother who is now their guardian angel.

While we didn't realize it at the time, our last few days with Logan were spent at a place we love making some everlasting memories of our party of five. Over the last five years, Disney World has been a place where we celebrated our family and created memorable experiences. It now has a somewhat different meaning. While we will still enjoy Addison, Dylan and any future children that God blesses us with, we will always feel a very special presence of Logan when we visit. It's a place I look to visit even more as it's the last place we held our little buddy. It's hard to describe the want to be there to feel a closeness to Logan.

While I will always look for red cardinals and yellow butterflies to remind me that Logan is forever with us, I have to remember that even though we don't see them as often anymore, he's still always right here. I see him in his siblings. The sweet words that Addison and Dylan say about Logan make me smile and tear up all at the same time. I worry they won't always remember him, so it's up to Larry and me to remind them of the five months they were able to make their little brother smile because he sure did love them.

I pray that God will give us strength to live what life we have left. I pray that He will comfort us on the days we need it the most. I pray that God will embrace Addison and Dylan when they turn to Him. I pray that God will guide us through this life each step of the way.

"I love you as big as the world. I love you as deep as the sea. I love you as bright as the sun. I love you and I know you love me! I love you as blue as the sky. I love you as long as the days. I love you as high as the mountain top. I love you in so many ways! I love you as strong as the wind. I love you as soft as the dew. I love you as far as a star. I love you because........you are you!" This is the book we gave Logan for Valentine's Day 2017. We read it with Addison and Dylan some days. I imagine reading it to Logan too.

Larry found this poem when Logan passed, and we used it on his memorial card. It's titled "As I Sit in Heaven."

"As I sit in Heaven and watch you every day, I try to let you know with signs I never went away. I hear you when you're laughing and watch you as you sleep. I even place my arms around you to calm you as you weep. I see you wish the days away begging to have me home, so I try to send you signs so you know you are not alone. Don't feel guilty that you have life that was denied to me. Heaven is truly beautiful just you wait and see. So live your life, laugh again, enjoy yourself, be free. Then I know with every breath you take, you'll be taking one for me!"

"Safe in His Arms, Forever in our Hearts" We will live by this saying for the rest of our lives because I truly believe that Logan is safe with Jesus and continuing to smile. At the same time, his memory will never ever leave our hearts. We love you, buddy, our "Smiley Joe" and our "Meeester Meeester!"

Hugs and kisses until we meet again......

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But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:14. Logan Michael Dragna, a native and resident of Gonzales, gained his angel wings on Wednesday, March 1, 2017 at 6:02 pm in Orlando, FL. He passed peacefully in the arms of his Mother and Father. He was 5 months old and the sweetest, most gentle baby you would ever meet. Logan was always happy, smiling and laughing. He could bring immediate joy to anyone who saw him. In his short time here, Logan gave his family so much joy and filled their hearts with immeasurable happiness. Logan is survived by his adoring parents, Larry and Trish LaCaze Dragna; his older siblings, Addison and Dylan Dragna; grandparents, John and Lynette LaCaze; loving aunt, Nona Johnson; aunts and uncles, Brian and Alicia Williamson, Kyle and Kayla Bueche; godparents, Amanda Lambert and Freddie Hurst, Jr.; cousins, Avery and Audrey Williamson, and Emmitt and Grant Bueche; great-grandmother, Celine LaCaze. Logan is preceded in death by his grandfather, Douglas Dragna; great grandparents, John P. LaCaze, Sr., Mabel and Gervais Babin, and Lawrence and Mercedes Dragna. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 at Ourso Funeral Home in Gonzales from 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm. Visitation will resume on Wednesday, March 8, 2017 at Ourso Funeral Home from 9:00 until 10:30 am followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Theresa of Avila Catholic Church at 11:00 am celebrated by Fr. Eric Gyan. Entombment will follow in Hope Haven Garden of Memory Mausoleum in Gonzales. The family would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to the doctors and staff at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children for all of their kindness and loving care as well as the staff at Disney World in Orlando. In lieu of flowers, please make a memorial donation in Logan’s name to a children’s charity of your choice. To offer condolences to the family, please visit www.oursofh.com .