Madeline Gaudreau paid tribute to her late husband, Matthew Gaudreau, at her baby shower as she prepares to welcome their first child.
Madeline Gaudreau, who is currently pregnant with a baby boy, uploaded a carousel of photos to Instagram Oct. 12 from the family-filled event celebrating the impending arrival of baby Tripp.
The first picture showed a blue, white and brown balloon display next to a sign that read, “A Little Piece of Heaven.” The next snap showed the baby boy’s name spelled out in giant silver balloons.
One of the final pictures highlighted the blue and white sign welcoming guests to the event that read, “Welcome To Our Baby Shower/ Matty & Madeline.”
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Madeline Gaudreau smiled while showing off her growing baby bump in other photos with friends and family members, including sister-in-law Meredith Gaudreau.
“Baby Shower of my Dreams,” Madeline Gaudreau wrote in her Instagram caption, adding a white heart and dove emoji.
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She thanked the event planners and added, “my husband would have loved all the balloons.”
“The way you were able to tie in my husband brought instant tears when I walked in,” she continued. “All my friends and family, nothing will bring his dad back or uncle john, but I am glad he has so many amazing people around him to remind him how amazing they were.”
On her Instagram story, Madeline Gaudreau wrote, "shower of my dreams with the best angel in heaven looking over us." She also re-shared photos of cookies from the event, including some star-shaped ones with "Tripp" written over them and cloud-shaped treats that read, "Heaven Sent."
She then re-shared a post from Katie Gaudreau, Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau's younger sister, who wrote, "Felt the love from your Daddy and Uncle John today. We love you Tripp Matthew."
Fans left loving and supportive messages in the comments section of Madeline Gaudreau's post.
One said, “What a beautiful celebration! The Gaudreau babies, have a strong loving village. God bless you!”
Another wrote, “Beautiful! Baby Tripp is so loved.”
A third commented, “Your family is so loved- even by those of us who never met you. Thinking of you and Tripp and praying for you every single day !”
There has been an outpouring of support for the Gaudreau family following the deaths of brothers Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau in August. Johnny Gaudreau, who played for the Columbus Blue Jackets, and his brother were killed after they were struck by an alleged drunken driver, according to police.
The brothers were riding their bikes in their New Jersey hometown when the fatal accident occurred, NBC Philadelphia reported at the time. They were pronounced dead at the scene.
A few months before Matthew Gaudreau was killed, he and his wife announced on Instagram that they were expecting their first child. Madeline Gaudreau uploaded a black-and-white photo of the pair holding hands as a string of ultrasound photos descended from her back pocket.
“Baby Gaudreau Arriving in December,” she said in the caption.
While speaking about her late husband at his funeral last month, Madeline Gaudreau praised him for being an attentive dad the second he found out she was pregnant.
“The moment we found out about our son Tripp, it consumed his every day. He was downloading apps, ordering books, finding the best diaper brand, making sure I had the best vitamins and asking for tips from John,” she recalled.
Madeline Gaudreau said she can feel Matthew Gaudreau’s presence every time she walks into the nursery he started to build.
“Matthew was so excited to welcome Tripp into this world, and although the plan now looks a little different, I know Matt will surround his son for the rest of his life,” she said. “I’m so thankful God gave us a child, a little Matty to run around for life, to carry on his legacy. Tripp will know how much his father loved him, and I promise to do all the things with him we talked about.”
Johnny Gaudreau’s wife, Meredith Gaudreau, is also currently pregnant. She shared the news that she will welcome their third child during her eulogy at the brothers’ joint funeral.
On her Instagram story Oct. 12, Meredith Gaudreau re-shared the photo she took with Madeline, writing over it, "I got you. We got this. So proud of you. Already the best mom."
This article first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
