Ryan and Ann Elise Louër with their daughter, Annie

After Ryan Louër, MD, an Anesthesiology resident, and Ann Elise Louër, PA-C, a physician assistant in the Chronic and Cancer Pain Management inpatient service, received such a warm welcome upon joining the Brigham family about three years ago, they knew there was only one place they wanted to be when it came time for the couple to grow their own family.

That all culminated with the recent birth of their daughter, Annie, at the Brigham in late December.

“We wouldn’t have chosen anywhere else to have her,” Ann Elise said.

The first-time parents say they are enjoying every moment with their baby girl, who, now at 12 weeks, is charming them with gummy smiles and adorable cooing.

“I’ve always wanted to be a mom,” Ann Elise said. “I just love being able to show her new things. Not that she will remember, but when we had the blizzard recently, I got to be like, ‘This is snow.’ Those moments are really special. You realize the little things in life are beautiful, and showing them to a new life is really fun.”

“I just love being able to show her new things,” Ann Elise Louër says.

Ryan agreed, saying that even amid the sleepless nights and seemingly endless diaper changes, there is so much joy in everyday activities, such as giving his daughter a bath.

“It’s the little moments,” he said. “Everything that seems routine is all very new, so it’s a lot of fun to navigate that.”

Ryan — whose clinical interests include pediatric anesthesia, critical care and palliative care — also noted that his early experiences as a parent have given him a fresh perspective when caring for patients and their families.

“I have a new light on how I speak with families. By seeing what life is like through the eyes of a tired parent, I can iterate what’s most important and better understand what they might be worried about.” As they traded their scrubs and employee ID badges for a hospital gown and visitor pass, the Louërs said their family’s experience as patients at the Brigham was exceptional. In addition, the support they received from colleagues in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine since Annie’s birth has been deeply touching, both said.

“I talked to my supervising physician the other day, and he emphasized that family comes first. I don’t think a lot of work cultures are like that, so that’s been really nice,” Ann Elise said.

Ryan, who recently returned to work from paternity leave, said his colleagues have been similarly supportive of his transition to becoming a working parent, offering to swap on-call shifts if needed.

“The people I work with would give you the shirt off their back,” he said. “They’re great, great people. We’re very lucky.”