What a week!

Proud papa with Norla and our nurse, Jill

Sweet Baby

Wow, 9 days ago we were just getting started on this new adventure!  After nearly 20 hours at the Birth Center, I was very anxious and excited to meet my new little man!  He is perfect in every way, and we couldn't be happier! 

The last week has been a whirlwind of eating, sleeping and pooping, plus visits from all our favorite family and friends.  Life with a new baby is definitely an adjustment, and we are enjoying each sleep-deprived moment, one day at a time :)

I am so very thankful for the amazing experience we received at the Topeka Birth and Women's Center.  Brandon also said it was the best way we could have welcomed our lil guy into the world.  The loving and supportive care we received from the midwives and staff at the Birth Center made this pregnancy and birth such a joyous experience.  From prenatal care to birth prep/newborn care classes to the actual delivery, I am absolutely pleased with every aspect of service from the Birth Center.  Our midwife, Norla, was such a calm and steady presence, giving me the reassurance that I could do this and that we were going to have a baby!!  I wish more women would recognize their own strength and power, and choose to have a natural birth--if they are able.  I kept saying, "This really isn't that bad!" throughout the day.  Of course it was not a walk in the park, by any means!  I simply recognized the energy and natural instinct that is part of having a baby & let my body do the rest.  Cheesy?  Maybe.  But true in every sense.  And worth every moment.  Again, credit is due to the amazing ladies at the Birth Center, and we look forward to welcoming Owen's little brother or sister there...in a few years of course!  Right now we are so in love with our little man, we can't wait to watch him grow!

So we are adjusting to this new life, thankful for a healthy, happy baby.  Looking forward to meeting more family and friends in the weeks and months to come!  Thanks to everyone for your prayers, good vibes and happy thoughts for Baby Hop during pregnancy & his arrival.  We are truly blessed to have the love & support of so many great people during this exciting new time!

Life as we knew it....

Life as we knew it...spontaneous camping trips and dinner dates.  Life as we knew it meant sleeping in on Sundays and sharing showers.  Life as we knew it allowed for Friday nights hibernating in the basement with a bottle (or two, or three) of wine.  Life as we knew it meant life as we created it.  Life as we knew it has become a fond memory of sleeping in, running around and living for ourselves.  Life as we knew it has been replaced with a new adventure, a new chapter between Brandon and I.  We welcomed our sweet baby boy on Wednesday, August 10 at 10:37pm.  Months and months of waiting and preparation finally came down to one day, one moment where we welcomed Owen Tyler into the world.  Now, life as we know it has replaced our selfish ways, as we live for the needs of this precious little life before us. 

Brandon summed up life as we knew it quite well; "It wasn't that something was missing before, but now, everything feels complete."

I can't help the tears that well up in my eyes as I write that statement, because it is so true.  We have been so blessed with seven years of creating a beautiful life together, and now it is at a whole new level.  Through the creation of this little life, we are becoming selfless, as we grow as a couple, as a family, as a mommy and daddy.  I am so grateful for a perfect little boy, with beautiful big eyes and a head full of dark hair, but I am also just as grateful for my partner in love and life.