Ryan & Lola: July 2011

Ethan Ryan Copeland was born July 11, 2011, on our two-year wedding anniversary. He was 9 1/2 pounds, 21 inches long. Labor was long. My water broke Saturday evening and he was born early Monday morning. We used the HypnoBirthing method and it was a rewarding experience that bonded Ryan and I in amazing ways. He was a champion throughout such a long and difficult labor. They told me I could begin pushing and Ryan leaned over and whispered, "Happy Anniversary," and kissed me. I looked at the clock and sure enough, it was midnight. After three hours of pushing, our sweet baby was here. The moment he arrived was intense - he was in some trouble. I was shoved backward, all the nurses in the room jumped on me, one of them pushing hard on my stomach, and I heard the midwife, who had been so encouraging and positive the whole time, say frantically, "Lola, push NOW." She had told me the last one was the final push and I thought I'd given everything I had, thought I had no more to give, but in the split second that everything was happening, all I knew was that tone in her voice. I knew I had to summon everything inside of me and give all the strength I didn't have. I'd tried so hard to keep labor peaceful and quiet so my baby could enter the world gently, but it was in that moment that I finally really cried out as I reached inside and gave everything. And then he was there. The next few moments were emotional and crazy, but when he eventually heard my voice, he stopped crying. They laid him on my chest and I knew that he knew me.

We love this beautiful baby.

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Disclaimer: I wrote this a couple days before our anniversary. I just felt it strongly. Ha. Good thing I did it then, as my water broke two days before our anniversary and little man was born ON our anniversary.

Two Years...

It's been two years since we got married and I love my husband more than ever. I think he's wonderful and perfect for me. I still think he is the handsomest guy ever and I can still watch a movie with some A-list hottie in it and think that he doesn't hold a candle to my man.

In two years we've been through a lot more than I thought we had. A wedding, Ry finishing school and graduating, getting his first professional job, going on a cruise, moving to a new place, callings, job changes, insurance, experiencing the 9-10 months of pregnancy together, family hardships and health scares, and our first baby is due any minute. These experiences have brought us even closer. I mean, we even experienced trying escargot together:

Yes, these experiences have brought us closer. We are best friends in the truest sense.

I adore him.

Getting married was the most exciting thing. What a day. Walking into the temple together, and then walking out of the temple together, going "Ohmygosh, I can't believe we're married," as we stepped out the doors and greeted friends and family.

Looking at each other all evening, laughing, and thinking, "Did we really just get married? Is life really this good?"

And then waking up the next morning, looking into each other's eyes, and getting to do that every day since...bliss.

Marriage is work, but I welcome the work. People say marriage is hard, but I wonder if what they really mean is that marriage is work. I'm not sure those two words: "hard," and "work," have to be interchangeable. Maybe I am young and naive, but that is how I see it.

We may not get everything right every day, but I am proud of our marriage and some of the goals we have met. I'm proud of us that we have gone on a date every single week since our wedding. We've never missed a date night. I'm proud that we made a goal to go to the temple at least once a month and have met that goal for two years.

I'm glad we bought a car together, that we have learned about finances and budgeting together, that we cuddle in church, kiss after every prayer, and go to bed together every night.

I will miss being just us. I will. We love spending time together and being Ryan and Lola. But I know it's beautiful that we're building our family. And I am so thankful to be building a family with him.

Happy Two Year Anniversary to my best friend, the man of my dreams, and the love of my life.