A Boy and His Dog. Columbus Baby Photography

Charlie. Newborn.

Some bunny is precious!

So blessed!

Here are a few fun facts about this sweet baby boy…

Tell us about that first moment when you saw your baby.
I was in absolute awe of how my husband and I had created this tiny, perfect being. After they placed him skin-to-skin on my chest, I remember staring down at him and feeling an immediate bond. It’s incredible how within just seconds, he became the center of our universe. In that moment, I knew our lives had changed forever.

What was your baby’s birth weight and length?
6 lbs 13.8 ozs & 20 1/4 inches long (though a couple of days later he measured in at just 18 1/2 inches at the Pediatrician)

Is there a story behind your baby’s name?
Charles is a family name (my Great Uncle/my Father’s favorite Uncle). Charlie was always my front runner as a boy’s name, but TJ took some convincing. We had a list of 8-10 boy names we seriously considered and had it narrowed down to four by the time I was induced. As entertainment during my 29 hour induction, we polled over fifty people (family, friends, co-workers, and L&D staff) on our four remaining boy names and Charles received the most votes. After meeting our little man, we agreed that “Charlie” fit him perfectly and officially decided on it before going to sleep on his birthday.

Give us the scoop. What has surprised you the most about parenthood?  Are there any funny stories or firsts that you’d like to share?
Parenthood has been absolutely amazing and I am shocked at just how little I miss the things I thought I valued most in life (mostly sleep and showering/looking presentable). Having a baby puts your entire life into perspective. TJ and I have learned to laugh through our parenting fails and are having a lot of fun learning about our little man. I will never forget TJ’s first diaper change on the night after Charlie was born. As a NICU nurse, I thought I would take the reigns and teach him all about the diaper changing process, but Charlie had other plans. In my nine years as a nurse, I have never seen so much sticky, thick, meconium. We ended up covering four diapers, two blankets, a t-shirt, countless wipes, and our hands and arms in our little guy’s poo. We were hysterically laughing by the time it was over.

What did you like best about your experience with Crystal Jo?
We loved how creative and flexible Crystal Jo was! She truly gave us a family centered experience and even let our crazy hound in on the action! Even though she had sick kiddos and a potentially sick husband at home, she treated us as though we were her top priority. We cannot thank her enough for creating such a positive and wonderful experience! : )