On Fathers day last June, after eleven years of marriage, my wife Joey and I found out that we were going to have a baby. We were elated (and nervous, and hopeful, all at the same time). Soon after, Joey watched a documentary about home-birth and midwives, and was even more excited about the idea of having our baby at home, here in the farmhouse where we live and dream and share our lives.
Nine months later, on February 17, 2014,Joey and I were blessed with a beautiful baby daughter named Indiana. She was born at home at 12:03 pm with the assistance of a midwife and the birth experience was perfect. She was delivered breech, naturally, with no medical assistance and with myself and our two older daughters Heidi and Hopie by Joey’s side. Joey says that giving birth at home was the single greatest thing she’s ever experienced in her life. A moment later, with Indiana’s first cry, we all cried tears of joy and hugged and celebrated and cried some more.
In the days that followed, there was some concern about Indy and through genetic chromosome testing done at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, it has been confirmed that Indiana has Down Syndrome. Although that news came at first as a surprise to us, Joey and I wouldn’t have changed a thing. During the pregnancy, we never did an ultrasound, or saw a doctor, nor would it have made any difference if we had. We trusted that God would give us the baby He wanted us to have… and He has. Out of all the parents in the world, He has chosen us to care for and raise this special gift.
The baby is healthy and doing wonderful and Joey and I are loving each and every minute that we have with her. We can’t wait to see where this new chapter in our lives leads us and what wonderful story unfolds in the coming years. We had already cleared our 2014 schedule and committed to taking this year off to be home and simplify our lives before we got this news, and now, we think it’s even more important to be here than ever. Joey encouraged me to start writing a blog at the beginning of this year to share our lives from my perspective, and so I have. It can be found at thislifeilive.com. In posts from this year’s journey so far, as well as this post and future ones, you can learn more about Indiana’s birth story, diagnosis and much more, from the viewpoint of a very blessed husband, father, and songwriter.
