From Megan's Perspective...

I was at a place in my life where I was looking for someone to settle down with, get married, start a family - essentially all the milestones many people are looking to make in their life. I had been on several dates, done the online dating thing, and it was just. not. happening... I was talking to my then coworker (now bridesmaid), Allie, about how I was just having all of these misses and being ghosted and just not the right fits and I was about to give up on it. BUT I was also like PLEASE tell me you have an available brother (she didn't) cousin (she didn't) or literally anyone that she knew looking to settle down and find someone who shared the common goals that I was looking for. And in that, she did. For those that are close to Tony, you know he's not on social media much, but when Allie first told me of Tony, the millennial in me hunted his Facebook down and found his FOREVER profile picture of him in a button-down, galaxy space shirt with cats all over it. CATS. And I was hooked, I wanted to know more about him.

Tony worked with her husband, Alex, and gave him my number and told him to reach out to me. He certainly followed through and we had planned on having our first date at Mongo's in St. Cloud. My first thoughts of Tony was that he was shy, humble, funny, most definitely deaf to some degree, and he was ACTUALLY interested in holding a conversation with me and wanted to know ABOUT me. I had been on several dates by this point; dinner with him was the best one yet. No first kiss at the end of the night, but if you know Tony, then you know he is the perfect gentleman and was extremely respectful - albeit was probably because he was really that shy and nervous (sorry babe, you know it's true).

It wasn't like in the movies where it was immediate "love at first sight" but we definitely were shy about texting non-stop, going on a few more dates, learning about each others likes & dislikes. The little spark that we experienced in that first date grew into fireworks before we knew it. And it was official, I was head over heels for the man without any hair on his head, but was certainly Chewbacca's 2nd, or maybe 3rd, cousin twice removed, everywhere else.

At this point, we had gone on several dates - bowling, fishing, more food, movies - all the things people do - just spending all of our time together that we could. We were really enjoying each other's company and making plans for the future. However, a few months into the "Facebook Official" dating life, fate decided to take our lives into it's own hands and switch things up. I was PREGNANT. While yes, we wanted kids, we were definitely wanting to complete some of the other things on our "to-dos" first. I was getting ready in the morning so that we could go out to breakfast and realized, I hadn't had to buy those awful feminine products yet that month. SO I had to break the news to Tony before breakfast that we had to stop once the store opened... MAN should I have waited until AFTER breakfast so the man could eat his food (still sorry sweetheart).

Low and behold, there was definitely that second pink line. Pregnancy was definitely rough on both Tony and me, but I couldn't have had a better person to support me throughout the entire process. I had endless amounts of Kraft mac & cheese, watermelon Sour Patch Kids, and every kind of potato known to man to hold over an entire room full of stoners.

Our little potato was due February 14th, 2023.

I was a high risk pregnancy, and our little french fry wasn't getting the nutrients he needed. So I was under careful watch. At our 20 week appointment we found out we were having a BOY!! On a Friday about 7 weeks later, I was experiencing symptoms that urged me to be at least checked out. From there I was sent to the hospital to be monitored over the weekend. Our little spud wasn't meeting all the ultrasound "passes" so each day (or rather every half day) the timeline changed.

The doctors had already told me before this point that it was likely that we would deliver a little early - like maybe 38 weeks. I was 27wk 1day and it was the Friday before Thanksgiving (this is still in 2nd trimester for those who don't know). But the tests were showing different results and I was officially admitted to the hospital until birth. We were in for the long haul.

Tony and I were told that we were going to try to cook our tater until 34 weeks... And then it became

"well let's shoot for Christmas".... And then "how about as many weeks as week can get"... Then "let's get you to 3rd trimester".... And finally, "We're taking it day by day".

Funny story.... And I will forever give Tony shit for this because he has the world's WORST luck... It was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving around 630-7pm and I told Tony to go home and get some sleep in an actual bed so he could function at work the next day. He got all the way down to the entrance, AND HE TURNED AROUND! The son of a b*tch got a FEELING he shouldn't leave and CAME BACK... Can you tell that I hold a little bit of a grudge?

An hour later, our potato decided he couldn't wait any longer and we were prepping for C-section! Cooper Grant Sobania was born November 22nd, 2022 at 9:37pm. We were just short of hitting that 3rd trimester - just a few hours more and we would have been there. BUT he came out crying and screaming and PERFECT. With just a little extra help with his lung development, our baby boy spent the next three months in the NICU and while he's still a little behind in milestones, he's absolutely the most perfect little human (and the cutest, there's not any bias here I swear).

Tony and I becoming parents was the toughest and most beautiful things we've had to experience thus far. I would not trade our life for anything. Cooper came home just 2 days before his original due date and we celebrate every little accomplishment possible. Tony is an amazing father and such a supportive partner. It was hard not to fall more and more in love with him with every passing day.

Small little flashback in time to about 1.5 months Cooper came home, Tony just couldn't keep going on with being teased at work that I was his "not wife" (trust me it's an inside joke and you can imagine there's a story behind it). He went to "let my dog out" since I was still somewhat recovering from surgery. Remy came into my room with little notes somehow attached to his body, and of course I'm thinking "okay what kind of simp-y, doting, super loving thing has he done now" fully expecting just a normal love note.

NOPE! The wonderful, kindergarten-handwriting, kind of a man (well Remy actually) asked me to marry him!! I think you can all figure out the rest of the story now, but in case you didn't know...

I SAID YES!!!

And here we are... planning a wedding... doing some of the steps that fate put in a different order. Tony and I couldn't be happier to continue our journey together and we are so beyond grateful to have you all with us along the way.

-Megan