Jewel ‘Lucky’ to Have Healthy Baby Boy

Jewel and her husband, professional rodeo rider Ty Murray, welcomed their son, Kase Townes, into the world just over two months ago. The elated new parents acknowledge that the birth experience didn't go exactly as they had hoped, but their momentary disappointment quickly turned to joy when they were given a healthy baby boy.

"They always say, 'Make a plan and God laughs,' right?" the singer shares with People."We wanted a natural birth and I was committed to that. I studied hypnobirthing."

Unfortunately, the Alaska native had to undergo an emergency C-section, after doctors discovered the baby's heartbeat was dropping when she had Braxton Hicks contractions. Still, the songbird says she is immensely grateful for her experience.

"I feel lucky to be pregnant in the modern age where they could actually tell he wasn't well during those contractions," she notes. "We felt thankful that we had good doctors and a good hospital nearby, and that everything was OK. I'm so lucky that we have a healthy baby boy. That's all I cared about."

The couple, who live on a working ranch that Ty operates, plan on remaining hands-on parents. "Neither of us wants to have a nanny," reveals the multi-platinum-selling singer. "Ty wants his relationship with Kase to be special, and the time you put in is part of that. I just want to soak up this time with him."

While Ty, who is the fifth generation cowboy, would love to have Kase follow in his footsteps, he insists he wants his son to choose his own path. "Jewel and I have to remember he is his own little person, and it's all for him to figure out. Our job is to enjoy what his little journey is, not fret over it."

Jewel, who recently released her second CD of children's tunes, 'The Merry Goes 'Round,' says she is happy to put her career on the back burner for a little while. "The great thing for me, and my husband feels the same way, is we've been successful in our careers. What's the point of that success if you can't take advantage of it at a time like this and enjoy being a parent?" she admits. "It's a rare gift we want to take advantage of and not worry about what to do next."

%VIRTUAL-globalVideoEmbed-{"videoIds":"517721046","width":"476","height":"357"}%