A couple who got engaged after four months together and tied the knot just three days later have welcomed a miracle baby together.
Leni Jones, 32, met her partner, Colton, 31, after her friends made her a Tinder profile and told her to go on a date with him.
The pair hit if off straight away and flew to meet Colton's family in Seattle, Washington, US, four months later.
Colton - who is ex US military - got down on one knee and proposed to Leni while on the trip.
The couple decided to tie the knot three days later in a small ceremony where Colton's mum, Lilas, 68, married them.
The pair had to then fly to Leni's home country, Germany, the very next day for her to have her final check-ups for a pre-cervical cancer surgery to remove tissue.
But Leni found out she was pregnant instead and the couple were delighted when they welcomed their daughter, Emery, now 18 months.
Leni, who works in publishing, and is living in Virginia Beach, Virginia , US, said: "When you know you know.
"Looking back if someone would have told me you'll end up with an American, married and you'll have a little baby - I probably would have laughed.
"Life can be crazy. It can be a rollercoaster."
Leni nearly didn't meet her husband - who was stationed in Stuttgart, Germany at the time with the US military.
She said: "I hated Tinder. My friends made a profile for me.
"He messaged and said 'Leni, will you marry me?'
"I thought 'what a crazy American'.
"But my friends set me up for a date.
"He convinced me pretty fast."
The pair hit it off and visited Colton's home in Seattle, Washington in February 2022.
Leni said: "He popped the question. It was freezing cold. He asked me in front of the Seattle skyline."
The pair said it felt right to get married soon as they had recently found out Leni had pre-cervical cancer and Colton was due to be deployed elsewhere.
Leni quickly found a dress and they tied the knot in a friend's apartment on February 26, 2022.
Leni said: "It was all just very emotional.
"His mum married us.
"It was pretty special."
The couple flew back to Germany two hours later for Leni to have her doctors appointment.
She said: "They came back looking a bit concerned.
"The doctors told me I couldn't have the surgery because I was pregnant.
"It was a miracle."
Leni had been told it would be unlikely she would ever conceive due to scar tissue from previous surgeries on her gut.
Luckily Colton was able to stay in Germany for another year and the couple welcomed Emmy on November 15, 2022 weighing 7lbs 4oz.
Leni said: "It was beautiful.
"She was so such an easy baby.
"She's very strong and happy. She's fearless."
The family were then able to move to Virginia Beach together in May 2023 and Leni was able to secure a green card.
Leni said: "It was a rough time.
"It was lonely.
"Colton was gone for work for four nights at a time or sometimes for weeks and months."
Leni and Colton - who has recently quit the military and is searching for other work - are hoping to be able to move back to Germany for a couple of years.
They are currently battling different immigration laws to try and make it possible.
Leni said: "It's a daily commitment.
"This is our tiny little family.
"There is no giving up."
Leni Jones, 32, met her partner, Colton, 31, after her friends made her a Tinder profile and told her to go on a date with him.
The pair hit if off straight away and flew to meet Colton's family in Seattle, Washington, US, four months later.
Colton - who is ex US military - got down on one knee and proposed to Leni while on the trip.
The couple decided to tie the knot three days later in a small ceremony where Colton's mum, Lilas, 68, married them.
The pair had to then fly to Leni's home country, Germany, the very next day for her to have her final check-ups for a pre-cervical cancer surgery to remove tissue.
But Leni found out she was pregnant instead and the couple were delighted when they welcomed their daughter, Emery, now 18 months.
Leni, who works in publishing, and is living in Virginia Beach, Virginia , US, said: "When you know you know.
"Looking back if someone would have told me you'll end up with an American, married and you'll have a little baby - I probably would have laughed.
"Life can be crazy. It can be a rollercoaster."
Leni nearly didn't meet her husband - who was stationed in Stuttgart, Germany at the time with the US military.
She said: "I hated Tinder. My friends made a profile for me.
"He messaged and said 'Leni, will you marry me?'
"I thought 'what a crazy American'.
"But my friends set me up for a date.
"He convinced me pretty fast."
The pair hit it off and visited Colton's home in Seattle, Washington in February 2022.
Leni said: "He popped the question. It was freezing cold. He asked me in front of the Seattle skyline."
The pair said it felt right to get married soon as they had recently found out Leni had pre-cervical cancer and Colton was due to be deployed elsewhere.
Leni quickly found a dress and they tied the knot in a friend's apartment on February 26, 2022.
Leni said: "It was all just very emotional.
"His mum married us.
"It was pretty special."
The couple flew back to Germany two hours later for Leni to have her doctors appointment.
She said: "They came back looking a bit concerned.
"The doctors told me I couldn't have the surgery because I was pregnant.
"It was a miracle."
Leni had been told it would be unlikely she would ever conceive due to scar tissue from previous surgeries on her gut.
Luckily Colton was able to stay in Germany for another year and the couple welcomed Emmy on November 15, 2022 weighing 7lbs 4oz.
Leni said: "It was beautiful.
"She was so such an easy baby.
"She's very strong and happy. She's fearless."
The family were then able to move to Virginia Beach together in May 2023 and Leni was able to secure a green card.
Leni said: "It was a rough time.
"It was lonely.
"Colton was gone for work for four nights at a time or sometimes for weeks and months."
Leni and Colton - who has recently quit the military and is searching for other work - are hoping to be able to move back to Germany for a couple of years.
They are currently battling different immigration laws to try and make it possible.
Leni said: "It's a daily commitment.
"This is our tiny little family.
"There is no giving up."
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FunTranscript
00:00Let's get ready together and I'm going to tell you some random facts about me.
00:06Fact number one, I love coffee.
00:09My husband got me this really cute thing where I can place my coffee, I actually have no
00:17idea how it's called, talking about it, please excuse my English, obviously I'm married to
00:27an American, so I do speak English all the time, but I'm not a native speaker, so yeah,
00:34my native language is German.
00:37I'm a new mom, first time mom, my daughter is exactly two months old today, she was born
00:46on the 15th of November, I am 31 years old, so we are currently living in Germany, but
01:01we are about to move to the States, because my husband is in the military, he's in the
01:06Navy.
01:07I met my husband November, or let's say end of October 2022, no 2021, yeah, I met my husband
01:24October, end of October 2021, and we got married actually in February 2022, yes, I know, it
01:38sounds crazy, and actually it probably is, but we went to Seattle to visit his family,
01:46he proposed, I said yes, and looking back, I don't even know how it happened, but yes,
01:54we got married the same week in Seattle, four days later, and we actually organized
02:01a whole wedding in four days.
02:04I had a dress, we had a location, we had a cake, we had guests, one week later we found
02:11out that I'm pregnant, I actually had a pretty shitty week, to be honest, because someone
02:18stole my credit card information, and stole over a thousand bucks out of my bank account,
02:28Jesus, I have a stash, should probably get rid of that, editing a TikTok video, for me,
02:38Jesus Christ, that's a process, one of my biggest insecurities I always had, since I
02:44remember, gotten way worse during pregnancy, and that is my double chin.
02:51I think I'm ready, and now I will rejoin my husband and have a nap.