It's great to get out!!!

We have had a few chances to get out of the house and it has done wonders for my mental state! Yesterday was my first time back at church and it has never felt so refreshing. I loved showing off Andrew, but even more it felt like life had some sort of normalcy to it. Worship and fellowship renewed me from within.

After church we were able to go out to lunch with a few friends. It was fun to talk about parenthood with the other moms and again, things seemed "normal". Andrew was a breeze throughout, though last night he was up every two hours.

I'm looking forward to things continuing to fall into a state of mild "normalcy"

gotta love him!

Andrew Micah's Birth Story

"For you created me in my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139: 13, 14


Has anyone ever recorded just how many emotions there are? And I wonder how many
one person can experience in a small amount of time. Also, how many changes can really occur in a life in just a few days?

I am so small in relation to all that is going on around me. My life is at this moment a whirlwind of excitement, elation, fatigue, exhaustion, praise, joy, thanksgiving, confusion, love, nervousness, appreciation, fear, pain, relief, oh and love…love…love.

As April 3rd rolled in with the clock changing from ll: 59 pm to 12:am, my world was about to be rocked. A few minutes after midnight, I leaped up from my slumber leaving a small puddle behind me and a stream following me to the bathroom. "This must be it, but when should I actually leave? I tried to lay back down… way to painful. Then I started to time contractions, which seemed strong but irregular and confusing. Two and a half hours later I woke up Adam, we timed contractions, but ultimately didn't get it and decided to go to the hospital. We arrived at the hospital at around 3:30 AM and learned my water had broken and I would be there for the long haul. All anticipated a quick delivery, because I was close to 4 cm dilated and very very effaced. For a few seconds I thought about having no epidural. Those thoughts lost to the pain of each contraction, and I took the epidural, which carried me through the next several hours. I was amazed as I watched the monitors show the contractions soar off of the chart and my baby's heart rate fluctuate with each one. A little before 2 PM, contractions began hurting again, the epidural would not quench them, and I started to feel the urge to push…PUSH!

The pushing was welcomed and actually felt good as I worked with each
contraction to bring Andrew into this world. GOOD, but EXAUSTING, to all who were involved! I used rhythm and visualization to focus on pushing. Those who know me will not be surprised to learn that I pictured myself playing around the world in rhythm to the
nurses counting to 10. Each series carried me around the arch and back with focus, determination and power using a muscle I had never used before. When basketball didn't work, I tried many other means of focus. And at the end when we were so close, but just couldn't come over the top, I went into the strongest prayers that I had ever offered. I gave it to Andrew's Lord and Maker, asked him to make it happen and to bring His child into this world, because I could not do anything more. Every time it came time to push, I would focus all my attention in His direction. At this point, his head was so close to being completely out, the doctors and medical team seemed to multiply around me, and everyone was shouting "just one more!" I dug down deep in prayer, pushed, and Andrew came mostly into this world. His shoulder was caught, and I don't remember all that really happened, I just know that one of the nurses had actually jumped on my bed and we were all pushing and pulling in one direction or another to get Andrew here once and for all!

Praise, Elation, Joy and amazement poured through me as I heard his cries and all took a deep breath of relief after a hard days work for the nurses and doctors, and a life altering one for Adam and I. My hands went up in the air like I had just been a part of the biggest victory of all time, with tears of extreme joy I shouted out "Yes! Yes! Yes!" I offered aloud thanks and praises to the One who pulled me through.

It was 3:58 pm when Andrew Micah Tarplee was born. He weighed 8 pounds 2 ounces and was 20 inches long.

Adam and I are in love with this little life changer and are thankful to our Maker and Father for bringing us a healthy baby boy. Most of the time we don't really know what we are doing, but we are learning as we love, feed, change, and nurture our little boy.