Is 28 A Milestone?

So it's 2011 and it's 10 years after I graduated high school. (Shout out to MMA class of 2001, Millers!)So since 18 is like the official entrance to adulthood, I've realized I'm reflecting on my first 10 years of adulthood. And it hit me, maybe 28 should be a milestone too.(Mind you I won't even be 28 until April, but in true Tiffany fashion, I'm thinking ahead) What have I done so far? Where am I? Am I where I thought I'd be? Am I where I could have been? All running through my mind...

The truth is, in reflecting I've found I'm not where I thought I'd be and that's fine, but in addition I'm not even where I could have been. At first it was a slight bummer (only slight cause I'm truly an optimist). But after much prayer time, I've realized it's the perfect opportunity for a rebirth. So I've been doing a lot of reflecting on where God could have brought me to without my interventions and more importantly where I am allowing Him to take me from here. This has been the most liberating thing ever. I am in the happiest season of my life, it's amazing! I just wake up excited every day. And I truly have good reasons to not be, but I've realized one important fact: "What you don't allow to take you under will take you over, far over."

I feel like a butterfly breaking out of the cocoon. So much that was down inside I'm finally releasing. I'm having an adult growth spurt and it's totally spirit-led. God is so faithful and He really will complete any work in us that He's begun, but we gotta cooperate.

So what do I want to share with you. It's never too late for a rebirth. Take a self-inventory. Are you who you want to be? Are you the best you? If not, what are you waiting for. I know there's someone else that feels like me; there was a woman inside screaming to get out. I could hear her. I could feel her. I desperately wanted her to come out, but I was too afraid. But after a while you get tired of living afraid (or for others like I was). And if you ignore her long enough you begin to forget she's there but you can always feel her cry. DON'T LET HER CRY and DON'T LET HER DIE! She's who God has designed for you to be and she's made in His image. (He for my fellas, can't leave you out) Especially for my parents out there. One of my hugest motivations is Jordan. How can I tell him to be all he can be and he can do anything if I haven't? I would rather demonstrate that to him and he'll follow in my footsteps. That hit me like a brickwall one day. How many parents tell their kids "You can do anything" and their children could probably reply "but you didn't/don't." We have to be that example.

Be your best you! Don't let anything stand in the way of who God created you to be and who you actually are being one in the same.

Peace and Love.

One Fast Year! (Labor Story)

You hear people say it all the time, "Enjoy your children while they're young because time goes fast." It's not that you don't believe people but sheesh, it's different when you've actually stepped into that position. Here I am reflecting one year later after the birth of my precious son. I can't believe that the first year has gone by this fast.

This time last year I was napping, nursing, entertaining guests, and bonding with Jordan who I has just met. I had Jordan at 4:40 am so I did most of my labor on 1/19. I truly loved labor, it was a beautiful experience I look forward to again one day. I started having contractings at about 9am on the 19th. They were inconsistent and coming about every 15 minutes; just pre-labor. I remember I began timing them, but I had had so many pre-term labor contractions that I wasn't even thinking this was going anywhere. They continued all day still inconsistently but always around 10 minutes. I ate light foods all day, walked and rested just in case. That evening when my husband got home, we continued to time them and finally called my midwife. She told us to keep breathing and call us when they were about 5 mins apart. Around 6pm my parents came over (all excited lol) and I kept timing contractions. I must mention that my contraction distraction of the day was Wii, I played all day and evening. Even in between contractions, I would bowl, stop to breathe through a contraction, and then resume my turn lol. It really helped. My goal was to deliver all natural so I was focusing my mind away from the pain; even though it really wasn't that bad at that point. Finally around 10 pm the contrations got serious and I knew it was time to head to the hospital.

I got to Mercy just after 11pm. I had planned to do a water birth and I was very happy they had birthing pools in the rooms. At that point the contractions were starting to take my breath away but even still something in me was thinking this wasn't the real thing and they were gonna send me home. When I got checked and I was 5 cm.  I liked to shout to glory lol! After getting checked I relaxed and continued to breathe through my contractions for a little bit before taking a shower. That water did amazing things for the back pressure, whew. After my shower I laid down and continued my breathing. At about 3am, my life started flashing before me LOL. I was like ok when can I get in the tub (7cm for the first baby is the requirement so it doesn't stall labor). I got checked and I finally was able to get in the tub at about 3:30am. Just after I did, IT GOT REAL WHEW. I started thinking I may need drugs, but everyone kept encouraging me I could do it. I wasn' t so sure though, lol. I jumped from 7-10cm  in about one hour (one of the many benefits of going natural, the body is able to work faster). Unfortunately Jordan had pooped and they spotted meconium so I couldn't deliver in the pool. In retrsopect, I'm actually glad that I pushed from the table, it made it much easier. I got out of the tub at like 4:20. I did two more contractions on the table. I'll never forget hearing the most glorious words ever "You can push with the next one." I heard the heavens open up and saw angels lol. I pushed three times. He crowned on the first two and came sliding out on the third one. It's no feeling like that, simply amazing.

Jordan Joshua Love, born Wednesday January 20th, 2010 @ 4:40am. It was the best day ever!