After being a proud mother to six boys, a woman from east Tennessee was shocked to discover that she had given birth to a baby girl. A video capturing her awestricken reaction has since gone viral.
34-year-old homeschool mom Ariel Tyson had grown accustomed to hearing the following lines from people, “You’re doing a great job raising the next generation of men!” or “You have your hands full!” and even, “I’d love to have a house full of boys!”
After being on somewhat of a streak with being a boy mom, Ariel told The Epoch Times that she had a 50 percent guess through her pregnancy with the seventh baby that it would be a girl.
“Some days, I was certain it was a boy, and other days, I had this feeling it was a girl,” Ariel recalled.
In the wee hours of Dec. 4, Ariel woke up from a deep sleep thinking she had to use the bathroom. However, she had already gone into labor. Her husband, Michael, 35, took to set up the camera and birth kit in their bathroom when he realized their midwife couldn’t make it.
As baby number 7 was delivered at 3.20 a.m., Ariel held the baby for a few minutes before finding out she had given birth to a baby girl.
“Shocked. I mostly just felt shock,” Ariel said. “Michael thought it was a girl, but he was also still shocked as well.”
Whilst the boys were “excited,” Ariel thinks they felt it was “unbelievable.”
Already well-versed in childbirth and parenthood by this time, the Tysons had chosen not to discover the gender of their last three children before they were born. Ariel said she enjoyed her pregnancies more that way, without the extra pressure or added expectations.
“I’ve always said whoever we’ve been given is perfect for us, and this is also true this time,” Ariel explained.
However, after the initial wave of shock had faded, it made room for a flood of excitement to follow. Both the parents and the brothers alike were enthusiastic about the arrival of the baby girl.
The six older brothers, who range from the age of 10 to 1, have already gone big brother watch. Ariel says they are protective, loving, and kind.
“They’re so good with her and love getting to know her,” Ariel said. “I’m sure each of their relationships will change as she grows, but for now, they care for her like they would any new sibling.”
While each of their personalities varies, some of them are hands-on with her and want to hold her, meanwhile, the others check on her and talk to her while going about their days.
As Michael works as a pastor and entrepreneur, Ariel— a homeschool mother, social media content developer, and entrepreneur—manages to make time for everything with a schedule that spans the breadth of the day, including schooling, work, play, childcare, household chores, and meals.
Recently, Ariel hired a family assistant who helps three times a week with meal planning and prepping, school organization, and school questions if any.
As a mother, Ariel sees her role as vital to helping each of her unique children flourish.
“Our philosophy is that, while we teach them to be respectful, kind, strong, compassionate, and encouraging leaders of integrity, according to the standards of the Bible, we are also raising them to be individuals in their personalities and talents,” Ariel said.
Both Ariel and her husband were homeschooled as children. They experienced the freedom to work hard at school and still have the latitude to pursue other things that they loved. With her homeschooling curriculum, Ariel toured with an acting company, competed in the World Championships of Performing Arts, and traveled all over the country when she was younger. Additionally, she was also able to finish high school, college, and graduate school earlier than most people her age.
The couple’s positive experiences with homeschooling helped them make the decision to homeschool their own growing family. They feel it allows them to focus on the strengths of each child and gives the children the freedom to develop their specific areas of interest.
Ariel also credits her faith as playing an important role in her life, as she cares for such a big family.
“Our relationship with God is important to Michael and me individually, which then plays a major role in our marriage, and then, in turn, in our role as parents,” Ariel said.The Tysons are also actively involved with their local church.
“Raising our kids in the church has been one of the best things we’ve done as parents because we’ve surrounded all of us with Bible teaching, time with other Christians who invest in our lives, and learning how to serve other people well through our local church,” she explained.
