God Is Faithful

Our little Justus was quite a sick little boy for a few days. It was a very scary time for me, but now as I look back on it I am amazed at all the blessings God sent our way. Saturday Justus woke up with a fever and later in the day developed a croupy cough. Sunday I stayed home from church with him as he still had the fever and cough. Monday I brought him in to his doctor and he was diagnosed with croup. Monday afternoon Gabe and Gideon came down with fevers. Monday night I came down with the fever (which came with such niceties as chills, body aches, sore throat, basically feeling like death), oh, and did I mention Monday was also Ben's first day at his new job? So (as we found out later) we had the type A influenza. Taking care of sick babies is one thing, taking care of them while feeling like death is quite another! :) Anyway, we had the bug until Thursday when Gabe, Gideon and I started feeling better. Justus, though, was getting worse. I took him in to his doctor again and she sent us to the ER. This was not exactly how I had envisioned spending Valentine's evening. They were very kind in the ER to take us back right away, but we had all gone and once we realized that we were going to be there for a while Ben decided it would be wise for him to take the other two boys and go home. Thankfully my mom was sweet enough to come stay with me even though it was not only Valentine's day, but also her birthday! They ran tests, did blood work, took xrays and poked and prodded my poor baby until 2:30 AM and then sent us home with the diagnosis of pneumonia and a weird rash they kept calling petikia. The next day he was worse and his "rash" had spread so we again brought him in to his pediatrician. She sent us to Sinai hospital's ER and there he was admitted.
No one was really giving us any answers, we heard things like: "blood platelet count", "patikia", "infectious disease", "meningitis", "cancer", none of which meant much to me except to make me plead to God to give me faith no matter what. But God in His infinite kindness and mercy to His frail child strengthened me. I am so grateful for all the prayers of our families, church and friends, it meant so much to know that people were praying.

Ben was such a support and rock during a time when I felt like I could fall apart any second. He even stayed overnight with Justus one night so I could go get some sleep as I was still not fully recovered from the flu. That was a HUGE blessing! What a wonderful husband, especially since I'm still nursing and we weren't sure if Justus would take a bottle that I had pumped earlier that day. There was definitely the potential for a very rough night as he had NEVER taken a bottle before. Thankfully he was fine and I felt so much better after a full night's sleep and a shower.
He was finally diagnosed with a rare blood disease called HSP or Anaphylactoid Purpura. It apparently can be brought on by a virus such as the flu (which he tested positive for in the ER). He was released around 10PM Sunday and is expected to make a full recovery. Now, on to our many other blessings...

Because it was Ben's first week at his new job, we had health insurance!

Ben's sweet parents were kind enough to watch our other two boys while we were in the hospital.

Justus has become such a snuggle bug since his hospital stay...he was always such a wiggle he never really snuggled before...I LOVE it! :)

We had such an outpouring of love by our friends in ways like meals, notes, phone calls, prayers, stopping by the hospital to see us, etc...

I end this VERY long post with this, I am overwhelmed by God's kindness, I don't deserve all of these blessings. "Thank you Father, for your mercy to me and my family. Thank you for giving me another day with my children. Thank you for a wonderful husband and family. Thank you." This expeirence has also given me a new apreciation for those with really sick children. What a new respect I have for my cousin Jennie. She has a daughter who had cancer as a little toddler and went through months and months not only away from home, but in a hospital in another state! I can't imagine how one could get through something like that without trusting our Savior. God is faithful. He will not let us be overwhelmed. Jennie is such a strong, Godly woman. I pray God will give me the strength to bear whatever He has in store with the grace that she has. "Lord, give me faith"

We Match

I love my boys to match and realize I have to do it as much as possible before they get old enough to think it's ridiculous. They have noticed it though and at this point they're still convinced it's a wonderful thing. A few days ago Ben was putting on his tennis shoes when Gabe proudly announced "Daddy, we match!" I looked at the NB on both their shoes and smiled at my extremely astute son. "Look" he said triuphantly, "we both have mud on our shoes".

Money for Jesus

This little man is almost two and has more energy than the energizer bunny! He is pretty much always happy and LOVES his brothers (Justus a little too much sometimes). He and Gabe have been playing together so nicely recently and I am loving it! Well, we have been letting the boys take money out of their bank for offering at church lately. They love to do this (I try to remember, but sometimes forget). Consequently, whenever Gideon sees money he shouts excitely: "Money for Jesus!" So, we were in line at the store the other day when he notice the man behind us was paying with cash and had his change purse out. "Money for Jesus!" Gideon yells happily at the top of his lungs. "Uh, no." said the man. Gideon looks at him confused "Money for Jesus?" The man looked sheepishly at him "No..." "I'm sorry" I say, "he likes to give money to Jesus". "I see." the man murmered. The poor man eventually had to put his money away because everytime Gideon saw it he would give him a huge smile and say cheerfully "Money for Jesus!" What a cheerful giver (even if it's not always his own money)! :)

My Hope

I am blessed. Blessed with one absolutely wonderful husband who I adore and three precious and very active sons. God has given me so many blessings in my life I am often overwhelmed (not in the same way the three very active sons sometimes make me feel). Thank you, Father, for the good gifts you have given. I need to remind myself often to hold to these gifts loosely and to cling to Christ. It is too easy for me to put my hope in these earthly riches of my family. I must not hope in them, I will always be disappointed. Christ is my hope and Him alone.

"O LORD, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a child quieted at its mother's breast; like a child that is quieted is my soul. O Israel, hope in the LORD this time forth and for evermore." Psalm 131:1-3

Time

Gabe is growing so much lately, I can hardly keep him in clothes! I look at him in pictures and can hardly believe how grown up he looks. He loves to please and regularly tells me "Mommy, you're beautiful" *sigh* I love him! :) Wrestling with daddy is his favorite pastime and wrestling with Gideon is at number two.

He just started really getting interested in helping me cook, and LOVES to use any tools (aka: blender, mixer, etc). Gideon on the other hand is only interested in EATING the food and will scavenge anything left unguarded. :)

Gabe also is very proud of his bed which he and Gideon love to flip upside-down and make into a house. That is also one of their favorite things (pretty much anything that makes a mess is great fun to them).

I am so thankful for my sons that God has given to me for a time. I am trying to hold loosely as I know they are His, and He holds them in His almighty hands. I'm thankful for the time that I've had and I don't want to waste another moment. I'm trying to enjoy the little moments and leave the dishes to watch the squirrel on the deck.