It is hard to believe that today is the first day of December. Thanksgiving is behind us and we are getting ready to celebrate Zeke's first Christmas. We had to postpone our Thanksgiving celebration this year because my mom, Jami, Jared, and the kids were all sick. We had a nice meal at my parents' house on the Sunday following Thanksgiving (scratchy voices and all)!
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| Zeke was still under the weather...poor thing! |
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| First Thanksgiving! |
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| Lovin' on Wynna |
The past few months have been challenging for me. I've been sick 3 times since August, and can't seem to get a handle on my immune system. Last week Zeke came down with his first illness...croup. It started with a deep chest cough and progressed into a cough and congestion. We sat with him each day in the bathroom with hot water running to create steam. We purchased a humidifier, which seemed to help him sleep. Ultimately, croup is a virus, and his body has to learn how to fight it. He is building his immune system, which is good, but still very hard for us to watch. He's not completely well, but getting better.
To top it off, he had his first injury in the midst of his first illness! While he was playing in his play area in the kitchen, we heard a loud bang...then silence, then screaming crying. We were just steps away, but not close enough. A little chair had fallen on him, hit his lip, and pushed his teeth into his lip, causing a cut. He was bleeding profusely from the mouth, so I immediately began to panic. Gregg was wonderful and calm. He assessed where the blood was coming from, got some ice, and held Zeke as he cried. After getting advice from a friend of mine, we knew we needed Arnica gel and tablets to help with the swelling. I called a local health food store, but they had just closed. I was amazed by the generosity of the worker. She met Gregg at a local gas station to bring us the product because she did not live very far from us. I couldn't believe she would go out of her way like that. After Zeke was in bed, I sat down to try to assess all that had happened and understand how God was working through it all.
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| Poor boy! |
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| ...still managing to smile! |
My first thought was that God could have been protecting Zeke from something much worse. As a result of this accident, we have removed those little chairs from his play area (he's just not steady enough to pull up on them yet). We have also taken a survey of the house and decided what safety changes we need to make. We realize we can't protect him from everything, but there are things we can do to make a safer environment for him. I think it will lead both of us to be more aware, in general.
Next, I went to a website that has devotions I really like. I found one called "Opportunity to Praise." Here is an excerpt that spoke to me:
"There are going to be days when we just don't feel like being thankful - we wake up and don't seem able to praise. We know we should "rejoice in the Lord always" (Philippians 4:4); we're trying to learn "the secret of being content in any and every situation" (Philippians 4:12); and we want to believe that "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him" (Romans 8:28). But sometimes it's just difficult." (Steve Troxel)
I know many Christians struggle at times with being content in every situation as Paul talks about in Philippians. That is where I was momentarily stuck. I'm asking God to give me that peace when it comes to being a mommy, and in all things, really. I guess I naively thought that after he was born and the worries of pregnancy were behind me, I wouldn't worry any more! I'm realizing it is a constant surrender for me to trust God with this precious gift He has graciously given us to raise. I know Zeke is not ours, he is God's, but my heart doesn't quite understand that yet!
We have SO many things to be thankful for, and I do not take that for granted. Although life on this earth is not ever going to be perfect, I know it will be one day in eternity. That is reason enough to praise!!!
God bless!
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