3 Years Old

Dear Joel
Today,at the moment I post this (8:02pm) you turn three years old. From the moment you were conceived, you have sent us on an emotional roller coaster ride. Once you started to move, you decided that stopping is NOT an option. Even in the womb, you kept me on my toes. Twice, I almost passed out from your movements. The nurses labeled it "active baby syndrome" and boy were they right! When the time came for you to be born, you came flying out. This momma was not prepared for that!  And you haven't stopped moving since. I remember a time when Darnell  and Greg took you and Cody to the park. He could never quite understand what I was talking about when I said that you were fast. He came back exhausted from chasing you and was glad he didn't lose you. If he blinked, you were gone. More times than I care to count that has happened to me. You just bolt. The worst part for me is that you think its a game to keep quiet when I call your name. I remember searching our old house, looking for you. I looked everywhere and I couldn't find you. I was calling your name and getting frantic and still you kept hiding. I later found you in the closet, still and quiet, playing your little "game" with me. (By the way, its NOT funny)

Joel, from the moment you were born, I knew I was in trouble. You constantly keep me on my toes. You love to do things in your own time (usually fast), but will quite often only do things if you know you CAN do them. You rolled over for two weeks before anyone actually witnessed it. You refused to practise crawling, until one day you were gone. You liked walking but were too nervous to take steps on your own until you knew you could it alone. Then, within just twenty short minutes, you went from taking your first steps to walking across the room. You were nine and half months old! Much too little for that sorta thing. But you were a mover. You weren't much of a talker, sometimes trying to imitate our voices or make sounds, but never in front of anyone else. But once you started talking, boy were we in trouble. You haven't stopped since! (Yet, you still refuse to "perform" for anyone!) I think you just went from making sounds to talking in full sentences. The words that you pick up on astound me. I often wonder where you heard such a word. The other day, you were playing with a friends calculator type toy. When you asked what it was, I said calculator. You said, "No mommy. Its a typewriter." Say what? Typewriter? Where you learnt that word, I still don't know. Perhaps its from a book you read.

You LOVE reading. We've had to hide books on you because we are so sick of reading the same story over and over again. But once we pull them out, you can recite the book word for word. I think you've memorized Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, and that's how you know the alphabet. (It ain't from us singing, that's for sure!)

You still rarely play with toys, but would prefer to play with me. Or rather, cook and clean alongside me. You still are obsessed with cooking and are almost ready to take over dinner preparation. You quite often come up with fun games for you and Micah to play, often involving running in circles around the house. You are so loving to Micah. You always want to wake him up when he is sleeping. You care for him and make sure he has forks at mealtimes. But you are often rough with him also. I have seen you boys wrestle a few times and although it is cute, someone, usually Micah, ends up hurt. You love to share with Micah, but you also enjoy stealing toys from him. Really, its a love/hate relationship. Just like most brothers have! You are either the kindest brother or you are smacking him over the head and stealing his toy. We are working on sharing and treating Micah kindly.

You love Jacob Moon. You can recognize his voice, even from his new songs. I think seeing him in concert last June made you fall in love with music even more. You have been obsessed with the guitar ever since. The first time I felt you move, was at the Highland games when the bagpipes were playing. Daddy says you were dancing, but I'm convinced you were kicking and screaming, "make it stop!"

Joel you have been blessed with a very sensitive spirit. You have shown so much empathy in your little life. I have seen and been a recipient of your caring spirit. You give stuffed animals to your brother when he is sad or hurt. You have this little routine of 'pound it, hug, kiss, tickle' that you do, but only when I am really sad. You have come up with ideas of how to bless others, like sending snacks to Asher for the plane ride after his grandpa passed away. Or giving cookies to friends because they are going through a tough time. When you heard that Katrina gave birth to Deklan, you ran to the kitchen to make her dinner because you care about her. But with this sensitive spirit comes some challenges. You have large emotions son. They are a blessing when you are happy because the whole world knows it. But when are struggling with something, it can overwhelm you. Part of that is because you are three. The other part is that you are very sensitive to the world around you. Fear can sometimes overtake you. But we are practicing putting on our courage belt and facing the scary world head on. Anger and frustration  sometimes get the best of you. But we are working on asking for help with those big emotions. We are learning that trying (and failing) is okay. We are learning to not run away from those things that frustrate you, but to ask for help to face them.

Joel, you have challenged me in ways I could never express. Those days of sleeplessness and pleading to God to make you sleep have (mostly) ended. But now, I am asking God to help me, help you with your emotions. I have seen them overtake you and it saddens me. But as you mother, I am privileged to be able to wrap you in my arms and snuggle you until they cease.

My favorite moments with you are those right before you go to bed when I get to snuggle you. Sometimes you try to goof off and other times you snuggle right in and talk about your day. I love hearing the things that made an impression on you. You are always thankful for the kind people God has brought into your life. You remember with gratitude those who have helped you, given to you or played with you. I am glad that gratitude and thankfulness are two big emotions I see regularly. You are thankful for so many cute and funny things, like nightlights and diggers. You pray for specific people every night, thanking God for them. I am thankful for them too. They have blessed you and poured into your life in ways that I am not always capable of or in ways that are different to my own. I am grateful for them too.

Joel, on this, your third birthday, I am grateful for you. You challenge me and bless me everyday. I am proud to be your mother and I look forward to seeing who you become in the years to come.

One Month Later: Judah's Story

One month. That's all its been. Sometimes it feels like a lifetime and other times it feels like it was yesterday.

Physically things are back to normal. My energy is back. My hormones have leveled. The bleeding has stopped, lasting only a week. There was one part of me that kept wishing the bleeding would stop and the other part of me that exclaimed, "Only a week?! That's all I get?" Silly, I know. But most of my emotions have been like that. Opposite of one another, felt at almost the same time.

When the kids are acting crazy, I find myself relieved to not be expecting another child. "There is no way I could handle that." Then two seconds later, I find myself wishing that Judah was here amidst all of it. "We would have made do."

I find myself enjoying my children, loving the two of them and their crazy antics. Then saddened that there are only two that I am enjoying.

I see newborn babies and am relieved that I am not amidst the sleepless nights (oh wait, I still am). But then, I sigh, and wish I was the one snuggling that adorable infant.

I find myself relieved to be able to participate in advent activities without being sick but saddened that we are missing a member of our family.

Some days I can talk nonchalant about the fact that I've had a miscarriage. Then other days, I talk, but my soul is screaming, "This isn't fair!"

I find my heart sighing, "Oh Judah" on a regular basis. In those moments when my heart is sad that Judah is not with us, I sigh, "Oh Judah." In those moments when I wish he was here with Joel and Micah filling my house with laughter and trouble, I sigh, "Oh Judah." In those moments of relief, when I feel overwhelmed by the life I have, I sigh, "Oh Judah."

Real tears are rare. I think this sigh is my heart crying. Crying out for injustice. Crying out prayers. Crying out thankfulness.

I'm pretty much a big bi-polar mess. And I'm okay with that. I'm mourning. My heart longs for my child that is no longer here.

People have asked us if we want to start trying for our next child right away, instead of waiting like we had planned.  Yes, we want another child. But right now, we need to wait. Medically, we have to wait at least another month before trying for another child. But more than that, we need our hearts to heal. We need time to mourn. Time to work through our fears. If God planned another child sooner than we expect, we will welcome it with open arms, just like we welcomed Judah. But is another child on our radar right now? No.  Do I long for newborn snuggles? Yes. But for now, I will snuggle our friends and family's little ones. I will hold my two little boys tight, loving them the only way I know how. Its been one month. One crazy month.

So when Joel asks me, "Mommy are you sad?" I can say yes. Yes, I am sad. And when he says, "Is that because the baby is with Jesus?" I will say yes. When Joel tells me that the baby is no longer in his tummy, I sigh silently, my heart crying, "Oh Judah." Then I wrap Joel up in my arms, snuggle him close and thank God for my kids. All three of them.

Put on your courage belt

Every Sunday, our day begins the same. Okay, not really. The same sort of things go on, in various orders and speeds. The last few weeks though, before we leave for church, Joel grabs his cardboard guitar, starts singing and insists that he is going to the front of the church to sing. He loves singing and playing guitar. But every week, he gets to church and the fear takes over. You can see it in his face, he is just terrified to be there. So he doesn't go. This week when I asked him about it, he said, "I scared mommy."

Its something that resonates with both Dan and I. We both grew up in a church that didn't necessarily encourage children to "be" children. Kids were expected to sit in their seat, or go to nursery and generally behave or they would be removed from the sanctuary. While this is a part of disciplining your child and a part of learning how to act in church, there always seemed like there was no room for exploration. But something that Dan and I want to instill in our children is the opportunity to be themselves. They don't always have to follow the crowd. They can be themselves and be a part of the church. One of the many reasons I love this church is that kids are encouraged to participate and to be themselves.

I heard a story of a child who at the age of three started to shadow his mother on stage while she sang and played guitar on worship team. He took his toy guitar and played next to her on Sundays. He is now a confident young adult who leads worship and plays in a band.

Its not that I expect Joel to be musical. I just want him to be confident in who he is and the abilities he has. So this Sunday, during worship, I told Joel to put on his courage belt. I turned around to look at Micah and by the time I turned back, Joel was gone. I asked Dan where he was. Joel was at the front of the church, standing beside Irmgard who was playing piano. He stood there the entire time. He watched Irmgard play. I could see the wheels turning as he stared at the keys, wondering how they made noise. He inched close to the keys, wanting to touch, but knowing that it was inappropriate.  He sat when she told him to sit and stood during the singing. He wasn't too distracting just curious. Irmgard was amazing with him (thanks again!) and he really seem engaged in the music. He was so interested in Irmgard and the piano that he refused to go to children's feature. I tried to engage him in the story, but he ran back to the piano. This kid knows what he wants!

Later that night, when I asked him about his day, he reenacted the entire situation. He told me that he "ran down the hill (the church has a slight slope to it) and ran to the big black thing. The big black thing (ahem...piano) made lots of noise. Irmgard told me sit down. I sit. I watch them play guitar. I sing songs. Big black thing make LOTS of noise."

He keeps talking about it (which means he had a lot of fun). I hope that with a little encouragement, Joel can conquer his fears. He has always been his own person (as well as a little shy and timid), answering questions in a way I don't expect (eg. Holding 3 items: how many do I have? Instead of answering three, he'll say lots). Or doing things that I haven't seen many kids his own age doing (like dressing up as an anemometer). I hope to foster his creativity and imagination. I hope to encourage him to be the person that God has created him to be (even if its embarrassing, cringe-worthy, or goes against the way I was raised). He needs to be himself. He isn't me or Dan. He is Joel. And we love him.

Kuya Boyet

L-R: Joel, Kathleen, Amanda, Boyet, Dan, Marijke, Stan
 

 What a blessing it was to meet Kuya Boyet! Over a year and a half ago, we sent out our two friends (with their two young kids) to the Philippines, to start building Peace Church. We always hoped and dreamed of being able to meet some of their members, but never thought it was possible unless we went to the Philippines. Little did we know, that eighteen months after they left, we would meet Kuya Boyet. We had the privilege of hosting him for dinner and dessert at our home on Saturday evening. On Sunday morning, he taught Sunday School, gave a greeting of Peace, and shared a potluck lunch with the church.

What a blessing this weekend was. Boyet is humorous, joking that the only food that he doesn't like is small food. (You know, small amounts of food). That is my kind of house guest!
He told us about his two wives. He waits for the stunned silence before explaining that his first wife is asleep, and that he jokes with his second wife to 'keep it down' since his first wife is sleeping.

Aside from the humour, his passion for his work and his people was evident. When asked about the recent typhoon that hit the Philippines, he said a few words and then was silent. As a small group of new friends gathered around the table at our house on Saturday evening, we could tell that his heart was burdened. Holding back emotions and perhaps even a few tears, he explained that he was still processing the situation.

At the end of the evening, we gathered together to pray for one another. Kuya Boyet had us hold hands of the person, not directly next to us, but the person next to that (so every second person was holding hands). He had us hold hands behind our backs. He explained that this was a way to support one another. If a person was not strong enough to hold on, his friends to the right and left, who's hands were held behind him, would hold him up and keep him in the group. It was a beautiful example of community support.

Sunday School was another highlight for me. Kuya Boyet asked a simple question, "How would you like someone to support you when you are in need?"  The answers ranged from giving hugs, to listening, supporting me, holding my hand etc. It made me think that when we are struggling, we really need community to support us. To help us process our grief. To be with us. I can only imagine that the Filipinos who suffered through the typhoon need the same thing. Yes, food and water are also needed. But more than that, they need to process their grief, to feel supported, and to have someone hold their hand and cry with them. Sadly, this is easier done in person. Which is a sad realization that I've had when I ask, "What can I do to help?"

It was a pleasure to meet Kuya Boyet. We hope and pray that he felt supported by the community we have here. We sent Darnell and Christina only eighteen months ago to the Philippines to build Peace Church and we hope and pray that we will continue to support one another in this journey.

2 Hours, Six Bucks...

...and our annual winter trip to the ER later, we discover Micah is fine.
You see, Micah fell off the bench in his room. No biggie.
Until, I discovered the blood POURING out of his mouth. This picture doesn't even do it justice.

He actually bit right through his chin. Yep. A hole right into his mouth. Gross. (like yogurt from in his mouth can seep out onto his chin when his mouth is closed)
He didn't need stitches or anything. The hole pretty much sealed itself. Plus, the doctor said that the skin doesn't pull the gash apart, so self healing is better than stitches. Excellent!

The only problem with this? The annual winter ER visit. This is getting ridiculous. For some reason, we've had four years in a row of winter ER visits and all for fairly silly reasons (which I'm grateful for. Rather silly reasons that deadly ones). It all started with Joel's infected finger when he was 15 days old. He was hospitalized for a few days while they treated him with antibiotics. Then Dan burnt his arm. The next year was stitches on Micah's finger after he got his finger stuck in tongs. And now, Micah's chin is split in two. Luckily, it has resulted in NO medical interventions.

(Believe me, the relief was huge. Not only because we didn't need stitches or antibiotics, but because after the last round of antibiotics, Micah woke up every 45 minutes for almost 4 months. I was fearful that my future would be filled with the same. So I am grateful that he is okay and sleeping through the night. Have I mentioned that yet? Sleeping through the night! Double win!)

Now, if only we could break this winter tradition. That would be nice.
 

Othello Tunnels

After Flood Falls, we went to the Othello Tunnels. They were closed due to rock fall hazard. But we made the best of a bad situation and enjoyed our time there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both boys hitched a ride on Dan and my mom. Joel decided that he had to hold Micah's hand.

 

Such a sweet thing. Those boys holding hands. Now that's love.

 

Flood Falls

We took the opportunity on the holiday Monday to go for a small hike at Flood Falls in Hope B.C.

It was a short hike to a small waterfall.

It was a beautiful quiet serene spot (until a bunch of people showed up).

 

 

The boys loved throwing rocks into the pool of water. They could do that all day if we let them. But Dan and I got in on the action, throwing huge rocks in the pool. The boys loved watching the splashes.

My mom came with us to join in the fun.

The two of us climbed up the mountain like a pair of mountain goats.

It was a nice trail, easy for the kids to climb.

 

Family Picture

Licorice Root....yum!

Overwhelmingly Blessed

We are blessed. Overwhelmingly blessed. These past few weeks have been a roller coaster for our family. We have felt the highs and the lows. We have gone on with normal life, yet stopped at times to mourn.

We have been blessed by a young mom who came over in the midst of the turmoil, to put Joel down for his nap. She put him back in his bed, repeatedly, since it was too exhausting for me to walk down the hall. We have been blessed.

We have been blessed by a friend who even though was dealing with the flu, texted repeatedly with encouraging words, until she recovered enough to be here in person. She listened to the same sentiments over and over, yet still found the words to bless. We have been blessed.

We were blessed by a family whose lives were preparing for a trip, yet found the time to drop off a meal. We have been blessed.

We have been blessed by a family who from across the world, preparing for a typhoon of the century, took time out to skype with us. They asked us some hard questions, that the answers we were dying to share with someone. They allowed us to share some of the intimate details, all while we wrangled 4 kids between us. We have been blessed.

We have been blessed by a couple living far away, who joined us for dinner via skype. They made us feel so loved as they talked with our children and us. They talked about daily life, which made us feel normal again. We have been blessed.

We have been blessed by a car-less couple who live a distance away, who begged, borrowed or stole (okay maybe not the last one) a vehicle so they could bring lunch to us. We have been blessed.

We have been blessed by a son, whose empathetic skills are outstanding. He would stop what he is doing to ask, Mommy are you sad? Is it because the baby is with Jesus? I would reply yes, and he would wrap his arms around me with a huge hug. We have been blessed.

We have been blessed by that same son, who would pull out this cute routine at just the right moment. A pound it, a kiss and a hug. We would follow with a tickle. Giggles and love would ensue. We have been blessed.

We have been blessed by a grandma who gave up her afternoon to sit in a quiet house while two children slept so I could go to an appointment without disturbing their sleep. As quickly and quietly as she came, she left. We have been blessed.

We have been blessed by an aunt who called to share her story and encourage us through our journey. We have been blessed.

We have been blessed by a mom who gave up two consecutive nights to hang out with the boys so we could have date night. We have been blessed.

We have been blessed by a little boy who crawls up to us and snuggles, just because. We have been blessed.

We have felt overwhelmingly blessed by our friends and family. We have needed the prayers of the saints, the hands and feet of Jesus and the heart of God. Thank you for mourning with us.

Special Sunday Dinner

This past week we decided to have a special Sunday dinner. A picnic in the living room, Extreme Nachos for dinner and Finding Nemo on the telly.

This is what memories are made of.

Guitar Boys

I made Joel a guitar out of cardboard and elastic bands. He LOVES it. 

I made Micah a shaker--he's sort of indifferent about it.

These two rock out together on a regular basis.

Sometimes Joel likes to change it up a bit and play the "jello" aka cello. He knows its called the cello, but refuses to call it that. So jello it is!

 

Joel loves music, especially Jacob Moon (his favorite singer). Getting to play guitar and rock out to Jacob Moon is one of his favorite activities.