Reaching New Heights

On Wednesday, May 18th, I woke up with a sore throat.  I didn't have much of a voice either.  Josh got Samuel up and mentioned that Samuel had been coughing a bit.  I thought to myself, 'here we go again'.  I swear we haven't been able to catch a break from sickness or injury this year. While I was getting ready for the day, Samuel walked into my bathroom.  He started coughing a bunch and then choking.  I didn't know that he had shared a doughnut with Daddy right before he walked in to see me.  The doughnut had walnuts sprinkled on top.  I thought he was about to throw up (I didn't realize he was choking on a walnut).  So I immediately held him over the sink.  After not breathing for a short second or two, he coughed out a small bit of food (aka. the walnut).  The moment was tense, but I was relieved when he was breathing and acting normal again.  Our morning routine continued and I quickly forgot about the intense choking mo...

Life has become a little more busy lately, but in a good way.  I have found that I can focus on my home and children, while serving and teaching others.  I run a preschool in my basement, tutor and also babysit at home.  Between these responsibilities, I have 15 children (other than my own) coming to my house on a weekly basis.  I absolutely love it!  I love having these adorable kiddos and I learn so much from them every day.  I feel so blessed to be able to open up my home to others and utilize my teaching skills. As things have become more busy, I have pondered a lot on the word 'refuge'.  I hope to be a good influence to my own children as their characters develop and grow, but I also hope that our home can be a place of refuge for anyone who enters.  A place of belonging, love and understanding.  I think it requires a lot of work, most of which happens behind the scenes.  We have filled our home with good literature, art, music an...

My kids have reminded me to find joy in the simple things. And that has truly been a gift this season. Adriaan and Samuel's relationship has already gone through several phases. Adriaan is slowly moving from being rough/tough to actually enjoying Samuel's company. All Adriaan wanted for Christmas was a candy cane. Santa delivered! When he woke up on Christmas morning, the tree was decorated with candy canes.  We spent some time  learning about the baby Jesus. Adriaan still cuddles with me  every once in a while. Before the snowstorms,  we played in the leaves for days. I took the boys to the aquarium on a free day. We had to wait outside in the freezing cold for 45 minutes. We didn't have coats (mother of the year right here!), but the boys didn't cry or complain. Adriaan was happy to have my scarf wrapped around him though. Josh matches the boys  without trying. Samuel is calm and patient.  Could I ask for anythi...

My due date was April 16th. The Dr had me scheduled to be induced on my due date. She says that I have "big babies" and she didn't want me to risk having complications.  On the 14th, I started having stronger contractions in the afternoon. I timed them and kept track.   They were about every 10 minutes.   Then my sister-in-law came over with her baby.   We talked and played.   I was distracted and didn’t think about the contractions as much.   After she left, Josh came home and we ate a late dinner.   Around 8pm, a really strong contraction hit.   The next one was about 6 minutes later and it was so strong that it scared me.   I walked into the kitchen and told Josh, “we’re having a baby TONIGHT!”   We packed up our stuff, dropped Adriaan off next door, and drove to the hospital.   I wasn’t completely convinced that I was in labor.   I was worried that they would turn me away and send me back home.   So, I kept praying t...

When Adriaan was first diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, I went through a brief period of grief.  You can follow the beginning of our journey here .  I felt helpless and sad.  I am so grateful for the ability we have to grow and move on through our trials.  This is such a gift and a reason to celebrate.  Instead of feeling the pain that I originally felt when he was diagnosed, I feel empowered with hope and strength. Adriaan needs two chest therapy treatments everyday.  These are basically preventative, which means that we do it whether he is sick or not.  When he is sick, we are supposed to do it several times a day.  To begin a treatment, Adriaan breathes Albuterol through a Spacer with a mask.  I spray the Albuterol and then count as he breathes in and out six times.  I wait a full minute and then repeat.  We have done this so many times that I would not be surprised if Adriaan can count to six before he turns two.   ...

Moving was a bit stressful, but so rewarding.  Josh and I are settled into our new home.  We are loving our house and the neighborhood.  I think that my favorite part about our new house is the large window that is high above our entryway.  I like to watch the stars through that window at night.  I also love that it is outlined with icicles.   Adriaan is 18 months old.  He loves all of the extra space that we have now.  His favorite game to play is basketball.  His favorite word is basketball.  He is obsessed with balls.  We know when Adriaan is awake in his crib, because from across the house we can hear, "baaasketbaaalll" repeated over and over.  Ahhhh...such a boy, but this mama couldn't be more proud.  Adriaan is also currently obsessed with my dad's homemade yogurt.  He approaches the fridge about 3 times a day yelling the word 'papa' until I feed him some of grandpa's yogurt.  Adriaan only has to vis...