Ephesians 2:8, New International Version (NIV)
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
My two precious gifts from above
Everything is a gift from God. My very life, every breath, my salvation, my relationships, my every waking moment… all are gifts from Him. In this season of thankfulness, I am so grateful to God for so many gifts. We are on the letter “G” in instruction for our toddler and I was just reminiscing in my memory of my two greatest gifts and what they were like when they were first born.
3 lbs. 8 ozs, 30 weeks
Our eldest came early; it was quite a surprise. Born at 30 weeks he was hospitalized in the NICU for 6 1/2 weeks. Despite the rocky start we were so thankful to have him in our lives. We had grieved the loss of three miscarriages prior to his arrival. Between miscarriages two and three we discovered I have a rare blood-clotting disorder that interferes with carrying a pregnancy. Blood thiner would increase our chances of carrying to term but was not a guarantee. So when our blessed little “Peanut” was born we were overwhelmed with gratitude to our merciful Creator who by His grace saw fit to make us parents. He was fed through a feeding tube and on oxygen for about two months after we brought him home. There have been a few other issues, but now he is an active and intelligent two-and-a-half year old. There have been no signs of developmental delays and we are amazed by God’s healing touch in His life.
Our first attempt to carry a sibling was, sadly, another miscarriage at 12 weeks. We grieved the loss; and with the approval of our doctor we made another attempt which was successful – our little “Nugget” was born at 5 lbs. 10 ozs. at 36 weeks. He was a champion nurser right from the start and though he struggled with reflux in the beginning, he is now a robust nine-month-old. Today you can see the tiny nubs of his first two teeth in the center of his bottom gum and he’s been making the sounds of “da da” for about three weeks now and he started saying “ma ma” last week. He can roll in any direction he wants to go and just yesterday I saw him up on all fours in his crib rocking back and forth. I think he will launch into crawling any day now. We are excited to see how God plans to use these two little boys for His Glory.
5 lbs. 10 ozs., 36 weeks
To truly appreciate what God has done in the life of our two-year-old, I’d like to share a video that was taken during his first week of life (click link at left if viewing in a reader). He was so tiny. And yet, he was perfectly made. Whether we are still in the womb at 30 weeks or out in the open air, we all start out like this. It’s amazing, and we are all miracles of God.
I still wake up sometimes and pinch myself that this is my life. When my two-year-old runs up to give me a hug or my little nine-month-old nuzzles against my chest which is his way of saying “hold me mommy,” I am in awe. My children are miracles and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about that.
What is so crazy is that I never thought I’d be a stay-at-home-mom. I enjoyed my job and I had worked so hard to get a position that I loved. But God had other plans. When that tiny baby at three-and-a-half pounds came into my life I was speechless. I was humbled beyond words and I was thankful. Another mom sent me a book by Sally Clarkson called “The Ministry of Motherhood” and for the first time I understood – this tiny little being needed me and no one could love and care for my baby the way that I could.
I’m so thankful too that I have an amazing husband who loves and supports me as a stay-at-home mom. He wouldn’t have it any other way. And he is an amazing daddy. I am blessed and I am humbled – thank you Lord.
And here is one thing I’ve learned in my walk with Christ, the enemy wants you to focus on what you don’t have and not on what you do have. Take a moment, take a deep breath, and open your eyes to what you do have, and give thanks. God’s greatest gift to us is Himself. He came as a baby to live among us and then died for us to save us from our sin. Then He sent His Holy Spirit to live within us. Wow, what a gift!
The boys and I look forward to sharing our next letter with you, but first I wanted you to know something – you are a gift! You are marvelous and wonderfully made and God loves you. So rejoice – tis the season for giving – the best gift you can give, is a little piece of yourself.
In His Grip,
A poem by Mother Teresa
Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.
For other posts with advice on preschooler development go to:
E is for Elbow
F is for Fun
Parenting with Positive Discipline
Successful Preschooler
If you’d like some free printables for your preschooler please go to Free Stuff.
P.S. If you like my blog and the free printables, please like my Facebook page at: HappyAndBlessedHome – thanks so much!
