“I think I got the heck of it!” ~ John, on buttoning his pants.

“Because all those people are bad and going to Helloween.” ~ John, on trick-or-treating. {we had a little discussion about this one! LOL}

“My little Coochie” ~ Chloe, who always says this to Isaac.

“Oma doesn’t need the outside of her so she left it here.” ~ Chloe, explaining to John about Grandma in heaven and burying her body.

“Mom, when Isaac grows up, you’ll have three children.”

What do I have now?

“Two children and a baby.”

“Isaac are you being a pain in the neck?” John, to Isaac while he was crying. {no idea where that came from!}

Me: Daddy, if you don’t like your cold, just give it away.

Daddy: I’ll give it to Chloe.

Chloe: Just give it to John.

John: No, it will be too big for me!

Chloe: Why doesn’t nanny granny have pets?

John: She has grrgrandpa.

Chloe: Yes, she likes grr grandpa more than a pet I think.

This morning at breakfast Chloe innocently asks, "Mama, were you here when Jesus came to earth?"
{do I look that rough this morning?!?}

Yesterday I woke John up from his nap prematurely. Very sleepily he says, "Mommy, look what you did to my face."
I asked, "What?" {Thinking I had scratched him or something.}
He says, "You made it sad!

“Mommy, when I grow up I am going to be a teenager and I will know how to obey.” ~John (Lord, please let it be so!)

When I wake up I am going to be so annoying. ~ John

Me: “John, why don’t your shirt on yet?”

John: “No time for that! I recognized to myself that I need a bath first.”

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Jenn is wife to one, mother of three and above all, a humble servant seeking to honor the Lord with her life. Tiny Tidbits Winter 2012 is a post from Beautiful Calling.

Chloe just turned 5 this month. She’s always had her own style and it almost always makes me smile {and at times outright laugh}!

Sweater dress with attached black tutu {Baby Gap}, matching sweater leggings {Baby Gap}, white socks {TCP}, silver ballet flats {Pediped}, crazy hair curlies {Gymboree}, funny smile {all Chloe!}.

• This post links up to Small Style
• Pediped has their purchase with purpose sale on right now!
• A big thanks to my friend Tricia for the outfit!

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Jenn is wife to one, mother of three and above all, a humble servant seeking to honor the Lord with her life. Small Style 1.20.12 is a post from Beautiful Calling.

Happy birthday, Chloe! Today you turn 5. You have been so excited, looking forward to this day. “Five is a big number”, you tell me proudly.

Five years have passed slowly and quickly. I look at you, no longer a baby or toddler but a big girl; it is bittersweet.

You chose most of your own clothes for the winter season this year. With a few exceptions, almost everything is purple. A real mix n’ match wardrobe. I pray that you will keep you zany sense of style but learn and love modesty.

You still wear piggy tails occasionally but prefer to wear your hair down now. “It’s most beautiful that way”, you tell me with a cheeky smile. I pray that you will always remember that the Lord looks on our hearts and strive to be beautiful on the inside most of all!

You still bounce, skip or gallop when you’re going somewhere. You seldom ever walk. I pray you are always filled with the joy of the Lord.

You’re so proud when you can help doing big tasks. You love to take the laundry down to the laundry room, or put your own laundry away. You set & clear the table and especially love to help with Isaac, choosing his sleeper or getting mama a diaper. May you always have a helpful spirit and a willing heart.

You just got your first allowance this week. Four shiny quarters. You gave one to Jesus, put one in your savings account and spent two on chocolate and gum. How pleased you were! I pray that you learn to be a wise steward of what the Lord gives you!

Chloe, you were my firstborn. I remember when you were a baby and it was just the three of us. I laugh as I look back, remembering how I thought parenting was so easy.  You’re a delight, but a continual challenge. I strive to discipline and teach you each day in a patient, Christ-like way, though I know I fall short. I pray that you will grow to know and love Jesus more in this new year.

Lord, thank you for Chloe. I thank you for her life, and the plan that you have for it. Please help me to teach and train her in a way that pleases you. Draw her close to you, Lord. Help her to desire you with her whole heart and long to serve you with her life! Amen.

• This post links to Gratituesday

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Jenn is wife to one, mother of three and above all, a humble servant seeking to honor the Lord with her life. Chloe Turns 5 is a post from Beautiful Calling.

Today is my birthday. In case you wondered, I’m 33. You can read 31 Things About Me from my 31st birthday if you are interested. I’ll add on two more.

32. When I shower in the morning, I start at the top with my hair and and wash down to my toes. If I mix up the order at all, I either get confused and wash something twice or I wash a part with the wrong thing. {think face washing with shampoo – eesh!}

33. I’m a sucker for happily ever after. I don’t really like watching a movie if it’s not going to end with sunshine and lollipops. My husband always tells me that real life isn’t all about sunshine and lollipops but I tell him movies aren’t real life!

We’re having steak for dinner with yummy zucchini fritters. Daddy takes dinner requests on birthdays and that was mine.

Happy Birthday to me!

{Yes, the photo is 6 months old but I take the photos so I’m not in that many of them. Can you relate?}

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Jenn is wife to one, mother of three and above all, a humble servant seeking to honor the Lord with her life. 33 Things About Me is a post from Beautiful Calling.

Isaac is 7 months – how time has flown. In some ways it seems like a million years ago since Isaac and I lived at the hospital for all those weeks. Yet, in other ways it seems like just yesterday. But then life is often like that isn’t it?

Thank you all for your continued prayers. I know many of you are anxious for an update and what mommy isn’t happy to oblige with tales of her adorable children?

Growing

So little Isaac is not so little these days. His weight at 7 months? A whopping 20 pounds 2 oz!He’s tall too – 72 cm!! Though I guess technically it is length not height until he is standing right?

Sleeping

For the first six  months Isaac would go to bed around 9pm and wake up for the day around 7am but in between that period of time, he’d be up 6-8 times. Yes, those first six months I was a sleep-deprived mama, especially since he didn’t really nap during the day.

Then out of nowhere, one night at the beginning of December Isaac slept through the night. We’re talking 9pm straight through until somewhere between 6-7:30am. How amazing is that? Even more amazing? He’s kept it up. I’m heading into my second month of sleeping all night. LOVE IT!

Dressed for Church (yes, he wore this sleeper a lot in Dec.)

Eating

Though the first month and a half of his life he ate through a tube with no stamina for breastfeeding, he eventually was able to nurse and hasn’t stopped. Sweet Isaac is a breastfeeding champ! The scale proves it, with him being in the 75th percentile for weight. We met with a nutritionist the other day who helped set up Isaac’s new eating plan. He breastfeeds on demand but now also has 1-2 tablespoons of rice cereal and pureed chicken at lunch and dinner. With my other two tots, we started with fruits and veggies but with Isaac they recommend the extra protein to help with muscle-building. We’re also eating some custard just for fun. Everything is very soft, mushy and liquid-y {yuck} but he’s just started as the doctor wanted solids delayed until Isaac had a little more body control. His high chair has a 5 point harness which helps support him and we have him reclined a little so he’s off to a good start I think.

Oh, and no sign of teeth yet, though he is adept at tongue calisthenics

Play Time

Isaac is able to roll from back to front most of the time. I’m so proud, this was a huge accomplishment for him and one that he’s been working on for a while! He can sometimes roll from tummy to back but it depends on what position his arms are in. He hates tummy time however he can lift and hold his head up for short periods of time when on his tummy. {Go Isaac!}

His trunk muscles are still very weak so the jumperoo didn’t work well for him at all. I was able to track down a traditional jolly jumper which supports him much better. He’s able to hold his head and neck up well on his own and with the extra middle support, he can hang there in the door way. I haven’t been able to get him to put weight on his feet yet or do any jumping but that will come I hope!

His fine motor skills are very good and his hand/eye co-ordination is impressive. When he sees something he wants, he’s very deliberate in his reach for it.

Off our Christmas Card

Social

Isaac is a social little man. The minute he sees Chloe or John, his face lights up in a smile. Truthfully, Isaac has a smile for anyone who talks nice to him or tells him he’s handsome. He laughs and chuckles when he finds something funny. It’s the sweetest sound; I love it.

Health

Overall, Isaac is doing well. He’s growing well, 75th percentile for weight and 95th percentile for length. His head is growing a little faster than they would like but so far, they haven’t determined if there is a reason or if he’s just having a head growth spurt. He did have an ultrasound which revealed no change since his last one, which is good. We are just waiting on an MRI appointment, which should hopefully be soon.

His calcium deposits in his kidneys have completely disappeared and his kidneys are maturing nicely. We have one more appointment in May with the nephrologists and then I think we’ll be discharged in that regard.

Isaac enjoys his physiotherapist, Lynne, who we see weekly at Lansdown Center. She is working closely with us, showing us exercises and activities that we can do to strengthen the muscles and Isaac’s overall tone.

Self-snapped pic: Isaac & I grabbed lunch @ Kneads & Harvest

Isaac’s Favorite Things

• Chloe & John
• Baby Massage
• Baths with Mommy
• Going for a walk in the stroller

What a wonderful little baby he is. It has been a privilege to watch God work miracles in his little life and I look forward to seeing how He will use Isaac. Little Isaac  is a happy, delightful and contented little baby during the day, though sometimes evenings are a challenge. He has the sweetest smile and the cutest dimples. With Chloe, John and Isaac, I’m so blessed, busy and thankful!

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Jenn is wife to one, mother of three and above all, a humble servant seeking to honor the Lord with her life. Isaac is 7 Months! is a post from Beautiful Calling.

 Source

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Merry Christmas, friends!

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Jenn is wife to one, mother of three and above all, a humble servant seeking to honor the Lord with her life. A Manger and A Cross is a post from Beautiful Calling.

I was reading my bible this morning in bed while nursing Isaac. I had to go see about John so I left a dozy Isaac playing with his butterfly. I came back moments later to find Isaac thoroughly enjoying God’s Word!

{thankfully the pages smoothed back out fairly easily!}

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Jenn is wife to one, mother of three and above all, a humble servant seeking to honor the Lord with her life. WW: Enjoying God’s Word is a post from Beautiful Calling.

Today we decorated for Christmas. Where was my camera? I don’t know. Do you ever find that you’re so busy in the moment that you don’t capture the moment? Yep, that was us today. It’s good to be that way sometimes.

But tonight, with the tots watching that classic Rudolf movie, I played with Isaac by the tree. All the lights were off except the tree lights. There is something magical about the tree lights.

We read the first chapter of The Advent Jesse Tree and put up our corresponding Jesse Tree ornament.

Isaiah 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

As I was looking up my Jesse Tree post, I stumbled across The Perfect Un-Perfect Christmas. I’m chuckling to myself. Two years later and I am still good at making unrealistic expectations of myself and I am still working at letting them go. Today is December 5th. Technically we are 5 days behind in our Advent book, but I console myself with the reminder that it isn’t that we read through the book by Christmas but that we prepare our hearts to remember His coming and to learn something about Him.

As for being behind on the chocolate advent calendars – I’m going to catch up on those for the children right now. Shhh. Don’t tell!

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Jenn is wife to one, mother of three and above all, a humble servant seeking to honor the Lord with her life. Decorating for Christmas is a post from Beautiful Calling.

At the Zoo: Peacock, Chloe, John, Isaac and Daddy. {Mommy and the camera bringing up the rear}.

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Jenn is wife to one, mother of three and above all, a humble servant seeking to honor the Lord with her life. Follow the Leader is a post from Beautiful Calling.

After two homebirths and two healthy children, we figured that we knew the drill. Isaac would arrive and six weeks later we’d hop on a plane – an African adventure awaited us. Isaac, born at home, began to go down hill quickly the next day. A month and a half in the NICU with Isaac was unexpected.

A slew of tests were run, some things discovered and far more not discovered. It was quite unexpected that we would never find anything concrete, no real explanations. But we praised God that we could finally bring our sweet baby home.

And we excitedly prepared for our rescheduled South African adventure in November.

At a routine pediatrician check up in October, he said Isaac’s head was experiencing ‘accelerated growth’ again. He referred us back to Neurosurgery at the neighboring children’s hospital.

Unexpectedly, our trip was cancelled again. The neurosurgeon ordered more tests and said that Isaac shouldn’t fly until the tests and assessments were complete.

Yesterday we received some good news – the ultrasound of Isaac’s head shows no change and the ultrasound of his kidney’s shows that the deposits are gone and his kidney’s are maturing nicely. It also shows that his ionic calcium levels are normal. Praise the Lord!

Isaac still has yet more tests on the horizon. But we’re enjoying each day as it comes; focusing on the here and now, celebrating each little victory, milestone and smile as we wait.

Life is full of the unexpected. That is where the beauty, the excitement, the wonder and the growth are!

Everything about sweet Isaac was unexpected to me, but not to God. Thank you, Lord, for your goodness!

• I’m participating in Five Minute Friday since 5 minutes seems to be about all I have these days!
• Next week I promise to write about something other than Isaac. Maybe I’ll share the Oatmeal Maple Scone recipe I love!

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Jenn is wife to one, mother of three and above all, a humble servant seeking to honor the Lord with her life. Five Minute Friday: Unexpected is a post from Beautiful Calling.