Thankful Tuesday: Glimmers of goodness

April has been quite a month. The kids caught two bugs in succession, and Lil J caught whooping cough (ironically, we brought him to the clinic for his MMRV vaccine, only to have him catch pertussis there, something which he was supposed to be immunized against!). We initially thought he had just a mild cold, only for it to develop a week later into coughing fits that were so bad he threw up everything. The poor kid was so hungry, and kept trying to eat, only to cough everything up minutes later. His older brother was following him around carrying the potty and shoving it in his face, commanding him to throw up in there. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry!

We brought the poor kid to the doctor, who recognized it as pertussis, and gave us antibiotics. Thankfully he got much better. She asked us to keep the baby away from Lil J, since babies get it really bad, and may stop breathing. I was panicking since Lil J had been sneezing and coughing at Baby J for the past few days before the coughing fits started, and it was rather difficult to keep them separated. To top it off, one of the medicines Lil J was on affected his sleep, and he was waking 7-8 times a night and screaming.

After some freaking out, I messaged our close friends to ask for prayer, and many covered the family in prayer. Thus far, Junior J seems to be spared, but now Baby J and I are not feeling well. I'm praying hard that what baby has now is just a mild cold, and not the beginnings of whooping cough, and we'll continue to monitor his condition.

In the haze of what has been lots of wiping of puke, breaking up fights, and the humdrum of our daily grind, I couldn't help noticing all the goodness that was glimmering through. Perhaps it was that total feeling of helplessness, not knowing how baby will be, which helped me to see all the good that was already in our lives. Maybe it is in the darker times, that lights shine brighter. 

So this week, I am so thankful for:

:: God's faithfulness. And the reminder that He protects and keeps and holds us in His loving hands.

:: Friends and family that prayed so hard for us. I was freaking out and everyone reminded me to take heart, have faith, and trust. To rest in the knowledge that your child is covered with prayer, and resting in the hands of God is a beautiful thing.

:: My boys, who I was reminded are so precious to me. Seeing Lil J so sick broke my heart. I am so glad that he is back to his usual mischievous self, even though I need to discipline him everyday! They remind me to look at the bright side of things, and never fail to crack me up. 

:: The hubby, who has been a source of strength. The kids drive him nuts sometimes, yet he's been more patient with them these days, and he loves them so so much. 

:: My dad, who has been popping by to play with the kids, and lending a helping hand. He helped to babysit the two older boys when I had to bring baby to the doctor, and the boys love hanging out with him.

:: Pleasant little surprises that brighten up one's day. One mummy popped by to collect some materials for our charity craft project and came bearing a lovely little bouquet of flowers, which really cheered me up! (Thank you so much again, Dotz!) 

Junior J's farewell card for our part-time helper.
He drew a flower, and a "happy, nice monster".

:: Our part-time helper, who has been such a great help cleaning our home once a week. Her hard work means I do not need to worry about washing the toilets on top of the usual household chores. The kids love her and she is always very patient with them, even though they are usually messing up the place after she has put away stuff. She leaves this week to go home for 1.5 months, and we will miss her. 

I am also thankful that when we had to search for a replacement helper, friends quickly shared their contacts and we were able to find one to tide us over for the next two months. God provides.

:: And speaking of God providing, we recently had to change baby J's cot to a smaller one because it was really cramped in our room. After a quick query on FB, we ended up being gifted a cot and a mattress from a friend. (Thanks Delphine, the cot fits perfectly!) I am so thankful.

This week, we've been reminded again and again that we are in the shadow of His wings. And that He always provides. If you could, please keep Baby J in your prayers. Meanwhile, we'll keep trusting in Him, and will continue to look out for these glimmers of goodness in our life. 

What are you thankful for this week? 

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