Time is flying.
I feel like I need to catch up
or recap
or just to give credit to the pain
and recognize the beauty.
So much beauty
and so many tears.
So here's to January.
February.
March.
April.
and May.
And here's to
a crazy life
with a nomad, her man, and her four babies
Dely baby
began eating food.
And there was much rejoicing.
Yay.
Leyton
decided on a new look
Kaliya
has taken on school
and is loving it.
Shakinah
cannot be pictured
without one of her siblings
because her whole heart is into looking
after her siblings.
Our little Mommy
...
Winter walks
And sunshine
Papa and his boy.
Castles were built
And memories were made.
And Leyton tried his hardest
to catch the very few snowflakes of the winter
on his tongue.
And then the end of March came
and this gentle spirited boy of mine
this rough and tough
bulldozer of a boy
Got sick.
really sick.
So sick the doctor's had him quarantined
and they were concerned he would not make it.
His liver could not process and the bacteria and the toxins on his skin
and essentially...his skin started burning off.
And it went so quickly
that they were afraid the toxins would go into his blood
or into his eyes.
or into vital organs.
The pain was unbearable.
He just couldn't stop screaming.
My boy.
My Momma heart was aching.
This was taken three days after antibiotics and morphine
but the healing process began!
This time was grueling
and raw:
open and seeping
and the only thing I can say
is that I knew
God was there.
I knew it when I picked up my son and his skin beneath my hands peeled away.
I knew it when I needed to keep myself from vomitting because of the putrid smell of the bacteria.
I knew it when he was withering in pain.
When he was screaming out to me to help him.
I hated every single second of it.
When I was on my 2nd night with less than an hour of sleep.
I gave Leyton into God's hands.
I knew that no matter the outcome...
this all was grace.
His heart
only
had love and compassion for Leyton.
And it comforted me to know that my God knows best.
Because I sure as hell didn't.
Your prayers, love and support meant the world...
and I could never thank you enough!
I praise the Lord for Leyton's life.
For the miraculous recovery.
I am humbled by the parents and children who walk through
this daily. hourly. continually.
I am so very humbled.
You are heroes.
Leyton responded to the antibiotics
and although we are still seeing side effects even now
of this nasty disease
the worst was in the first two weeks.
We had one day home.
I drank a beer and went to "sleep".
And all hell broke loose the next morning.
Because of the time in the hospital
My breastmilk completely dried up.
All the kids came down with a violent stomach flu
and of course not the 24 hour kind. This had to be a week long thing.
Dely stopped drinking from her bottle and only wanted the breast.
And man is that kid stubborn.
She stubborned herself right into the hospital for a day and a night from dehydration
6am after another all nighter.
8 days without sleep at this point and going strong.
I came home and Johan had to return to work.
I have never had all 4 kids sick at the same time.
I have never seen so much vomit in my life.
And
I've also never man handled buckets like that.
I have to say...I laughed a lot.
I really did.
Because it was just so ridiculous.
You can't make this shit up.
I literally felt like I was going to die from lack of sleep.
Okay...
I know I tend to be a little dramatic with my word usage.
But
This is no hyperbole
I felt like my brain was frying up
and sizzling in the overheated remains of my
once beautifully rested body.
Sleep.
And then April rolled around.
And I slept.
a bit.
Because let's be honest with four kids you never really sleep.
That much.
We planted seeds.
And took the time to watch them grow.
We went and spent a long time loving on
newborn goats
Because really.
Like seriously.
Baby animals.
I can't even.
My lap and heart are
<3 Full <3
And life went back to our weird kind of normal
How very thankful we are for the lives that fill our home with abundant joy!
XX
