Our first week with Zippi has looked a little like this....

Firstly, thank you so much for every comment left welcoming our little Zipporah into the world. We read every one and were very touched by your words and uplifted through your prayers.

So what has our girl been up to? Lots of sleeping.... (she mostly needs to be woken for feeds - especially through the night. This has been such a blessing as I've been getting used to feeding. It's also presented its own challenges with engorgement. Praise God though that so far she is a settled baby!)


When she's not asleep on the lounge or on our bed, she's asleep in the ERGO BABY CARRIER which I would HIGHLY recommend to anyone! We bought a newborn insert for it yesterday (on sale!) and I was even able to feed her in it in the morning. We went on a big family outing yesterday that literally lasted the whole day but was fantastic! We were able to get loads of things done, hang out together, have lunch, and visit grandparents! Thanks mum and dad for a beautiful dinner!It hasn't all been smooth sailing though. I really struggled with feeding this week. I know these first 2 weeks are the hardest. I got an early bout of mastitis and was very engorged. The meds i took for the mastitis seem to be working. Thank you Karen Day and others who have rung, emailed, texted and prayed for me for this. Many of you know how much I have desired to feed and I am so thankful that we seem to have turned a corner with it. Brett has been awesome praying over me and holding my hand through almost every single feed. Mum and dad were here from Thursday to Sunday evening and they were both exceptionally supportive too; mum getting warm compresses and encouraging me and dad praying as i cried. So blessed to be so well supported. Sumi was also exceptional in her support of my worries and pains and desire to nurse. I am so thankful for your love and non judgemental support mate.

The kids were taken for 3 days and nights by my inlaws which was such a blessing. Brett's sister even took a whole week off work to help out where needed! I could focus on feeding and healing, crying when i needed to, sleeping when i needed to as well. The munchkins of course thought it was the ants pants to be over there having a little holiday! While they were gone, Brett and I managed to get me to the dr's for the mastitis meds and even ate breakfast at our fave little cafe while Zip slept. We had a few visitors, although I've been able to ask people to wait until we are a little more settled in and everyone has been so understanding of that. Once upon a time I would have been to scared to ask for that. lol :) Here are some of the beautiful flowers we were given (i LOVE flowers!) from the McPhails...

from the Blackers...

from my parents...(they have a tradition that they send boxed flowers for each grandchild's birth to the hospital)

We've been blessed with so many gifts from many people and many gifts have come from my beautiful online friends which we thank you for! Especially thank you my Natti for all the MCN's you made/bought/sent! We are just so blessed by your help with them mate. Love you!

Here is a special gift. I got three gorgeous hand embroidered singlets sent my Aunty Iris who has been like a grandmother to me my whole life. She is getting on in years now but has made a gorgeous handsewn gift for each of our children. I treasure these so much...

Rachie from my mother's group always bakes something special for us in the days following a birth and despite our kids' diets, Rach still made a yummy *safe* slice for our family :)

Also this week was Zipporah's first bath. It is always a special little milestone in our house...

Loving daddy did the honours...

At one point early on, the Domicillary midwife did a heel prick and Zippi didn't even flinch. When it was repeated in the same spot (to check her billirubin level for jaundice) and she didn't react again, there was a slight concern that she might need to go back to hospital ang go under lights for phototherapy treatment. She'd also had very few wet nappies that day which was also a bit of a concern. So we got praying even more and within an hour, the pathology lab results came back saying her billirubin level was well within normal limits and she'd also done a huge wee! That was the only time we had that concern because since then she's had plenty of wet and dirty nappies - yay! We thank God for answering our prayers so swiftly. You know how they can lose ten percent of their birth weight? Well Zip could have lost 300 grams but only lost 100 and then put 40 grams of that back on by day 5. Yay!

I'm reminded of that beautiful verse Ephesians 3:20-21

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Here is our precious girl hanging out on our bed...

And big sis loving on her little sis...

Other happenings this week include Brett altering my old buffet and hutch which has been acting as a bookshelf for a number of years. It now matches the altered sewing table that Brett & the kids did for me a while back. We got this from the council chuck out some years back and it has been lovely in the longe room. Will post a pici when it is back again in the house. Thanks honey for doing that for me. I really love it :) ...

Today I was so blessed to have a visit from my dear friend of many years, Sumi with her gorgeous kids. It was so lovely to have a wonderful time hanging out and chatting and laughing and eating! She handmade gorgeous fabric bags for each of the kids and had little activity packs for each of them inside. So thoughtful! And she's so beautiful inside and out!

Here's her beautiful son...

and while the girls were playing on the trampoline, my boys were doing what boys LOVE to do best - get dirty! They tried out their new gumboots...

and squelched mud between their fingers, shaped it into mud balls and...

pegged it against the retaining wall!

...before having a warm shower and yummy pancakes (thanks Aunty Sum for flipping them all!) with icecream and syrup!


And here are just some of the beautiful gifts we've recieved to help welcome our little Zippi girl :) Again, so thankful to God, our family and friends and blessed beyond measure...



5 things I am thankful for to the Lord today:

1. Time hanging with Sumi, skpying with Anth

2. 'A MOTHER'S TOUCH' by Elise Arndt

3. All the nappies from Natti!

4. Liji getting over an ear infection and not being overly affected by the antibiotics - yay!

5. Brett cooking dinner and us being able to move the lounge room around tonight (ok so Brett did the moving I did the holding of the baby!)

God bless you in the days ahead :)

Love,

More PEOPLE and THINGS I'm thankful for as I reflect on this pregnancy...

Bindi for the beautiful cd and card you sent me; for your edifying words and for your constant support and prayers :)
Gail C for the gorgeous package you sent last week with the bunny rugs you made, the fabric and patterns and the craft book which the kids LOVE looking through :)
Gail O for your encouraging texts throughout the pregnancy.
Christina for the maternity and baby wardrobe you gave us! For the scriptures you so lovingly share with me, for your prayers, texts and phone calls mate.
Anth for ringing, emailing and texting to see how we are despite being on the other side of the world.
Karen & Simon for the baby capsule.
Sumi for gifts of clothing, nappies, covers, phonecalls, emails and for being the source of encouragement and joy.
Karen E for your emails, cuppa's and encouragement throughout too.
Sharon & Doug for the baby and kids' clothes.
My mother's group girls.
My beautiful church family who have helped in so many ways; clothing, prayer, encouragement, scriptures.
SOF Girls for so many prayers offered, love given and encouragement shared.
Pam & the girls for the mini baby shower :)
Our families who have blessed us beautifully throughout.
Bek for your friendship and for the beautiful print you sent.
Beth & Steve J for giving us the changetable, baby bath, rocker & playmat.
Rachelle's texts to see how we are :)
Monique & John for our beautiful cot!
Mell Mallin for taking my pregnancy photos which i will treasure always :)
Mel Moor for your gift of friendship
Ali, Donna E, Sharon, Aunty Kerrie, Emma and many others for your encouraging words about God being glorified through pregnancy, labour, motherhood.
Danielle Q for the beautiful necklace you sent me when I found out I was pregnant. I wear it often and think of you :)
Lisa B for the lovely set handmade gifts for bubba sent when I originally annnounced we were expecting number 4!


There are, of course, many other people and things that I am thankful to the Lord for during this pregnancy that I have forgotten to mention (please forgive me if that's you!) I am so thankful to God for the amazing friends I have; for their generous hearts, their prayerful spirits and their amazing generosity. I am blessed by each encouraging comment left here on this very blog.

1 Chronicles 29:10-13 speaks about the community of Israel giving of themselves 'freely and wholeheartedly'....

David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,
"Praise be to you, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.
Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.
Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name".

Lord I give you thanks and praise your glorious name too for all those who have encouraged us, provided for us, loved us, prayed for us and showed kindness to us! We know that you are the giver of all good things. We trust in you our Lord!

I have more to share at some stage on how we celebrated the Feasts of Unleavened Bread and First Fruits this year but will leave that for another time.

In the meantime, I send my love to all my friends and family reading :)
God bless you,

Thanks for your prayers and thoughts :)

All is well.
It really was just *one of those days* :)
It's lovely to know that there are so many kind friends ready to pray and offer encouragement.
Thank you lovelies :)

5 things I am thankful for today:

1. Baking a yummy apple pie that tasted delish!
2. Having friends who care along with 5 mother's group mates and 15 kids come by! I am thankful that our children have lovely friends.
3. An early night tonight and just knowing that I have a God who is steadfast towards me - despite my *moods* or emotions, He remains the same :) Hebrews 13:8
4. Stassi's diorama creating :)
5. Brett bathing the kids

God bless,
Lus x

Thanks everyone :)

Firstly, thanks so much for your prayers for Brett yesterday and for my visit today to the dentist. It's so wonderful to have so many prayerful friends and we appreciate everyone of you!

Brett's teeth are great and he is not in any pain today - PRAISE GOD FOR THAT!!!! He's just getting used to the feeling of having something new there that over time will begin to feel more like his own teeth!

My visit was great this morning. The dentist and his staff were exceptional in their care and understanding. Very compassionate and kind. The tooth had very deep roots and was very wide so it took a long time to come out and quite a few more local anaesthetic injections than first thought but after the drill was brought out, it came out. He decided the give me a suture because it was such a big whole to avoid something called 'dry socket' as well as any additional bleeding. This extra precaution I believe was really God's wisdom for my situation. I will have to get that suturing removed next week.

The other incredible thing that happened was that in the 'mix-up' (i have it in inverted commas because I believe my God who ordains all things and knows the perfect timing of all that comes to pass, allowed this to happen!!!) was that one dental receptionist mentioned that she thought i was on a particular public health plan which i was not. However, because mentioned the name and i wrote it down, i asked my gp if i qualified for it and i did! So today's visit which I was told would cost $500 was free! And it was free because my GP came in to work on her only day off to meet with me and fill in the appropriate paper work yesterday too! Ah God is so incredible when we see His hands at work and trust in Him hey.

I have had my long soak in a bath today (yay!) while reading some very encouraging 'Above Rubies' magazine articles that have filled my heart with more joy in the Lord too.

At the church baby blessing/shower last week, Helen my dear friend had been praying for a particular verse for me for the time of labour and leading up to it too and it was Psalm 34:4-5 which says:

"I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame".

I had only memorised the first line of this but it really came in handy this morning as I kept saying it over and over in my spirit. Lord, thank you for delivering me from all my fears! It may not seem a big deal to get a tooth pulled, but since it was the first time I'd had any work since being diagnosed with the platelet disorder (even though it is in remission!) and with not having a spleen (even though the Lord has given me a new small one!) and with being pregnant, I still had fears as to how all this would pan out. But God really did deliver me from ALL my fears and during the procedure I felt his perfect peace. It was like he was sitting there right next to me holding my hand and reassuring me it was all going to be just fine. He is so good!

I encourage you to read the rest of Psalm 34 too - it's a very encouraging and challenging psalm :)

Last night I had the great blessing of catching up with my new friend Donna. You might recall that we met a couple of weeks back at a homeschooling gathering and being Christians, new to hs'ling this year and having some mutual friends, we just hit it off immediately!!! We chatted for like an hour and a half last night and prayed and shared our hearts. It was just what I needed mate and I thank God so much for you! Hope your day has been lovely so far today!

Christine, thanks for the link to that blog - what a beautiful woman and i will visit frequently. Loved her photography, the music and lots about what she had to share :) I haven't asked Ian and Helen about that dvd yet but will next time i see them :) Thanks for the reminder!

So thanks again so much for all your prayers everyone and your thoughts and emails. Am sending my love right back to you! God's most beautiful blessings be with you all :)

5 things I am so thankful to the Lord for today:

1. A complication-free dental visit!!!!
2. God's amazing provisions :)
3. Seeing the kids bike riding around after the dental visit (thanks Brett for thinking ahead and packing their bikes - you are the best dad ever!!!) and seeing them so excited to show me what they had been doing!
4. My soaking bath
5. Above Rubie Ministries

Lus x