The Name: Jemima Faye

Dear Jemima,

Though you are our "grand finale" baby (we think), your name was perhaps the first one settled on by Daddy and me. Way back when we were thinking of what to call our first baby (who was, I felt quite certain, a girl), the name Jemima was our first choice.

Like each of our kids, your first name is special to us because of what it reminds us about God. 

 

In the Bible, the story of Jemima (ESV "Jemimah") begins with the story of Job. Job was a man who believed in God, served God, taught his children about God, treated his family, employees, and the vulnerable in light of God's love, and feared and revered God (Job 1:1, 5, 23:11, etc). And yet, for reasons that he could not fathom, God sent him suffering of the deepest and most painful kinds.

He lost his livelihood, his possessions, his children, and his health. Even his friends thought that such profound and sustained suffering must be a sign that God was judging him. To walk through deep waters amid such accusations and questions was a trial of the soul like few taste. 

But Job had hope like an anchor in his soul.

Though He slay me, yet I will hope in Him (Job 13:15).

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God (Job 19:25-26).

The real question is, was God trust-worthy?

We get an actual answer to that question in James 5:11:

We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

Indeed, God was and is always worthy of our trust. After Job's anguish, questioning, and outcries, God vindicates his faith and restores his health and prosperity, "and the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before" (Job 42:10). 

Not only that, but, in true resurrection-type joy,

the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. He had also seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. And in all land there were no women so beautiful as Job's daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. (Job 42:12-15)

To us, the name Jemima is a reminder of "joy that comes in the morning," of the indestructible hope that belongs to those who trust in God, even when nothing makes sense, and of the way Jesus' victory over sin, death, and the curse is so absolute that even our deepest sorrows and losses may be transformed to joy in Him.

Dear Jemima, when we look at you, we see a little picture of Jesus' resurrection joy. And we pray that you will know that joy in the fullest measure, as you come to trust in Jesus yourself!

Your middle name, like each of our kids, has a special connection to our family.

My mom's name is Patty Rae. Daddy's mom's name is Meredith Kay. And your middle name, Faye, is in honor of both these amazing grandmas. 

Faye means "faith," and faith is the greatest legacy that Grammy and Grandma Kay have given to our family. Like Paul wrote to Timothy, "I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well" (2 Timothy 1:5).

To have two grandmothers who faithfully pray for you, model trust in Jesus, and desire to strengthen you in your own faith and life in Christ is a priceless gift that we thank God for.

And, how fitting that you arrived on Mother's Day, when we remember the sacrifice and investment of these women in the lives of their families.

Grammy shows such gentleness and patience to our family, as a wonderful picture of God's lavish grace and love. She is thoughtful about the specific needs and preferences of each one, and she is an unmatched "giver" of time, care, service, and encouragement. 

 

Grandma Kay is a joyful, whole-hearted lover of God. She prays earnestly, seeks God in His word faithfully, and responds to the leading of the Holy Spirit in specific and faith-filled ways, and she is full of joy to be a "trophy of God's grace." 

 

Jemima, we are blessed beyond measure to have these grandmas in our family, and I know you will be the recipient of unmeasured grace because of their investment in your life.

These are the special thoughts behind your name, and we pray that ultimately, your name will be etched in the Lamb's book of life, as a sign of your belonging wholly to Jesus Christ forever! 

Love you, sweet girl,

Momma

Introducing ... Jemima Faye

Dear Jemima,

You were a sweet Mother's Day surprise, arriving a 4 days early (just as Calvin arrived 4 days early, on Father's Day 3 years ago!) on Sunday, May 9, 2021 at 8:39pm. You weighed 6 lb 11 oz (just one ounce bigger than Victor at birth), and you were 19.5" long. 

You appear to have some red hair (more hair than your brothers), and you certainly bear the Katterson family baby resemblance. 

We were disappointed that your brothers couldn't come to meet you in the hospital (because ... Covid), but they are all taken with you nonetheless and shower you with kisses, special cards, and many amazed observations (her eyes are so big! my hand can basically cover her whole face!).

What a road we have been on, especially these last few weeks before your arrival. Every baby is a story, and you, my sweet girl, have come with many an interesting plot twist. 

The verse that comes to mind when I look at you is Psalm 30:5:

Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

Your name was chosen (over 9 years ago!) especially because of the picture it gives of God's new-life-joy that triumphs over sin, death, and brokenness of all kinds. 

We love you so very much, Miss Jemima Faye, and pray that you will be filled with the pleasures forevermore that are ours in Jesus!

Momma

And then there were...

 

 

 

... 5 Katterson guys. 

And 2 ladies!

 

(Despite Ben's face, he's actually very happy. 😉)

 

Yes, it is quite a mental adjustment to anticipate folding a little girl into this rugged mix of boys.

 

No, it's not triplets (wouldn't that be a game changer!). Ben and I count.

 

Yes, the boys were rooting for another boy. But I think they'll rally.

 

No, I wouldn't have been disappointed to have a basketball team-ful of boys. But we most especially want the child that God wants to plant in our family. 

Yes, my OB was surprised. She said she had to read the ultrasound twice to be sure.

No, I don't have any little girl clothes. Except possibly a real cute onesie that I bought at a garage sale before we had Victor's ultrasound (lo, these 9 years ago), because I was really quite sure that he was a girl. But come to think of it, I think I gave it away a couple years ago...

Yes, I still like the first girl's name we ever picked. But I have to grapple with the reality that there will likely not be a Luke Andrew Katterson joining the family as I had thought!

 

Conversation in the car after celebratory Five Guys dinner:

 

Ben to boys: What is your favorite girl's name?

Victor, after a long pause: I don't think I have one.

Josiah, emphatically: I don't even know any girls.

[Ben reminds him of the girls in our small group, extended family, neighborhood, etc.]

Elliot: Charis. 

 

[Big points for coming up with a girl's name. This vote gained fast traction, since there are already two young Charis/Karis's in our small group.]

Calvin: Cyrus. [Long pause.] Daddy!

 

 

So, there will be some adjustments ahead. Prayers welcomed. 💗

Lord, take this little girl, and make her a follower of Jesus from her very early days.

Grateful New Year

 

I love Christmas. 

But yesterday I realized that now that we've come through the holidays (and a wonderful time it was!), I am so profoundly grateful for so many things.

I'm thankful for my sweet family (on both sides) and the memories made with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.

I'm thankful for where God has planted us, part of a body of Christ that we love and that spurs us on toward Jesus. Thankful for places to serve and to invest in something that isn't going to fail or fly away (no matter what unexpected twists the future may hold).

I'm thankful for a new year and a sense of purpose... to serve, teach, and love my boys on a path toward Christlikeness, to be a good helper for Ben and keep in step with his leading, to abide in Jesus and let the Spirit shape me, to love the people around me and not shrink back into a safe and comfortable place of self-absorption. 

I'm thankful for God's evident protection and provision all through the last year (with the troubles and sorrows it held). I'm thankful that we don't walk into the future alone or have to wonder what the end of the story will be. 

And I'm thankful for 21 weeks with a new life growing. For the kicks that are such a sweet gift to me. For whatever God has in store for this new Katterson child.

Tomorrow is our ultrasound. Why have I not posted anything online, made a fun announcement, celebrated this life earlier?

I think it was probably a mixed cup of remnant grief, fear, and a real healthy dose of nausea and headaches. 

But it came to me recently that no matter what God has for this child, whether he (she?) comes to our arms and our home or goes straight to Jesus, this is a gift for which to be grateful.

So, a grateful new year to you! And may we see God's hand wherever He leads.

Introducing... Calvin David Katterson

Dear Calvin,

You were a sweet little Father's Day gift to us, born Sunday, June 17 at 4:26pm. And a fitting kick-off to Jr High Summer Camp week (which your papa is missing, so he could be here to meet you). You joined us 4 days ahead of schedule, but at just the right time.

You were 7 lb 10 oz and 20 inches long, with more hair than your big brothers had at this stage. You've been more sleepy than hungry and already a sweet little snuggle bug.

Your big brothers think you are cute and Josiah couldn't stop giving you kisses. Yes, little one, we are so glad you have joined our family!

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow (James 1:17).

We thank God for you, Calvin, and we pray for His hand to write your name in His book of life through the blood of Jesus, so that you may enjoy the deepest joy in His presence forever!

We love you, little one,
Momma

Very Thankful to Announce...

... a new little Katterson on the way! (ETA June 2018)

One of many reasons for joyful thanks to God on this special Thanksgiving Day.

Elliot's Birth Story

Dear Elliot,

As is often the case, your coming was an adventure!

The last few days before your arrival, I could tell we were getting ready for action. I was not feeling quite normal… lower back aching, sporadic contractions, and generally kind of icky. On Wednesday, Grammy and Grandad checked in to see how things were going, and they decided to get their bases covered at home and come up on Thursday, even though there wasn’t any real activity going on.

Thursday Daddy went to class, and your big brothers and I decided to go walk around Burnsville Center, ride on the toy cars there, and have a little treat. (A flashback to the day before Josiah was born.) During afternoon snoozes, Grammy and Grandad arrived, and it was lots of fun to play with them outside and have a nice evening together. Although I felt kind of bad for them to change their plans and come up before there was any real labor news, it was a relief to have some extra help around already. Grandad joked that midnight on Friday morning was a full moon.

That night, I woke up with a fairly hard contraction around 11pm, and then another came around midnight. For the next hour or so, the contractions were every 20 min, then 15, then 10. They weren’t super hard, though, so I was debating whether to call my doctor. (But I tested positive for the Type B Strep, so they wanted me to get 4 hours of antibiotics during labor, so my doctor had warned me not to wait too long… especially since this was baby #3.) Then I noticed Ben was not in bed.

I went out to the living room to see what he was doing, and he was lying on the floor, massaging his head. He said he’d had a terrible headache since 11:30pm. We decided to go back to bed for a little longer, and I heard his breathing deepen as he fell asleep. But the contractions continued, so I reluctantly went back to the living room, called my doctor, and he said it would probably be good to get checked out at the hospital. So, I called Grammy (they were staying at the Livingstons) and she said they’d put on clothes and head right over. Then I went and woke up poor Daddy, but at least his headache was feeling better by then.

We got to the hospital and settled in to the “maternal assessment” room. After another hour of only moderate, sporadic contractions, I was at “maybe 2.5.” We decided to head home and just go to my scheduled doctor appointment at 8:15am and see what the news was there.

Back at home around 4am, we slept a few hours and then I headed to my normally scheduled checkup. By that time, I was at a 3 or maybe 3.5, but contractions were pretty scattered and short, so we decided to go about our day as normal. Ben went to a coffee shop to do schoolwork, I did a little computer work, and the boys ran some errands with Grandad and Grammy. Around noon I decided to go for a walk, and I got some nice hard contractions doing hills. J It was a beautiful day, and I had sort of forgotten how pleasant it was to take a walk by myself. Back home, contractions died down again.

After a nap on the couch, around 3, I started having some harder contractions. They had come and gone already so much, I pretty much ignored them, but they did seem to be a bit more regular, maybe every 15 min. Ben and I took a walk (which was full of contractions), and then Ben took the boys to a playground while Grandad picked up supper. Around 5, Grammy and I decided to walk out and see the boys, and I was moving very slowly, hard contractions coming quite frequently through the walk. Once we got home and the contractions didn’t slow down, I decided maybe this was the real deal after all, and I told Ben we should probably think about heading to the hospital again. We waited until Grandad got back with supper (because, if possible, a man should go through labor having eaten supper!), but I was definitely ready to go by then.

We got to the hospital around 6:30pm, and this time we were ushered a normal room. It took a long time for a nurse to come and see us, and it was almost time for the “changing of the guard” for shifts, so she said she would just get things started before our real nurse came.  Another nurse came to get things rolling too.

Then she checked me.

“Oh.” 

She double-checked. Then she said to the other nurse, “Um, she’s at about a 9.5.” Well, that was during a contraction, so they decided I was at maybe an 8 otherwise. But the activity in the room picked up considerably.

Oops. Probably not the 4 hours of antibiotics they were hoping for… I thought to myself.

I think that means I don’t get an epidural.

Laboring was a known pain, and the contractions were still spaced a minute or two apart, so I had a little relief between them. I got a fan, which helped a lot, and some nitric oxide, which didn’t.

The doctor arrived, I was fully dilated, about 20 (horrible) min of pushing or so, and at 7:47pm you were here! Your cord was wrapped around your neck, but you cried right away, and what a joy and relief to snuggle you on my chest at last!

We are so thankful for God’s mercy in bringing you to our home and helping us every step of the way!

At 36 Weeks

The days are ticking by.

Physically:

- Minimal heartburn
- Occasional painful contractions
- Crazy baby boy trying to stretch in all the wrong directions in belly
- Two other crazy boys sitting / climbing / jumping / snuggling on and around belly
- Serious consideration given to whether something on the floor truly needs to be picked up. By me. Until May.

All in all, no room to complain.

Baby preparations:

- Baby room cleaned. Check.
- Two boys sleeping in same room. Check.
- Diapers purchased for next 6 months or so. Check.
- Location of carseat known. Check.
- Registered for hospital; baby sleepers, carseat cover, pack-n-play sheets, and sundry other newborn items washed; hospital bag packed; space cleared to put newborn clothes. Uh, nope.

So, probably need to hop to it on those remaining items of importance...

Otherwise:

- Baby is head down.
- Carrying lower and nominally closer to delivery action than at this stage with other boys, per doctor's appointment on Friday.

It's "birthday week" (Josiah on Tuesday, Ben on Friday), and I am definitely at the just-doing-what-I-can-do stage. Which is why we ate chicken nuggets for the last 2 nights (since Daddy's gone) and Josiah's "birthday cake" was leftover from Saturday.

Glad for grace that comes one day at a time, and not looking too far ahead just yet...

And the verdict is...

(See that beautiful profile? Nose toward the middle of the picture)

Today, at long last, we had our ultrasound! And today (on the 86th month that Daddy and I have been married), we discovered that God is giving us another beautiful boy!

To quote another mother, of the most special little Boy ever to be born:

My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant.

For behold, from now on

all generations will call me blessed,

for He who is mighty 

has done great things for me,

and holy is His name. (Luke 1:46b-49) 

We are so excited to add a 3rd little musketeer to our family! 

I love to be a mommy of boys, with this wonderful daddy!

My prayers, for you, our sweet son to come:

• May the Lord give you a tender heart to see your need for a Savior and to put your trust in Jesus at a very early age.
• May God give you strength to guard and help the vulnerable and courage to stand for truth.
• May you be an oak of righteousness and may your roots go down deep in the Word of God.
• May you and your brothers be comrades, encouragers, and friends for all your days.
• May you reflect Jesus, who was the most fearless, the most tender, the most gentle, the most honorable, the most insightful, the most valiant, and the most holy Man there has ever been.
• May your name be written in the Lamb's book of life, and may you bring many others to love and follow Him as well.

We are so excited to meet you and add you to the adventures in this Katterson clan!

So thankful for God's gift,
Your momma

*Sigh* Delayed

So... today was the long-awaited ultrasound! Originally, it was scheduled for this Tuesday, but that was our staff Christmas party, so we delayed until Friday.

Everything was right on schedule, and I pulled into the parking lot 10 minutes early. And then, just as I shifted into park, I had a horrible realization. I wasn't supposed to be at the Burnsville clinic, I was supposed to be at the Edina clinic. When we rescheduled, we had to switch locations too...

I pulled out again and jumped on 35W, calling Ben as I drove.

"Okay, I just realized that we need to be at Edina, not Burnsville," I said.

"Well, actually, I'm already in the waiting room here in Burnsville," he told me.

"Alright, then just ask the receptionist, and she can give you the Edina address, and you can meet me there. Oh, and can you have them call the Edina office and let them know I'm on my way and I'll just be a couple minutes late?"

In vexing fashion, I could not get Siri to locate the Edina address for directions, but I knew I could get very close, and when I hit a stoplight I'd figure it out.

Halfway down 35W, Ben called back.

"Um, they said that you won't be able to do the ultrasound late at Edina, so you should come back here, and maybe they can squeeze you in here," he said.

"Really? I'm only going to be like 5 minutes late," I said.

"That's what they said."

With a sinking feeling, I took the next exit and headed back south on 35W.

Ben called again. "So, they aren't going to be able to fit you in because it's an extra long ultrasound."

The internal wrestling match of frustration and disbelief and disappointment commenced. I ungraciously agreed to go to a coffee shop with Ben for an unplanned date (since we had just left our boys with the babysitter a mere 15 minutes earlier or so) and nursed a cup of ice water without talking much.

But, after time to cool down and look at things reasonably, I can see that this unforeseen delay is really not a big deal. I got a nice long conversation with Ben (a rare opportunity, of late!), and in a week, we can try this all again.

Thankful for kicks in my belly and the surprise that still awaits.

Pregnancy Update

20 weeks today!
(Okay, 20 weeks plus one day, since I ran out of energy to finish this post yesterday...)

- Feeling lots of kicks. Such a joy and comfort. My first normal prenatal appointment, it took the doctor 2-3 min to find a heartbeat (he/she was hiding way low), so it's a happy reassurance every time I feel movement.

- Have only puked once (Friday), but only because I gagged on junk in my throat from a head cold.

- No. Energy. Seriously depleted, and it's a bit unnerving not to have strength for just the normal work of life. But God provides grace for each day.

- Ultrasound on Friday to see a little more about who this small person is!

My Best Birthday Gift

Flashback to September. Birthday wishes and kindnesses were very sweet.

But my best birthday gift came two days before my birthday, when (honestly, to my surprise) an efficient technician zoomed in the ultrasound view and detected a precious little heartbeat still fluttering away inside.

* * *

After our miscarriage in June, we were thrilled, elated, delighted, overjoyed, grateful, amazed, and humbled to find ourselves pregnant in August. Again, I suspected right away that something was stirring, but it was a gut-wrenching day-by-day wait, peppered with frequent alarm that the movement had stopped, that I would lose this little one again before we even began to know him.

Finally, a positive pregnancy test. I started feeling gross a week later. And almost three weeks later, an ultrasound, which (somewhat to my dismay) showed that I was not yet even 6 weeks pregnant. But, there was a tiny slow heartbeat, barely detectable.

Both my little boys' pregnancies were survived on Zofran, right up to heading to the hospital. So I waited nervously for the "gross" to turn to "incapacitating" ... but it stayed at just a low-grade gross, according to my earnest prayers for the past many months that God might allow me to come through this pregnancy without such intense sickness.

Day by day slowly passed. (It felt like I spent this whole summer waiting for 6-weeks-pregnant to arrive.) The daily grossness was a reassuring reminder of the reality inside.

And then Tuesday night, in the middle of dinner with company.
Blood.

A flood of memories. Reliving the painful days of June in an instant.

After we said our good-byes to our guest, I just sank into our big blue chair, too drained to move. A call to the ob office.  

Rest tonight, and come in for an ultrasound tomorrow, she said. It may not be another miscarriage.

It was a night-long wrestling match between prayers, fears, threads of hope, and the crushing reality that always, always before, blood means no baby.



I called the office twice at 8:00am, and finally at 8:01am they turned off their answering service and I could at least wait on hold. The nurse couldn't find an opening for an ultrasound and needed to call back after she talked to the techs.

I texted family and the friends who already knew about the baby and waited. An 11:00am ultrasound appointment.

I arrived 10 min early and sat in a full waiting room. Minutes passed, and the room emptied little by little. It was perhaps the longest, hardest, loneliest wait I've had in a doctor's office.

And I dreaded hearing my name called. Dreaded the finality of seeing on the screen a still small body, absent of life.

Psalm 121.
Psalm 34.
Psalm 96.
Isaiah 41:10
Jeremiah 29:11
Fragments of verses and prayers and songs.

I was starting to feel woozy, my half bagel for breakfast too long past. Do you have any crackers? I asked the receptionist. I'm feeling light-headed. 

A few saltines later I felt better and ready to face the next step. Even if today is a sad day, I believe there will be happy days ahead. This is not the end of the story.

11:30am.
11:40am.

"Amy," at last the white-clad technician came for me. She did not smile or make small talk. "So, when did the bleeding start?"

"Last night."

I took a deep breath, looking at the large blank screen facing the reclining table, the screen which would soon reveal ... life or death. 

She didn't speak as she began the scan. I watched the screen, trying to pick out a little dark mass which would be our baby.


There it is. 
So still. 
There should be movement, should be a little flutter there.

My heart sank. So still.
No movement.
No movement.

Then she adjusted her instruments, zoomed in on the little mass. And like a miracle, I thought I saw something move.

She adjusted again. And there, as beautiful a sight as I have ever seen, was a quick, rhythmic flutter.

She measured the little peaks and valleys.
167 beats per minute.

My eyes full of tears, my heart full of gratitude.
167 beats per minute.

 * * *

And that, as I knew with greatest certainty, was all the birthday gift I could ask for.



 

Announcements, announcements

The Katterson boys wanted to share some news.

Praising God for another precious gift, joining the Katterson family (Lord willing) in April 2016.

Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning (Ps. 30:5).

A Letter to My Little One

Dear little one,

We officially confirmed your presence a week ago Tuesday, but I knew (at least suspected) you were here for about a month.

A gentle stirring within.

Growing, knitting, living.

We were so overjoyed, so enthralled,

A quiet, secret joy.

A Valentine’s Day baby, maybe.

A new precious girl?

Or another sweet brother?

A gift to us.

You were a gift to us.

You are a gift to us.

We loved you so, so much.

But God gives different gifts.

And this one, for us, He gave and took away.

He is our kind Father.

Our hearts break for such a short hello

And too soon good-bye.

Another baby, squirming, bloody,

Plunged into this broken world.

He lived pure,

Took my blow,

And rose to redeem

Our too soon good-byes.

So good-bye for now, little sweetheart,

Until we meet again.

Love,

Your momma

Still Waiting

Confirming reports that baby has not yet come.

Yesterday was the Due Date, so we all took a trip to the mall to have a nice stroll (and drive some cool cars).

[Note: Victor's been doing much better, but he got all congested again last night and has a bit of a barky cough today, so would appreciate continued prayers for healing and wisdom if there is something else going on... allergies, something like that?]

And, the official 40 week photo (I realized yesterday that I have pretty much no belly shots from this whole pregnancy.  Unlike with Victor, when I sent my family a picture every week...)

In other news, at Once Upon a Child on Wednesday, I was asked if I am a grandmother.  At 40-weeks-minus-1-day pregnant, with a two-year-old running around with me, I just wasn't sure what to think about that.  Time for a new hairstyle?  I remind someone of Abraham's Sarah?

Good Report

Very thankful for a good report at my doctor appointment this morning.

- 38 weeks
- Amniotic fluid at 8 cm (they look for minimum of 2 cm)
- Good movements
- Good tone (that would be the baby... not me)
- Good diaphragm use (at long last, had to wait about 20 min to see it)
- Estimated 7 lb (Victor was 6 lb 10 oz).  But that's variable by a pound either way.

The bed is up; the carseat is by the door; the sleepers are washed; teeny-teeny NB diapers are ready.

I'm thinking another solid 2 weeks to go, but we are very thankful that no induction is needed at this point, and we will be ready to hold him when the time is right!

Not So Nice

I think it was possibly because Victor was clambering around me like an acrobat.  But maybe I didn't eat enough protein.  Or the lettuce was bad.  Or something like that.

But whatever the case, last night (at almost-32-weeks), I was rather violently ill just after going to bed.  Thank you, hon, for cleaning up what didn't make it in the toilet.

Wednesdays are a hard recovery day... Ben was out the door at 7am and booked through the evening, and my normal "emergency back-up" folks were sick, gone, or unavailable.  So Victor and I just muddled through somehow, and the Lord showed that His grace is sufficient and His power is perfected in weakness.

But I'm not going to clean up my kitchen from the Men's Connection dishes until tomorrow.  Or maybe Friday.

Dear baby, you are still worth it. 

And It's a...

Dear Victor,

What a special gift God is giving us!

 

 The Bible talks about brothers all over the place--

Let love of the brethren continue.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren.

Brethren, join in following my example.

Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.

Therefore, holy brethren, ... consider Jesus.

They aren't all brothers like you and the little guy coming to join our family, but God is using "brothers" to talk about how close and united and special we are to one another in the family of Jesus.

And Victor, you are going to have a little brother in our very own family!

How we pray that God will knit together your heart with this precious little boy and capture both of your hearts to fear and treasure Jesus so that you will be double brothers always!

Your Momma and Daddy are so thankful and happy to bring another sweet little boy to our home.

I think it will mean more of this...

 

And this...

And this...

 

And this...

 

And this...

 ... and what a great thing that is!

Together, may you fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses (1 Timothy 6:12).  

And may you be comrades, helpers, and friends to one another all your days.

We love you, our favorite little Victor, and we love you too, little boy #2.

Looking to Jesus,

Momma and Daddy

Showing Ducky the big news