Triplets

Five Minute Friday: Last

I’m writing for 5 minutes today on the word: Last.

I see raising 3 boys as an ongoing roller coaster ride.  It’s been scary, exhilarating, frustrating, mind-blowing, stressful and fun!  When I look back at the first few years, it all seems a blur, though.  I really couldn’t have made it without God’s grace and my husband’s support.

While I’m so grateful that the triplets are a bit older and more understanding now, I wonder if I missed out on being intentional in their toddler years.  Agreed, each day was a struggle and I couldn’t wait for them to grow up.

But still…

Was I so excited they could walk, that I missed their last crawl?

Was I so happy they learned to talk, that I missed the last gurgle?

Was I so relieved they could take care of themselves, that I missed the last time I’d brush their teeth, wipe wet faces or comb their hair?

I sure hope not…

The memories are still there, and I hope to never forget.

But that reminds me of now…  today!  I can be intentional with the time I spend with my boys right this moment!

The trio - 1 year old

I can savor sweet random kisses.

I can smile more, frown less.

I can say “Yes” to playing on the floor with them.

I can live more, hurry less.

I can let hugs linger longer at bedtime.

And then I won’t miss…

The last time Jason asks me to draw a big helicopter.

The last time Jon crawls into my lap and lays his head on my shoulder.

The last time Judah wants to help me in the kitchen.

The years are flying by, and there will be many lasts.  Let’s not hurry through life and miss out on them, shall we?

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Seasons of Motherhood: The First Year

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

FirstYear

A time to be born…

A time for dirty diapers and a time for toothless smiles.

A time to roll over and a time to fall off the bed.

A time to try solid food and a time to spit it out.

A time to sit up and a time to slip down the couch.

A time to crawl and a time to pick the tiniest speck off the floor.

A time to stand up and a time to sit back down with a bump.

A time to hold on to something and a time to pull it down.

A time to play with a brother and a time to make him wail.

A time to cry and a time to laugh.

A time to gobble something up and a time to gurgle it out.

A time to hold close and a time to let go.

…And a time to be dedicated unto the Lord.

~ Inspired by Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

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Boy Mom Blog Hop 2012

Today I am participating in a blog hop hosted by The MOB Society. {MOB stands for Mother Of Boys, by the way} Several boy mom bloggers will be writing about their boys and linking up at The MOB Society Boy Mom Blog Hop.

If you are a new here, “Welcome to An Imperfect Life”! And if you’re a regular reader, “Thank you so much for stopping by today”! An Imperfect Life… made perfect by Grace is a tapestry of life stories and inspiration from the Bible that I hope will encourage you in your daily life. The focus of this blog is to glorify God, encourage readers and motivate myself. Check out this post to read more about the purpose of my blog.

I am Sheena, mother of 4 year old male triplets – Jason, Jon and Judah.

My boys then:

And now:

My sons are living miracles. They are proof that God gave them life and sustained their lives, even when they stopped breathing. Although they are triplets and they look alike, they each have their own unique personality that sets them apart from their brothers.

When they aren’t running, jumping, climbing or fighting, they enjoy singing, playing with toy cars and building more cars with their Lego blocks. As adorable as they are, I must admit it is quite a challenge to raise 3 boys of the same age. I don’t think I would be able to survive even a single day without God’s grace and strength. And an honorable mention to my amazing husband, who is ever ready to do anything for his family.

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Thank you for stopping by. I hope and pray this blog is a blessing to you. Have a great day and God bless you!

Boy Mom Blog Hop 2012 Read More »

The Kindergarten Trio

Our triplets have officially started kindergarten. I managed to get this picture of them today, before we hurried out to catch the school bus. {Kindly ignore the broken lego man on the floor} 😀

We’ve managed to establish a morning routine, so mornings aren’t quite that hectic. Every morning, the boys get dressed in their school uniforms and we walk the short distance to the main road, where the school bus picks them up. I watch them walking together, holding each others hands… Brother in arms, so alike yet so different… And my heart overflows with joy.

In the years ahead, I pray my sons will learn to walk together in grace and truth, in tandem with their Maker.

“I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are living their lives in the Truth.” (3 John 1:4)

This is one proud mama, bragging on her boys! 🙂

The Kindergarten Trio Read More »

A Trip to the Zoo

Our friends had long been urging us to accompany them on a trip to the local zoo. After several months, we finally set the date and went to the zoo last Saturday. This is just a photo recap of our day at the zoo.

We started off fairly early in the day. After buying our tickets at the zoo, we boarded a rickety bus that would take us on a safari to see the animals in their natural habitat. First up, the herbivores. We saw antelopes, wild buffaloes, spotted deer and boars. Here’s a funny picture my husband captured.

Oh and I alerted everybody that there were wild buffaloes in a lake we were crossing by… Only to be informed said buffaloes were actually rocks! Major oops moment!

Next up, the bus took us to the bear habitat. We were pretty much taken by surprise when the bus screeched to a sudden halt. There was a black bear standing stock still right in front of our bus. It looked like it owned the place – well actually that may be true… We were the intruders, after all.

We waited a few minutes for the bear to pass and then headed over to see the lions. Our first sighting was this lioness snoozing by the wayside.

I was a bit disappointed to see the other lions – they didn’t quite fit the title “King of the Jungle”. I suppose seeing that they were not truly in a jungle, it was to be expected. We moved on to the tiger sanctuary and this time, I was not disappointed.

We were greeted with a HUGE tiger standing in our way. Seriously, it was much bigger than the lions! It had a regal air around it – even its stance was stately. What a majestic creature!

We saw some white tigers as well, but in my opinion, I liked the rich colors on the other tigers better. Ummm… And as we were heading out of the sanctuary, I pointed out a sheep lying on the road – only to be informed, it was another rock! {Insert sheepish grin} I wonder if it’s time for another eye checkup :).

Here is a family of humans taking a pit stop after the safari…

We then proceeded to the zoo where we saw a myriad of creatures. We saw sloth bears, elephants, emus, zebras, wild buffaloes, cheetahs, jackals, spotted dear, black bucks, hippopotamuses and various species of monkeys and birds. There were several art students milling around, and it was a treat to see their hastily drawn sketches of the animals.

I have never been a bird lover – in fact, I thought the owls were quite creepy. But I was pretty impressed by the white peafowl – I found their snowy white feathers quite mesmerizing. My husband’s personal favorite was the Great Pied Hornbill – a uniquely beautiful bird indeed!

It took us about 4 to 5 hours to circle the entire zoo. Although the adults were worn out by the time we headed out, the kids seemed to have boundless energy and weren’t so eager to get back home. Here is a picture of our boys at the zoo – the expression on their faces says it all.

It truly was a wonderful day at the zoo!

A Trip to the Zoo Read More »

When They Stopped Breathing ~ Jon

This is the final post in the 3-part blog series “When They Stopped Breathing“. Click here to read all the posts in this series. I pray God will use our testimony to encourage you in your situation. Be blessed!

January 29, 2011. Our triplets were 3 year old rambunctious boys – sweethearts who played rough. It was a Saturday and we were all at home. Jon had a bad cold, but he was cheerful and played with his brothers, nevertheless.

All 3 boys were sitting on the frame of our front door. At one point, Jason and Judah got up and looked behind them to see Jon collapsed on the floor. It took my husband a few seconds to figure out what Jon was doing on the floor. When he realized Jon had collapsed, he cried out to me and rushed to pick him up.

We had no idea what had caused him to collapse. He was not moving at all, although his eyes were still open. We splashed cold water on his face, but there was no response. We called out to him and shook him vigorously, all the while desperately crying out to God.

Seconds later, Jon closed his eyes and stopped breathing. I rushed to our neighbor and frantically explained that we needed a ride to the hospital. Our good neighbor hurriedly started his scooter and my husband held Jon close and got on. With all the commotion, a couple of neighbors came home to offer me their support.

I was in tears. I feared that Jon might not come back home alive. I realized I was in a helpless situation yet again. In my desperation, I cried out to God, pleading with Him for Jon’s life. I urged Jason and Judah to pray for their brother, and they gladly agreed. The three of us prayed – although I doubt Jason and Judah understood the magnanimity of the situation. All they knew was that “Jon fell down near the door, so Dada took him to the hospital.”

After about half an hour, my husband called from the hospital and recounted what had happened. As soon as my husband got on the scooter, he resumed trying to revive Jon. As a last resort, my husband breathed into Jon’s mouth. And Jon opened his eyes and started breathing. All glory to God alone! At the hospital, the doctors suspected a febrile seizure and treated him accordingly. I can’t explain the relief I felt when my husband’s call assured me that Jon was alive and well.

I assured my neighbors that Jon had recovered and waited for them to leave. When we were alone again, I dropped onto my knees and thanked God for Jon’s life. When my husband brought Jon back home, tears were still threatening to break out. Together, we thanked God for bringing our son back home alive.

This was by far the most scariest episode of all. One minute Jon was playing, and the next, he wasn’t breathing. It took us several months to get over what happened. We were anxious every time one of the sons had a slight fever or even a cold. I must admit, it has been a year, but anxiety over their lives still gets a hold on me at times. And my husband has to remind me that “God has not given us a spirit of fear” (2 Timothy 1:7).

Through these trials and tests of our faith, our God has remained faithful. When we faltered and feared the worst, God gave us His best. When I feared that my husband would be bringing back a dead son, God gave him life and brought him back home alive. I must say I am ashamed at my lack of faith when staring death in the face. I pray that God would increase my faith and help me bear in mind that He has indeed conquered death. Thank you Jesus, for Jon’s life!

“In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me.” (Psalm 120:1)

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)

Other posts in this series:

When They Stopped Breathing ~ Jon Read More »

When They Stopped Breathing ~ Jason

This is the second post in the 3-part blog series “When They Stopped Breathing“. Click here to read the first post in this series. I pray God will use our testimony to encourage you in your situation. Be blessed!

It was January 2009 – exactly a year since our boys left the NICU. It had been a rough week. Jon had developed a fever that took 3 days to subside. Needless to say, Jason soon contracted it from him. It was late evening when we realized that Jason’s temperature wasn’t going down in spite of the medication. My husband took him to the hospital, and a doctor prescribed him a stronger syrup.

We started Jason on the new medicine and let him nap a little. My husband was awake to keep an eye on him. At 2AM, my husband shook me awake and shared his shocking observation. Jason wasn’t responding to any sound. My husband explained that until then, Jason had been awake – playing and responding to my husband’s instructions. Simple things like “clap you hands” or “say bye-bye”. And then all of a sudden, he stopped responding.

We tried talking to him, clapping our hands, making any noise we could to get his attention – but he wouldn’t respond. Our baby was looking at us but not responding to any of the sounds we were making. We prayed. It was a desperate prayer, for we did not know what else to do.

His fever was starting to rise, and although it wasn’t time for the next dose, we gave him his fever medicine. We washed his face and wet his body as well. Eventually his fever went down and he fell asleep. Urging my husband to get some sleep, I stayed awake with Jason – constantly checking his temperature and sponging him with water. I was afraid that if I fell asleep, something awful would happen to him.

Early in the morning, I did indeed fall asleep. I had set the alarm to wake me up in an hour, so I could check on Jason. But before the alarm went off, my husband shook me awake. Jason was having convulsions. We splashed water on him and when it didn’t stop, my husband rushed him to the nearest hospital.

I had to stay behind with Jon and Judah who were still sleeping. It was a dreadful morning. In my helpless state, all I could do was pray. I feared brain damage and I feared for Jason’s life. It took them almost an hour to return back home. At the hospital, the doctors had given Jason a pill to control his seizures. When my husband handed Jason over to me, his body was limp. He had absolutely no energy left in him. Within minutes, Jason brought out the tablet that the doctors had given him and he fell into a deep sleep.

We were helpless and terrified. We prayed, trusting God for Jason’s life. We prayed that his brain functions would be normal and that he would respond to us again. That’s when God spoke to our hearts – He assured us that Jason would be fine. We called a few people we knew, who could support us in prayer. While Jason was sleeping, one of the pastors from our church came home and prayed with us.

Jason woke up after a few hours, and he was perfectly fine. He responded to our voices and to other sounds around him. His fever disappeared (and didn’t return for at least a month). To us, that was a miracle – considering that he brought out the medicine he was given at the hospital.

God had saved yet another life in our family and through it, strengthened our faith. Our faith in Him may have faltered when fear gripped our hearts, but God was faithful. He preserved Jason’s life… again! Jason is now an intelligent and energetic 4 year old – a living, breathing testimony of God’s unfailing grace. Thank you Jesus, for Jason’s life!

“…He that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is thy keeper…” (Psalm 121:3-5)

Other posts in this series:

When They Stopped Breathing ~ Jason Read More »

When They Stopped Breathing ~ Judah

Today, we begin a series titled When They Stopped Breathing. It is the story of how each of our sons stopped breathing… And how God gave them back their life! I will be re-telling the story in parts – 3 blog posts spread over this week. I pray God will use our testimony to encourage you in your situation. Be blessed!

January 29, 2008. Our boys were 50 days old and weighed 1.7 kilograms each. Their doctor declared them healthy enough to be discharged from the hospital. It was the moment we had been waiting for… After 50 days we could finally take our babies home :)!

We had their new clothes and blankets all picked out for them to go home in. My husband got the car washed & and the interiors vacuumed. We hired a driver to drive us back home in our car. My parents were with us to lend an extra hand. We were all pumped up and ready to go.

Something we didn’t foresee was discrepancies in the hospital bill that took the entire day to settle. By the time we had settled the bill, it was late evening. Needless to say, we were exhausted from all the packing and caring for 3 babies. I had no energy left to dress the babies up in their new clothes or even wrap them up in the blankets we had chosen to take them home in. We just wanted to be back home.

It must have been around 8 in the night when my dad & my husband left the room in order to load our things in the car. My mother and I were still in the hospital room with our 3 babies. The nurse had just administered polio drops, the babies were done with their feeds and they were sleeping.

All 3 babies were sleeping side by side on the sterile white sheets of the hospital bed. All seemed well at that time, but in a few minutes the stillness in the room was shattered. Something did not seemed right with Judah. His eyes were open and they had a vacant look in them. I rushed to his side and found his chest heaving… struggling to breathe. My baby couldn’t breathe.

Involuntarily, I started praying. As I tried to revive him, my mother rushed to the nurses station that was right outside our door. A nurse ran in, took Judah from my arms and hurried out. I was in tears, pleading with God for his life. I could not follow the nurse as Jason & Jon were still asleep in the room. I was helpless… All I could do was pray.

Thankfully, just moments later, my husband and my dad returned and my mother quickly briefed them. My husband took one look at my tear-stained face and rushed out to find Judah and my dad followed him. A few moments later they returned with the assurance that the nurses were able to revive Judah and that a doctor was currently examining him.

Relief flooded my heart. With a burst of praise, we thanked God for the life He had given Judah… again… God who gave him life, made him breathe… again…

The doctor suspected that the polio drops might have triggered some allergy. But thankfully, they said Judah was stable and could go home as planned. I held my baby boy close throughout the ride home.

It was a night we will never forget. One of many that have left us helpless and scared, but totally dependent on God alone. Thank you Jesus, for Judah’s life!

“Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits.” (Psalm 103:1,2)

Other posts in this series:

When They Stopped Breathing ~ Judah Read More »

Handy Helpers

This morning, after my husband left for work, I started our hectic morning routine – getting all 3 sons up and ready for school within an hour. It is a pretty strenuous hour, but we generally get it done and make it to school on time.

Unless one of the these happens

  • I can’t find one of their shoes.
  • All 3 boys need to use the bathroom at the last minute.
  • One of them feels sick.
  • Somebody throws up all over the living room carpet.
  • They flat out refuse to go to school.

…you know, normal stuff 🙂 …

But then today, this happened

No, don’t freak out as yet… None of the kids broke their legs… Neither is mine bandaged in a cast… However, we did have a minor incident this morning. One of the wooden cabinet doors fell off its hinges – onto my foot. Needless to say, I cried out in pain and collapsed in tears on the floor.

I sat on the floor for a few minutes waiting for the pain to subside, but it didn’t. I looked around to see my boys with a grief stricken expression on their faces. They looked scared, concerned and helpless. I assured them I was OK, but in a lot of pain. Gathering my wits around me I tried to get myself off the floor. But when the pain started shooting up again, I knew I needed help.

ENTER: My 3 Handy Helpers

I asked the sons to bring me my phone from the other room. Jason & Jon scurried off to find my phone (probably glad to be of some help) while Judah remained nearby. Jason returned with my phone & Jon brought me a couple of cloth napkins (I have no idea why he brought napkins, but appreciated his desire to help alleviate my suffering).

A quick call to my husband and he was on his way home – he’s such a lifesaver! Have I mentioned that I love him? 😉 Well, I still had to get the sons ready for school by the time hubby dearest reached home. I made yet another attempt to get up and successfully hobbled over to the edge of the nearest bed. My lovely boys listened to my every word (wonder of wonders!) and hurried to carry out my instructions. They got dressed with little or no help from me and they even helped each other out :).

ENTER: My Prince Charming

By the time the kids were dressed, we heard a knock on the door. Judah hastened to open the door to admit my husband. All 3 sons, speaking at the same time, brought my husband up to date as to my plight. Husband took over from there. He brought me an ice pack & sprayed my foot with a pain reliever before leading the sons in a prayer for me. He combed their hair, picked up their bags and proceeded to take them to school. Crisis resolved!

Today, I am thankful… For a husband who would sacrifice anything on this earth to hurry back home when he is needed. And for 3 beautiful boys who are thoughtful, kind and helpful when the need arises.

What are you thankful for today?

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Candid Conversations

My husband and I constantly try to teach our sons the importance of God in our lives. But sometimes we wonder whether they really do understand how personal God is to each one of us, individually. And then they “talk” to God – so innocent & child-like (as only children can), that it makes us wonder if they are actually teaching us something much more deeper…

Here is a sampling of what each of our sons say – as they literally “talk” to God in a very personal way.

JASON

Jason: Mama, where is Jesus?
Me: Jesus is in your heart, baby…
Jason: Mama, I want to see Jesus!
Me: Ask Him, Jason… Tell Jesus you want to see Him.
Jason (in a sing-song voice): Jesus! Where are You???!!!! I want to see You!!

JON

(after a major fall & a badly bruised foot)
Binny (to the other boys): Shall we pray and ask Jesus to heal Jon?
Jon: Dada, Jon already talked to Jesus… Jon asked Jesus… Jesus healed Jon’s leg!

JUDAH

(peeping out the door at the sky on a rainy day)
Judah: Jesus, please switch off the rain… Judah wants to go out and play!

Now, if only I could learn to “talk” to Jesus with child-like faith as our sons do!!!

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