our kiddos

both are asleep as i type this. 

isaac  is growing up right before my eyes!  he was wearing jeans and a shirt today that made him look like such a little boy!  his hair is out of control...in a cute way.  we're letting it grow, but there are too many moments when the poor kid just has hair hanging in his face.  as soon as we get a pair of hair-cutting scissors, i'm going to try my hand at trimming it!  he runs (yes, i said "runs") around the house in his walker, grabbing everything he can get his hands on.  he opens drawers, pulls my salad bowl and metal bowls off the island, and yesterday he even unplugged elise's nebulizer while she was using it and started chewing on the wire.  (you're laughing a pity laugh right now...and thinking, "oh they're in for it"...i know!)  he's so sweet and loves to snuggle.  what a gem he is!  tonight he started acting funny though...cranky, tired, and he only wanted to rest on my chest for quite a while.  this is so unlike his normal, high energy, smiley self.  we thought he had a low grade fever, though he seemed to be doing better before bed.   hopefully he'll get the good night's sleep he needs.

elise has been sleeping well the past few days, which is a blessing i don't take for granted!  we are "managing her symptoms well" right now...meaning, she doesn't cough much during the day, is eating wonderfully again, is getting her color back, and can sleep!  praise God!  the steroid she's on will be done in a day or two, and the real test will be three to four days after that...will her symptoms return?  if not then, will they return when we start to wean her off the nebulizer again?  only God knows.  justin was just telling me yesterday, how much he loves our sweet little girl.  it's so heartwarming to hear a daddy talk about his girl that way.  it hits my heart in a very special way.  i look at her baby pictures and sometimes can't believe that's the same little girl i talk with everyday.  and oh, does she talk!  yesterday we were talking in the car about who in our family likes chocolate and i had just said how much i love chocolate.  she thought and then said, "and how about you, Daddy?  do you love chocolate too?"  you should see her care for her brother...she's fabulous at bringing him toys (especially when he has one of hers and she wants to trade to get it back)...she tells me when he has boogers i need to wipe, or when he's spit up, and she can make him smile like no one else.  they love each other and i just love watching their relationship blossom.

so, in these days of being home, spending time together as a family, and waiting on the Lord...we continue to trust Him, trying to hold on to faith and not doubt.  even if elise's symptoms reappear, His hand is holding us and guiding us.  we are not alone in this.  even simply reading testimonials of other people's stories has been encouraging to me lately of this truth.

please keep praying for our little girl.  pray for healing.  pray for our faith to stay strong and not give way to fear.  pray for wisdom as we seek more answers through our pediatrician and other specialists if need be.  pray that God brings Himself glory through these trials.  and pray that we would simply enjoy this special season together.