November Notes

Isaac has been talking about Josiah a lot lately.  He wants to see him again.  He wants to tell him funny stories and songs.  He's woken up crying.  We've looked at some photos and videos of the boys together.  A couple of times he has brought Josiah's photo to the kitchen table to be there during our meal.

I recently read an article about grieving children.  It explained that children continue to process the death as they age.  They often ask the same question over and over.  They grieve in short bursts but it continues for many years.

Last week I asked Isaac if he wanted to know what happened when Josiah died.  I told him about the moments from when we woke up to Josiah crying to when Isaac came to see him at the hospital after he passed away.  I also told him about the dream that Josiah's nurse had before he woke up on the morning of Josiah's death and explained how it was a gift of God to remind us that God is in control.  At the end of the dream, a stranger takes Josiah away in his stroller and Michael, our nurse, can't find Josiah.  Isaac became upset about the stranger but I told him that in the dream he represented an angel coming to take Josiah to Heaven and that I thought he whispered something like, "Josiah, you're about to see Jesus." and so Josiah was happy to go with him and didn't cry at all in the dream.  We were both a little teary eyed so Isaac wanted a cuddle after we chatted.  I told him he could ask about the story whenever he wanted.  He asked for it two other times later that day.    

Isaac enjoys playing with Kohen.  Kohen is eight and a half months old and is thoroughly enjoying being able to crawl and pull himself up to stand and take steps while holding onto things.  He is most attracted to the bathroom, cords and outlets, unstable chairs and sharp edges on tables.  He is keeping us on our toes.  He is not a good night-sleeper yet (he wakes up to eat more than once) but he naps well and goes down well.  He's a lovely baby with beautiful smiles.  He is similar to Isaac in that he is an observer but he certainly doesn't want to sit still. He is our first baby with eyes that have changed colour from blue to grey.  He is a sweetheart -- even when sick.  I love his facial expressions.

Graham is home on a parental leave.  It's been perfect timing as Kohen has been sick with a cold and ear infection.  Graham has been walking Isaac to school in

the mornings which has allowed me to nurse Kohen and put him down for his nap.  Isaac has been enjoying all the snow.

Graham might be missing work a little.  He asked me how I managed to get dinner on the table each night.  The boys can be tiring!  I actually went to my Bible Study this morning without a baby or a stroller or diaper bag and toys.  It felt lovely!  What an incredible blessing this is.  We can now both volunteer in Isaac's classroom.  Graham is going in tomorrow morning.  We're alternating which one of us goes in each week for about an hour.  Isaac likes having us there and it's nice to get to know his classmates.

We've been enjoying Isaac's little stories and random lines:

"I have 10 children.  They have to line up to brush their teeth."

***

Isaac told us a story while we were eating dinner.  He told us that he lived next door to our home with his wife.  Their home was one mile away.
Isaac: "In the spring and summer I come and visit every day.
Mommy: Why not in the fall and winter?
Isaac: It would be cold and frosty."
Mommy: Well, what's another way we could communicate?
Isaac: (Thinking ...) You could visit me.
Mommy: Maybe Daddy could drive me.
Isaac: You can walk, we just live next door.
Mommy: But it's one mile away and very cold.
Isaac: It will be fine.

Isaac continues his story and tells us that he is Farmer Joe (who also happens to be a police officer and a fire fighter).

Isaac: My brother's name is Isaac and I have one sister.
Mommy: What's your sister's name?
Isaac: I don't remember.
Mommy: Do you love her?
Isaac: Yes.
Mommy: You need to remember the names of the people you love.
Isaac: I did twenty things today so that's why I forgot.

***

Isaac made this girl from his trainset

Mommy: Guess what we're having for dinner.
Isaac: What?
Mommy: Chicken.
Isaac: Yeay!  That's my favourite type of fish!


***

A few days prior to this next conversation, Graham had told Isaac about ROYGBIV (the sequence of colours in a rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet).  On this evening a few days later, while Isaac was getting ready for bed he told Graham, "I call it ROYGBIP.  I say purple, not violet."  

***

"I'm going to wear this shirt that you like but I don't like yet."

***

"I'm proud Daddy's my daddy."

***

"My favourite liquid is syrup.  What's a liquid?"

***

"It's not the same without Josiah."

***

Sadly, my iPod died.  I assume the battery died.  It reset itself so everything on it was lost.  It gave me ample warning but I thought I had more time.  I would have copied down the many alarms that I had listed and used when Josiah was alive.  I also had notes that I'd taken at the hospital that I would have liked to keep.  My use of the iPod was very connected with Josiah.  At the hospital I could read on it while pumping milk.  At home I used the flashlight app all the time when I went in to check Josiah at night and give him drugs or his feed.  Oh well.

Isaac enjoyed going to the polling station in October in order to watch us vote.  He went with me and then later he showed Graham where to go.  He liked helping Graham rake up the leaves in our yard.  We've been trying to pick up some new fruits and vegetables when we see them at the store.  We've liked persimmons and dragonfruit.  It's fun to research with Isaac to find out how to eat them (thanks to YouTube).  We also recently discovered a great and fun way to get the pomegranate seeds out of the peel by banging on it with a wooden spoon - very efficient. 

I stumbled across the band, "Rend Collective" somehow a few weeks ago while on the Internet.  Graham informed me that we sing one of their songs at church.  You can imagine my excitement when I discovered that they are from Northern Ireland!  I really like a lot of the songs but here is Joy:

Thank you for your prayers!

Blessings,
Elizabeth


Micah 6:8 (our 'H' memory verse)

He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?