pass the gluten-dairy-egg-free bread please

In an effort to at least half-way catch you up on the year-long break I took from blogging, this post is dedicated to my sweet middle child, whom we affectionately refer to as T-dog.

Titus Samuel is an amazing little boy if I do say so myself.  He has a very strong will (We are working on making sure that works for his good and not destruction later on in life, but that is a different post for a different day.), but he does not have a strong stomach.  It leaks actually.  All-the-time.  To be perfectly honest, when it comes to the bodily fluids that ooze out of his body, he is one disgusting little boy (in the most adorable way, of course).  I’m not a particularly squeamish woman when it comes to dealing with my children’s diapers and bathroom needs, but after dealing with Titus, I am definitely looking forward to the day when I don’t have to deal with that aspect of their lives e.v.e.r. a.g.a.i.n.  But, that time has not come yet, so we just deal with it and don't let it spoil all the other special times during this stage of life..  AND, we PRAISE GOD that he has not had any reactions such as anaphylactic shock.  I will take nasty diapers ANY DAY over the fear that comes from wondering if your child will breathe again.     

It all started two Christmases ago.  To give you a frame of reference and an idea of what our life looked like then, this was about two months after our miscarriage.  Titus had been having some mild diarrhea regularly ever since he started eating solid food, but after waking up Christmas night to Titus throwing up and having diarrhea all night long, we knew that we had to do something.  So, we decided to perform some science experiments, I mean an elimination diet, on Titus.  After doing this, we realized that the little man has LOTS of allergies/sensitivities that cause this leaky gut.  And, since we were in Asia in a small city with no medical care close by at the time, we began our journey of self-diagnosis and treatment, which pretty much meant that we fed him specific foods, waited a few days to see what happened, and then eliminated everything that caused diarrhea.  Here’s the crazy list….

Dairy

Egg whites

Wheat

Oranges

Berries

Tomatoes

Corn

Pork (this one was especially fun to deal with in a country where pork is the main meat!  they even put small pieces of it in the vegetable dishes and use pork broth to cook lots of dishes)

And, since coming to the states and going through IgE IgG blood testing, we have added….

Peanuts (his favorite food was, of course, peanut butter)

Coconut

Cantaloupe

It appears that this all began back when Titus was 4 months old and had pneumonia.  Of course, he had to be put on antibiotics in order to treat this, and this began an imbalance in his system that caused this “leaky gut” as well as the string of colds and croup cases we had with him during his first year of life.  By his first birthday, he had been on several rounds of antibiotics, making the imbalance worse.  

This is definitely one of those thorns I wish we didn't have to deal with, but it is the reality we have.  We are choosing to be thankful for the progress we are making and for our T-dog, who has been such a trooper through all our science experiments, I mean medical testing, we have done on him.  We have been treating him with some pretty heavy duty probiotics the last 4 months, and we just recently began to start adding foods back into his diet.  So, far he has been able to digest tomatoes properly, and this week we are trying out some cheese, which is going well so far, but we are only on the second day of experimentation.  This has been a continual reminder to us that we cannot choose what happens to us in this life, but we can choose to go to God with what we have been dealt.  Each time i change a nasty diaper, I naturally just want to cry from the discouragement that he still has to deal with this trial, but I have been challenged lately to pray in that instant instead (admittedly, this still does not happen each time...I still throw a rockin' pity party sometimes).  I am so thankful that we serve the Great Physician, who is more than able..     

Between Two Worlds

I must admit that I have been in a funk lately.  Everything has just felt off.  My mind has struggled to pinpoint the reason behind it all but just comes up empty.  Then, I am reminded that we will always come up empty if we try to discern with our mind what is going on in our heart.  God alone knows what is truly going on there.  God alone can give us the answers. 

Psalm 119:37  “Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, and revive me in Your ways.” 

This was the answer that He gave me.  Seek Him.  Seek Him.  Seek Him.  Nothing and no one else in this world will help. 

One of the things I have pondered, maybe a little too much, is the fact that we are in the middle.  My soul has wanted to complain, and has indulged a bit even, about this fact.  The life that we lived in Asia has ended.  The lives of our friends there have continued without us.  The life we are building here is still in the construction phase.  My patience is tested to say the least.  Again, the party planner in me wants to sit in pity.  But where is God in that?  Instead, I want to choose thankfulness and joy today.

 

Thank you, God, that the work continues even after we have left.

Thank you, God, that You know exactly what this life will look like when this current construction is over.  You know.  You know every detail, and I don’t need to worry. 

As I’ve thought about our current place between these two lives, one known and one unknown, I've also been led to reflect on the fact that this life that I live will always be, in fact, one that is in the middle.  Thankfully, I am no longer stuck in the doomed life I was born into.  I am no longer facing an eternity of separation from God and agony in Hell.  But, I have also not arrived at the perfect eternity together with Him that he promises to those who believe.  However, until I arrive at that final destination, I get to spend my life getting to know Him better, serving Him in this temporary world, loving my family sacrificially, and allowing Him to perfect and refine me so that I reflect Him more and more with each passing day of this temporary existence.  Thankfully, He is patient enough to work with a stubborn sinner like me. :)  

Meet Moriah Faith!!

I know, she is 2 ½ months old.  Judge if you must, but you ought to know by now that when we have a lot going on and blogging isn’t necessarily my priority!  But, rest assured that I have been writing!  I just didn’t want to keep posting things before I got around to announcing our newest daughter, whose pictures weren't on the computer yet. (you can't announce someone without a picture!!!) J  God and I are currently addressing my time management issues!  Feel free to laugh as you read the birth announcement of our 2 ½ month old! 

So, here she is!!  Moriah Faith Vipperman, born October 26, 2012

She is precious and very easy going so far.  We love her blue eyes and cute little dimples!  And, most of all, we just love her because she is ours.  The name Moriah is Hebrew for “God is my teacher/helper”.  It is also the name of the mountain where the temple was built as well as where Isaac was offered up as a sacrifice to God.  While, we have no plans of tying her to an altar and raising a knife up in the air, we have learned in our short time as parents that our children belong to God.  He is in control, and we need to trust completely in Him when it comes to raising them, even when it doesn't make complete sense.  We have definitely been through a lot in the last few years, where we have seen this truth played out more than ever.  He has been teaching us and helping us to know even more how to have Faith in Him, especially when we don’t know what the outcome will be.  So, it is our prayer that as we shepherd her sweet heart along with her siblings, that we will lean into her Creator to teach us even more how to have Faith in him at all times.