Smashing and Dashing

...when your head grows to fit your driving cap, and all the ladies think you are simply smashing, and the gentlemen think you are dashing.

Happy Four Months, Sarge!

Tonight we sat around the table and shared with each other what we love about having Sarge in our family. The answers?

"chubby cheeks"
"his dimples"
"holding him"
"he's cuddly"
"the way his eyes light up when he sees you and you know he knows who you are"
"the reminder he is of God's goodness and mercy"

Before we know it, his fingerprints will be on the walls, and he'll be saying "Dada" and getting into his siblings' stuff. But for now, I'm thankful for every bit of babyhood that's still left, and I'm determined to savor every minute of it.

With love,
Trisha

The Girl and The Book and The Baby

Happy Three Months, Sarge!

Look at how much you've grown, sweet baby! Happy 3 months today!  Your cheeks are so full they jiggle on dirt roads, and you've been sporting that second chin for a while. 

You've already pushed your way out of those teenie-tiny newborn outfits, and the newborn diapers were history weeks ago. You've given me smiles over and over now, and that look you give me when I'm with you...that look! It's a look only of God's making. Your eyes light up, and your heart beats faster. And then my heart beats faster, and I wish I could just freeze that moment and go back to it years from now when I call your name and you look at me, but you're distracted by a million other things.

 "What's wrong. Haven't you ever seen such handsome chins before?"

I know it's been an ordeal finding you a nickname. Who knew it would be such a tug-of-war? Your older brothers affectionately named you "Chuckle Pig," and after some time, that name was quite endearing (and they still call you that). But, I couldn't imagine, nor could your Daddy, calling you "Chuckle Pig" when you are 5. So, Daddy, who has the privilege of bestowing nicknames anyway, chose "Sarge."  He says you look like you're ready to take command. I agree.

I think that no other time in our lives flies by so quickly as when we're watching a baby grow. I'm not a new Mama who thinks these baby days might last forever. I know very well that in the blink of an eye, you'll be a man. Your two older brothers remind me of this truth every day, and when I see those older Moms in the store, the ones with children grown up long ago, I still see that longing look in their eyes, the longing to go back and enjoy the little years again, even for just a moment. Seeing a baby fresh from God when all your babies aren't babies anymore does that to you.

And while I'm delighting in God's goodness in growing you and your siblings, I'm not eager to shoo my babies out of the nest.  I've never said, "I can't wait until ____ leaves.  I can't wait to be DONE." (Because is a parent really ever DONE?)   Instead, I look at boys becoming men and little ladies on their way to womanhood, and I have bits of regret, wishing I would have been a better reflection of Christ. I ponder the grace that has brought me thus far, and it brings me to tears and to my knees. 

But, I'm enjoying what your siblings are becoming, their lives evidences of God's grace. It is the greatest show on earth to see God at work in each one of us, making us all more like Jesus, keeping us in His tender care. Seasons are good, and right now, you're in the baby season, so I'm trying to enjoy it with every fiber of my being while savoring the toddler season, the preschooler season, the young adult season, and everything else in between. I'm praying God will etch these memories deep in my heart so time won't steal them away.

And yes.  I really am a compulsive picture taker, and perhaps the click of the camera is getting a bit old to you.  Maybe it's my way of holding on when I know I really can't hold on, but perhaps it's more my knowing that, as much as I want to remember, I'll forget just what you looked like at these different stages. 

But these pictures I take are just an earthly thing, prone to corruption, while my mothering of you leaves an impression for eternity. I pray that in the way I love you, in the way I teach you, you'll see Jesus, for your mother has such feet of clay and will disappoint you and sin against you and fail you. But He, your Savior, never will. Oh, that He would choose such a vessel to be your mother, clothing me in the righteousness of Christ and refining me ever so patiently.

You're just 3 months, but it seems like you've been with us forever. May God continue to give us the grace to love you well, reminding you every moment that you belong to Him. Because even though we love you so very, very deeply, Jesus, yes precious Jesus, loves you even more.  And I pray that you can never, ever recall a day in your life when you didn't love Him, too.


Love, 
Mommy

Elijah's Advice to You on His First Thanksgiving

Elijah finds it amusing that on this Thanksgiving Day there will be those who will spend more time counting their calories than their blessings. He's graciously offered his fresh perspective on giving thanks today.

1) Count God's mercies instead of carbs.

2) Enjoy butter and heavy cream and toss the tofu-laden brownies.

3) Say "I love you" without reserve and squeeze all of your loved ones tighter and longer, like you should be doing every day.

4) Laugh heartily and often.

5) Be ALL THERE, wherever you are. Not checking texts and tweets and Facebook updates while little and big ones beg for your attention, your eyes, your face, YOU.

6) Make known the Ebenezers He's given you this past year, and recount the ones from previous years. How good the LORD is in everything He does!

7) Pray for those for whom this day will be a great struggle to give thanks, be it because of serious illness or tragedy or profound sadness. Pray the joy of the LORD will abound.

And his most important one of all...

8) Avoid excessive pinching of chubby baby's cheeks.


HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Much love from the Poff Clan

***photo credit to Luke, who can be completely dangerous when left alone with a baby and a camera and a few props...

Sweet Rolls

Chinny-chin-chins

Every baby needs a place to put his double chins.

Delight-full

Three Weeks

"Here is a little mouth to kiss; here are two more feet to make music with their pattering about my nursery. Here is a soul to train for God...Yes, my precious baby, you are welcome to your mother's heart, welcome to her time, her strength, her health, to her most tender cares, to her life-long prayers! Oh how rich I am, how truly, how wondrously blest!"
~Elizabeth Prentiss, Stepping Heavenward

In Which I Marvel Since I Cannot Measure

"Oh how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee, which Thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men."

Psalm 31:19

*****

While Ink and I were doing some grocery shopping yesterday, we had a close call with another vehicle that decided to run a red light. My hesitation to turn immediately on cue quickly morphed into a prayer of thanks to the LORD for His protection. There are endless mercies that God pours out on us daily that we never even see, and then there are the ones right before us. We have an obligation to Him and to each other to declare those mercies and praise His name. It is shameful for us to let those mercies leave our minds and hearts, never flowing from our tongues or passing through our pens.

And what a difference two weeks makes! I've gone from wondering how my surgery would go and wondering if God would grant me the mercy to make it through. I've prayed much about Elijah's nursing habits and his circumcision and hospital bills and a host of other issues.

And, of course, there was that list of prayer requests I shared with you.

Spurgeon reminds us that sometimes we have no words to express our thanks to God for His goodness to us.

"...when words cannot measure we can marvel; and though we may not calculate with accuracy, we can adore with fervency."

I'm listing His benefits to me here, but I can't take a piece of my heart, this gratitude and awe that brings me to my knees and puts me in tears, and aptly offer it to you. But I pray that today you might be encouraged in even the smallest way, and years from now when my children read this, they'll be reminded of the faithful God we serve and their hearts will be strengthened and enlarged with even more love to their God.

"...there are no measures which can set forth the immeasurable goodness of Jehovah, who is goodness itself. Holy amazement uses interjections where adjectives utterly fail."

~C.H.Spurgeon

Thanks be to God for His infinite mercies:

~As my doctor was leaving the operating room, he let me know that a regular delivery would probably have had complications, since the cord was wrapped around Elijah's neck.

~The anesthesiologist who did my spinal was actually the same one who wouldn't believe I had a spinal headache after delivering Jedediah. This man put us through the wringer just to get a blood patch and only believed me after I had the procedure done. You can imagine my dread when I realized he was the doctor. BUT, this is how God turned this for good. BECAUSE I stumped him with my spinal headache last time, he was very vigilant in doing everything he could to prevent one this time around. His methods worked, and I am SO thankful not to have suffered through one of those headaches again.

~Most of my nurses were wonderful! One especially touched me with her words of praise for our large family when I realized she was battling infertility herself. Her gracious spirit was humbling and unforgettable.

~My doctor released me the next evening. I was so glad to get home so I could actually rest, but I didn't even consider how much that would save us in hospital bills. An unexpected and very welcome mercy!

~Elijah came out screaming, weighing the most of any of our babies at a whopping 7 lbs. 0.6 ounces, and scoring 9 on the Apgar. :)

~My pain management was the best I've had in all of my c-sections.

~My bladder didn't tear!

~I didn't hemorrhage, and I haven't during any of my c-sections. What a great mercy this is!

~For the first time in my history of having babies, my husband and I had a pastor, our very own pastor, to pray with us before I went into the operating room. Do you know what a gift that is? 

~Chick-Fil-A did not run out of waffle fries. :)

~I didn't get sick during the operation, but I did afterwards. HOWEVER, it lasted no where near as long as in the past.

~There were no rude remarks within hearing distance about our family size or the number of c-sections I've had.

~Elijah is healthy. All systems in order and working well. :) How I marvel when just looking at his fingers and toes and ears and his nose, and I consider that God knits all babies together so perfectly, no matter how we define "perfect."

 Emma reads to Elijah, and Elijah listens with great attention. :)

I think "naps with babies" has not been sufficiently recognized as a supreme therapy for whatever ails you.

Perhaps my biggest mercy is God's reminding me through every minute of these days at home what a gift His love and grace are. I would call myself Mama Ogress (feminine form of Ogre)...tears one minute, anger the next, and then much repentance and tears again, and much laughter and joy, too. Oh, it that what schizophrenia is? And I guess Ogres aren't usually repentant. Ok, I'll just say that I'm sure it's been an adventure to live with me and my hormones and my sin nature these past couple of weeks. What a mercy it is to have such a loving and forgiving family!

That God would save and then pour out such endless benefits on a wretch like me...

"Answered prayers are silken bonds which bind our hearts to God."

~C.H.Spurgeon

Much love,

Trisha

These First Baby Days

I had forgotten what a mixed bag these postpartum days can be. I'm over the moon in baby love with Elijah and so thankful for God's innumerable mercies. I'm surrounded by so much life and tokens of His goodness and mercy. And then I have my moments in the valley, too, as I think of how different welcoming baby number nine is from earlier blessings.

There are empty places at the table of our welcoming party. My Dad and Ben's Dad aren't here to see this Little Man. My cousin, Michele, who always made such a big deal of our babies, is gone, too. And honestly, by the time you've had this many children, family members and friends often lose interest. The cards are fewer (a casualty of our digital age) and the baby gifts, too. No matter how many children you have, you never tire of seeing another "congratulations" splattered across pink or blue paper or opening another pack of diapers. These are tangible things that say, "We're so glad your baby is here!"

But the silence around this table reminds me how disconnected our own families are. Many members wouldn't be able to tell you how many children we have, and especially not all of their names. How do we get to such a place of being strangers after spending our earliest days together, and how do we keep our own children from suffering the same as they grow older and live their own lives away from one another?

And of course, just like death, life begs you to reevaluate everything you're doing. How am I investing my time? Have I done well by my other children? What really matters and is that what I'm pouring my energy into?

One might say all this thinking is just hormonal, but I think instead it comes with aging and being more aware of how precious life is and how unexpectedly death comes and wanting to have lived each moment in between for God's glory. It's such a tall order. But for His grace...

 Jedediah is comforting Elijah with the news that a more masculine boppy cover is on the way. :)

Jake plays for Elijah.

 Ella could do this all day.

 Elisabeth expresses the joy we all feel in having Elijah with us.

Babymoon

Just popping in for this short post to thank everyone for your prayers! There's much to be thankful for and to share. My doctor let me go home yesterday, and I've got a bit of recovering to do. I feel like a train wreck, and I still haven't figured out how to split a baby eight ways...yes, all of the children want piece of sweet Elijah.

My Emma captured this one of him today. God gave Elijah two dimples...one on his chin, just like Emma, and the one you see in the picture.

Thank you again for your encouraging words. What a blessing each of your comments is to us all.

Much love,
Trisha

Elijah Henry

Ink here. I guess I'm the de facto messenger boy, since my Mom isn't exactly up to blogging at the moment. So without further obfuscation...

Elijah Henry entered the world this morning at 8:13 AM. He weighs 7.06 lbs and is 19 and 1/2 inches long. Oh, and he has dark hair. *fist pump*

As you can see, the look on his face suggests that being born wasn’t exactly his idea of a good time. Just wait ’til he arrives home – he has no clue what a crazy family he’s been born into.

More pictures to come. Your prayers for Mom's continued recovery will be greatly appreciated.

In Preparation and Anticipation

We're down to the final hours.

Finding comfort in His words. Tea and scones. Laundering tiny pieces of clothing. Packing the diaper bag. Last minute deep cleaning. Blessing Bags for our children. Some tears. Praying. Lots of praying. Reflection on His mercies throughout this pregnancy. Lots of reflection.

God-willing, we'll meet Elijah Henry tomorrow morning. Ink will post an update here, and if you're on FB with me, then you'll see my Beloved's announcement there.

In case you missed my specific prayer requests, here they are again...

) Wisdom and skilled hands for my doctor
2) Competent and kind and compassionate nurses and anesthesiologist
3) Lots of healthy, loud screaming from Elijah and a blow-them-away-with -a-10 score on the Apgar
4) No torn bladder or other complications from the c-section
5) No getting sick during or after the c-section
6) That Elijah would take to nursing without any problems
7) That Chick-Fil-A wouldn't run out of waffle fries (had to insert a bit of humor here). They just built one not even a block from the hospital! Have I mentioned that I never eat hospital food? My Beloved eats the meals and then buys me something else. Yes, I'm blessed.
8) A super-calm spirit for me and a clear mind that focuses on the truth of His Word, regardless of my circumstances, and is ever aware of His mercies.

Thank you for the encouragement you've given me throughout this pregnancy. You simply can't imagine how deep that blessing runs.

With love,
Trisha

Her Plans, His Plans

"Thus it is well that Jehovah trieth the righteous, 

for it causeth them to grow rich in God."

~C.H. Spurgeon

There was a woman with child who made great plans. The list she made was her vehicle to contentment and a deep sense of accomplishment. She'd cheerfully check off each thing done and would then be ready to welcome the new baby.

She dreamed of de-cluttered bookshelves and school boxes, organized closets and deep cleaned rooms, menu plans, and freezer foods. She expected to have lesson plans done for the year and cute binders lined up all in a row. After all, isn't this what the Proverbs 31 woman would do right before having a baby?

It would all be smooth sailing. Well, as smooth as life can be in a household of 10.

BUT God...

Well, He actually directs her steps. And He had a very different plan in mind. It started with a bit of a hailstorm.

The house was damaged and the trees were bare. The Woman-With-the-Plans felt a bit overwhelmed but was thankful for God's protection and His mercy.

The next day brought another blow to getting things done. "You need to replace all of your tires," the salesman said. And we had to admit that five years worth of driving on those van tires was something to be thankful for. Still, spending that much money on new tires when school books were needed and house repairs had to be done was hard to swallow. But the Woman-With-the-Plans praised God for His provision.

Meanwhile, sickness had been floating around this woman's house for almost a month. As baby's arrival got closer, she prayed even harder that all of the coughing and fatigue would disappear. As a precaution, she took her three year old to the doctor. This is one time antibiotics would have been a welcome suggestion from the doctor, but the Woman-With-the-Plans got more than that.

She got a ride in an ambulance since her 3-1/2 year old needed to be hospitalized for some complications from pneumonia.  She got a sassy nurse, swollen ankles, very little sleep, a far-away bathroom, an annoying financial rep. who wanted copies of id and insurance at 6:45 in the morning, and a bill for hospital food that no one even ate.

It was at this point the Woman-With-the-Plans developed a bit of amnesia. She murmured at her conditions and told herself if was too much. She spent too much time counting her crosses instead of her mercies. She fixed her eyes on those plans that continued to slip away instead of her God who is steadfast and faithful.

She had her plans, and He had his. Her plans were for organization and comfort and ease. His were for affliction and trials and purging. In the midst of it all, as He always does, He poured out great mercies that lessened the bitter taste of those afflictions.

~Our house suffered much less damage than many around us. It could have been so much worse.
~The insurance company looked at the damage last Thursday, and we had a check by Tuesday.
~Our brand new roof wasn't damaged at all.
~God preserved us from danger while driving with those worn tires.
~Our pediatrician was very thorough and helpful.
~ Claire got the hospital care she needed and was discharged the next evening. She's doing well at home and is still on oxygen.
~My Beloved was actually home that day Claire was admitted to the hospital, and he stayed with us both that night. What a blessing!
~The gift of available healthcare.
~The blessing of having other saints intercede for us!
~Sweet Ella has had to start antibiotics, but she's already feeling better.
~We have older, responsible children who manage everything quite well when we're gone.
~The emergency tech who took care of Claire in the ambulance was a Christian.
~The compassion that flows as result of your own afflictions to others who are enduring repeated trials.
~God showed me once again how deep my ingratitude runs and how easily my eyes shift from Jesus to my affliction, AND how He never fails to provide what we need and so much of what we want.

Claire with the big oxygen tank she uses at night. 

Her daytime one is much more portable. :)

"Our Lord in His infinite wisdom and superabundant love, sets so high a value upon His people's faith that He will not screen them from those trials by which faith is strengthened."
~C.H. Spurgeon

Most of the things on that list won't get done before baby arrives. But as my wise Beloved reminded me, "What needs to have gotten done will have been done." The same faithful God who directs our steps into afflictions that make us more like Christ will give me the grace I need in the days ahead to accomplish what He's set before me and let go of the rest. (Please, Lord, help me let go of the rest.)

"Providence carries our lives, liberties and concerns in its hands every moment. Your bread is in its cupboard, your money in its purse, your safety in its enfolding arms; and surely it is the least part of what you owe to record the favours you receive at its hands."
~John Flavel

What a great privilege it is in every trial to see what He has done and to record those mercies and declare them to our children. That's a much greater gift than the best-made plans that make us boast of our accomplishments instead of the mighty works of God.

With love,
Trisha