Our leader

While Serene has indubitably been the star of our household since she's arrived, Alex is our showstopper of a leader. I am so grateful for my dear husband, who has been beyond patient and sacrificial to put all of his responsibilities aside in order to wholeheartedly take care of me and the baby, not only during the first few weeks postpartum, but also since last week once I made an unforeseen jaunt to the ER for surgery. I had accumulated a few spider bites that got dangerously infected and became unbearably swollen and painful so that I could no longer walk or sit without crying, which entailed some major slashing into my skin and tissue to remove the bacterial buildup.

I've been in recovery mode for a week now, which has been humbling. The first few days post-surgery were agonizing. I was confined to bed and was not able to do even the most basic tasks without Alex's help since I could not get up or walk on my own. I couldn't really take care of Serene, which made me so incredibly sad. I felt so helpless, but God taught me that I must care for this body He’s given me, and trust that this is working together for my good, for nothing occurs outside of his control. I had been feeling anxious because my doctor said I had the worst spider bites he'd ever seen, and that if they didn't get better, I'd have to undergo another major surgery. Praising God for His grace because as of today, my wounds seem to be healing to the point where I am able to amble around a bit and do other things (like blog!), though we are anticipating a few more weeks until I am fully up and running again. What a pertinent reminder that in the grand scheme of things, this really is no big deal at all, particularly when I reflect on the devastation permeating the Philippines left by last week's typhoon. We have been praying fervently for God's mercy upon the people there, especially since it is home to many we know and love. Thankful for organizations who've rallied to provide relief and aid, so that we can help in a minuscule way.