This week...

Cam has (another) severe ear infection. His irrepressible cheerfulness during the day is extremely deceiving, but we decided to take him to the paediatrician after a sleepless Monday night. Dr du Toit wants Cam’s hearing to be protected at all costs, and developed optimally, so he has referred him to an ENT specialist who will be able to tell whether or not he will need grommets… Sigh.

And he lost a contact lens at school yesterday.

Still, we’re grateful for antibiotics, and wise doctors, and eight hours of sleep two nights in a row, and our happy boy, and so many happy things.

Camping!

This weekend we went camping in the Pilanesberg. Cameron has never been so dirty. He had the time if his life. He played in the dust endlessly, happy as a clam. It was pretty scary for us, at night particularly, because he was utterly fearless, running into other people’s campsites, or running into the braai, or into thorn bushes…

We were hoping to lie in the tent together at night, listening to the sounds of the bushveld. Alas, we lay in the tent listening to the sounds of boeremusiek coming from our neighbouring campers… Still, it was amazing to be in the bush (and Cam got his own back by waking most of the campsite at 2 am…). It was such a blessing for us to see how much he enjoyed just being in the great wide open, how he seemed to see a mongoose that came really close up to him in our campsite, and how confidently he handled being in a totally new environment.

The experience did make us aware of some of the things we will need to equip him for in the future (like negotiating guy ropes, and the path to the ablutions).

Marc, Rebecca and Abigail joined us for the day on Saturday, which was fantastic! Cam has pretty much ignored Abby up to now – he hasn’t really seen her – but this weekend he seemed quite chuffed with her, smiling and bashing her on the head (in a flirtatious kind of way).

We ended up coming back a little earlier than planned because Cam suddenly got a high temperature, and we didn’t fancy the thought of dealing with possible febrile convulsions and boeremusiek, in the middle of the night. Thankfully, he is absolutely fine now.

The other pics are of Cam licking his latest touch ‘n feel book… You know, as one does…? And of him discovering Spring in the garden.

Mom’s holiday in full swing…

At the beginning of my four week August holiday I prayed that God would somehow make the time go slowly for me, and he really has. I still have a week and a half to go and I feel so very rested, and have been able to spend such precious quality and quantity time with Cam.

During term time I normally just walk around the campus with Lola and Cam in the afternoons, but since all my College boys are away and there are no incidental conversations to strike up on campus, I’ve been walking in the streets of our leafy suburb. Cam loves gates and garage doors (they’re usually big and in contrast to their surroundings and he sees them from a surprising distance), and shrubs that grow close to the pavement and that he can touch. Today he discovered Namaqualand daisies – a real winner!

This weekend, DV, we’re taking him on his first camping trip, to the Pilanesberg. Really looking forward to that. :) I’m excited for him to hear lots of real bird sounds (as opposed to the bird sounds on his Guy Gibbons CD).

Something that amazes us, in terms of the adaption of Cam’s other senses, is the way that he climbs off his bed in the middle of the night and makes his way to our bedroom (down two stairs and through the obstacle-filled lounge), in the dark, without his contact lenses. (OK, sometimes we do find him and his blanky in the kitchen; but still!)

If you check out this blog because you have a blind or VI child of your own, perhaps it will be encouraging for me to share one of my daily coping mechanisms. This is especially helpful on days when I feel utterly overwhelmed by the magnitude of my responsibility as a mom. I’m into ‘checklists’ (I’m a structured person…). So I have three ‘daily fives’ – I thank God for five things, then I pray five prayers for us as parents and five prayers for Cam. These are the same ten prayers every day. I wrote them down when we found out I was pregnant with Cam (so they have nothing to do with his eyes, per se). I pray other prayers, too - normal, everyday, free-parking-bay prayers - but the daily fives are the underpinnings of what I bring before the throne.

Then I have a ‘daily four’: elements that I have to bring into Cam’s day. Prayer, laughter, learning and adventure. These can be in little or big doses, but they all have to appear, at least once, everyday. (If you are not a structured person this might freak you out :) No worries!)

Lastly, I’m including something that our treasured friend Lourika Kotzee posted on her blog yesterday. She is currently walking the harrowing road of chemotherapy. Her steadfast faith and joy are an inspiration to us and to so many people. She is another example of how our pain gives us a platform and a megaphone with which to broadcast the glory of God.

Today I want to tell you about the two Camerons I know.

The first is Cameron Van Den Burgh, the SA swimming sensation. I used to teach him at Cornwall Hill College, back when we was in grade 9. Accounting and EMS (Economic and Management Sciences). He was always one of the most polite, well-mannered pupils I have ever taught. It doesn't even surprise me that he is doing so well. I am so proud of his achievements!

The second Cameron is Cameron Reyburn - My little BIG hero! Cameron is the first born son to our very good friends Murray and Dalene. He is only three days younger than Ivan.

Cameron was born with bilateral congenital cataracts. He has undergone many examinations under anesthetics and had operations. Always being so brave!

We "catch up" on news of his progress via his blog (where we got the idea of starting our own blog - thanks Cam!). He is doing so well and is reaching milestones right on time! He is even going to a mainstream play school. He is blessed with a bunch of great people that is helping him in so many ways. Every time I read about his daily life and all the things he is up to, my heart swells with pride. It is such a privilege to know this little boy. When I feel down in the dumps, I think of his bright smile!

Cameron Reyburn is indeed my little BIG hero - with a heart of gold and the courage of a lion. I learn so much from him. And maybe the most important lesson, to be like a child again. To enjoy the simple, little things in life. And to take these things on with a child-like enthusiasm and excitement.

Luke 18:15-17 'Jesus called them to him, saying, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it."

Let's all be like children again.

http://lourikakotzee.blogspot.com/

Come on, summer!

Of light and the wilderness

Below is an extract from one of my uncle’s (Peter Grobler) recent emails:

Someone has said that God allows us to hit the bottom in order to discover that He is the rock at the bottom! That until we find Him “down there”, we haven’t found Him at all. For Israel, the wilderness was their bottom – and also the place in which they began to see… The wilderness breaks us, but draws us to dependence on Him. On the mountain top we’re overwhelmed by His presence. In the wilderness we’re overwhelmed by His absence. In both places we find we’re overwhelmed by who His is. That He is both our richest desire and our most desperate need. It’s the wilderness that detoxifies us of our self-sufficiency and complacency, that we might depend on Him. Israel needed that, and so do we. Incredible as it seems, Israel became so used to living in slavery they were angry that Moses would free them (Ex.5:21). The wilderness urges us from complacency, from the desire to be left alone to our devices and desires, our safety zone, that we may experience the brokenness without which we cannot trust Him – “If this job is going to be done, You will have to do it through me. I’ll trust You.”

Samuel Rutherford, the 17th century theologian, wrote while in prison (and suffering so), “If you should see a man shut up in a closed room idolizing a set of lamps and rejoicing in their light, and you wished to make him truly happy, you would begin by blowing out all his lamps; and then you would open the shutters to let in the light of heaven.” So often its “the wilderness” that blows out the lamps, and so prepares us for the light of heaven. And so begins the paradox – “that when I am weak, then I am strong.” That the wilderness is FOR me. That until He comes again, life will always be partly mountain top, partly wilderness. That no single disaster will ever be without His grace. That the same sunshine that melts the butter, hardens the clay. That the cold that freezes the food, also preserves it. That in all things is found the touch, the hand, the heart, the sublime paradox: that the Father of light is found even in the darkness. …(W)e worship an absolute God, who is absolutely holy, absolutely present….. and that though each day comes with good and bad, He is always good. Though light and dark, He is always light. Sorrow and joy – He is the fullness of joy – that He is not yes and no, but always yes!

Sixteen months today

I’m on holiday, which is glorious! I feel like I am in green pastures, beside quiet waters.

Cam is doing absolutely fine. We remarked this morning that it’s actually been a couple of weeks since we’ve had to take him to a doctor…!? Yay!

A new pair of silicon hydragel lenses arrived from the UK on Monday, so Cam has the luxury once again of a long afternoon nap (his morning sleep is now a thing of the past, so for the past few weeks he has only been sleeping for half an hour, once a day).

Everyday, he is saying more, doing more, understanding more. I’m struck that it’s such a daily miracle, watching a child’s growing and becoming. René, his teacher at Heavenly Babies, says that he has already made tremendous progress in terms of his navigation, social interaction, free play, etc. She is confident and optimistic about his potential to the point of being almost completely unsympathetic about his VI status! :)

Cam has spent time with all six of his cousins this week – a real treat! (The pics are of Meagan and Craig’s visit, yesterday.) And Ben, Tyla and Dylan came to play yesterday, too. It’s so sweet to watch the little men pottering around together.