From Phoebe:
Well it’s hard to believe all that’s happened since we last blogged! Suddenly we are THREE. A family. With little baby to love and cherish, called Zoe Miracle Bakker. Zoe, meaning LIFE, and, life abundant, or, life to the fullest. It doesn’t mean just mere existence, but overflowing, passionate life.
Then there is the Miracle part. Well, for a start, isn’t all new life miraculous? Aren’t babies proof that God thinks the world should go on? When I hold little Zoe’s hand in mine, and see how perfectly formed she is in every detail down to the half moons on her fingernails, I think life should go on too! mily. With a little baby to love and cherish, called Zoe Miracle Bakker Zoe is 8 weeks old and Tim and I are still pinching ourselves. We can’t believe she’s OURS and we get to keep her! We’re not auditioning for the role of her parents…we won the part! We sit and stare at her while she sleeps, ignoring all advice to ‘sleep when she sleeps’, and she must be the worlds most photographed baby!. When I was pregnant, it seemed everyone wanted to warn me about the sleepless nights, the endless nappy changes, the disarray of the home, the way I’ll never be able to just duck up to the shops or out for a coffee without a bag full of baby paraphernalia, and all those other stories parents love to pass on to would-be-parents, but no one told me how full my heart would be. How does someone who is only 54cm long take up so much room in our hearts?
Then there is the Miracle part. Well, for a start, isn’t all new life miraculous? Aren’t babies proof that God thinks the world should go on? When I hold little Zoe’s hand in mine, and see how perfectly formed she is in every detail down to the half moons on her fingernails, I think life should go on too! mily. With a little baby to love and cherish, called Zoe Miracle Bakker Zoe is 8 weeks old and Tim and I are still pinching ourselves. We can’t believe she’s OURS and we get to keep her! We’re not auditioning for the role of her parents…we won the part! We sit and stare at her while she sleeps, ignoring all advice to ‘sleep when she sleeps’, and she must be the worlds most photographed baby!. When I was pregnant, it seemed everyone wanted to warn me about the sleepless nights, the endless nappy changes, the disarray of the home, the way I’ll never be able to just duck up to the shops or out for a coffee without a bag full of baby paraphernalia, and all those other stories parents love to pass on to would-be-parents, but no one told me how full my heart would be. How does someone who is only 54cm long take up so much room in our hearts? 
From Tim:
Looking back over the last year my heart fills itself with a real sense of satisfaction, contentment, gratitude, and hope for the days to come. What a full year it was!
And looking at where we are now, I can say we are more than blessed! First of all we have a beautiful daughter, our Zoe Miracle! Nothing could prepare me for the whole range of new emotions that have filled my heart, it’s a whole new world! She is an absolute miracle! In other cultures they talk about the pregnant women having happiness inside…well that happiness is now sleeping, feeding, and filling nappies in our home.
Apart from that we feel so supported by God, family, friends, church, acquaintances and the Australian government. Everything we needed has come our way. As the Bible promises to His people that: “He gently leads those that have young” (Isaiah 40:11)
God has really lead us gently in this season by providing for all our needs, and giving us Zoe to look after. And Zoe has such a peaceful and gentle spirit… it might have helped that she has received so much love, prayer, welcoming, and a sense of acceptance and belonging even before she was born! I’m looking forward to getting to know the uniqueness of who she is, caring for her, loving her, and teaching her God’s ways.
Looking back over the last year my heart fills itself with a real sense of satisfaction, contentment, gratitude, and hope for the days to come. What a full year it was!
And looking at where we are now, I can say we are more than blessed! First of all we have a beautiful daughter, our Zoe Miracle! Nothing could prepare me for the whole range of new emotions that have filled my heart, it’s a whole new world! She is an absolute miracle! In other cultures they talk about the pregnant women having happiness inside…well that happiness is now sleeping, feeding, and filling nappies in our home.
Apart from that we feel so supported by God, family, friends, church, acquaintances and the Australian government. Everything we needed has come our way. As the Bible promises to His people that: “He gently leads those that have young” (Isaiah 40:11)
God has really lead us gently in this season by providing for all our needs, and giving us Zoe to look after. And Zoe has such a peaceful and gentle spirit… it might have helped that she has received so much love, prayer, welcoming, and a sense of acceptance and belonging even before she was born! I’m looking forward to getting to know the uniqueness of who she is, caring for her, loving her, and teaching her God’s ways.
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