The Vinson Family

Disney World

2011-11-07T22:51:00.002-06:00

We went to Disney World to celebrate Norah's fifth birthday and stayed through Halloween. It was our first real family vacation and we all had a blast. Our first day in the park was Norah's birthday so we had lunch and birthday cake at Cinderella's Castle. We spent the second day at the Animal Kingdom, and really enjoyed Finding Nemo - The Musical. We went Soarin' at Epcot on the third day. Once the rain cleared on the last day we had a great time at Hollywood Studios and then went back to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Norah and I stayed at the dance party until almost midnight. I think it was the best day of her life.

Here is an exhaustive list of all the attractions we managed to fit in:

Met Sleeping Beauty, Belle, and Cinderella at the Town Square Theater
Rode the Walt Disney World Railroad
Rode on the Teacups (a.k.a. the Mad Tea Party)
Rode the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
Met Rapunzel
Rode Dumbo The Flying Elephant
Rode the carrousel again
Rode the teacups again
Had lunch at The Cinderella Castle where we met Snow White, Aurora, Jasmine, and Ariel
Rode "it's a small world"
Rode The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
Saw Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room
Met Vidia and Tinkerbell
Rode Peter Pan's Flight
Rode the teacups again

And that was just the first day!

Isaac Finley

2011-04-16T23:16:00.001-05:00

Most of you already know that my new son was born on Tuesday, December 21st at 4:11 p.m. He weighted 8 pounds and 3 ounces. I started working on this post shortly after his birth while we were still working on picking his name. At the time, we were calling him "Bear", a nickname that the nurses thought fitting given his barrel chest and ability to hold his head up.

We ended up Naming him Isaac Finley. The middle name is after my grandfather (or me if I am feeling particularly self-focused). His first name has a story.

About year ago, Erica came to me and told me she wanted to try again. By this time we had already lost 4, and I had given up. We were done with our foster care training and I was focused on that. Nevertheless, I told her I'd pray about it. I was prepared to take the next step, which was to contact the specialist and have them do bloodwork. I figured the diagnosis would reveal that having a child would be difficult and expensive, and we could move on.

While we were waiting on the results one of Erica's friends had a prophecy. I should preface this by saying that this doesn't happen very often to us or her friend. She said God told her that we would have a son within a year. Sound familiar?

When God sent his angels to tell Abraham he was going to have a son, he had already given up as well. In fact, rather than rejoicing, he said "If only Ishmael might live under your blessing". Translation: I've already got this figured out, and my way sounds much better. My response to the prophesy was similar. I wrote it off as bad pizza and was secretly upset when Erica believed it.

When the doctor called with the results, Erica and I interpreted his findings differently. Erica: "Great news, I have a treatment plan that will work for you!" Me: "This is going to be expensive, painful, and obviously not the right thing to do." I was surprised that Erica was ready to try again. I felt like I was swimming upstream. I convinced her to wait a week and make our decision when we got back from our working vacation in Evanston, IL.

On our second day in Evanston, we found out Erica was pregnant. The news was terrifying. The Doctor said we had a 30% chance of success, and finding out of state treatment was harrowing. My mother's response wasn't helpful: "You do know where baby's come from right?"

The real work began when we returned. Erica had to get IV infusions Every two to three weeks. Insurance wouldn't cover it, the costs were staggering, and that wasn't the worst part. Each night I pleaded with God to keep our baby alive; terrified this would be our fifth miscarriage.

After a few months Erica didn't need the infusions anymore, and fear gave way to hope. Finally, on December 21st at 4:11pm, God fulfilled his blessing.

In my next post, the delivery.

It's a boy!

2010-09-02T03:22:00.000-05:00

due December 31st

Norah's Dance Recital

2010-05-31T09:20:00.002-05:00

Norah had her first Dance Recital Last week. We weren't allowed to bring cameras to the recital, but I did manage to get video of the dress rehearsal. I think I've watched it about 20 times. You only have to watch it once. Norah is on the far right.

Easter Season

2010-04-07T14:32:00.008-05:00

Norah speaks little of Easter Bunnies, but she loved the "Easter Ponies." She road a pony for the first time at the Clinton Museum. She also found eggs, make a necklace and played games. But picking flowers to give away was her favorite activity, after the Easter Ponies of course.

Malika, Norah, Carl, Erica and Finley at the Clinton Museum Easter Egg Hunt (notice the boy standing on Dad's head. oops!)

We went to a Helicopter Egg Drop. Unfortunatley we were 2 minutes late, so Norah did not find any eggs. But a couple of the older kids gave her eggs, and then we went out for ice cream!

On Easter, we had a huge egg hunt in our backyard. We painted eggs and stuffed plastic ones, making up for the previous less bountiful hunts. Then we had lunch with the Vinsons. What a Easter. Fin said I went a bit overboard, calling it "Easter Christmas."

Perhaps, but the best part of the Season was a Maunday Thursday service we attended at church. That plus nightly family Bible time really grounded the season for us. The fun time with family was icing.

A snapshot

2010-02-25T12:30:00.003-06:00

I am preparing for a dear friend's shower. It's been emotional; it took me two trips to the store Target to decide what to buy. You see, our babies would have been born within a month of each other. I heard from another sweet friend, who recenlty found out their baby no longer has a heartbeat. And another friend is getting her 20 week ultrasound this week, a healthy baby after a string of miscarriages. I pray blessings on all of them!

Testing

2010-02-19T13:44:00.002-06:00

We sent our first test to California yesterday! I was so nervous all day, nervous about starting the process and about the possible pain from the procedure. Well, the biopsy wasn't bad, but it was rough after for a few hours. On Monday, we go and do all the blood draws, 3 for Fin and about 35 for me; I know what to expect there so I'm not as nervous. Results coming soon . . .

Snow Days

2010-02-10T12:43:00.003-06:00

Norah and I got out today, after 2 days at home because of the snow. On the way home from a difficult lunch at Chick-fil-A (I was "the" mom leaving with a screaming child), we had this conversation:

Norah: Mommy, do you like me?
Erica: (thinking this was a heart issue, I emphatically answered) Yes, Norah. I do. I like you so, So, So much!
Norah: Good. (said with a blase voice) I like snow! It's crunchy!

I love that girl!

We've made contact

2010-01-21T12:47:00.004-06:00

I heard from the Beer Clinic yesterday; they have all my medical record and my online registration. They are going to review my files in 3 - 4 days and get back to me with the tests needed. It begins!

I read this in his book yesterday, "In fact, Dr Beer has found that women wiht one liveborn child followed by a history of infertility, IVF failure or miscarriage have the highest incidnece of autoimmune disorders. Comprising just a small fraction of all his patients, the unfortunate group has the most difficult immunoligical challenges to overcome in order to achieve a pregnancy."

Needless to say, I wasn't encouraged. But later, God lovingly reminded me that biological children are not our only option. Whatever we discover through these tests, we will be moving into something exciting because it's what God is doing. I have never know so much peace and joy at not getting my perfect way, and let me tell you, I like getting my way! I rejoice that perhaps I am growing in these area! He is very good to me.

MTHFR then what?

2010-01-11T15:11:00.003-06:00

Finley and I haven't been secretive about the miscarriages we've had after Norah, 4 in 2 years. We have gone through tests, prayed, gone to adoption Bible studies, and done foster care training. And here we are, trying to decide what to do next.
After all the tests, we know that I have a mild case of PCOS and 1 MTHFR C677t gene mutation. People with two copies of the gene mutation cannot break down folic acid, utilize B vitamins, and can get blood clots (in pregnancy, the blood clots can be in the placenta, killing the baby). I only have one copy, and lots of people do just great with one copy. But my miscarriage pattern (we've lost 2 babies after seeing the heartbeat) seems to be pointing to something immunoligical like this.
We are beyond the expertise of any doctors we know of in Arkansas. So, we have decided to become long-distance patients of the Alan E. Beer Clinic in California and finish our foster care paperwork. As a research facility, The Beer Clinic does some "cutting-edge" tests and treatments that aren't standared. We are going to get the remaining tests, see about the cost of treatment, and pray.
So I am currently peaceful. I am praying that we will be a part of what God is doing, whether through a miracle baby, foster care or adoption.

Christmas Decorations

2009-12-21T08:45:00.003-06:00

Norah decorated the house this morning. We have bows on knobs, pulls and all appliances. The door to her right is the trash. She said, "Look Daddy, now the trash is all beautiful." You go Norah, make the world's trash beautiful!

Christmas Treats

2009-12-15T13:14:00.004-06:00

Here is our "cookie house." Before you get too awed, it came pre-assembled. We just made the icing (which you cannot eat because it's made with egg whites!! What?!) and decorated it.

My mom and I made Christmas cookies every year when I was young. It was one of my favorite traditions. Norah stuck out the whole process; she helped make every cookie. The thumbprints are my favorite. My Grandma Struck made me a whole tin full the Christmas before she passed away.

This fudge is much easier than the one my mom and I made. I chose it so we could do shapes and decorations.

2009-11-11T14:34:00.001-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Norah's 3rd Birthday

2009-10-29T10:37:00.010-05:00

We had Norah's "Chuck E Cheese Princess Party" with "lots of friends" last night.

She had so much fun, and we were blessed to have so many friends and family members come!

Norah and I decorated the cupcakes. I didn't expect her to help me, but she really liked it.

I love Norah's sweet smile and Kyah's facial expression!

The kids

and adults had a good time!

Happy 3rd birthday Princess, Ballerina, Cinderella, Cooker and Our Little Girl!

Pillow Proud

2009-10-23T15:45:00.002-05:00

I am so proud of this pillow! It is the first thing I have sewn. I started a sewing class last night, 6 -9 pm. I thought we were going to take all 4 weeks to make our pillows. The teacher laughed. We made them in one night. My family was SO sweet. Norah asked for one. Finley asked for three. I should get pretty good at making pillows. Any Christmas requests?

Norah made her bed

2009-10-15T10:51:00.002-05:00

Norah made her bed for the 1st time this morning, and I didn't even ask her to! I must deserve some sort of Mom medal for this right? Probably not, especially if you look at the rest of my still-unpacking-unorganized-house. All the same, I am so proud of her, and it will remain all day, even the babies on the floor. Fin remined her to put them on the bed, and she informed him that there is simply "no room".

Going "bumpity bump"

2009-10-13T17:36:00.002-05:00

Finley and Norah took a Sunday last month and went off-roading at an ATV park in Hot Springs. They had a great time! Norah thought it was funny that the leaves were "tickling" Daddy's truck.

Dance Class

2009-09-11T15:08:00.002-05:00

Norah started dance class on Tuesday. Fin and I got to watch, and I was really impressed that they were learning real dance moves. All in all Norah did great, but at times, she was so funny. I wish I had a video of the teacher gracefuly pointing and tapping alternate toes while Norah's interpretation included bending her knee, grabbing her foot and bouncing.

Mother's Day is past

2009-09-08T16:29:00.010-05:00

"It has been Mother's Day at the Vinson Blog for a while," Sarah McGooden recently told me with her normal Sarah-tine whit. So, I will attempt to update and get back on track. Thanks for your gentle proding, friend.
Things we have done this summer:

1. MOVED! Oh yes, I am still unpacking.

2. Finley recently resigned from DCI. He will be the Traffic Engineer for Conway.

3. Gone to our new neighborhood pool and Wild River Country (Norah loved both)

4. Norah moved seamlessly into a big-girl-bed

5. Erica got heat stroke.

6. Norah is getting so funny! Today, she followed me around Kroger singing, "I have decided to follow Mommy. I have decided to follow Mommy, No turning back, No turning back . . ."

Norah' new room

Our new backyard

Norah and Reagan in the creek by our new house

Mother's Day

2009-05-14T15:56:00.005-05:00

I woke up first on Mother's Day. After Norah had been up for a while I asked Norah to wish me a Happy Mother's Day. She replied, "Naa, it's too scary." But I did get a Mother's Day dance and lots of cuddles, and the scary eventually wore off. : )
Thank you Finley and Norah for a wonderful Mother's Day.
I am so blessed to be your wife and mother!

Historic Arkansas Museum

2009-05-09T18:07:00.005-05:00

I was so glad to see a friend at the fair who could take our picture. And we should be having a dress-up picture coming!

Making a mother's day card. She gave it a lot of time and care and made dots for the first time.

Norah got to pet a chick, goat, snake and baby alligator. Yesterday, she told me, "Mommy, my love snakes." So she was very excited to get to touch one! Whose child is this?

We ate lunch at the RiverMarket.

Trip to the Zoo

2009-05-07T16:59:00.002-05:00

I could not believe how long this grizzly bear's claws were or how much (s)he liked attention. After multiple passes, Norah decided that the bear was "no scary anymore" and let me get this picture.

Bella

2009-03-13T18:09:00.004-05:00

Finley and I stayed up late watching a movie. Often when that happens, I regret the choice when the movie is over, and I look at the time. But not this time.

We watched Bella, a beautiful movie based on a true story. It was more like a good book than a lot of the movies we see, there was symbolism, foreshadowing and character development. And like all my favorite movies, I had to question things about myself and wrestle with God. I don't want to go into detail and give the movie away, but Finley and I both recommend it.

Tutu

2009-03-12T14:48:00.007-05:00

Call for Appointments

2009-03-09T11:07:00.004-05:00

Finley fell down the stairs a couple of weeks ago, then he fell again this weekend. Combined with the stress of redoing the house, he has had a stiff neck and back ever since. He is going to the chiropractor, massuse and getting many massages at home. Norah has starting rubbing Daddy's "back ouchie." This morning she enlarged her client base.

Chamomille

2009-02-22T22:36:00.003-06:00

Norah has started drinking tea with me in the morning - Chamomille Lemon. Here is her first go. She even held the pose for me while I went to get the camera.

Big Mommy

2009-02-08T20:51:00.006-06:00

This is "Big Mommy." If you squeeze her wing, she sings and jumps. We don't do that. Norah used to really like listening to Big Mommy, until Big Mommy fell and bumped her head while singing.

Norah calls any singular animal or person, "Mommy." I love it! I am honored to be so dear to her. If there is a second entity, it is Norah or Daddy, depending on size. And if there are three, we are all included.

To completely change gears:

Let me start with my defense. Norah has pneumonia, so we had Ramen noodles for lunch. Could there be anything more comforting or appeasing to an illness-induced picky eater?

I eat mine with chopsticks, using a twirling trick I learned from a college roommate. Norah wanted to use chopsticks. She quickly dropped one but was not deterred. She took many one noodle "bites" with one stick.

Being White in America

2009-02-08T12:51:00.004-06:00

About a year ago Ben Parkinson of Fellowship Memphis gave a sermon called "Being White in America". I recently listened to this sermon, and it has had a tremendous impact on me. I encourage all followers of Christ to listen to it. It is about one hour long. Click here to listen. I would also love to hear (or read) your comments. Thank you so much.

Through Norah's Eyes

2009-02-04T20:58:00.002-06:00

Norah looked at my wedding portrait the other day. She told me I looked pretty ("Mommy pretty") then commented that I had a "towel" on my head. I love getting to see things from her perspective.

And, my hcg levels are under 2!!

hcg

2009-01-19T15:39:00.004-06:00

My hcg levels are at 23!!!

I go back next Monday.

Funny Norah

2009-01-18T21:14:00.008-06:00

Three times today Norah has made comments that have made me laugh and fear that I am not treasuring my time with her enough.

1) Today was puppets at church. I asked Norah what they talked about.

Norah: (to) Shh, be quiet

2) This afternoon Finley and I were carrying our tree out to the curb (yep, it's mid-January).

Norah: My help, too. Manatee go bye, bye.

She ran to help Finley carry the base.

Norah: Thank you Daddy, help me (as if she were doing the heavy lifting)

3)Then this evening, Finley and Norah went to visit Fin's dad and step-mom. They entertained Norah while Finley studied. I scrapbooked and looked at kitchen design books. Before they left, Pap gave Norah a pear to take home, told her to carry it with both hands and be careful.

Norah: (coming to me carefully cradling the pear) Pear careful, Thank you Pap, Thank you LuLu, Pretty pear, Green

We discussed the pear at length.

Me: Norah it's time to go to bed. Let's put the pear in special place on the counter.

Norah: No. (adamant) Pear upstairs.

Finley and I look at each other.

Me: Okay, the pear can come upstairs.

She carefully carries the pear upstairs with two hands. The pear reads books with us, passes between us via Norah and receives much conversation. Then it's time to pray.

Norah: Thank you pear. Thank you Mommy. Thank you Mommy hold pear. Thank you Daddy hold pear. Thank you Vicki-Grampa. Thank you Mama-PePaw. . . Pear Turn.

So I said a prayer that would make any pear proud. Thankfully she agreed that the pear should not sleep in her bed. So, it is sitting on her chair-side table. Slightly gouged. Waiting for tomorrow.

Merediths

2009-01-17T19:47:00.002-06:00

Thank you Georgia, Kurt and Carter for coming over and sharing some soup! We sure miss you guys. Norah will be telling us about baby Carter for weeks. I can hear it now, "Baby Carter play Norah. Baby Carter eat mouth. Baby Carter take nap."

Update

2009-01-13T15:28:00.001-06:00

I got my blood levels back yesterday; my hcg dropped to 131. It was the doctor's best case senerio. We are very happy!! I go back next Monday.

Hydatiform Mole, Happy Birthday Finley

2009-01-10T21:52:00.003-06:00

Today is Finley's birthday. He got presents in bed and a breakfast to order. We took Norah to LuLu and Cap's so we could have a date.

And then we got a call from the doctor, on Saturday, not a good sign. He told us that he got the results back from the tissue we miscarried on Monday, and it was a Molar Pregnancy. The odds are 1 / 1000. I've since learned that a Molar Pregnancy is when a sperm fertilizes an empty egg (resulting in 1 set of chromosomes) or two sperm fertilize an egg (resulting in 3 sets of chromosomes); neither senerio leads to baby. But the placenta grows, and there is a 20% chance of cancer developing. This cancer is almost always easily treated with chemo. But I'll have to be monitored weekly for months. The earliest we can try for another baby is 6 months to a year. The waiting is what I am most disappointed about. We wanted our children to be closer together in age.

I am impressed that our doctor called on a Saturday. He is talking about bringing in a specialist and was planning on doing research before he sees us again on Monday (he is a fertility specialist and said he doesn't see a lot of Molar Pregnancies).

I am praying about being open to God's plan for us. I am encouraged that the miscarriage was somewhat random. This is our 3rd one in a little over a year (actually 2 true miscarriages and 1 chemical pregnancy), and we were getting scared that something was wrong. We were planning to move forward on genetic testing. But it seems likes bad luck (this is hard for me to find words for because I don't really believe in luck).

Drive In

2009-01-08T11:08:00.002-06:00

My days have been sad since our last miscarriage on Monday, that makes 2 official miscarriages and one "chemical pregnancy". I don't have much more to say about that now. But joy is peppered in thanks to Finley and Norah. Here, Norah got her baby and pushed her car in front of the TV to watch "Ah Ha".

The Grinch

2009-01-03T22:51:00.003-06:00

I have mixed feelings about Christmas lights disappearing. Norah loves them. Loves them! Every time we get in the car she asks to go look at lights. "Ooh, so pretty!" Then she discovered an inflatable Grinch at Izzy's. And every time we got in the car she asked to see "ights" and then "minch . . . minch, look minch, minch . . ." We have sat outside 2 homes with car windows open and danced in the parking lot of a closed restaurant on Christmas night - all to be near the Grinch. I am happy to say that the last inflatable Minch has been deflated tonight!

Goodbye, until next year, dear Cheermonger.

Christmas Dress #2

2008-12-28T21:38:00.006-06:00

Our sweet little girl

Grandma and PePaw came to visit for a few days before and after Christmas. This picture was taken before church on Sunday. "MeMa" is wearing a hat because her hair broke/burned at her last visit to the color salon (a comically common occurrence with MeMa).

Christmas Dress #1

2008-12-21T21:25:00.001-06:00

No House Yet

2008-12-15T14:01:00.006-06:00

I am frustrated! In fact, I have a stack of frustrations, but I will only go into one here. We just heard back from the owners of a house we made 2 offers on. They countered more than we can afford - again. We decided to move on twice, and both times the "new" house we decided to try to buy had just sold. I was thinking God was setting us up for a story that would display His great provision. But there is no such conclusion, yet. I was reminded of Daniel 3, where Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were called before the king.

"the God we serve is able to save us from it . . .O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods"

I know that we are not facing a fiery furnace, but I was getting used to God pulling through in amazing ways. But, even if He does not, I will still serve Him. And I imagine that is just the lesson for me to learn.

Tree

2008-12-08T14:50:00.003-06:00

Norah picked out our Christmas Tree this year. We went to Cantrell Gardens, and she chose a 4 ft tree. Finley says it looks like the Angel, a gift from his Grandmother, is squatting on the tree. I am blessed to have ornaments that span my life, are gifts from friends and family, or are souvenirs from trips. Each one is a connection to a happy or hard time. After Finley and I got married, I thought I wanted a coordinated, more formal tree. That desire lasted about a year, and we don't even open those boxes anymore but for filler (which we did not need on this year's petite tree).
So we took to placing ornaments on the tree. Christmas is so much more fun with Norah!! People have said that Christmas more magical with children, I get it now. But back to the story. . . I was telling Norah about the ornaments, "these are from your first year," "this is from when Mommy was born," "this is your picture as a newborn." Her interest seemed to wane quickly. But when Nana and Dow came over, she took them to the tree and proudly told them about it, including ornament descriptions. Then she came to her newborn picture and instructed Nana and Dow to, "kiss baby Norah".

Prayer

2008-12-04T08:23:00.005-06:00

We have a regular bedtime routine: bath, brush teeth, read 3 books, I pray, Finley prays, Norah gets a chance to pray, cuddles, milk, rocking.
When it's Norah's turn to pray, she has been quiet for a moment and then said "amen."
Last night, she said her first prayer. She closed her eyes (and I prayed that God would help her). Then she said, "God . . . Nana, Dow . . . Grampa, Vicki . . . ? . . . Amen".
I was amazed at how God answered my prayer through hers. Our hearts swelled. She is getting it!!
I wonder if God gives extra attention to the subjects of a first prayer? : )

No Open It, Mommy

2008-11-23T21:22:00.002-06:00

Today at lunch, I went to cut up a strawberry for Norah. She asked me to "no open it". So, I handed it to her whole. She proceeded to eat it, nibble by nibble, and ate it all - even the green stem. She didn't even make a grimace or funny face.

Hat Weather

2008-11-18T16:19:00.002-06:00

It's coat, hat and glove weather. But Norah doesn't have a coat or gloves, and this hat is sized 6-12 months. I am planning to go shopping for a coat tomorrow, or at least before the Thanksgiving trip we hope to the Arctic North (a.k.a. Taylor Ridge, IL - they have snow there). Do they make gloves for toddlers? I have seen mittens. Parents, have you seen any 2T gloves? Please pass on your knowledge.

Changes

2008-11-12T13:13:00.004-06:00

Leaves are changing colors, falling from the trees. And Norah has been changing as well, developing independence. She has discovered that there is no overuse of the word, "NO!" and has forgotten how to fall asleep. Before I had a child, I did not know sleeping was a skill. It is! So I am going to consult a couple of books that have helped me at trying times, mostly showing me that Norah and I are normal and giving me a few alternatives to ponder or remember. And pray that my choices lead her to Fin's and my ultimate goal - Norah's independence from us and dependence on God.

2 Votes

2008-11-04T21:28:00.003-06:00

I have a cold. Norah and I have been spending a lot of time cuddling on the couch, but we did get up to go vote.

Erica: Do you want to go vote with Daddy and me?

Norah: Bote! Go bote! 2 botes!

We talked about how we would have 2 votes all the way to our polling station. There was another little girl there who she played with. We voted, and Norah got stickers. Later, Norah talked to our real estate agent (yes, we're still looking).

Norah: Bote. 2 botes!

Debbie: Who did you vote for Norah?

Norah: (pause) Elmo

Lake Sylvia

2008-11-01T21:13:00.005-05:00

My good freind Kevin McKelvy invited me to spend the day with him exploring the Ouachita National Forest today. We spent the afternoon driving around Lake Sylvia looking for off-roading challenges. Kevin convinced me to stop in the middle of one of the easier water crossings long enought to snap this pic. The best part was the scenery. I took some pictures, but Erica's the photographer, so they don't do it justice.

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T21:58:00.000-05:00

Our Little Pumpkin

Norah's 1st Haircut

2008-10-29T21:14:00.004-05:00

Grandma and I took Norah to get her 1st haircut on Monday. Norah sat in a red firetruck, ate animal crackers and suckers while her hair was trimmed. The dear woman who cut her hair amazingly cut a straight line with Norah rocking back and forth while driving. Norah liked it so much that she threw a tantrum when it was time to leave!

Norah is 2 today

2008-10-28T12:26:00.010-05:00

If you see Norah today and ask her how old she is, she will exclaim "two!". She might also ask you to sing "Happy Bir-day". She has changed so much in the last two weeks, let alone 2 years. Just last week she started saying "No" - A LOT. And she's developed more love for "the Daddy," an answer to prayer.
We had her birthday party at The Wonder Place last Saturday. It was a huge success. We had many of Norah's dear friends come and Grandparents came too. Here are some pictures of the day.

Laura Beth, Norah, Abbie

Grandma, Vicki, Grampa

Little Picassos

Norah was more interested in eating cake than opening gifts.

LEED

2008-10-23T20:55:00.004-05:00

I have had requests for further explanation of the test I am studying for. It is called the LEED AP exam. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The LEED Green Building Rating System was established by the USGBC (United States Green Building Council) as a benchmark that allows buildings to be certified as "green". If I pass the exam I will be recognized as a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP). I have wanted to to this for a while, but haven't been able to find the time. When my boss told us that he would pay for the exam and the study materials, I couldn't pass it up. That's the good news.

The bad news is that it is a very difficult exam. It is closed book, and the current passing rate is only 34%. It gets worse. The LEED rating system is changing in 2009 (the exact date has not been disclosed) and the exam is expected to get more difficult as a result. The worst part is that if I don't pass the exam before the format changes, I will have to order new study materials at my own expense. Speaking of expense, the exam costs $300 and I only expect my boss to pay for the first test.

I can schedule the test on any day I choose, and I plan to take it in early December. If everything goes well, I will have studied about 60 hours by then. I am nervous about it because there is so much memorization required, which is not my strong suit. Please pray that I pass the test the first time, and that my relationship with Erica and Norah doesn't suffer as a result of all the time spent studying. Norah is beginning to grow out of her mommy phase, and our time together has been better than ever. She runs to me when I get home from work and always wants me around. No test is worth giving that up. Thanks in advance for your prayers.

Happy 90th Birthday, Mama Sue

2008-10-23T11:12:00.002-05:00

Finley's Grandmother (his Dad's mom) celebrated her 90th birthday in September of this year. We all dressed up and headed to the Country Club to honor her. I know I am late with this post, but I wanted to recongize Finley's kind and generous Mama Sue.

The Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-22T13:28:00.015-05:00

I just got my daughter down for a nap, a challenge lately, and I wanted to catch up on the happenings here in the Vinson Family. I started scrapbooking yesterday and did 5 pages. I really like it. And it will work out well because Finley is studying for his LED Certification (or something like that). The certification will allow him to build Green buildings - not the color, he can already do those. After we put Norah to bed, we both sit at the kitchen table and do our projects.

I imagine that you can tell that the topic of this blog is supposed to have something to do with pumpkins, not scrapbooking or LED certification. We went to the pumpkin patch in Cabot with my Dad and Malika. Norah calls them Nana and Dow (for Granddad). Norah especially liked driving the old car, riding on the hayride and visiting the "amnals"

The Pumpkin she and Nana picked out

Norah and Dow

The Hayride

The Fair

2008-10-20T21:24:00.009-05:00

We went to the fair on Friday night with free tickets and $25.

Parking = $5

Petting Animals = Free

Funnel Cake = $6

Norah's First Carousel Ride = $5

Norah's 2nd Carousel Ride = $5

Game and Resulting Stuffed Duck = $3

We made it home with $1 to spare!

Hobby Lobby

2008-10-18T21:45:00.004-05:00

Norah enjoys songs with motions. Her current favorite is "The Wheels on the Bus". A few weeks ago, her favorite was "If Your Happy and You Know It". She is so cute when she puts her little pointer fingers on her cheeks and wiggles her fingers during the phrase, "if you're happy and you know it then your face will really show it" (I'm sure you can picture it).
We have gone to Hobby Lobby a few time in the last 2 weeks (first because I was considering making her birthday cake then for scrapbooking supplies). She loved it. She loved the pumpkins, the ghosts, the turkeys, etc. She even started asking to go to Hobby Lobby. I noticed that she started putting her pointer fingers to her cheeks and wiggling her fingers when she said it. I then realized she was calling it "Happy, Happy." No wonder she never wants to leave. I bet she's wondering why we don't go to Happy, Happy all the time.

Shoes for Mama Sue

2008-10-10T21:27:00.009-05:00

Finley's Grandmother, Mama Sue, suggested that I take pictures of Norah's shoes. She saved some of her children's shoes, but time did not treat them well. They look more like some sort of jerky than foot apparel. So here are Norah's shoes for the the season. Actually, she had these pink ones last year, too. I liked them so much I bought them again (I wonder why my child isn't so keen on change).

We actually had some like these last year too. Hmmm . . .

Well, I got these shoes on a cute little on-line retailer, http://www.thebabyhabit.com/, that ended up being in Springdale, AR. Free shipping and parents finding a way to spend more time with their kids - I'm hooked.

Frog in a Ball

2008-10-07T20:52:00.004-05:00

Norah received this ball from her Grandma Kathy about a year ago on her first trip to Florida. Recently, she has been really bothered that a frog (a "bit") is in the ball.

Norah: Ball?

Mom: Do you want your froggy ball?

Norah: Uh-Oh

Mom: You don't want your frog ball?

Norah: Bit. Uh-Oh. Bit. Uh-Oh. Uh-Oh. (shaking head "no" emphatically). Ouch. Ouch.

I've put the ball away.

Welcome Autumn

2008-10-04T13:47:00.005-05:00

Norah and I have new jeans.

(although I'm not putting a picture of my backside on the blog)

Her grandmother will be very proud.

The Littlest Car Washer

2008-10-01T16:59:00.006-05:00

Norah had her first car washing experience the other day. She did really well. She didn't even put her rag on the ground once (Daddy's rule). We are going to wash cars at our church's Faith In Action Sunday, October 12th. (http://www.putyourfaithinaction.org/)

If you'd like to join us washing cars for the residents of the apartments by our church or if you'd like a FREE car wash, we'd love to have you! And Norah will make sure everyone has a VERY clean patch on their driver side doors!

Erica's Pre-Birthday

2008-09-24T23:35:00.007-05:00

We went to the Bar and The Capital Hotel and had appetizers for dinner

We had fun taking pictures. I think Finley looks so handsome here.

A tourist from the Netherlands took this picture. He was with
a group here in the States studying the election. They
looked so chic and European. It made me want to
move to Europe - or buy a scarf.

This is the next morning. We went to the opening of the
Mosaic Templar's Building in Little Rock. Finley developed
the site, so we were invited to a breakfast. I was SO impressed
with the museum and look forward to going back. There is a
map displaying deaths of African Americans by lynching.
It was a heart-wrenching!

Downtown "Pool"

2008-09-21T19:53:00.016-05:00

We went to the new downtown park the other day to play at the "pool." Right now, all bodies of water are pools - the river, the lake, the sprinker, the pool. She enjoys watching the syncronized sprinklers and the kids running through them. We have gone three times now, and she still spends most of her time on the sidelines. She will occasionaly touch the water, with parental coaxing. At the end of the day, we are much wetter than she is!!

Abbie is trying to lead Norah into the water.

She finds a puddle that is more to her liking.
(Finley explained the drainage flaw that created this puddle.
Suprisingly, Norah was not bothered)

Here she is at the end of our 2 hour visit. DRY!

Home alone(ish)

2008-09-17T22:53:00.005-05:00

The weekend before last, Erica went to the lake with some friends. Norah and I were on our own for nearly 48 hours, a new record for us. Saturday was particularly eventful. Here is a brief(ish) synopsis.

On Saturday morning Jeff Killingsworth called and invited us to the zoo with his girls Laura Beth and Abbie. Admission was free that day, and Norah was very excited about going to see the animals and her friends. We arrived at the zoo and were greeted by a 389,578 razorback fans. The entrance to the zoo was blocked by a large woman with a sour face who informed me that the zoo parking lot was closed. When I inquired about the “free” zoo day she said “admission is free, but you’ve got to pay $20 for parking”. It’s worth mentioning at this point that zoo admission is normally $8 for adults and $6 for children. I hope that you don’t need a calculator to understand why I was more than a little frustrated. It didn‘t help that I didn‘t even have $20. My father has always been frustrated with me for not carrying cash, I guess I should have listened to him. After failing to bribe the parking attendant with a $25 best buy gift card, I fought traffic back across the highway and managed to slip under the yellow caution tape at an abandoned restaurant that had recently been repaved.

We arrived at the zoo after a ½ mile walk past the empty parking lot. I was sure that the Killingsworths had bailed on the whole thing at this point, but the two of us still had a good time. The best part was the lion exhibit. There was only a plexiglass wall that separated us from a couple of very large lions. I watched Norah walk over towards a full grown lioness that was standing only inches away from the glass. After staring at one another for a few moments, Norah then put her hands on the glass and gave the lion a kiss. It was awesome.

Despite having a great time at the zoo, Norah was disappointed about not getting to see her friends, so I was determined to keep the second half of my promise. I called Jeff and agreed to let him plan the evening, thinking that if his girls were having fun, Norah would be too. With great power comes great responsibility. He took us to Chuck E. Cheese. Holy crap, I am never going there again. I cannot find the words to describe how horrible is was. When we finally escaped, Jeff took us to Chili’s. Keep in mind it was Saturday night. Two dads, three kids, one recipe for disaster. After Abbey threw up, Jeff announced that we were leaving for Tunica. Next time, I am planning the evening. Norah and I both agree that it’s very good to have Mommy back.

2008-09-04T12:02:00.000-05:00

Norah returned to Mother's Day Out this week. She is going 2 days a week, 10 hours total. I am having to talk myself into taking her, just like I did last year. I love having 10 hours to run errands (without my sweet toddler) and clean the house, but I have a tendency to feel guilty for various reasons (the money and the time away from Norah mostly). But I always come to the same conclusions. First and most importantly, I am a better wife and mother when I have some time to reorganize and restore. And second, Norah likes it. She walked right in her classroom and started doing a puzzle. So, I will choose to enjoy this time and pray that God blesses Norah's time away from "Baba."

Labor Day

2008-09-01T20:46:00.006-05:00

Erica, Norah, and I just got back from Disney, OK. Never heard of it? I hadn't either. It is a small town on Grand Lake where uncle Kevin and aunt Henri bought a lake house a few years ago. Almost the whole family (Kevin, Henri, Sam, Jake, Joe, Gramps, Grams, Mom, Peter, and us) spent the weekend swimming, tubing, eating and having fun. The best part was that "the boys" (Sam, Jake, and Joe) were wonderfully sweet to Norah and she had a great time playing with them. I miss them already, and can't wait to go back. Norah is still recovering...

Feeding the Duck

2008-07-22T13:35:00.005-05:00

This morning, Norah was playing outside. She picked up her duck watering can and said, "quack, quack, eat." She opened the door, walked to Kya's food and began "feeding" the duck. I convinced her to feed the duck food from her kitchen (you know ducks love grapes and onions, right?).

We bought her this cute little kitchen a couple of month ago. She was just taking the food out and putting it back in until the Killingsworths came over. LB and Abbie showed her how to "cook" and bring her creations to us for approval. She will bring us a bowl and spoon, try to put the spoon in our mouths, and saw "mmm." I am excited to see her beginning imaginary play.

Mommy's Helper

2008-07-17T13:46:00.002-05:00

Norah caught me cleaning the toilets last week. She loved the big brush I was using, and I let her help. Since then, she has been wanting to clean the toilets - leisurely. I eventually started telling her that we could not clean the toilets whenever she wanted. Well this morning, I was putting on my make-up. And Norah walked past me and to the toilet. She proceeded to "clean" the toilet with her hairbrush. How do you clean a hairbrush after that?

Aloha

2008-07-15T13:37:00.006-05:00

I keep this bowl of leis on the coffee table in the "formal living room", a.k.a. Norah's play room. She loves bringing them for me to put on, though she will not put them on herself because they are itchy.

When Finley came home for lunch yesterday, Norah met him at the door with a lei. She put it around his neck, like he was entering Honolulu, instead of our entry. She continued to bring him all the leis. And when she ran out of flowers, he got a cat, a dog and a bear. Gosh, she is sweet!

Picasa

2008-07-11T22:57:00.004-05:00

NORAH.NORAH.NORAH.NORAH

I have always loved those Andy Warhol pictures of Marilyn Monroe in a variety of colors. And thanks to computer programing, Mr. Warhol's genuis has been brought into my living room. Finley's been asking me to try Picasa for months, at least. I have, and I'm hooked.

Blackberry Picking

2008-07-10T13:53:00.007-05:00

We went to Cabot at the end of June to visit my Dad while gathering some fresh blackberries and vegetables. Norah got some training in blackberry picking.

She loves being outdoors and really enjoyed looking around Dad and Malika's garden.

Granddad taught Norah to pick the black ones not the red ones.

She got the hang of it!

And Finley taught Norah to eat while picking.

Playhouse

2008-06-27T13:08:00.004-05:00

I had been eyeing this little pink and yellow playhouse at Target. After months of deliberation, we got it. And Norah loves it even more than I thought she would. She loves us crawling in with her, all scrunched together on the floor. She giggles with delight. (We are a "floor family" anyway; it seems that most of our best cuddling, sharing and laughing times take place on the floor.) And her pink kitty and French daschund simply must accompony her. Then she pops her thumb in her mouth and everyone get hugs and cuddles, and sometimes the thumb comes out for a much coveted kiss. I love this playhouse!

We've Moved

2008-05-20T16:47:00.006-05:00

We've moved from our Cammack Cottage into Kathy's Condo. Thanks Mom! We are unpacking, and Norah has adjusted wonderfully. She loves the carpet, the space and above all the courtyard.

Now we wait . . .

A Happy Mommy

2008-05-11T17:43:00.004-05:00

Finley has outdone himself this year!

I have had a wonderful Mother's Day. . .

We went to a family shindig at the Arkansas Historical Museum. I am a history buff, so where their are old things or houses I want to be. There were also costumes, games, gardens, friends, and my dear family. I would show you pictures but the cable to download them is packed and at the condo.
I had 2 cards on Mother's Day. A sweet one from my husband. And a card that my daughter picked out!!! I never knew how much I would love a folded piece of cardboard with a picture of the Backyardagins. I am smitten with my husband for taking Norah to get the card. Fin said she picked and contemplated the Backyardagin card. Put it back. Picked and considered a kitty card. Put it back. Pointed to the Backyardagin card and started clapping, then carried it around the store.
We went to Cozymel's and ordered only appetizers for lunch/dinner. Finley's idea!
I got jewelry.
I received a note saying that I had next Saturday off.

So Finley, I have recorded this wonderful day for posterity. Thank you, honey!

Sweet Hugs

2008-05-10T14:11:00.002-05:00

I am really excited about Mother's Day this year. I know Norah's still too young to really know what's going on, but she is so loving that most days feel like mother's day, if I slow down to savor the moments. She has started running up and throwing her arms around my legs. I melt. She has also started looking me in the eyes and "talking." And today she combined them. I wish I could capture on film the intense trust that is in her eyes when she looks at me in those moments. She has also started running to and hugging Finley; my heart overflows.

Some Pictures of Cammack Village After the Tornado

2008-05-01T19:17:00.007-05:00

baker park

notice the bench pushed into the ground

the street sign blew into this yard

we had news vans all over

Homeless

2008-04-17T21:09:00.005-05:00

On April third a tornado ripped through Cammack Village and now we're homeless. No, it's not what you think, but it is a long story. After a long bought with numerous winter illnesses that have finally been traced (at least partially) to mildew problems, Erica and I decided to start looking for a larger and newer home. We were torn about the decision, because we love our neighborhood, but it seemed to be the best decision. We found a cute house in St. Charles and made a low ball offer that the sellers accepted.

About a week later we put our house up for sale. After only two days we got our first offer. It was for $7,900 less than our asking price, so we decided to counter-offer. We had 24 hours to respond, so I decided to fast and pray that evening. This is where it gets exciting.

Sometime around 9;30 that evening, shortly after putting Norah to bed, the tornado sirens went off. Erica scooped Norah out of her crib and we huddled in the hallway. The sirens continued off and on for about half an hour until the wind picked up violently and hail started to fall. Erica and I prayed for our family and our neighbors until the air went still. The power went out so I checked weather.com on my phone and learned that the tornado had just passed though Cammack Village. It was a scary experience, but we didn't realize how close it came to us until the next day. The house 7 lots down from us is condemned, as are many others, and Baker park is in bad shape.

Expecting to be without power for a few days, we drove to Heber Springs the next day. Biff and Lily were out of town, but Nancy made us feel right at home. We spend the morning praying about our house and put together our counter offer, which the buyer accepted. We close on May 15th.

Meanwhile, my heart was in turmoil regarding the house we purchased. I did not feel a great deal of peace about the decision, and extensive prayer did little to alleviate my fear. The inspection report revealed many problems including mildew under the house, as well as a roof, heater, AC unit, and water heater that would need to be replaced soon. This was reason enough for me to keep looking. I felt horrible about backing out of the contract, but I'm pretty sure that we would not have been able to agree with the seller on the repair list, and I hated dragging things out while waiting on estimates.

Erica was supportive of my decision, but she was also very disappointed. She really liked the house in St. Charles, and now we were going to be homeless in less than a month if something didn't turn up fast. The idea of house hunting again was just exhausting after the roller coaster of emotions we had just experienced. We did some apartment shopping, and were leaning towards a two bedroom at the enclave in NLR, but it didn't feel right to me. We thought about moving into my mom's condo, but the current tenant loves the place (he wanted a three year lease) and we didn't want to kick him out on his butt. I even considered changing my mind about the house in St. Charles. Since it was for sale by owner, I knew that we probably had the opportunity to change our mind as long as it wasn't listed with a realtor. I drove by every day and watched for a sign out front, but it still wasn't listed.

By now I was beginning to regret ever selling our house in the first place. I had been consumed by my fear and stress and was beginning to relate to James 1:6. I knew that worrying so much didn't serve any purpose, and I began to pray exclusively for peace. Suddenly I realized that God has used this experience to bring me closer to him. I had been praying and reading scripture every day for weeks, which is something I had been trying to master for years. A tremendous peace came over me as I remembered where my joy comes from and I laid my troubles before God. I left the chapel still without answers but also without fear and drove by the house in St. Charles one more time to find that it had been listed with a realtor. I was relieved. I then decided to call my mother's tenant and touch base with him. "I was going to call you this afternoon" he said "I've bought a house and will be moving out soon." In fact, he plans to be out on May 15th, the day we close on our house.

I have been singing God's praises ever since. He could not have come through for me in a more powerful way. Mom has graciously offered to let us live in her condo rent free until we find a house. I must admit that I'm not looking forward to moving twice, but I'm looking forward to finding our next home.

Love and Hate

2008-03-11T08:19:00.003-05:00

Daylight savings time began two days ago, and I am still reeling from it's affects. Hopefully I'll be over it tomorrow. I woke up late for work again this morning so tired that I barely cared. On the way to work I listened to my current favorite album: "Remedy" by David Crowder Band. I was stuck by the last song, which I already heard a few times but didn't listen to. After more than a decade of basking in God's love, I am still reeling from the effects.

So, here you go. In the ultimate display of my artistic prowess, I'm going to let David speak for me:

And the problem is this
We were bought with a kiss
But the cheek still turned
Even when it wasn’t hit

And I don’t know
What to do with a love like that
And I don’t know
How to be a love like that

When all the love in the world
Is right here among us
And hatred too
And so we must choose
What our hands will do

Where there is pain
Let us be grace
Where there is suffering
Bring serenity
For those afraid
Let us be brave
Where there is misery
Let us bring them relief

And surely we can change
Surely we can change
Something

Snow

2008-03-06T11:03:00.014-06:00

We had a snow day on Tuesday. Norah has been in snow storms in IL when she was really wee but nothing since. So I took the tag off her waterproof coat and bundled her up for an educational experience.

She was not impressed.

Of course, I had her so bundled that she was frequently toppling over. Poor baby. She was in the cold, being encourage to interact with cold, wet, sticky stuff, and repeatedly falling on her bum.

But by the end of our 5 minutes outside, she could identify snow if I asked her to point to it. So, our educational experience was a success!

this is the closest i got to a smile

Annabelle Came To Visit

2008-03-06T10:15:00.004-06:00

Valerie and Annabelle came over last week. It was so good to see Valerie. And we got to meet Annabelle for the first time; we are smitten. She is calm, happy, amiable, darling, and . . .

quite good at kickboxing.

Quality Entertainment

2008-03-03T22:40:00.002-06:00

During the winter months, while our family was stuck at home recuperating from our numerous illnesses, Erica and I managed to get ourselves completely addicted to the TV show "Lost'. We got the DVD's from Netflix and started at the beginning. For the last couple of months, we have watched Lost almost every night and just finished Season 3. My favorite quote so far: "...you two arguing about who's your favorite other?" I can't remember enjoying a TV show so much since "Quantum Leap", which we also watched a few episodes of before returning to New Othertown.

While going through some old junk last week I came across one of my favorite old movies: "RAD". It is a horrible movie made in the 80's about BMX bikers that I thought lived up to the name. I can't get enough of watching those punk kids walk Helltrack!

My Rainbow

2008-02-28T11:36:00.003-06:00

Some recent pictures of Norah

Loving those animals

And the reflection in the mirror

Norah hits the bar scene

2008-02-25T22:01:00.004-06:00

Erica, Norah, and I went to Cajun's Wharf for dinner on Friday night. We planned on eating in the restaurant, but were lured the the bar by the aquarium and then stayed for the music. A band called Sean Rock and the Toltecs was playing and it was great fun. The minimum age to enter the bar was 21, but minors were allowed as long as they were accompanied by an adult. I don't think they planned on having guests that were quite so minor, but we had a great time. We ate, danced, laughed, and came back the next night.

The Usual Suspects

2008-02-14T21:21:00.002-06:00

This picture demonstrates two of Norah's loves: animals and queues.

Bugged

2008-02-08T12:32:00.000-06:00

The vinson family was sick again earlier this week. This time it was a 24-hour stomach virus. It was horrible, but passed quickly. Instead of casting our vote for Mike Huckabee on Super Tuesday, we were passed out on the couch. We watched a lot of cartoons to keep Norah occupied, but I was able to squeeze in one of my favories: a documentary. For those of you who don't know, I love documentaries. My latest installment from netflix was Maxed Out. I only gave it three out of five stars, but I did get a change to see an updated version of the national debt clock. For those of you that haven't seen it in a while, here it is:

"Meo"

2008-01-27T00:13:00.001-06:00

I have been anticipating the time Norah would attempt to talk. She communicates quite well, mind you. For example: she will point to the closet door, make the sign for "sleepy", and then make the sign for "please". This means, in the closet is the Roomba; he's sleeping, can we please get him out. Just what you thought right? We have been talking this way for months now, and I have been waiting for audible communication. And in the middle of this week, it started. I asked her if she wanted to pet the kitty (the kitty she lovingly and gleefully chases around the house, her arms outstretched. a bit too much glee in the opinion of the kitty.), and she said "meo." This, of course, was an attempt at "meow." I know from the hundreds of times we asked her "what does the kitty say". And then today, she tried to say a word. "Oomba." Yes, I think my child's first word, besides Mama and Dada, will be "Roomba."

Christmas Dresses

2008-01-27T00:06:00.000-06:00

Norah received 3 Chistmas Dresses this year.

So I thought I would use the opportunity to post some recent

pictures of our Norah, in 2 of her 3 dresses.

A Sad Christmas

2007-12-26T21:46:00.000-06:00

Finley and I had a sad Christmas this year. I had a miscarriage early Christmas morning. I was in my 7th week. I got to see the baby's heartbeat the Thursday before. We are choosing to trust God in this. I am grateful of His love, peace and goodness. We are very sad.

I passed my test!

2007-12-20T08:49:00.000-06:00

I found out yesterday morning that I passed my P.E. exam. I am excited about being a professional engineer, but I am thrilled to learn that I won't have to endure another 8-hour exam (not to mention the hundreds of hours I spent studying instead of playing with my family.) Thanks so much for all of your prayers; they payed off!

The good, the bad, and the thankful

2007-12-01T10:21:00.000-06:00

Erica, Norah, and I traveled to Taylor Ridge, IL a few weeks ago to celebrate thanksgiving with the O'Connors. The trip up was much less terrible than expected thanks to the Backyardigans and the portable DVD player that I strapped to the rear headrest. It was a great thanksgiving. We laughed with family, stuffed our bellies, played with the donkeys (yes, there were donkeys), and ate again.On the way home, we stopped to spend the night in Cape Girardeau, MO. The next morning got a little exciting when Norah did a swan dive off the bed. We called our pediatrician, and he assured us that she was fine. On the following Monday, however, an x-ray revealed a minor buckle fracture. The good news: her hot pink cast was pretty cute; the bad news: it prevented her from sucking her thumb, which was much worse than the broken arm since it is her main method of self-soothing.
After only two weeks her cast is off. The actual removal was quite an ordeal, but she is so happy to have her arm back. She spent much of the day pointing to her arm and clapping. That night, she stuck her thumb in her mouth and went right to sleep...all is right with the world.

Side story: During the car ride, I convinced Erica to listen to two past episodes (which I carefully selected) of my favorite radio show, This American Life. My hope was to get her hooked. I struck out. She liked the show but says I picked depressing episodes.

Camlin Marker Funny Indian Commercial Advertisement

2007-12-01T10:18:00.001-06:00

Erica sent me a link to this video and asked me to add it to our blog. The funny thing is that she was logged on to YouTube as me, so I thought I was receiving an e-mail from my future self. I thought it best to follow my future self's suggestion, so here it is.

One

2007-11-29T21:11:00.000-06:00

On October 28th, our baby girl turned one. We had 2 birthday parties, both at the park. And increased exposure to cake did not help Norah like it more! She did not like the gooshy icing at all!

What I'm not doing.

2007-11-03T23:06:00.000-05:00

For those of you who haven't heard, I took the Professional Engineering exam on Friday, October 26th. I have spent the past week recuperating from the previous six weeks, which I spent studying...whenever I wasn't studying. Seriously, I have never studied so hard in my life, and unless God speaks to me audibly and tells me...no, commands me to go to medical school, I will never study that hard again. I am not guaranteed to pass (one guy in my office failed it three times), but I feel pretty good about it. If I didn't pass, I plan to quit my job and call Truckmasters.

Keep an eye out for more posts in a few days where I'll tell everyone about all the cool stuff I missed while cramming.

2007-09-08T23:20:00.001-05:00

Our Norah took her first steps today! She walked 3 steps from Finley to me!

Weekend Warriors

2007-07-30T22:37:00.000-05:00

Our weekends have been so exciting recently. This weekend's drama began early yesterday morning when a policeman knocked on our door to tell us that both our cars had been broken into. Nothing was taken from Erica's car (there was nothing to take unless they wanted baby toys and a car seat). From my car they stole my wallet (which contained three or four gift cards) but they removed the credit cards first! Rather courteous we thought. The weekend ended with a huge display of God's amazing grace.

Last weekend, we started landscaping our house. After three or four mosquito bites and only one decent blister, I broke my shovel and called it a day.

On Sunday we had dinner with Lance, Diana, and Evan Hilliard. Watching Evan and Norah play together was a blast.

Two weekends ago, Erica threw a baby shower for Valerie. Chris volunteered to help out in the kitchen. Here are a few clips from that experience.

Three weekends ago, Norah, Erica, and I traveled to Monroe, LA to visit Adam, Rebekka, Chris, and Valerie. We had a blast helping them register at Target for stuff for their expected babies. It was a great weekend catching up with old friends and taking in the sites, like standing water, "The Pentecostals" (a local church), Transformers, and swamp flowers.

Jeanne Marie

2007-07-27T09:54:00.001-05:00

This week marks the 10 year anniversay of my mom's death. I didn't remember the anniversaries at first; I believe they were just too painful. But now, my heart won't let me forget. I've had a heavy sadness all week, and today it occured to me.
I am sad that many of my friends will not even recognize her name. Most of you, including Finley, did not get to meet her.
So this blog is going to be for me.
Please feel free to skip over it, but I need to remember my mom today and give myself permission to be sad.
These are just a few of my favorite pictures of her. My grandfather was an amateur photographer,
and I am so grateful to him for every box of photos. I thought these baby photos were poetic. Going back over them I realize how much my Mom and my Norah look alike as babies. Thank you, Father. I wonder if she will continue to grow to look like her Grandma. Mom, Norah and I have the same eyes. And norah has darker hair than Fin or I did, like my Mom. I, like many children, think no one was as beautiful as my mother, so I can think of no none I'd rather my Norah resemble.
We are going to the Cathedral this weekend to light a candle for Mom. Going into a Catholic Church is like entereing the heritage of my family. It's like going home, though I don't fit in as well as I did when I was younger. My mom loved going to mass. She said that no matter how hard our week was or how much we had argued, when we went to mass on Sunday, everything was somehow okay. The walls fell down and we were able to remember how much we loved each other and how for so many years we were all the other one had.

Hilliard's in space

2007-07-14T10:23:00.001-05:00

My best high school friend, Lance Hilliard, lost his father, Matthew Earl Hilliard, to a heart attack on Tuesday. Please pray for Lance and his brother Richard as they mourn their father's passing. At his father's request Lance and his family plan to have Mr. Hilliard cremated. His ashes will be, funds permitting, launched into space!

Sweet Baby James

2007-07-14T09:35:00.001-05:00

On thursday evenying Erica and I went to meet Lucy James. To my delight I got to hold her for a few minutes, and I think we bonded. She must have known what it took for us to get there. Here is the story.

Erica remembered Amy's comment that she was delivering at Doctor's Hospital next to St. Vincent's. As we drove up to the Doctor's Building Erica went in to ask where Amy was, but the information desks was vacant. We finally decided that she must have misunderstood, so we drove across the street to St. Vincents. After parking in the deck and walking in the door Erica picked up the phone at yet another unmanned information booth. We learned that Lucy James was in room 434 on the OTHER side of the street. Back across the street we went, laughing at our own ignorance. We parked and went to the fourth floor of the Doctor's Building. It was deserted. After a deep sigh, we spotted a janitor that told us we were in the "Doctor's Building" but needed to be in the "Doctor's Hospital". "There is a breezway" she said "on the fifth floor".

At this point I must add that if you are getting bored with the story please feel free to skip to the next paragraph. It won't hurt my feelings. I must also explain that even though I grew up only a few minutes from this hospital, and was actually born there, I had not been back until thursday. My family is loyal to Baptist Hospital to a fault. Anyway, back to the story. We took the elevator to the fifth floor, walked down a hall and found... a dead end. I peered through the window and saw the breezway on the floor blelow us. At this point Norah looked at me as if to say "you have got to be kidding me". We took that stairs (they were closer) down to the breezway and crossed over in triumph. "We're almost there" I said in a desperate attempt to keep my family's spirits up. At the other side we reached our destination only to find a locked door. "No!" someone in the family cried. By now we were feething like mice in a pshycology experiment. I looked around for some explanation or way out and found that we had in fact walked across the TOP of the breezway. Down another floor we went, through the breezway, through the door, up the elevator, and we saw a sign that said "NICU". "We must be close" I said feeling a little like John Edredge hunting elk in Montana. A few more turns and we entered the labor and delivery waiting room. "We're here" we exclaimed to everyone else in the room as if we had just discovered america.

It was worth it. If you have not met Lucy yet, I highly recommend it. She is in "Doctor's Hospital". Tell her I sent you.

Charlotte Mullhearn

2007-07-07T23:07:00.000-05:00

Dear, sweet, Charlotte Mulhearn passed away early Friday morning. We never got to meet her, but after praying for her for so long, Erica and I had become quite attached to her. She will be dearly missed.

6 Years!

2007-06-25T21:50:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, Erica and I celebrated our six year anniversary. It didn't go as planned, but it was a wonderful day. The bed and breakfast was booked, and our baby sitter was out of town. Instead, the whole family spent the day together. We began by returning books at the library. Actually, the books were ours, but we didn't want them anymore, and no one else did either. So, we put them in the drop box and sped away. Next, we went to the mall and shopped for clothes. Norah had a great time sticking her tongue out at herself in the dressing room mirror. After a nap, we had dinner at Loca Luna. We sat outside, which was fun, but the mesh tables proved to be a challenge since the holes in the table were the perfect size to accept Norah's cheerios. Norah loves feeding herself, but needs a little more practice. Erica and I, thankfully, did not drop as much of our dinner on the ground as she did. We concluded the evening, after bathing Norah and putting her to sleep, by watching The Queen. We give it three stars. It was a good night, and it was nice to spend an entire day remembering how blessed I am to have such a wonderful wife.

Norah has a tooth

2007-06-22T11:15:00.000-05:00

My baby girl has her first tooth! If you look on the lower left you can see it. She cut it a couple weeks ago and is working on cutting its neighbor. I know because Norah and I were up doing battle with it from 12 to 3. I love this picture.

Just like daddy

2007-06-10T20:57:00.000-05:00

My little girl already loves to be behind the wheel. Click here for the appropriate backgrount music.

Memorial Day

2007-06-03T21:54:00.000-05:00

We just took Norah's 2nd trip to Illinios. (I think she is just darling in the suitcase) Uncle Ray and Aunt Elaine have a big party/ family reunion every year on Memorial Day. They live in the country and have a farm house, stocked pond and two barns - one for the growing animal population and one for toys (remote control planes, tractors, and this year an inflatible barn for jumping).

The kids also got their faces painted. I love having so many children in our family; here are Ireland and Kiki. Finley loves visiting the O'Connors and the dynamic of a big family. He has decided that he wants a large family as a result, well that and being an only child (same for me). We want our kids to be able to share the memories, joys and hardships of growing up and having us a parents.

That is actually a difficult idea for me; I know that I will do things that will hurt Norah. I just pray that I am the kind of parent who can listen and apoligize without getting defensive. Okay back to Memorial Day, I especially love this last picture that Finley captured of me throwing Norah in the air. Click the link for more pictures: Link