The Bawcum Family's Journey with hydrocephalus, hearing loss, and life

Kelly's Korner

2012-02-11T20:20:00.000-08:00

This week at Kelly's Korner the theme was Working Moms. Being a working mom is hard. My day doesn't end when the school bell rings. I would love to be able to be one of those work from home moms or stay at home moms, but unfortunately, that's not in the cards for us. With Nola's hydrocephalus and hearing loss, the health insurance from being a teacher is a must. Just like any mother, I will do anything for my children!

Craziness......

2012-02-09T20:54:00.000-08:00

This week's wrap-up-

1. I cannot believe I am starting my last week in my 6th month of pregnancy! My back hurts, but what pregnant lady wouldn't say her back hurts?! By the end of the day at school, all I can do is sit.

2. ASU Master's Program....I hate statistics! I have one more quiz to take by tomorrow and then I am done with this class! Ugh!

3. Nola's dance class is beginning to learn the steps to their recital. It is so stinking cute! I am so sad that I probably won't be there since the recital is June 2- the day after my due date. Boo! Hopefully, my scheduled c-section will be before the recital so that everyone else can attend it!

4. I have really struggled at school this week. It has been a challenge.

5. Jonathan's feet seem to be doing better with the stretching exercises and physical therapy. Thank goodness.

6. We are going to try once again to find fabric! We didn't have any luck last weekend.

7. I need a nap. :) But there is no rest for the weary.

This week's wrap-up!

2012-02-04T05:57:00.000-08:00

Baby Silas is growing along with my belly!

The theme this week at Nola's school was community helpers. She loved this week's show and share; they were supposed to bring something related to community helpers. Nola brought her doctor's bag- she said, "I going to show my friends!"

We are going to pick out fabric for the nursery this weekend! I am so excited!! I don't like "themes" so we are just getting funky fabric in the colors I have chosen.

Jonathan has tendinitis and it's very painful. I hope that going to the physical therapist helps ease the pain and he can get some relief!

Beauty and the Beast

2012-01-28T09:02:00.000-08:00

I forgot to post about taking Nola to Beauty and the Beast 3D last weekend. She loved it! She calls her Bella and will argue with you if you try to correct her!

She had to take her Belle doll with her.

She loved the 3D glasses!

22 Weeks!

2012-01-27T11:29:00.001-08:00

Time is flying by fast! We have things to do like start thinking about this baby's nursery! He's growing fast and kicking harder!

Sweet Baby Silas

2012-01-22T06:57:00.000-08:00

Silas did not want to cooperate during the ultrasound on Friday! He had his arms and legs by his head and did not want to budge! We did get a great picture! He is a whopping 14 ounces!

Thank You!

2012-01-22T06:55:00.000-08:00

Thank you to the Mustangs of Memphis for their contribution to MOSD! They choose a charity that is the benefactor of the proceeds from their annual car show. We are so thankful they chose MOSD as their charity again this year!

Thank you Mustangs of Memphis!!

21 Weeks!

2012-01-20T06:59:00.000-08:00

Things are going by so fast! We have another doctor's appointment and ultrasound today. I can't wait to see how much he has changed in the last four weeks! Thank you to all of you who have said a little prayer for us during this pregnancy; everything is going smoothly and I hope it continues!

Lately.....

2012-01-19T12:24:00.000-08:00

Where has my baby gone? She looks so grown up here!

Last week at MOSD the theme was Winter. Miss Mary Ellen sent us this cute picture of Nola trying on some winter clothing during speech therapy.

We ate at Shogun in Oakland and Nola LOVED her chopsticks!

Ahh... Mommy- Daughter nail day! Nola's color was called My Chihuahua Bites!!

Half Way There!

2012-01-13T06:57:00.000-08:00

Today I am 20 weeks- Half way there! My belly seems to have grown overnight! I am starting to feel the kicks more often and he seems to be rolling around! We are excited about having a boy- I know nothing about boys, but am sure I will learn quickly!
We go back next Friday for another ultrasound and a check with Dr. Carney - the greatest OB ever. She delivered Nola and since we traveled that journey with her too, I couldn't imagine going to another OB!

Silas is the size of a cantaloupe! No wonder my belly is getting big!

Music to our ears

2012-01-06T11:45:00.000-08:00

Today is a very special day at the Bawcum household...two years ago today Nola's cochlear implants were activated! She became part of the hearing world and she has not stopped talking since!! Nola talks from the moment she gets out of bed until she finally falls asleep- sometimes she talks in her sleep too! There are no words to describe this process.... from grief, to hope, to thankfulness. We are blessed to have MOSD in Memphis that has facilitated her great progress and family and friends that have supported us each and every step. I am so very thankful to have such a great husband and Daddy to Nola - I don't think I could've done this by myself.
We have come a long way.......

Cochlear Implant Surgery

1 month since activation

1 year since activation

Nola brought snacks to share her special day with her classmates!

I guess Nola enjoyed her blue icing!

HAPPY 2 YEAR BIRTHDAY TO NOLA'S EARS!!

Christmas Part 2

2012-01-05T18:02:00.000-08:00

After Santa we went to Nanny's house. We ate too much and then opened presents. We draw names there and I LOVE that! After Nanny's, we traveled to Honey and Pop-Pop's house for more Christmas!

Nola squealed when she saw this Disney Princess doll set!

Honey, Pop-Pop, and Denee all got her dress up clothes. I don't know which set this is from, but she changed several times throughout present opening.

This present got the second and last squeal.... the talking Disney Princess kitchen she had asked for. She saw this on YouTube..good grief.

And Marshmallows to end it all!

Santa!

2012-01-05T17:54:00.000-08:00

Santa came to see this good little girl Christmas morning!

Part of the loot from Santa

More from Santa- an Ariel Talking Salon!

Pretty girl seeing her gifts!

Mommy and Nola playing with the salon.

Opening gifts from Mommy and Daddy

Leapster 2 games

Clothes so she can be snazzy. These were needed since I think her legs grew 5 inches in the last month!

Santa was very good to Nola this year. He should have been since she has been such a good girl. And we have had NO surgeries!! Whoo-hoo!!

Christmas Part 1

2012-01-05T17:44:00.000-08:00

Christmas Part 1 was with Jonathan's family at Mimi and Big Dad's house. Nola got some great stuff!

Nola and her Princess scooter!

Addison, Billy, & Nola all got scooters- of course, they all had to go outside and try them out!

Although you cannot see it, Nola is wearing her new tutu. She told Daddy he had to dance with her!

Nola and her snazzy purple shoes!

So much stuff!

We had a great time with everyone. We had brunch with Grandma and opened presents. Then about 4 that day, Dad, Mom, Rick, and Connie came over for Christmas round 2!

Bawcum Baby Boy

2011-12-26T17:59:00.000-08:00

JB's Great Grandfather- Silas

We like to use family names- Nola was named after my Grandmother Nola. We will continue this with our baby boy's name; he will be named after Jonathan's Great-Great-Grandfather- Silas. We will also carry on tradition of Wayne as the middle name. There will now be four generations of Waynes in the Bawcum family- Edsel Wayne, Cary Wayne, Jonathan Wayne, and now Silas Wayne.

And Baby Bawcum #2 is.....

2011-12-23T16:23:00.000-08:00

The sealed envelope.....

Cary was the only person who knew until the box was opened....Haha Big Dad!

We went for our 17 week ultrasound on Thursday. The ultrasound was to find out the sex of the baby and for an anatomy scan. We were not going to find out what we were having until later that night because we had planned a Gender Reveal party for friends and family. The ultrasound tech (who was fabulous!) went over every thing as she went since we were a nervous wreck because this is when we found Nola's hydrocephalus. She told us to close our eyes; we were good and didn't cheat! She put the ultrasound picture in the envelope with the correct sign I had made and sealed it up.

Jonathan then took the envelope to Cary, his dad. He was the only person who knew until the box was opened! Since it was close to Christmas, we used the colors red and green; I stole this idea from my good friend Britney.

Check out the video:

It's a Boy!

She did it!

2011-12-23T15:40:00.000-08:00

Nola has NEVER sat in Santa's lap willingly. We have the screaming child with Santa pictures most parents have. However, this year she said she would sit in Santa's lap with Daddy- And she did it!! She even gave Santa a hug and high five! Everyone at MOSD cheered and clapped for Nola!

Nola is.....

2011-12-20T10:34:00.000-08:00

Going to be a BIG SISTER!

We are so excited! We will find out if it's a boy or a girl on December 22. We pray for a healthy baby- this baby is going to be so lucky to have such a great sister!

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party

2011-12-20T10:23:00.000-08:00

Daphne & Cary

JB and Me

I love having parties! Jonathan says they are too much work, but I love it! I think I have found an annual party- The Ugly/Tacky Christmas Sweater Party!
We played Catch Phrase - my fave. I think I laughed so much I cried! See ya'll next year!!

Dana & Kyle ....love the Cardinals....

Joel & Lori

Dee& Andy ....Andy's sweater was an Andy & Dee orginal

Ashley & Ricky... Ricky's sweater was hand crafted....

The Boys- JB, Ricky, Kip, & Andy

Thanksgiving and Vonore

2011-12-20T10:04:00.000-08:00

For some reason, I did not take any pictures during Thanksgiving..go figure. The day after Thanksgiving, we left for Vonore. Connie and Rick have a house up there and invited all of us to come for the weekend. It is beautiful up there. While we were there, we went to the Lost Sea.

Surprise!!

2011-12-20T09:58:00.000-08:00

I did it! After months of planning, I pulled off a surprise 30th birthday for Jonathan! I think I started getting things around March and his party was in November! The hardest thing was trying to figure out how to get him out of the house on that Saturday. Jonathan unknowingly helped me out when he got tickets to an afternoon play at the Orpheum! The play started at the perfect time and got us back to the house around 7.

SO SURPRISED!

I love the progression of these three pictures! The first one is pure shock, the second and third he was trying to figure out how this had been pulled off without him knowing!

Thank you Mimi, Big Dad, Connie, & Rick for coming to the house and getting everything ready! Thank you Lindsay for taking the entrance pictures! And thank you Honey for taking Nola to the fall festival for the day and bringing her back for the party!

I am thankful to everyone who came to celebrate with us that night. Jonathan is a wonderful husband, daddy, friend, son, etc.

Zoo Boo

2011-12-20T09:32:00.000-08:00

For Halloween, we went to Zoo Boo. I like it because it's a controlled environment. :)

Nola loves to ride on Daddy's shoulders. She can see everything!

Mommy & Nola

This is Nola's "hurry up and take the picture" face!

Prettiest Cinderella Ever!
It was chilly that night! We bought hot chocolate and tried to stay warm as we went to each station. Nola had a great time and got way too much candy!

China

2011-12-20T09:24:00.000-08:00

Soon after Nola's birthday, Jonathan and Big Dad had to go to China for a business trip. I think it was the longest 10 days of my life. Thank goodness Honey was on fall break that week and came to help out with taking and picking Nola up from school! Whew!
We went to the airport with Mimi to pick Daddy and Big Dad up. Nola was so excited to have then back!

Nola turns 4!

2011-11-06T18:10:00.000-08:00

Everyone had a blast at Nola's 4th Birthday! We had a popcorn machine, hot dog bar, cupcakes, and a candy bar. All of Nola's favorites! Happy Birthday to our sweet girl!

Hope's and Christopher's Parents

Billy

My 4(!) year old!

Nola, Carmen, and Hope

My Sweettooth Cupcakes made the cupcakes for Nola's party. She is FABULOUS! Visit her website! Tell her I sent you! These are Strawberry Dream

Lemon Kiss

Chocolate Cupcakes

Lots of stickers

Nola went through opening her presents at lightening speed! She wanted to get back to jumping!

Team Nola Gracyn

2011-11-06T17:35:00.000-08:00

Team Nola Gracyn tshirts turned out great! I think these were the best ones so far. We had a tribute to Evie Grace Harrison on the front. I am so grateful Alicia and Jonathan agreed to let us do this! They even joined us for the race along with sweet Ramsey!
The back of the shirts.

Our team- as you can see the sun was BRIGHT! There were several members of the team not present for the photo!

I think Nola rode on Pop-Pop's shoulders more than she walked!

Nola met Aiden Riley before the race. Aiden's mom and I went to high school together. They formed a team this year and did great!

Thank you to everyone who bought a tshirt, donated to our team, and participated in the race! We raised over $7,000 this year! :)

Thought for the Day...

2011-10-20T08:15:00.000-07:00

When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive- to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love. -Marcus Aurelius

I am so thankful Jonathan and Big Dad made it safely back from China! And Nola has been shunt surgery free for more than 2 years! It won't be long until it will be Happy Birthday to Nola's Ears!

Mustangs and Silly Faces

2011-10-04T10:16:00.000-07:00

The Mustangs of Memphis always choose a charity to receive the proceeds from their cars show. We have been so thankful they have chosen Memphis Oral School for the Deaf two years in a row! The annual car show was Saturday and the weather was perfect- A little chilly, but the sun was out all day!

Of course, Nola was there to help us out. People paid $5 to play in the Poker Run. They walked to each table and drew a card. The player with the highest hand won! Nola has been getting very opinionated about her hair....she let me know that morning she wanted 2 braids!

I love Nola's silly faces!

I have no idea what she is doing here, but its cute!

And her famous mad face!!

I cannot believe our sweet girl will be 4 in four days!! Where has the time gone??!!

Disney On Ice!

2011-09-28T17:40:00.000-07:00

We took Nola and Addison to Disney on Ice. Nola has been SO excited about it. Every morning after we told her we were going, she would wake up and ask, "We going to see Goofy?" She has just gotten into Mickey Mouse and Princesses.

Sweet girls before it started.
Nola loved every bit of it.

Ariel and friends came for a visit! The BIG Ursula came out and Nola said, "Oh, that's big!"

Yes, we bought the $10 bags of cotton candy with the Flounder hats.....

(Thanks Mimi)

and the light-up cup,

and the light-up Mickey spinner toy!

Thanks Amber and Chris for letting Addison go with us! We had a blast!

Hydrocephalus

2011-09-21T19:42:00.001-07:00

September is National Hydrocephalus Month!! In honor of that, I was interviewed by another Hydro mom who is highlighting other hydro families on her blog.

You can read the interview here.

10 Years

2011-09-21T19:27:00.000-07:00

I had my 10 year high school reunion back in August! I cannot believe it has been ten years already! Friday night I met some of the girls for dinner and a surprise baby shower for Celeste. We ate at Old Town Spaghetti Store and I had my fav spinach linguine with tomato sauce. Yum!
My fabulous shoes for the reunion night. They had more time on the table then my feet!

This is Katie and me. We stalk each other- Check out her blog: www.ryanandkatie.blogspot.com

My sweet husband went along too! He was surrounded by women most of the night so he was happy!

Some of the ladies I grew up with.

And Wes- who got the most changed award. He was my best guy friend growing up. He was even a groomsman in our wedding!

Pumpkin Run Time!

2011-09-10T21:56:00.001-07:00

The LeBonheur Pumpkin Run is fast approaching!!

*If you would like to purchase a Team Nola Gracyn tshirt, these orders and money have to be in by Friday, September 16. This is to ensure all the tshirts are back in time for me to get them all handed out by race time! If you would like one, please email me with your sizes and I'll email you my address for payment: gobaby25@aol.com All proceeds go to LeBonheur!!

Kids XS-Adult XL: $12

Adult 2X-3X: $14

*If you do not want a shirt, you can make a donation on the website under Team Nola Gracyn at this website.

Thank you to all of you who have supported us in our fundraising efforts through the years! We appreciate you helping us give alittle back to LeBonhuer!!

So Busy!

2011-09-08T18:06:00.000-07:00

Things have been so busy around the Bawcum house.......

Nola is in full swing at school. She is in Ms. Susie and Ms. Anne's class. She still adores school! Nola is always talking and has no problem telling anyone what she thinks now! Nola has also started dance! She is about the cutest thing I have ever seen! She has ballet, tap, and jazz and loves it!

I have started my Master's at Arkansas State University. It consumes my nights after Nola goes to bed, but it will be worth it! I had my 10 year high school reunion a few weeks ago (that will be a post later) and had a blast!!

Jonathan is busy with the company, MOSD board, and Exchange Club. Mr. Pittman has been out due to surgery so Jonathan has been leading the Exchange Club meetings!

I will try to be better at posting! I have to get back into the swing of things!!

Random iPhone Pics

2011-08-01T18:01:00.000-07:00

Nola and her Godmother, Dee!

I volunteered at LeBonheur a few times this summer. I helped the hospital teacher while I was there, and spend time with the kids in dialysis. The picture above are my materials I used to make a "Proud to Be an American" frame.

Ahh, TOMS! I have wanted Toms for SO long. Sadly, no one bought me any for Christmas or my birthday :( so I bought myself some this summer.....and Nola HAD to have some too! I was trying to figure out which ones to buy Nola. She got pink sparkle.
Crop Duster!

Luckie and Whiskers were waiting to greet Nola and me when we got home!

Crazy cat....

Nola, Aunt Lindsay, and Billy at Billy's 3rd birthday party! :)

Yum-O

2011-07-17T10:00:00.001-07:00

I'm sure I am the last person to have discovered how fantastic Yogurt Mountain is! Oh my, their yogurt was fantastic! This is a child's paradise- ice cream, 50 plus toppings ranging from fruit to cereals to candy!

Nola had chocolate yogurt with sprinkles, M&M's, butterfly gummies, and chocolate chips! And look at that face!!

Baseballs and the Levitt Shell

2011-07-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

We got tickets through MOSD for the Redbirds baseball game last night; Nola has been so excited about going to see baseball like Tristan plays. The picture above is about the cutest thing I've ever seen!
The only downfall to the Redbirds game is the dreaded Rocky the Redbird! Nola is terrified of ANY dressed-up character. Everytime Rocky came out, Mimi had to cover Nola's eyes.
Nola said, " I no like that Rocky!"

Sweet Cousins!

After the baseball game, we headed to the Levitt Shell to hear Amy Lavere play at her new CD release party. Nola loved dancing!!

It's that time again!!

2011-07-11T11:41:00.000-07:00

This was our little pumpkin 3 1/2 short years ago!

It's time for the LeBonheur Pumpkin Run!! We were so grateful to everyone who donated to Team Nola Gracyn last year whether it was buying a shirt or making a donation to the team page! Last year was very sucessful, and with your efforts, we hope to make this year even better!!

To register for the run or to donate to Team Nola Gracyn click here.

Check back very soon for T-Shirt info!!

Back to School

2011-07-11T11:27:00.000-07:00

Or as Nola says it schoooooool!!

Nola started back to school last Wednesday and loves seeing her friends again! A few days before she went back out of the blue she said," I'm want to go to school." We are so thankful she loves MOSD as much as we do!

Nola cut-cutting her tent she colored. This week's theme is Camping!

Nola made lemonade last week.

Our Little Family

2011-07-03T18:29:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures of our little family.....

Nola & Daddy

Beach Picture

Pictures on the condo balcony

Itty Bitty Teeny Weeny.......

2011-06-28T19:33:00.001-07:00

Pink and Yellow Striped Bikini!

Sweet Picture of a Daddy & his girl

I have feathers in my hair and Nola has asked for those, but when we saw the hair wraps at one of the souvenir shops, we knew this was perfect for Nola! It was Daddy's idea and Nola sat so still while the nice lady did her hair. It took about 30 minutes!

She's fearless!

Nola warmed up to the "Big Water!!"

Crabs and baseball

2011-06-28T19:14:00.000-07:00

This is Jonathan's plate after eating crab legs and peel'em shrimp!

The devouring of crab legs and such in progress....

Nola and her Honey

A pick up game of baseball:

Nola: pitcher

JB: hitter

Honey: Outfield

Honey's turn to hit

Gulf Shores: Sand Playing Queen

2011-06-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

The two loves of my life!

Nola was a sand playing queen! She had sand in EVERY crevice! But she had so much fun with it!

Love this picture!!

Nola would pick up the seaweed or other plants that washed up on shore and throw it back into the ocean! She would have piles of it in her hands and run and throw it back!

Sassy Pants

More Sand Playing

Alligators at the Beach!

2011-06-28T17:38:00.000-07:00

Well...close to the beach! While in Gulf Shores, we went to the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo. This little zoo was featured on the Animal Planet series "The Little Zoo that Could." This is probably the biggest alligator I have ever seen! During the hurricane in 2006, he was missing for several days!! He is fat and happy now.

Jonathan bought this white monkey for Nola at one of the souvenir shops. She loved it! She wore it the whole time we were at the zoo. When you press his belly, he makes a crazy monkey sound. Nola is holding her cup of food for the animals. The zoo had different feeding stations where you could feed the animals.

Nola feeding the goats. These goats would have eaten the entire cup of food if she had stood there long enough.

I think Jonathan had the most fun feeding the goats. This goat would stand up on the fence and stick his tongue out!

Our sweet girl!!

Gulf Shores: Sandy Feet

2011-06-22T12:39:00.000-07:00

Nola's sweet little feet

Mommy's Feet

More of Nola's sweet sandy feet.

Jonathan wouldn't let me take a picture of his sandy feet! Oh well, maybe next time! :)

Gulf Shores: Swimming Pool Fun

2011-06-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

We got to Gulf Shores late Saturday afternoon. After taking Nola down to the beach and going to the grocery store, the only thing Nola was interested in was swimming!

Nola loves to swim,
smile for the camera,

play with Daddy,

and jump off the side of the pool!

Gulf Shores

2011-06-22T08:31:00.000-07:00

We went to Gulf Shores with Honey, PopPop, and NayNay. This was Nola's first time at the beach. The video shows the first time she saw the ocean. She wasn't too sure about it at first!

A Mother's Thoughts

2011-06-16T22:20:00.000-07:00

**Warning- this is long, but so worth the time to read. You may need a tissue.**
I am part of a group of Moms of children with hydrocephalus like Nola. Because hydrocephalus and its effects are so vast, the needs of each child is different. There are children like Nola with hearing loss, children who will never walk or feed themselves- but each of these children are loved to pieces by the Moms and Dads who care for and advocate for their special gifts everyday.

THOUGHTS OF A MOM
by: Maureen K. Higgins

Many of you I have never even met face to face, but I've searched you out every day. I've looked for you on the Internet, on playgrounds and in grocery stores.
I've become an expert at identifying you.You are well worn. You are stronger than you ever wanted to be. Your words ring experience, experience you culled with your very heart and soul. You are compassionate beyond the expectations of this world.
You are my "sisters." Yes, you and I, my friend, are sisters in a sorority. A very elite sorority. We are special. Just like any other sorority, we were chosen to be members. Some of us were invited to join immediately, some not for months or even years. Some of us even tried to refuse membership, but to no avail. We were initiated in neurologist's offices and NICU units, in obstetrician's offices, in emergency rooms, and during ultrasounds. We were initiated with somber telephone calls, consultations, evaluations, blood tests, x-rays, MRI films, and heart surgeries. All of us have one thing in common. One day things were fine. We were pregnant, or we had just given birth, or we were nursing our newborn, or we were playing with our toddler. Yes, one minute everything was fine. Then, whether it happened in an instant, as it often does, or over the course of a few weeks or months, our entire lives changed. Something wasn't quite right.
Then we found ourselves mothers of children with special needs. We are united, we sisters, regardless of the diversity of our child's special needs. Some of our children undergo chemotherapy. Some need respirators and ventilators. Some are unable to talk, some are unable to walk. Some eat through feeding tubes. Some live in a different world. We do not discriminate against those mothers whose child's needs are not as "special" as our child's. We have mutual respect and empathy for all the women who walk in our shoes. We are knowledgeable.
We have educated ourselves with whatever materials we could find. We know "the" specialists in the field. We know "the" neurologists, "the" hospitals, "the" wonder drugs, "the" treatments. We know "the" tests that need to be done, we know "the" degenerative and progressive diseases and we hold our breath while our children are tested for them. Without formal education, we could become board certified in neurology, endocrinology, and physiatry. We have taken on our insurance companies and school boards to get what our children need to survive, and to flourish. We have learned to deal with the rest of the world, even if that means walking away from it. We have tolerated scorn in supermarkets during "tantrums" and gritted our teeth while discipline was advocated by the person behind us in line. We have tolerated inane suggestions and home remedies from well-meaning strangers. We have tolerated mothers of children without special needs complaining about chicken pox and ear infections. We have learned that many of our closest friends can't understand what it's like to be in our sorority, and don't even want to try. We have our own personal copies of Emily Perl Kingsley's "A Trip To Holland" and Erma Bombeck's "The Special Mother." We keep them by our bedside and read and reread them during our toughest hours. We have coped with holidays. We have found ways to get our physically handicapped children to the neighbors' front doors on Halloween, and we have found ways to help our deaf children form the words, "trick or treat." We have accepted that our children with sensory dysfunction will never wear velvet or lace on Christmas. We have painted a canvas of lights and a blazing Yule log with our words for our blind children.
We've gotten up every morning since our journey began wondering how we'd make it through another day, and gone to bed every evening not sure how we did it. But we, sisters, we keep the faith always. We never stop believing.
Our love for our special children and our belief in all that they will achieve in life knows no bounds. We dream of them scoring touchdowns and extra points and home runs. We visualize them running sprints and marathons. We dream of them planting vegetable seeds, riding horses and chopping down trees. We hear their angelic voices singing Christmas carols. We see their palettes smeared with watercolors, and their fingers flying over ivory keys in a concert hall. We are amazed at the grace of their pirouettes. We never, never stop believing in all they will accomplish as they pass through this world.
But in the meantime, my sisters, the most important thing we do, is hold tight to their little hands as together, we special mothers and our special children, reach for the stars.

Just What I Needed to Hear

2011-06-16T22:03:00.000-07:00

This Song is Wonderful.

Show Us Your Life @ Kelly's Korner

2011-06-13T07:42:00.001-07:00

Kelly's Korner has a series she runs called "Show Us Your Life." I usually just read the blog and don't participate, but the topic was Special Needs. So this time I wanted to share Nola's story to others who read Kelly's blog.

Meet Nola Gracyn. This 3 year old little ball of personality has been through 5 surgeries: shunt placement, two revisions, cochlear implant surgery, and strabismus surgery.

Nola was born with hydrocephalus which is a build-up of extra fluid in the brain. Hydrocephalus can cause all sorts of related problems such as vision problems, hearing loss, and developmental delays just to name a few. We consider ourselves lucky- Nola's hydrocephalus caused her to lose her hearing, but she was able to get cochlear implants which give her the ability to hear. Her hydrocephalus also caused a muscle in her left eye to be alittle weak, and had to be corrected last July.
This is Nola signing for more cheese after her first shunt revision. The recovery from these shunt revisions are rough on her little body, but she is a fighter for sure. We pray she will not need any more shunt revisions! We are shunt revision free for 2 years!!

This is Nola at her school -Memphis Oral School for the Deaf. This AMAZING school teaches her to listen and talk. Visit the school website: www.mosdkids.org

Nola's medical issues have opened up our eyes to advocating for children like Nola. The picture above is with Senator Montgomery; we met with him while advocating for a bill to require insurance companies to pay towards hearing aids which they did not until this bill was passed! We were also advocating for Nola's school-MOSD and their oral deaf education program.

This is TEAM NOLA GRACYN at the LeBonheur Pumpkin Run. LeBonheur Children's Hospital is another place near and dear to our hearts because of the exceptional care Nola has received during all of her surgeries, ER trips, and recoveries.

If you would like to join us at the race this year check back for more information soon!

2 years!

2011-05-31T14:09:00.000-07:00

Today marks two years since Nola has had a brain surgery- 2 YEARS! It is amazing to see how she has changed over the last two years and the great progress she has made. I am so grateful she has not had to endure another revision and we only see Dr. Muhlbauer once a year! I hope this trend continues!

Although she looks adorable in this picture, I hope to NOT see her in one of these ever again!

This is her CT scan in July 2008- THe big black spaces are fluid.

This CT Scan is from March 2010- this is a BEAUTIFUL picture!! 99% Brain!

Ms. Elizabeth

2011-05-19T12:59:00.000-07:00

Ms. Elizabeth's husband passed away suddenly over the weekend. Ms. Elizabeth also works at Memphis Oral School for the Deaf. She "turned on" Nola's implants and does all the mapping for them also. I am saddened to hear about the loss of her husband. Please pray for this family - Ms. Elizabeth and her two boys who are both in college.

Pretty White Teeth

2011-05-12T09:53:00.000-07:00

Nola went to the dentist for the first time a few weeks ago and she did fabulous! We only had one small meltdown when we started to lay her down in the chair. She would not lay down, but did sit in the chair and let them clean her teeth. The dentist and the dental hygienist told her she had pretty teeth and no cavities! Yay!!

Ms. Sue

2011-05-09T06:49:00.000-07:00

When Nola started Memphis Oral School for the Deaf, I was already an emotional wreck. She had only been diagnosed a few weeks earlier and I was still processing the information. I was in some form still grieving the loss of Nola's hearing. I knew the people who worked at MOSD were fabulous- they had to be. However, there are no words to describe the positive, bubbly personality of Nola's first teacher- Ms. Sue. She praised Nola for every verbal utterance that came out of her mouth; she was and still is a great cheerleader for my Nola. Last year, Ms. Sue's husband was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. I am positive Ms. Sue was a wonderful cheerleader as her husband battled for eighteen months against this terrible disease. Mr. John Montgomery passed away yesterday. Please pray for Ms. Sue and her two boys as they celebrate their husband and father's life and grieve that he is no longer with them.
You can read his story here.

Pray for Lucy

2011-04-29T18:15:00.000-07:00

This sweet little girl is in the fight of her life. Please take the time to say a little prayer for her!!

Lions, Tigers, & Bears...Oh, My!

2011-04-27T15:25:00.000-07:00

We went with Nola's school to the zoo. She had a blast! The older she gets the more fun it is to take her!

Nola actually rode the carrousel! She usually gets on and then freaks out before it starts and we have to get off. But this time she rode it and LOVED it!!

Rivers, Nola, and Autumn

Ms. Elizabeth and Nola- Ms. Elizabeth activated Nola's cochlear implants and continues to tweak them as needed.

Nola and Ms. Mary Ellen- Nola's speech therapist

Look at that smile!

Nola and Daddy in deep conversation...

Nola likes to puch the stroller- watch out she'll run over your ankles!

Should I build an ark?

2011-04-27T07:01:00.000-07:00

I took this picture on the way to school today. The water is even with the road! School is dismissing at 11:45 today due to the flooding. I just hope this road is not flooded when I get to leave!!
Last night I shared our story at the Family Partner's Council. I was driving home in that stuff! I stopped at my in-laws to wait out the storm before going all the way to Somerville. I made it safely there-Praise the Lord!

Coloring Eggs, Egg Hunting, and the dreaded Easter Bunny

2011-04-21T16:46:00.001-07:00

Nola and the rest of her class colored eggs at school on Wednesday.

Look at that smile! My sweet, smart, talking little girl!
Today at school, everyone had an Easter egg hunt and got a chance to meet the Easter Bunny and have a picture taken with him. Well, you all know of Nola's fear of dress up characters.... needless to say Nola's picture that was sent home was of Nola by herself with no Easter Bunny in sight! Jonathan picked Nola up from school and she told him, " I don't like that Easter Bunny!"

Good Job Nola!

2011-04-19T21:00:00.000-07:00

I finally took Nola for her 3 year checkup. Yes, I know I am 6 months behind- that's the story of my life. Anywho, Nola had been stuck at 28 pounds for more than a year. Nola was 32 pounds and 38 inches! I wonder how tall Nola will be? I hope she is taller than me, but not as tall as Jonathan! Nola knows when she is at a doctor's office or hospital; my sweet baby has seen enough of them. Every other time we have seen Dr. Frizzell she cries at some point. Nola did not cry at all! This makes me happy and sad all at the same time- my baby is not a baby anymore she is a big girl. One thing Nola did was talk Dr. Frizzell's head off! She talked the entire time about anything that came to her mind. He said he forgets she has cochlear implants because she talks so well-- Music to My Ears!!
Nola is such a little sponge that soaks up everything! She loves getting praise and giving praise! She is always telling Jonathan or me- Good Job Mommy or Good Job Daddy! She even praises the doggies. Nola got a sticker at the doctor's office since she was such a big girl- she praised herself by saying "Good Job Nola!" Ugh, I love this little thing!

4 Years Ago.....

2011-04-18T12:44:00.000-07:00

4 years ago today I was four months pregnant and did not know if the sweet baby I was carrying was a boy or girl. 4 years ago today I lost a very important woman in my life- My Grandmother. She was a firecracker full of life and most times told you exactly what was on her mind. Growing up, we would go to her house every Sunday after church for lunch. I always looked forward to those meals of stew, black-eyed peas, and my favorite- peach cobbler. There was one thing you didn't talk about at Grandmother's table- politics. She would get up and go sit in the living room until you were done. My sister and I would also go spend the night with Grandmother every Friday night. I think we did this until I got into high school. We rarely ever slept in her bed, instead we slept on her green couch that made into a bed in the living room. Denee' always slept in the middle. We had a routine: dinner, Mama's Family, popcorn, and chocolate oatmeal cookies. I hope when I have grandchildren I can carry on this tradition- maybe not Mama's Family, but some other show. My Grandmother made the best food; I don't think I ever saw her use a measuring cup. I'm not really sure she owned one. She made cornbread in a big black iron skillet; the same one I now own. She loved gardening and I loved helping her. Jonathan may not believe it now, but I would help her in the garden whenever I could. However, she did all the hard work: weeding, digging the holes, and covering them up. I only did the fun part- putting the seeds in the holes, picking the fresh strawberries, or smelling the irises. She was a hard worker- I remember the stories of the things she did to help her family during rough times. She was an amazing woman and I miss her everyday. A month after she passed away, I found out that sweet baby was a girl and I was proud to be able to name her Nola. My Nola is a firecracker just like Grandmother Nola. She has blue eyes like Grandmother and Honey although now they are changing to a hazel like her Daddy's. I miss you Grandmother. I'm sad you never got a chance to meet my Nola. She is a fighter like you were. I know you are busy gardening in Heaven. I love you!

Trigon Sports

2011-04-16T15:41:00.000-07:00

The Memphis Daily News wrote an article about Trigon Sports- the family business. Our sweet Nola was mentioned; she has opened our eyes to the power of giving back.

Check out the article here.

I got quoted...

2011-04-16T15:40:00.001-07:00

Memphis Connect did a write up about the Big Wig Ball and they asked me for a quote :) You can read the article by clicking here

Big Wig

2011-04-13T10:10:00.000-07:00

LeBonhuer's Big Wig Ball is this Saturday! I love going to this and seeing all the crazy wigs everyone finds! I ordered mine online and got it yesterday. It is a long, white wig, but the special part is it GLOWS IN THE DARK! I'm so excited! It's the little things that excite me! Nola wanted to try it on too! If you would like to join us and our crew that attend, click here!

Speaking for LeBonheur

2011-04-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

We were asked to speak at St. Agnes Idol and share our story. I was so honored that they would ask us to do this! As you know, we hold LeBonheur near and dear to our hearts!

Daddy's Little Helper

2011-04-07T19:14:00.000-07:00

Nola loves helping Daddy in the yard. I am so thankful Jonathan enjoys working in the yard because I DO NOT! Digging, planting, and weeding are not my idea of enjoyment. I do like to garden,but not weed!

**I have no idea why the text above is underlined! I cannot get it off! Ahh.**

Playing in the dirt!

Braided Tails and Godparents

2011-03-31T09:58:00.001-07:00

We had dinner at Andy & DeeDee's house- Nola's Godparents. We made a great choice for Nola. They are great people who will be wonderful examples in Nola's life for years to come. I tried a new hairstyle for Nola- braided tails! She loved them and I loved someone else cooking dinner! Thanks DeeDee!

Pretty Girl!

Go Tigers!

2011-03-31T09:56:00.001-07:00

We took Nola to a Tigers basketball game this year and she has been hooked ever since! When she sees anyone with Tiger gear on she says "Look! Go Tigers!" I love it! Mimi found this Memphis cheerleading outfit and knew she HAD to have it!
GO TIGERS GO!!

Let's Get Crackin'

2011-03-31T08:13:00.000-07:00

We went with Mimi and Bog Dad to Joe's Crab Shack to eat some good ole seafood. We are lucky Nola likes to eat basically anything!

Poop and Pigtails

2011-03-31T07:27:00.000-07:00

We have been working so hard on pooping in the potty! I asked Jonathan to get Nola's little potty back out hoping she would poop on it. I thought maybe she was afraid to poop on the big potty in her bathroom. Well yesterday I put it in the living room and turned on Dora. (Yes, I know kind of strange, but you Mommies understand!) Well, she sat on the potty and pooped!! YES!! We had promised ice cream when she fully pooped on the potty so off to Baskin Robbins we went after supper! So proud of that little sassy pants!

And look at those pigtails! They are the cutest in the land! Nola's teacher at school did them for her! Oh how I love this sweet girl!

Yummy....

2011-03-10T07:21:00.000-08:00

So Silly!

So Proud....

2011-03-10T07:01:00.000-08:00

Things around the Bawcums of Egypt have been crazy. Jonathan has so many meetings: MOSD Board of Directors meetings, Exchange Club of East Memphis luncheons and meetings, meetings with other organizations to raise funds for MOSD. He does all of these things while continuing to work full time at TSI. I am so proud of him and the work he is doing. As Nola would say.."Good Job Daddy!"

School is hectic too. TCAP time is upon us and if you know anything about education, you know TCAP is a BIG DEAL. I think my blood pressure begins to rise when I think about this one test that will follow me for the rest of my career. So needless to say I am stressed. But I am so proud of the gains my students have made- I know they will do great.

Our sweet Nola is still working on the potty training. She has pee-pee down- now if we could just get the poo poo. She'll get it! She loves her "big girl panties" and if you see her she will probably show them to you!

Nola's spring break is next week and I am so thankful my parents and sister are taking off work just to watch Nola Monday through Thursday. Nola is staying with Mimi on Friday- her day off. What a blessing it is to have family that will take off work or watch your child on their day off.

I guess I had to write it down to see the people in my life that I am "so proud" of. I am so proud to be Nola's Mommy and Jonathan's wife. I read Alicia Harrison's post about listening to God- I need to take more time to listen. I am too often doing all the talking and never stop to listen to what He is telling me.

Spring Fever

2011-03-09T11:19:00.000-08:00

Whew! My students have been crazy lately! It must be spring fever! I just pray our spring break will help their behavior. Somedays I feel like I haven't gotten anything accomplished. Please pray for me and my students as we prepare for the "Big Boy"....TCAP!

Nola's Lunch

2011-03-06T16:41:00.001-08:00

We are so lucky Nola is not a picky eater! She loves food period. Just like her Mommy! :)

This was her lunch today: grapes, cheese cubes with pretzels, honey dijon dipping sauce, cottage cheese, and salami! Yummy!

Door Decorating Contest

2011-03-06T16:38:00.000-08:00

Last week was Read Across America week. In honor of this, all the teachers decorated their door to mirror a book cover. Since my classes just finished reading Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, I chose that book. I think it turned out great! I won too!!!

MOSD storms the hill

2011-03-06T16:29:00.001-08:00

We were asked to go with Ms. Teresa and a small group of parents and students to meet with Representatives and Senators about funding for Nola's school- Memphis Oral School for the Deaf. They teach children like Nola to listen and talk!

Our Family: Jonathan, Desiree, & Nola

You can support Nola and children like her at www.mosdkids.org

What once was old is new again!

2011-03-06T16:25:00.000-08:00

This dress was Jonathan's grandmother's dress back in the 70s I think. She is now in her 80s and Aunt Connie and Mimi were cleaning out her closet- They gave me this dress! I love it!!

Valentine's Day

2011-03-06T16:20:00.001-08:00

Nola and I made cookies in a jar again for her teachers. Last year for Valentine's Day we made oatmeal-raisin cookie mix; this year we made chocolate chip! I was quite proud of how they turned out! I used my fabulous Cricut Expression machine to make the gift tags!

A close-up of Miss Mary Ellen's gift- Nola's speech therapist.

All put together!

Whiskers the Terrible

2011-03-06T15:51:00.000-08:00

We always seem to get the crazy animals! Whiskers is no exception- here he is relaxing ...in the sink! Ahhh!

B.A.D.

2011-02-17T08:48:00.000-08:00

So I have been B.A.D. about updating! Nola is sleeping in her own bed until the wee hours of the morning- then she comes into our room. It is a great start and I am thankful she now enjoys sleeping in her bed. We still need to work on the soothing herself back to sleep. I'm not sure how to teach a 3 year old that skill again. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

We have been invited to be part of a study through Washington University. They are looking at the language development of children who receive cochlear implants before the age of 36 months. Nola got hers at 26 months. I am excited Nola's was asked to be a part of this study!

I need to post pictures of her in her valentines outfit. She was SO CUTE!

Another Hydrocephalus Parent....

2011-01-25T08:12:00.000-08:00

I enjoy reading blogs of other parents of children with hydrocephalus and hearing loss. These parents truly know how I feel, have felt, and will feel at certain points in Nola's journey. It also reminds me how lucky we are.

Sara is Owen's Mommy. I met her through a hydrocephalus support group online. Her latest blog post touched my heart. These are struggles that many parents of children with special needs go through. You can read it here.

American Idol

2011-01-25T08:06:00.000-08:00

I don't watch American Idol anymore. The craze has worn off, but if I do watch - it is during all the auditions to see all the crazy people. Last week we got phone calls and texts that we needed to watch the girl who just auditioned. Her daugher has hydrocephalus and hearing loss- maybe this will raise alittle more awareness!
She was great!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=c9d_zMbEkVM

It Continues

2011-01-25T07:57:00.000-08:00

Whew! Trying to get Nola back into her bed is like having a newborn all over again! Have I said that before? Nola is doing such a great job- now she just needs to learn to soothe herself back to sleep when she wakes up during the night.

Night #3: Nola woke up about every 3 hours. Yes, like a newborn. (insert tired Mommy face here.)

Night #4: Monday, January 24
8 pm: Alseep.
11 pm: Woke up, came to our room, and I put her back into her bed. She was asleep in 3 minutes flat.
6:30 am: Up again. Slept til 8 am.

Let's see how the rest of the week goes. If any of you have comments on how to get Nola to soothe herself to sleep, they would be greatly appreciated!

Our Big Girl

2011-01-23T18:26:00.001-08:00

My last post stated we were going to start the transition out of Mommy & Daddy's bed and into Nola's bed in March. Well, we got a wild hair on Friday night and decided to give it a try. She cried and said "No sleep!" but not the sobbing, wailing fits I had tried to mentally prepare myself for! I sat in the rocking chair and put Toy Story 3 on while she sat in her bed.

Night #1: Friday, January 21
7:30 pm Nola finally lays down and falls asleep.
12:30 am She comes into our room. I take her back to her bed.
2 am Finally falls back asleep.
6:30 am She comes back into our room - We sleep until 8 am.

Night #2: Saturday, January 22
9:30 Asleep.
I wake up Sunday morning and find Nola in our bed! Evidently, she came into our room around 1:30 am according to Jonathan. He just let her sleep with us. Grr.

Night #3: Sunday, January 23
8:15pm: Asleep.

Let's see how tonight goes and the rest of the week! Fingers crossed!
Operation No M-Bop will begin March 21. I figure we will be in the big girl bed all the time by then. I don't want to traumatize her too much all at once. ( Or maybe it's Mommy that would be traumatized!)

Sleepless Nights Ahead...

2011-01-20T06:46:00.001-08:00

There will be some sleepless nights ahead for the Bawcums. The countdown has began for Nola to no longer have m-bop (that's what she calls her pacifier) and sleeping in her own room. Yes, I can hear your gasps now and you cannot believe I would still let my child have her m-bop or sleep in the our bed. For my defense until this summer- Nola had a surgery about every 10 months. These were not easy surgeries like her eye these were BRAIN surgeries. When she would come home from the hospital she would sleep with us. It was easier for us knowing she was in the bed with us and wouldn't bump her fragile little head on the wood in her bed or if she got sick she wouldn't be alone. Same thing with the m-bop, but I will have to say she really only has it to sleep and in the car.
We will start this process during my Spring Break.
So send good thoughts our way - Operation No M-Bop and Sleep in Your Own Bed starts March 21!

First Snow in the New House!

2011-01-10T10:17:00.000-08:00

Oh, Nola and I had such fun in the snow today! I might not make much- but one small perk of a teacher ....SNOW DAYS!! Jonathan even got to come home early and build a snowman with us! I will post those later. You might have to turn down the volume- It sounds like I am screaming- I'm not though. Maybe I do talk too loud like Jonathan says.....

Happy 1st Hearing Brithday!

2011-01-06T13:25:00.000-08:00

Happy 1st Hearing Birthday!

Nola and all her friends in her class!

You've come so far in only 1 year!!

We sent treats for Nola to share with her classmates to celebrate her 1 year hearing anniversary. Her teacher, Ms. Stephanie, was sweet to have the class sing Happy 1st Birthday to her ears and had Nola blow out one candle! She was so excited to tell us about it!

JANUARY 6

2011-01-05T20:31:00.001-08:00

January 6 is an important day in our family's life! One year ago tomorrow, Nola entered the hearing world when her cochlear implants were activated!! What an amazing year this has been. She has come so far. There are not enough adjectives to describe the pride and love I feel for this little girl! She is talking in complete sentences. She tells you what she thinks, what she feels, and what she hears and sees. What a miracle this is!!
Thank you Dr. MacDonald for performing the surgery, thank you MOSD for your priceless work with Nola, thank you to all our family and friends who have been there to support not only Nola, but also Jonathan and me through this process. Who would have thought we would be where we are now?! Getting a diagnosis of profound hearing loss is not the end of the world (the exact feeling I felt when I heard those words) this was the beginning of a whole new chapter in our journey.

Thank you Nola for all your hard work! You are my light and your Daddy and I love you to pieces.

Christmas and Birthday Bash

2011-01-05T20:26:00.000-08:00

December 26 we went to have Christmas with Jonathan's grandparents. It is also Dad's birthday. We have breakfast and do Christmas. Then we played games and puzzles until later that afternoon and celebrated Dad's birthday!

Christmas with Nanny, Honey, Pop-Pop, & Na-Na

2011-01-05T20:16:00.000-08:00

Nola got a Barbie Jeep!! I think I was more excited about it then she was! :)

Nola and Pop-Pop

I love their faces in these two pictures. You can just read the happiness all over!

Nola and Honey at Nanny's House

After Santa, we went to Selmer to have Christmas with Pop-Pop's side of the family. Then we went to Henderson to have Christmas with Honey, Pop-Pop, and Na-Na.

Santa Came!

2011-01-05T19:56:00.000-08:00

Look at that face! How can that not just melt your heart?! She was so excited about her bike Santa brought!

Trying it out.

Clothes!

Toy Story 3 and Ice Age

Stocking Stuffers

Even Whiskers the Terrible, Duke, and Luckie got gifts from Santa.

This was such a special Christmas for our family. Nola could hear! Last Christmas she had just had her surgery and could not hear anything because her implants had not been activated. What a difference a year makes!

Christmas with Maw-Maw,Mimi, & Big Dad

2011-01-05T19:51:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Christmas on Chrismtas Eve with Jonathan's family. We had a hearty breakfast and then opened presents. Nola got some new kicks, a sit and spin, and more zhu-zhu pet acessories just to name a few. As usual, we had a great time.

MOSD Christmas

2011-01-05T19:40:00.000-08:00

Yes, this is the man that strikes fear in the heart of my child! She sees Santa and suddenly she has to pee pee really badly! Maybe next year......

After Santa left the building, we were able to take a picture by the tree.

Looking at one of her gifts with Daddy.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!

2011-01-05T19:27:00.000-08:00

Our little helper.

Whose child is this? What a HAM!

Hmmm....which ornament should I choose?

Jonathan working so diligently to get the tree together.

Yes, I'm behind! We enjoyed putting the Christmas tree up this year because Nola could help us! She had fun putting the ornaments on the tree herself- As Nola said, "No, Nola do it"

Circus Time!!

2011-01-05T19:15:00.001-08:00

Another great idea from Jonathan- We took Nola to the Circus. She loved it! She just sat there in awe the entire time! The only thing she was leery about was the elephant when she saw it for the first time. They were huge and frightened her a bit, but we reassured her the elephants were nice and would not get any closer. She was OK after that! She danced along with the music and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!

I never thought about how much money my parents forked out when we went to things like this! I can remember going to Disney on Ice and getting a light up toy. Who knows how much that thing was! We looked at the light up toys at the Circus and those things started at $20! WHAT?! It is a glorified flashlight! Nola is not one throw a fit if she doesn't get a toy. She was content with her cotton candy and popcorn. (Umm...the cotton candy was $10 and so was the popcorn) Once again, thankful for an easy going child.

SNOW! in Nashville

2011-01-05T18:55:00.000-08:00

All Bundles Up!

I'm not sure I like this picture- she looks like a big girl! Where is my baby?!

Tristan, Addison, Billy, & Nola

Our Little Family

Such an AMAZING DADDY!

December 5: Mimi and Big Dad took us to see SNOW and ICE in Nashville. Of the two, I think Snow was the overall favorite! There was lots of snow to build snowmen and throw snowballs. It was actually snowing the day we went! Nola had such a good time! She is such an easy going child. I know we are lucky! She has reason to be ornery if she wanted to!

Daddy Graduates!!!

2010-12-21T08:23:00.000-08:00

Waiting patiently for the festivities to begin!

Jonathan and his Dad. Nola's Big Dad
Our Little Family

Yay Daddy!

We are so proud of Jonathan! He graduated from the University of Memphis on Saturday! It has been a long, hard road, but he stuck with it and finished! Good Job Daddy!!

Jump Jump Party

2010-12-21T08:09:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know I am blogging alittle erratically! I finally got to sit down and catch up! Here is part 2 of Nola's birthday festivities! She loved the Pump-It-Up party! Everytime we say we are going to a party she automatically thinks it is a Jump-Jump party! I need to think of an excuse to have her another party- too bad they are so expensive! Maybe we can for her 1 year activation anniversary.... We'll have to convince Daddy first! :)

The Wedding

2010-12-21T07:44:00.000-08:00

Our good friends, Andy and Deanna, got married on December 4. We were honored that they asked us to be a part of their special day! These two are special to us because they are Nola's Godparents. We chose them to be Nola's Godparents because they are two more people Nola can look to for role models. Nola was the most beautiful flower girl I have ever seen! We were concerned she would not walk down the aisle, but on the big day she did great! She walked down swinging her arm and then at the end she dumped all of her rose petals in a pile! It was priceless!!

Summer 2010

2010-12-21T07:23:00.000-08:00

This summer, we went to the River with Honey & Pop-Pop. Nola loved it!!
We rode in the boat, played in the sand,roasted marshmallows and hotdogs, and slept in the RV!

Nola being silly.

This one is my favorite!

Honey, Nola, Pop-Pop

Roasting Hotdogs

Elf Yourself

2010-12-16T07:25:00.000-08:00

Look at this video!! Hillarious!

Prayers....

2010-12-14T08:38:00.000-08:00

A sweet family, The Harrisons, lost one of their twin daughters, Evie Grace, last Thursday. Please pray for them during this difficult time in their lives. No one knows their pain and I pray that the Lord wraps his arms tightly around them.
We don't ever know what the future holds and though we have faced the possibility of death or impairment with Nola, you are never ready to say goodbye to your baby.

Holidays recaps are coming!

2010-12-07T20:53:00.000-08:00

I have been TERRIBLE at keeping up with the blog lately! I'm sorry! There is so much going on around the Bawcum household- I promise to sit down sometime next week and get all the happenings caught up!!