Monday, June 01, 2020
Coarctation Surgery
A few days ago we arrived at Arkansas Children’s hospital at 5:30 in the morning for Isaac’s coarctation repair surgery. Isaac was brave, encouraged by the many friends that sent cards, gifts, and well-wishes.
His basketball team even showed up the night before to encourage and pray for him.
The surgery went well, but recovery is painful. It wasn’t until today that he was able to sit in a chair. His favorite nurse so far has been Jackson, a young man from Australia that played uno with us and made us laugh.
Saturday, January 11, 2020
Josephine Everly Vinson
2 days ago, Josephine Everly Vinson was born at 8:12 pm. She
weighed 8 lbs. 4 oz. and was 20 inches long. Our God named her billions of
years ago; this is the story of how He revealed that name to us.
Her first name, the feminine form of Joseph, is French in origin as is the name Sabin (her paternal grandmother’s maiden name). The name was revealed to Erica some time ago, but it wasn’t until she researched the meaning, “God will add”, that she began to understand why. Given the many losses we have experienced, we were frightened to accept this name as a promise from our God. This fear is the primary reason that a third child was not in our plans. He, however, is a keeper of promises and is not bound by our fear or our plans. As we prayed over Josephine this morning, I was eternally grateful that our Father chose to add to our family in keeping with His good and perfect will. To Erica, He revealed that our daughter will add more than just numbers to our family and His. She will add hands for His healing and Glory to His kingdom.
Her middle name, Everly, is derived from an old German name indicating bravery. This little girl has kicked in utero more fiercely than any of our other children, and I have the feeling the name will suit her. The name Everly honors Erica’s German heritage (our first daughter was named after Erica’s mother, which is the Irish side). The name has a few meanings, but the word “meadow” appears in most of them. I write this through tear-filled eyes as I picture our Savior charging across an open field to rescue our little girl. In the words of Lauren Daigle, “There is no distance that cannot be covered over and over.” My prayer for her is that He will rescue her into His Kingdom, that she will know the freedom that comes in Christ, and that she will be brave in receiving his love as well as sharing it.
Lastly, we have given all our kids nicknames, and hers is Posie, which is a variation of the name Josephine. A posy is a small bunch of flowers, which seems more than fitting for the beautiful little bundle that God dropped in our laps.
Her first name, the feminine form of Joseph, is French in origin as is the name Sabin (her paternal grandmother’s maiden name). The name was revealed to Erica some time ago, but it wasn’t until she researched the meaning, “God will add”, that she began to understand why. Given the many losses we have experienced, we were frightened to accept this name as a promise from our God. This fear is the primary reason that a third child was not in our plans. He, however, is a keeper of promises and is not bound by our fear or our plans. As we prayed over Josephine this morning, I was eternally grateful that our Father chose to add to our family in keeping with His good and perfect will. To Erica, He revealed that our daughter will add more than just numbers to our family and His. She will add hands for His healing and Glory to His kingdom.
Her middle name, Everly, is derived from an old German name indicating bravery. This little girl has kicked in utero more fiercely than any of our other children, and I have the feeling the name will suit her. The name Everly honors Erica’s German heritage (our first daughter was named after Erica’s mother, which is the Irish side). The name has a few meanings, but the word “meadow” appears in most of them. I write this through tear-filled eyes as I picture our Savior charging across an open field to rescue our little girl. In the words of Lauren Daigle, “There is no distance that cannot be covered over and over.” My prayer for her is that He will rescue her into His Kingdom, that she will know the freedom that comes in Christ, and that she will be brave in receiving his love as well as sharing it.
Lastly, we have given all our kids nicknames, and hers is Posie, which is a variation of the name Josephine. A posy is a small bunch of flowers, which seems more than fitting for the beautiful little bundle that God dropped in our laps.
Norah Marie Vinson
Below is the email I send out shortly after Norah's birth, which I a posting here for posterity:
Hello Everyone,
We have officially decided on a name for our baby girl: Norah Marie Vinson. Upon meeting her, Erica and I were both struck by her beautiful dark hair and olive skin, which are very close in resemblance to her grandmother, Jeanne Marie O'Connor. We have, therefore, decided to honor Jeanne, who passed away in the summer of 97, in the following way. Aside from the fact that our daughter obviously shares her middle name with her grandmother, we have also chosen for her a first name that portrays her proud Irish heritage. Norah is a classic Irish name that has two likely origins: the Greek name Eleanor, which means light; and the Latin Honora, meaning honor. This name is appropriate for her because our hope for our daughter is that she will honor God as she grown in the knowledge of his infinite love for her and be a vessel through which His light can shine. I have attached a picture that doesn't do her justice...more to come.
Love you all,
Finley and Erica
Hello Everyone,
We have officially decided on a name for our baby girl: Norah Marie Vinson. Upon meeting her, Erica and I were both struck by her beautiful dark hair and olive skin, which are very close in resemblance to her grandmother, Jeanne Marie O'Connor. We have, therefore, decided to honor Jeanne, who passed away in the summer of 97, in the following way. Aside from the fact that our daughter obviously shares her middle name with her grandmother, we have also chosen for her a first name that portrays her proud Irish heritage. Norah is a classic Irish name that has two likely origins: the Greek name Eleanor, which means light; and the Latin Honora, meaning honor. This name is appropriate for her because our hope for our daughter is that she will honor God as she grown in the knowledge of his infinite love for her and be a vessel through which His light can shine. I have attached a picture that doesn't do her justice...more to come.
Love you all,
Finley and Erica
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