Two Tons Of Love. Strange Title. Stranger Family.

Coen's Dance Moves

2010-01-26T14:15:00.002-06:00

On New Year's Eve day, while Kayla and Philipa were staying with us, we went to Round Rock to enjoy some Round Rock Donuts, which we took to a nearby park to eat. Coen dragged me to the top of a nearby parking structure staircase and proceeded to dance. I fear that this may not be "So You Think You Can Dance" material, but it was entertaining nonetheless.

Coen's Dance Moves from Jayd McFerson on Vimeo.

Coen Mocking His Old Dad's 40th Birthday

2009-10-10T16:40:00.001-05:00

Coen was more than happy to mock my 40th birthday and consume all of the "40 sucks" suckers. His expression in this picture is classic.

August 2009 Pictures

2009-10-10T16:16:00.014-05:00

Our summer (primarily working for Jayd) vacation extended into August as we piled up more miles "driving all over creation" (as my mom would say). We were able to spend a couple of fun days in Las Vegas at the Luxor with Tauni's brother Drew and cousin Jason (aka "J-Mo"). It was awesome to hang out with them as we rarely get to see them seeing as they live in Alberta Canada and we live in Texas. Here's Drew with Coen and Ella:

From Las Vegas, we continued north to Utah and spent a few fun days with our friends Max and Sally Brown and their two young kids. They have a gorgeous new house in Fruit Heights and we were able to crash their "basement" (more like a well-furnished 2 bedroom/2 bath apartment!). We spent a good day together out at Bridal Veil Falls.

From there, we headed south to South Jordan and spent a few nights with our ex-Texan great friends the Stahelis. While there, we were able to attend the open house of the new Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple which is about one mile from their house and is gorgeous.
Coen loved being reunited with his old buddy Parker Staheli who he used to hang out with in Texas before they moved.

Kayla joined us in Utah after her semester finished at BYU Idaho. Then, after Utah, we headed back to California where Coen was able to spend pretty much everyday with his cousins. He's pictured above with Vanessa and Savanna, his two female cousins on the McFerson side. As you can see, he loved these girls.

With my sister Jennifer's help, we were able to find a new place to swim pretty much everyday, which Tauni and Kayla were freaks for. You can see Kayla above trying to imitate Jayd's legendary "Dead Man's Fall".

After another week, we said goodbye to Jayd's family in California and started the trek home to Texas. Fortunately, Tauni had arranged a nice one week stopover in Las Vegas, where we took advantage of extremely "recession-friendly" lodging. Jayd's brother Jeffrey and his family joined us in Las Vegas, which was awesome. Coen hung out with his cousins Ian, Hyde, and Leif, non-stop for a week and loved it. Here are the hooligans, pictured below at The Mirage's Shark exhibit.

All told, Las Vegas was nice and relaxing as Jayd was finally able to take some time off work instead of burning the candle at both ends. As you can see below, Ella enjoyed her rest and relaxation!

Tons of other pictures here.

July 2009 Pictures

2009-10-04T20:27:00.003-05:00

This summer we took a six-week trip (the blessing and curse of the "Home Office Job") from Texas to California to Las Vegas to Utah to California to Las Vegas and back home to Texas. Needless to say, we put a ton of miles on the car but fortunately never had any car trouble at all. I've posted far more pictures at our Picasa site, but here are a few to give you a sense of the journey.

We spent a fun afternoon/night at a resort in Scottsdale Arizona as part of the drive to California to visit Jayd's family. The summertime deals of $50 for a killer room are hard to resist. The kids (no surprise) loved the swimming pool.

Coen loved the Long Beach Aquarium.

We went to the circus in Anaheim, CA, with all of the McFerson-side cousins.

Coen loved hanging out with all of his cousins. Vanessa (next to him above) stole my little man's heart.

Above you can see Coen hanging out with his cousins Leif, Hyde, and Ian. Most of his friends in Texas seem to be girls, so Coen loved hanging out with these three little boys.

Finally, here is a shot from the first-ever McFerson family photo shoot. As you can see, the clan is expanding.

Cheating with Smilebox

2009-09-04T15:09:00.006-05:00

Okay, its been about a year since I posted something on this blog (yes, this is Tauni). I've made a deal with Jayd that I'll do the 'picture blogging' and he can do all the rest. Meaning, I will put together little video/online scrapbooking and he takes care of making sure everyone is up to date on what is happening in our lives. Sounds good to me.

For the last few days, I've been editing some pictures that I love of Coen and Ella and putting them into these little videos. I wish I had more talent when it came to editing in photoshop but I'm learning. I could watch these videos all day! I'm so crazy about my kids!!

(Turn your speakers on so you can hear the music)

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Something special for Baby Ella.

Make a Smilebox greeting

There will be more to come. I have about a MILLION pictures I need to catch up on. I've realized I am not really into the traditional scrapbooking (I wish I were because it's classic and timeless.) My Mom scrapbooks and creates amazing keepsakes. Maybe one day I'll get into it but for now, I'm going to catch up by cheating with online tools.

June 2009 Pictures

2009-07-03T15:59:00.005-05:00

Another month has come and gone and as always it's just pictures that help us remember. As such, there are a ton of June 2009 pictures here. Also, some video here.

Highlights:
- Baby Ella turned 6 months old. She's got her military crawl down and is on the rice cereal now.
- This is the first month of Coen's life when he has been tumor and cast free! And, this week he fell asleep by himself every single night without Dad or Mom in the bedroom. Life changing. :)
- The family had some fun nights out to places like the Big Top Candy Shop and Homeslice Pizza in South Austin and everyone's favorite the new Berry Cool frozen yogurt place right here in Cedar Park. Check them all out. Highly recommended.
- Coen and Jayd both buzz-cut (1/2") their hair for the summertime.

- Finally, we are preparing for our annual summer trip somewhere. This year it's going to be "West Coast Tour 2009" as we'll be driving from Austin TX to Orange County CA to stay with Jayd's family. From there, we'll also be headed to Utah and to a week in Las Vegas (thank you recession for a killer deal on a week at a resort). The "home office" job makes it all possible but also kills Jayd at the same time as he juggles it all. :)

Happy 1/2 Birthday Ella !!!

2009-06-12T15:25:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was Ella's 1st 1/2 Birthday. She's already six months old. It's amazing. Happy Birthday baby girl. :)

Every guy has to learn the skills...

2009-06-08T08:56:00.007-05:00

Coen loves his friend Gabby (or, as he says, "Abby").

Here's Coen trying to learn important life skills at a very early age.
Every red-blooded male alive knows this routine...

Step One: The Couch

Step Two: Whisper something sweet into her ear.

Step three: "There's no time like the present!". Go for it...

Little man, I hope that's the last rejection you ever have to face. :)

May 2009 Wrap-Up

2009-06-08T08:38:00.008-05:00

Well, like most months these days, May 2009 seemed to fly by. That's bad news for Tauni because May is the month of our Wedding Anniversary, Mother's Day, and her Birthday (yeah, can you say expensive month?). Now I don't have to do anything nice for her until Christmas!

May brought Coen losing his cast, walking again, and generally feeling a ton better. It's been amazing. Ella continues to grow, is sleeping better, and is a proficient little military crawler now. Gone are the days of her immobility. For such a small little thing, she a strong, independent soul. And while she's still a sleep-time BFF with her dad, it's mom that gets all of her 'grab the chin and land a sweet kiss' moments. Yeah, dad is jealous.

Ella showing how she spends the bulk of her days:

Ella dolled up before Church:

Handsome Man Coen before Church:

Dad's favorite guy:

Through all of Coen's health struggles, he has co-slept with us.
This here is fairly typical of the sleeping arrangements at our house.

Mama's Day 2009. Our favorite meal: Steak & Spinach Salad.

Mama Tauni with her two babies.

Coen going for a "sneak peek". Kid worships icing.

Happy lad with some white frosting. The actual chocolate cake is entirely ignored.

Coen's First Steps 2.0

2009-05-26T08:18:00.008-05:00

Yesterday, Coen walked on his own ("Walk by self, dada") for the first time since before his first surgery back in late January. Coen had walked for about two months before the surgeries to remove his tumor, but with severe pain that he would sadly pay for later (muscle spasms at night). Yesterday he walked and kept saying "no pain". Then he had a good night's sleep without the crazy spasms that we loathe so much. This is yet another step in the miracle process. It's amazing and needless to say, he loves it. We knew he'd start taking steps again soon, but figured it'd be about 3-4 weeks out. This means that he'll be ready to roll with his cousins in California this summer, which is definitely what we've been hoping for.

Coen's left-side hip and leg muscles are still really stiff and severely contracted. The physical therapist said that it will likely take about 1-2 years to work the muscles out. Coen is in PT every week and we do stretches at home with him everyday (which he hated at first and is now better about). It's going to be amazing to see his limp slowly work itself out. Nobody can perfectly predict the ultimate prognosis right now, but great progress continues to be made, so we're thrilled.

(Side note: Tauni says I sound like an uncaring deadbeat dad in this video, but the reality is that I was holding Ella while she slept and I likewise perhaps fell asleep as well. So, I'm not an uncaring deadbeat dad here, I'm just 3/4 asleep.)

Coen's Cast Is Off!!!

2009-05-07T17:29:00.012-05:00

After ten weeks and two casts, Coen's little (and even smaller now) legs are liberated!

Today we had a morning appointment for Coen to have his cast removed by our awesome orthopedist Dr. Yandow. Coen wasn't thrilled when they brought in the "CastVac", but he honestly managed really well, going from scared to curious during the 15+ minutes that it took to remove his grisly cast.

Once the cast came off, an impressive stench came over the room. His legs looked like he'd been living in a foxhole for a few months. I felt bad when we found a leaf from one of the trees in our backyard in there (he loves to help me water the trees, lying on his belly to do it). The other lovely prize was a strand of mom's black hair. It's no wonder this kid was constantly grab our hands and having us scratch inside his cast. It's just a good thing he got that cast off before the summer heat crept in.

Within about 15 minutes of having his cast off, he wanted to try standing. Needless to say, his legs are really weak right now, but I imagine that he'll be standing against things in the next few days and then we'll see after that. He's a little trooper, so I know he will go for it. I just hope his body can keep up with his mind.

It's such a relief to have this phase of his recovery behind us. There is a lot of aggressive physical therapy in store for him (likely a couple of years), but we're making progress. Lots of things still need to heal (femoral head needs to stabilize and 'marry into' the hip socket, the pelvic bone needs to finish healing, etc.), but it's happening one step at a time and we're immensely grateful for that.

Thank you very much to everybody (coast to coast and across the oceans) that has sent their love and most importantly their prayers. They are working and we're humbled by that. We'll be eternally grateful to you.

Lots of photos here: Cast coming off / Still in his cast.
Videos here.

Tauni & The Two Tons

2009-05-07T16:55:00.010-05:00

Thanks to some recent cleaning efforts, this old picture surfaced of Tauni and I from the summer of 2004 (what could rightfully be called the "summer of new love").

Perhaps even more embarrassing, we found a CD of the song we recorded together. At the time, I was still finishing my band's last CD (here) and Tauni would sometimes come to the painfully tedious mixing sessions that lasted two nights a week for about a year (after a year of recording). During this time, I was approached to record a song for a Janice Kapp Perry tribute CD that was to be released by Halestorm Entertainment (here). I hit Tauni up to sing on it and we sorted out one of the few Janice Kapp Perry songs that we knew.

When it came time to record, I enlisted the help of my friend Steve Brown (who recorded the final Arrogants CD referenced above). Tauni sang, I played guitar, bass, and sang a bit, and Steve played drums; thus was born "Tauni & The Two Tons". Here's the song (posted for posterity's sake, if nothing else).

Tauni & The Two Tons - "Song of Testimony" (Janice Kapp Perry cover).

Coen : Cast 2.0

2009-04-08T23:32:00.004-05:00

Just back from the hospital today, so I'm going to make this easy and post Tauni's email to family along with some pictures. (Jayd)
__________________________________________

(Tauni:)

Well, I learned a pretty powerful lesson today. Be careful what you complain about because it can always get worse. Today, I think it just got a little bit worse for Coen. Not in the pain department (he is actually feeling much better which is awesome) but in the cast department. I have complained the last few weeks about his cast and how hard it was for me to change his diaper and clean it (it started to have a smell of its own lately) but now I would take that cast back in a heart beat. Today, they put Coen in a "broomstick cast" which will allow him to move his hip slightly in a very controlled way without it dislocating or slipping back into the hole left when they removed the tumor. They want him to start moving that hip for 2 reasons. One, his femoral head is larger on that side and needs to start moving so it doesn't continue to grow too big (leading to a hip replacement). Second, because the hip will get very tight and stiff (with scar tissue) due to the double surgery if he doesn't start moving it. So, I understand why this needs to be done but that doesn't make it any easier.

This new cast will allow him to sit eventually (he is far to stiff and sore to be able to do that now) but it takes away his ability to move very well. The feet are in the cast so he can't use them to help push himself around. The legs are so spread that he can't really turn over from his back to his tummy like he did in the other one and because both legs are braced, he can't even walk along furniture or pull himself into a standing position.

In true Coen fashion, he will figure something out; however, this is going to be really tough for him. He needs to wear this for at least 4 weeks.

The good news is that his bone is growing back in the pelvis (where they took out the tumor) and his doctor feels like the threat of a bone graph is off the table. That is AWESOME!!!

Well, it is late and after about 10 hours in the hospital today (he was put under for the MRI and a full body bone scan as well as for the cast change) and I am fried! Just wanted to send out an update.

Tauni

__________________________________________

Here are some pictures of the new cast (and the bar keeping his legs spread is no less intimidating in person):

Jayd's comments:

All in all, positive day. The bone is growing back in, which was the main concern. This should help him avert another major surgery any time soon.

Keys now:
1 - Bone continues to grow back in.
2 - Left femoral head stabilizes / growth slows so that it does not outgrow the left hip socket. Reduced inflammation in the region will help with this. This is key to avoiding an eventual hip replacement.
3 - Leg muscles on left-side continue to stretch with the cast.

After this cast, it will be physical therapy and monitoring. No other major procedures planned right now.

Oh, you know... More pictures (and some video!)

2009-04-06T13:27:00.002-05:00

Here are some more pictures for you (over the past few weeks). We've also added some video over at Vimeo.com. Here's the link. Enjoy.

Baby Ella:

The rather Viking version of Ella:Ella and Muno:Baby Ella, always sleeping in car-seat, in co-sleeper:Coen with shades:Coen's new homemade T-shirt #1:Coen's new homemade T-shirt #2:If I had that cast on, I wouldn't look quite so peaceful:This was how Coen was sleeping on my chest:

2009-03-27T10:07:00.004-05:00

I wanted to add this video so everyone could enjoy it! It has been a long time since I have heard someone be so clear and unbiased and absolutely right on. This Brit gets it!!!

Feb/March 2009 - Update in Pictures

2009-03-26T00:29:00.010-05:00

Another update in pictures here. There is so much to write really but I haven't gotten myself around to it yet. About Coen - he is currently in a spica cast while his hip heals after the two surgeries. Fortunately, he is in far less pain (off all medications except a little Children's Motrin), sleeps much much better (wakes up about twice per night now instead of 8-10 times), and the spasms that plagued 2008 are nowhere to be found (granted, he's in a cast, but there are no manifestations). So, the little man is doing better than he's done in at least 16+ months. It's awesome. In the meantime, 'Baby Ella' is starting to bring the charm, just over the three-month mark now. Enjoy the pictures, all of which can be found here (captions underneath pictures).
These pictures were taken in the car on the way home from the hospital after he went in for an MRI and came out with a spica cast (Doctor didn't like the way the hip was healing without being held in place). Mind you, one of his issues has been that his muscles on the left-side are severely contracted, so this was the equivalent of somebody pushing me into the splits and casting me down that way. Ugh.

Strangely, he loves lying and sleeping this way.

How the little man spends his days.

Headed out for a walk with mom.

"Mom, am I holding this right?"

Ella flashing some odd gang signs.

Brother and Sister.

The ladies.

This one is for Auntie Kayla. Ella representing for the Calgary Flames.

At 3 months old and apparently very into it.

A few shots from our day out in Austin, trying to check out the first weekend of SXSW Interactive at the Hilton downtown.

Mama's little model.

Out on 6th Street in Austin on the Thursday evening of the SXSW Music Festival (Jayd's review here).

Coen wasn't into the death metal bands that seemed to be playing every open-air venue on 6th street. Way to show some discerning taste, son.

The Japanese band Quaff were filming a music video out on 6th Street. We tried to slide Ella in there. If anyone in Japan is reading this, let us know if she makes the final cut.

It's too bad we don't have a better picture of this. We took the kids with us to see Explosions In The Sky on the last night of SXSW (free outside show). We set up camp behind the stage, just next to the river that runs south of downtown Austin. At the end of Explosions' set, there was a great fireworks show, with Austin in the background. It was awesome.

The little man, standing up in his cast and showing one of his many flashes of raw personality.

Coen Medical Update, 2/3/2009

2009-02-03T20:25:00.005-06:00

There is so much to write here and I need to block off time to write the entire story. But, since computer time is limited here (we're in the hospital, day 8), I'm going to post two emails that Tauni has sent to our families while we've been here. For posterity.
__________

Tauni email, 2/3/2009 (after the 2nd surgery):

Family and Friends...

Just wanted to send out a quick email to update you on Coen. He came out of his almost 3 hour surgery great today and seemed to remember the post-op nurse from his surgery last week because he let her hold him and cuddle him until they let us in. I was so happy to not see him crying. He is all hooked up again to IV and epidural and a catheter (which he hates and I can't blame him!) so it is really tough to hold him. He is resting but not sleeping and was just given some more medicine for his spasms. We hope that the pain will be less this time around since they did not re-slice the muscles. He keeps telling me his leg is hurting and cries from time to time. We try to console him with rocking in the rocker and laying next to him in his bed.

The doctor came and talked to us after and said that they cut into the pelvis about a 1/4 of an inch and removed all the bone. He said some of it was grainy and they hope this is the nest of the tumor. They removed about as much bone as they possibly can without having long lasting damage. They will send it to pathology and see if it is the nest. They said they will also just have to see how much pain he is in once the epidural is removed in 2 days. If he is in a ton of pain like before then it means the nest is still in the bone (or part of it anyway). I asked what they would do at that point and the doctor just said "lets cross that bridge at the time". I don't even really want to think about that right now. For now, I just hope they got it all.

Coen has had a cough for a few week which got much worse after his first surgery. They gave him a breathing treatment last night to prepare him for surgery since going under with any type of cold makes the risks greater. While he was under the anesthesiologist suctioned out his lungs and said there was quite a bit of junk in there. She said he either has some pneumonia or bronchitis and he is on an antibiotic for that right now. It is making me very concerned for Baby Ella as she has developed quite a cough since being here. I will take her to the doctor as soon as we get back to Austin and I have asked the nurses to listen to her from time to time.

It kills me to see Coen back attached to all the tubes, the epidural and just feeling all the pain of a major surgery again but I just keep telling myself that in the long run he will feel a million times better. It is crazy to think that in a month or so Coen could actually feel pretty pain free... he just doesn't even know life without pain. I just visualize him running around and jumping on the trampoline with his best friend Ellery and that keeps me going!

Thank-you for all your thoughts and prayers and fasts! I want you all to know that life here got a lot better late Saturday night and was much better Sunday. Coen was feeling much better and I know that it was because of the faith of so many around the world praying for him. I really felt the blessings of those prayers the last few days and I am so grateful!!!

Love Tauni

__________

Tauni email, 1/30/2009 (after the 1st surgery):

Everybody, here's the quick update about Coen:

For those of you who did not know, we are in the hospital with Coen in Dallas and have been here since Monday. We came for a routine MRI of his hip and appointments but ended up in surgery the next day removing a benign tumor from his hip. They finally have found the answer to all Coen's pain!!! This is an extremely rare tumor and even more rare to have it at his age and in the hip. It is also an extremely painful tumor as it sends out sharp and relentless pain into the area it is located. To add to that, this tumor had grown bone into Coen's hip joint that was rubbing and smashing bone on bone into his hip. This is why walking was so painful for him. They say it is a miracle he even walked at all with all this pain.

They went into surgery thinking that it was a different kind of growth but once inside the hip (they had to make a 6 inch incision into his leg and completely remove the leg from the hip joint), they realize that it was this very rare type of tumor. They removed the bone growth and cut deep into the top of his hipbone.

Coen had a good first day and night because he had an epidural in his spine for the pain but once they removed that, the pain was unbearable for him. Yesterday and last night was truly hell for him as he cried and had to be held the entire day and night. At almost 4 am after almost 20 hours of crying and horrible pain, they gave him some very strong medicine and he was able to get 3 hours of sleep before he woke again with another spasm. During the surgery they cut slits into 3 main muscles to try and lengthened them as they are so contracted from not being able to use his leg for his whole life. These cut muscles spasm severely because they are irritated. He is also dealing with the spasms that he has always had. Even with full Valium they are unable to keep these spasm under control and therefore Coen just has to endure.

When the doctor came to see Coen this morning (his doctor is one of the best pediatric orthopedic doctors in the nation and the Chief of Staff here at this hospital so we are very lucky). I told him that Coen had been in unbearable pain throughout the night. He then delivered us some bad news... The pathology report came back that the bone they removed during Coen's surgery was "normal bone". This just means that they did not get the "nidus" or nest/source of the issue. In other words, the problem bone goes deeper into his pelvis and the piece poking through the hip joint was just part of the outgrowth. Seeing as when they went in for the surgery they were looking for something else (something very similar but different), I suppose it isn't too surprising that they didn't get the nidus.

This morning (after the pathology report), they reviewed the MRI pictures from Monday again (there are 500+ and this nidus is the size of the top of a ballpoint pin tip). They were able to locate the nidus on these images. We then went back in for further CT images and they had three radiologists check to make sure they found it. Coen was fortunately asleep on the table as Jayd stood next to him with his hands on his chest and head to make sure he was still. He had one of the lead cover-ups on, but said there is a good chance that he is either sterile or the next Hulk from the radiation.

We then talked to the Chief of Staff again in the afternoon and they scheduled surgery for next Tuesday. Basically the exact surgery again but this time cutting even deeper into his pelvis bone. He said that if they do not get this source of the tumor out then it would always cause him great pain and eventually grow back. So, we're likely here in the hospital until next Friday at least.

I have to say that I find it amazing that throughout Coen's time in the NICU we were able to stay in the hospital with him and now through all of his time here, we can stay with him as well. And all for free. It's incredible and wonderful to be right here with him to help him deal with all the pain and try to give him comfort.

By this time next week we should be headed home with the disease out of Coen's hip and a huge light at the end of the tunnel. In the meantime, we push poor Coen through some serious pain. Day by day... that is all I can focus on right now. Fortunately, Ella has been a little dream this entire time (although I hate having my 7 week old a hospital for almost 2 weeks).

Thank-you for all the prayers that have been offered on behalf of Coen. Please continue as this surgery on Tuesday is very serious and scary.

Tauni

FYI - In one report online from 2008, it said that only 13 cases of this condition (Osteoid Osteoma in the acetabulum) have ever been reported. The Chief of Staff here has not seen it in his 30 years. He thinks Coen perhaps is the only case every of this condition in this location at his young age. Crazy!!!!

Ella Comes Home, Christmas, Coen's B-Day, etc...

2009-01-19T22:45:00.041-06:00

OK. It's time for some serious catching up. The last month plus has been hectic but great. Here's a little review in pictures (far too many perhaps, but this is sadly my only journal lately and I really need to capture some of the recent family storylines). Click any picture to expand it.

Early December 2008. Coen's first experience with snow.

My parents drove out from California and spent the bulk of December 2008 with us. They were an incredible help in a myriad of ways before and after Ella's birth. We are truly indebted to them. Coen LOVED having his "Ami" (Tauni's made up term for Grandma so Coen had a way to refer to her) read him Spongebob and Dora books all day long.

Baby Ella just before coming home from the hospital. Does she look excited or frightened?!?!?

At home with the two kids. Notice my dad's Sul Ross State University shirt! Last time he was here he threatened to return with an obscure Texas university shirt. Mission accomplished.

One bed. Two kids. Add two adults and we're grateful that we upgraded to a King recently.

Grandpa McFerson with the first little Texan in the family.

Shady Grove. An Austin TX essential stop. We took my parents here as a feeble "thank you" for all of their help.

Baby Ella in one of her many little outfits.

Coen getting acquainted with his little sister.

Jayd and Coen going to Church while Tauni stays home with the new baby. Coen looked so stylish that day rockin' his little blazer.

This is a common sight around our house lately. I took two weeks off work for the holidays and Coen spent a lot of that time sleeping on my chest. He unfortunately had some really painful leg cramps during the holidays. It was nice timing that I was always around.

The people I love.

Coen has been absolutely obsessed with his belly button lately. If he ends up with an "outie", we'll know why.

A friend who knows of Coen's deep love of 'Magic Robot Plex' bought him these gloves and hat for his birthday. He rarely takes them off lately.

So, I'm obviously biased, but this picture is just plain gorgeous. What an adorable little girl.

The stockings. Five people strong.

The track that "Ami" bought Coen for Christmas. It stayed in our family room for about a week before we had to finally migrate it to Coen's playroom. He loves it.

It was an "immediate family Christmas" this year, so Tauni and I went to the flagship Whole Foods down on Lamar & 6th and splurged a bit on some good cheese and appetizers to go with our mini-Christmas feast. Good good meal.

That's my baby girl. Please don't break my heart. :)

Because of his leg issues, Coen has always slept in our bed. With the recent occupation of that bed with a newborn, Coen was thrown a bit off his game, so I spent many hours over the holidays driving him to sleep. He calls the routine "Ba-ba, Elmo" because he gets a bottle and we drape Elmo across his lap. Then Dad just hopes that he goes down quickly!

There is a cul-de-sac in our city that goes all out for Christmas. Every house. The scale of it is honestly incredible. Coen was into it so we went twice this year.

I know that babies supposedly only smile when they pass gas, but I promise you that this little girl is constantly smiling at her mom. It's crazy. She honestly sits and stares at Tauni.

Coen and the Spongebob ("Bob Bob") foam puzzle that he loves.

This was the Santa layout for Coen on Christmas morning. "Big Thomas", Elmo, and another Thomas the Train piece. Yes, he's in that Thomas phase.

Coen was a little short-changed on his 2nd birthday because I was out of town in Idaho helping Kayla get settled into BYU Idaho (which I unfortunately don't have any pictures of). So, we celebrated a week later and without a major party. But, we did go to Chuck E Cheese, which Coen loved (honestly my first time ever; underwhelmed). Notice the constant theme of Thomas the Train.

Coen representing his age (he always likes to use both hands).

This is the story of the month around here. Notice that there are two green Percy trains. One is normal and Coen is holding the one that is iced over. Coen is into ice lately so he will always point to this train (or attempt to pronounce Percy) and then wrap his arms around himself and shiver like he's cold. It's honestly hilarious. We've weaved a story together that Sir Topham Hat asked Percy to go outside in the cold to deliver bananas to Coen's friend Ellery. Well, it turns out that Percy was outside so long that she (he?) got ice all over her. Coen can retell about 2/3 of the story using his signs. Our constant rehearsing of this story helps to keep him somewhat still during his nightly leg massage :)

Coen's 2nd birthday present was this train table, which his Grandpa Schmirler perfectly set up for him while I was in Idaho. Coen loves it.

Coen and the girl he loves, Ellery, playing inside "Big Thomas".

I've sure every kid learns this essential life skill at some point. Good to see you've already arrived son.

Here is Coen getting fitted for his "boot" / brace extension a few days ago. We're hoping this helps with his nocturnal (and now occasionally daytime) muscle cramps (try walking on your left toes all day and you will feel his pain). We're now two nights in and it seems to be helping somewhat. It's crazy the amount of doctor appointments that Coen has already had in his two years of life. Look at him on that table. What a good kid. Seriously. (Note: That little brace would have cost us $2,600 without insurance. Thank you Oracle for good health insurance!).

Babe, I know Ella completely adores you (trust me, I'm well jealous), but frankly she looks frightened here!

Two kids. It boggles my mind.

Coen's brace extension in action. Look at that left leg. This is how we strap him in for bedtime. To his credit, he's goes along with it. Again, good kid.

Caption #1: Jayd's belated token Myspace mirror picture.
Caption #2: I finally purchased some glasses that I don't feel totally embarrassed to wear.

Our little angel.

Two of the three women in my life (Kayla being the 3rd, lest any strange rumors emerge). I must admit that I have it good.

Coen & Ella's 1st Meeting

2008-12-15T12:32:00.006-06:00

Well, the sibling rivalry has begun. Haha. Actually, things have gone fairly well so far and we're sure Coen will blossom into a great big brother (in spite of that first night...). Here are some honestly precious shots of these two the first time they ever met (well, on Earth at least). Go here.

Ella Jayd McFerson is Born!!!

2008-12-11T04:56:00.003-06:00

Tauni and Jayd are thrilled to announce the healthy arrival of their daughter Ella Jayd McFerson, born at 1:19 AM Central Time on Thursday, 12/11/2008!

For pictures please go here. I will post more later (after some sleep).

Vital information:
Weight: 7 pounds, 9 ounces
Length: 20.1 inches
APGAR: 8 at 1 minute; 9 at 5 minutes
Time admitted to hospital: 10-December-2008, 9:37 PM Central Time
Time of Delivery: 11-December 2008, 1:19 AM Central Time
Amount of Hair: Minimal
Love of Father: Immediate

Tauni and Ella are doing amazingly well and both are fast asleep as I type this at 5 AM. I'm thrilled that Tauni had the experience of starting labor at home instead of being induced this time. We're insanely grateful and excited.

This Is How He Rolls

2008-11-13T23:52:00.007-06:00

As stated before, because of his hip/leg condition, Coen is still not able to walk consistently. He's taking a few steps at a time now, but it becomes very painful for him. So, about a month ago, we started taking his "walker" with us when we'd go out anywhere. He loves it and cruises around like a crazy man. Here's a picture tribute to our little man on the move.

At the Austin Greek Festival:
Trick or Treating:

On the Farm:
A complete set of pictures here.

Election's Eve

2008-11-03T08:11:00.016-06:00

As we face the "day of reckoning" tomorrow at the end of this Presidential Campaign season, this is what I have on my mind:

"The hard evidence of totalitarian rule has caused in mankind an uprising of the intellect and will. Whether it is the growth of the new schools of economics in America or England or the appearance of the so-called new philosophers in France, there is one unifying thread running through the intellectual work of these groups -- rejection of the arbitrary power of the state, the refusal to subordinate the rights of the individual to the superstate, the realization that collectivism stifles all the best human impulses." (Ronald Reagan)

Much has been said of "Joe the Plumber" and Obama's quote about "spreading the wealth" and yet it is known that Obama is not interested in freely spreading his own wealth (read here), seeing as he had notably given less than 1% of his income to charity in the years before his presidential push. Why is he encouraging state-regulated (read: forced) redistribution and yet his example is not encouraging of charitable distribution by the individual based on free will? Is there perhaps another motive here other than his stated altruistic desire to help his "brothers and sisters"?

As a Christian, I tithe my earnings to my church. For what purpose? I believe that this is what God has asked of me, so I do it without resentment. As such, I do it of my own free will and choice; it is not imposed by the institution. I choose to be charitable; I am not compelled. What becomes of this money? It is obviously spent towards purposes of the Church in what we believe to be the furthering of God's kingdom (translation: the betterment of God's children in all ways). I realize that to those of other faiths this may seem a bit self-serving. Know that we do not employ paid clergy and a large portion of the money is employed to assist those that we consider to be our "brothers and sisters" who may have less fortunate circumstances (more information here).

Now, on the surface, this may appear to be very similar to some of the redistribution of wealth concepts that Senator Barack Obama is putting forward (concepts that are not new in American politics). The stated intent is the same -- to help the less fortunate. The fundamental difference however is the means of doing so. Again, as a Christian, I support the concept of giving of that which I have been blessed with to assist others. It would be un-Christian to feel otherwise. But, I do not feel that the state is the proper (or most efficient) means of that redistribution.

There is no evidence in the Bible of Christ suggesting that the state be the arbiter of charity or the proper institution for the "redistribution" of any wealth. Instead, Christ taught that we as individuals should step forward, acting on our own free will and choice, to assist the less fortunate around us. Why? First, that act binds us to them. Second, that act changes us as givers. That choice makes us less selfish/self-absorbed. It's this second type of change that is key (and the type of change that we truly both need and can believe in). This is focused on changing the character of the individual; both giver and receiver are edified and the receiver is taught to rise above the present circumstances and better him or herself. When change is compelled by the state, little or no change occurs in the individual, as the individual is not involved in the choice (and all Christian principles are fundamentally rooted in this unobstructed power to choose).

Why do I bother to write about this now? It helps me to "unspin" the rhetorical cobwebs that our politicians can drag us into. I would hope that we would all be interested in helping our fellow man. I would hope that we are not clutching our "precious" dollars close to our chest because of greed. But, I would hope that we are not also asking the state to do something for us (charity) that we should be choosing to do ourselves. Christ teaches us to help in all ways, not just the giving of a check. It's impossible for the state to put its arms around somebody in need.

Remember, by definition, an increase in the power of the state, which occurs as we allow the state to manage an increasing number of functions in our lives, including the distribution of charity and health care, is a step towards totalitarianism. By definition. I'm not saying we're there, but we're taking steps. We can't take our freedoms for granted.

Why I Will Not Be Voting For Barack Obama

2008-10-24T23:22:00.025-05:00

A departure here from "what is happening with the family now", to "how I hope things shape out for my family in the future".

Tauni and I have been sucked into this (insanely long) presidential campaign, and while I'm not thrilled with either candidate, I do still believe in voting for the best pragmatic option. As such, I'll be voting for John McCain. Why? Great question.

1 - National Security. When I consider what I expect the government to provide to my family in return for our tax dollars, national security is a clear #1 on that list. I want a government that is a strong advocate for American security in the world. I want a military and Commander in Chief that is strong enough to be a deterrent to those interested in threatening America's peace and safety.

Let's consider Obama. You have to be worried when his own running mate, Joe Biden, warned the nation last week that (audio here), "Mark my words, it will not be six months before the world tests Obama like it did John Kennedy... Watch, we're going to have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy." Granted, Biden couches this in the context of "being a student of history", but is this not still disconcerting? If I vote for Obama, it comes with the baggage of a guaranteed, generated international crisis? Joe, what do you know about the way the world truly thinks about Obama? Are they salivating over the prospect of a weaker America?

Of course, in now patented form, Obama uses his "trivialize it to make it go away" tactic in response to his own running mate's comments. "I think Joe sometimes engages in rhetorical flourishes". So, let me get this straight - McCain is the impetuous hot-head that we must keep out of office? And how is a "rhetorical flourish" different than his blunders? I love the inconsistencies on both sides of the proverbial aisle here.

Bottom line - if you are an international terrorist, who do you want as the next American President? Obama, who opposed the war and surge and even voted against troop funding? Or, McCain, who, call him impetuous and a bit crazy, is at least going to respond with more than rhetoric. So, advantage McCain.

2 - Economics. Last time I checked, neither of these candidates has either (a) real executive business experience or (b) government executive experience. So, where have they learned their economics? Is there an MBA amongst either of them? No, of course not. Which brings me to my point - Washington DC is not the place to look for economic stimulus. The best thing DC can do is to provide a fair legal environment for businesses to thrive. Has Bush done that? Not lately. He's acted like a true lame-duck for the past four years and has been a fiscal nightmare.

Governments don't drive business booms. If you think government is so masterful at playing the economy, name the last great economic expansion driven by government policy? At best, government plays maintenance. They have no tricks in their bag to drive expansion. Contraction? Yes, that one's easy. Just suck money out of the economy (aka higher taxes). Expansions are driven by factors like education, R&D, technological breakthroughs, new labor and consumer markets, etc.

So, why is Obama perceived as having a better economic plan than McCain? Did he warn us about this current financial crisis? Did he, with his great economic understanding, foresee and warn about this? No (watch). Did McCain? Mildly. Mind you, I'm not thrilled by his efforts either.

What mainly drives me crazy is that America is no longer allowed to ride out natural business cycles. Economies binge and diet. It's a historical fact going back centuries. Somehow in this politically-correct world, we are no longer allowed to feel any pain from contraction and must instead forever expand. It's not possible. This "recession" was inevitable. Perhaps it's just because I'm from California and I saw the home appreciation insanity firsthand. But, anyone who stopped to think about it knew that "what goes up, must come down". What drove the "Dot Bomb" era? Valuations that far outstripped actual revenues and profit potential. What's driving the foreclosure era? Home appreciations (and the resulting mortgage debt) that far outstrips earning potential.

If you think that the Democrats are not likewise guilty for the current financial crisis, please ignore the talking points for a second and think again. Read this. When did the creation of easy money and soft lending practices begin? Pre-Bush. Read this. If I wanted to, I could weave a conspiracy theory out of all of this that shows this process was calculated to make more people beholden to government. I wish that were not true, but I'm not convinced. At a bare minimum, it's pretty obvious that the blatant creation of easy money via lower interest rates and soft lending standards was a crushing blow to the lower and middle classes (who, regardless, still chose their poison) who bought into record levels of household debt that have pointed many closer to serfdom than the supposed "financial independence" of home ownership.

So, where was I? Oh yeah, Economics. Advantage - McCain. Why? Obama's economic plan is socialism. If you believe in his "spread the wealth" notion, go visit Canada. We were able to rent a video for a mere $5.99 per night in Kelowna, BC, this summer. Why? Because socialism is built on false principles. Here's how it really plays out - watch this. If you don't believe it, read your economic history. Remind me who the last great socialist nation was again?

3 - Big Government. Every "solution" Senator Obama is putting forward points to bigger government. The analysis on this one for me is extremely practical. This is how I process it - Let me think of a government institution that I think is doing a fabulous job, working efficiently and serving its stakeholders well. Hmmm. In the past year, I've been to government record offices that feel soul-crushing in their lethargic energy level, inefficiently providing routine paperwork to me with the standard "five business days turnaround time". Sounds very modern that, right? You ever get frustrated by road construction projects that seem to take forever? Can you imagine having to call the equivalent of the DMV to sort out your healthcare options whilst in the middle of a health crisis with one of your children? Let's be honest, government operations and bureaucracy are the laughing-stock of many a joke. In my industry as a tech consultant, we desperately try to avoid having to work on government projects. Why? Because everything moves at 1/2 speed. And that's the same government that is somehow going to magically take care of my healthcare and retirement fund (the Democrats already want to tax your 401K) and kids' education? Let's not be naive; beyond the rhetoric is the ugly reality of an impending level of service yielding far less bang for the buck than we are being sold.

4 - New Supreme Court appointments. The Founding Fathers of this country envisioned that the Judicial Branch of government would be the "least dangerous branch". James Madison, specifically, anticipated that the court would be the guardian of our civil liberties according to the Bill of Rights.

What does this mean? Well, the notion was that the Court would rule according to the Constitution and the laws of the land. Like seemingly everything else in America, there are two primary schools of thought on how the Supreme Court should judge. First, judicial restraint, best explained as ruling according to the law. Second, judicial activism, best explained as possibly going past the interpretation of law to the actual creation of law.

During the next President's reign in office, there is likely to be turnover in the nation's highest court. The appointment of new justices is a matter of grave importance to our national liberties and can hinge on one vote. Roe vs Wade? 5-4. The recent decision reinforcing our right to bear arms? 5-4. The California court overturning a citizen-voted proposition to ban gay marriage (thus setting up Proposition 8)? 4-3. So, abortion, the right to bear arms, and the definition of marriage were all decided by one vote. One vote. Which president do you want appointing the next Supreme Court Justice? Someone who (in spite of middle-leaning campaign rhetoric) is the most liberal member of the Senate (watch this)? No.

Supreme Court Appointments: advantage McCain

5 - Checks and Balances. Given my recent confidence in the ability of the federal government to accomplish anything positive, if Congress currently had a Republican majority, I would consider voting Democratic just to magnify the veto power. (Please don't start with Obama's talking points putting all of our issues on President Bush's back. Obama's party has controlled Congress for the past two years. If he is such a magnificent leader, why hasn't he rallied that Democratic-majority Congress to start to push the "change" that he promises? Why not? Well, obviously because he has been on the campaign trail chasing his personal political ambitions far more than the interests of his constituents.) With both legislative and executive branches coming from the same power, we will have no checks and no balances. Just think if the judiciary tilted as well.

To preserve checks and balances in the face of a Democrat-led Congress: Advantage, McCain.

6 - Pandering. Now, both sides can easily be accused of pandering, so I'll keep this simple.

(a) Senator Obama continually leans on what I will call the "Politics of Ignorance". He continually blames the Executive Branch of government (President Bush) for the "problems of the past eight years". It's a brilliant talking point, but an insanely condescending one. What is the purpose of the Executive Branch? To execute. To execute what? To execute the laws that are drafted by the Legislative Branch (Congress). So, who's creating the laws that govern the land? Congress. Who has controlled Congress for the past two years? The Democratic Party. Does President Bush have the power to pass law in and of himself? Of course not. Unfortunately, there is a total misconception in our country that the President is somehow akin to an all-powerful King. Hardly. In my opinion, Obama plays on this misconception. Politically, it's a great talking point. Too bad it completely overstates and actually belies the reality of the situation.

(b) If you wanted to win an election and you knew it would take roughly 50% of the population (granted we have an Electoral College system, not a strict majority vote; hear me out) to win, and you knew that 40% of that population did not pay income taxes, would you think it a wise political move to offer tax rebates (aka checks) to this 40%? Seems a good way to buy votes to me (we used to call this welfare; receiving money from the government instead of giving it). So, 40% swayed, 10% to go to get to a majority. Hmmm.

(c) Finally, socialist rhetoric is populist rhetoric. Unfortunately, it never tells the true story. The masses are seduced by the rhetoric of entitlement and want to storm the rich. The rich (aka the investors and capitalists who own the means to production and thereby create jobs) have fewer dollars to invest, thereby contracting investment and jobs. Who wins? The government. We all become more beholden. This issue to me doesn't seem that complex. What moves an economy? Well, right now we are under the false notion that it's simply consumption. But, it's obviously production as well. We produce and we consume and the wheels keep moving. If we just hand out checks without requiring production, we lose 1/2 of the equation. Why not create jobs? Then, the same person produces, is paid for that production and then consumes. So, instead of pandering for votes by offering checks (here's a fish), why not "teach the people how to fish"? Empower people with skills to get jobs and contribute, not just sit on the sideline and become a drain on the economy. Liberals like to appear charitable became they are giving money to the poor. Give them money in the form of jobs, not checks. Jobs produce checks and create self-reliance. Production and consumption for rich, middle, and poor is the answer.

On a related note, show me the last time that a rebate check emboldened the human spirit, gave it that soul-lifting sense of purpose? Never. Do Socialist governments care? No. They prefer serfs to free agents. I wish I understood why. It's very feudal really.

Alright. That's far more than I intended to write, but I'm happy to at least have done my part to contribute to the discourse. I love my country. I love freedom. I resist anything that takes freedom from the individual and hands it to an institution. The individual must retain free agency. While both current presidential candidates are imperfect, Senator Obama's policies will do more to erode individual agency than Senator McCain's. Obviously that's my opinion and I've made my reasons known. Go vote. I don't care about the liberal-media driven polls (which mispredicted a Kerry win in 2004), this race isn't over.

Find out more about Senator Obama.
On Obama and Christianity.

Coen's First Steps

2008-10-08T00:30:00.005-05:00

We are so painfully behind on posting updates here (and there is some good news to post), so here is a teaser. About a month ago (8-Sept-2008), Coen took his first steps while at Scottish Rite Hospital up in Dallas TX. Kayla had mentioned that he took a step the day before, but Tauni and I didn't see it. This has been a long time coming and we're so insanely proud of him. He continues to take the occasional step here and there, but his hip muscle contractions and the hip inflammation still prevent him from putting much weight on that left side. Regardless, it's a huge step forward for him and really hope-inspiring for his parents.

Coen's First Mug Shot

2008-07-03T08:46:00.005-05:00

We received an awkward phone call the other night from the local County Sheriff informing us that he had our son in custody after Coen was caught smuggling some 1% organic milk from a local grocery store. Coen claimed "temporary insanity" (as he was trained to do) as a result of his parents letting the milk stock run low at home. Fortunately, our son was able to post bail and he is a free man again.

In all seriousness, Coen just had his first passport photos taken (for summer trips to Canada and Mexico). As you can see above, he was rather stoic for this photo shoot.

We're headed to California tomorrow for the 4th weekend plus a work trip for a client. Coen gets to see his many paternal cousins. Should be a good time.

PS - We recently started him on some Rogain so we should see some growth soon... Otherwise, he may grow up to look like some old skinhead (at least he'll be straight edge!) OK, time for me to stop...