Back, By Popular Demand

Some of you may have been wondering what the Fordhams have been doing since the last post. It's a long, long story, so I will give you the condensed version with some pictures thrown in for visual interest.


Olivia has been drinking out of puddles in the back yard. She learned this from Max.



Olivia has been finger painting.



And face painting.


This is how Olivia helps fold the clothes.




On April 6th, we visited Daddy's office.




On April 10th, Brigham came home from work with fever and chills. He went straight to bed and stayed there until Saturday night, when we went to the Barristers' Ball sponsored by the students at his law school. Brigham was named "Teacher of the Year." This is quite an honor, especially for a first year teacher. His students love him. Who wouldn't?



April 12th was Easter. Brigham spent the day in bed. Olivia and I went to church and then to dinner at my brother Brian's house. We brought dinner home to Brigham, which Olivia helped him eat. I think she ate half of it.

Brigham felt worse at the night progressed. We were up all night. Just before 5:00 AM, Brigham stopped breathing. I have never been so terrified in my life. I called 911 and kept Brigham going until the paramedics arrived. CPR training sticks with you even if you don't think you'll ever remember a thing.

Thus began the nightmarish ride of a five-weeks' hospital stay with more ups and downs than any roller coaster has the right to have. Without the support of our families and also our friends here in Phoenix, we would not have survived. While Brigham was fighting for his life I was fighting to remain sane. They were tough battles, but we both won.

Victory is bittersweet. Brigham had to have a tracheostomy in order to maintain an open airway and have direct access to his lungs. At night he uses a ventilator to give his lungs a break and to keep his lungs fully inflated, the latter in the hope of preventing pneumonia. This has certainly made our lives more difficult, but has also reminded us how precious our time together is and that God absolutely knows and loves us.

Brigham has been home six weeks and is doing well. He is slowly, but consistently, regaining his strength. Fortunately, he is not teaching a summer course. He has a couple more months until he'll be back in the classroom. We've enjoyed having the extra time to be together and to watch Olivia grow and learn new things everyday.




Olivia relaxing on the patio.






A couple weeks ago our computer gave up the ghost and we had to get a new one. Last Thursday, the door on our oven spontaneously exploded. The oven was not in use at the time.





It may look pretty, but keeping Olivia away from it has been a challenge. I've been sweeping up glass as fragments of the door fall to the floor. I keep waiting for another explosion to clear the oven of the rest of the shattered glass. I'd kind of like to smash it with a hammer and get it over with, but I'm not sure our warranty covers assisted appliance glassicide. It was supposed to have been repaired today "some time between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM," so Olivia and I canceled our story time plans and have been sitting around waiting. Just got a call from the repair company informing me that parts have to be ordered and that they'll come fix it on July 9th. Grr.


In happier news, Olivia has been talking up a storm. She delights in bossing (and tormenting) the dog. She tells Max to sit, to come, and to get in her spot ("pot"). Olivia's most-used word is no ("mo"). It's amazing how many ways she can use that word just by changing tone, inflection, and facial expression. Speaking of facial expressions, she has some looks that could kill. She has also started rolling her eyes at me when I've asked her to do something she doesn't want to do.

Olivia and I go to gymnastics every Wednesday. Olivia loves it. She has absolutely no fear (which can be good or bad) and is often the leader in trying something new.

It was 113 yesterday, and is only getting hotter, so I'm trying to come up with some fun indoor activities (at home and away from home---we have to get out sometime). Any ideas?

A follow up to the last post: I've had my hair cut twice more (I may be bald by the end of summer) and Olivia has had her first haircut. She now has bangs (we didn't cut any of the curls off the back) and no longer has hair hanging in her face. It was such a battle to put her hair up everyday. Now I don't have to. We're both happy.

I think that's enough for now.