Family Vacation!

Aunt Leah and Haidyn watch Ryann's drill team

The cousins walking down a spooky trail!

Too much static, Aubrey?

Kealon and Andrew having fun at the park

Haidyn gets her 1st taste of Jersey pizza!


We are having a great time on our North East Tour :) We left on Sept 18 on a flight to Atlantic City, NJ. We spent over a week in NJ and Philly visiting lots of friends and family. Kealon had so much fun playing for hours with all of his cousins! On Sept 26 we started our drive to Canada. We were able to stop overnight to visit college friends in Rome, NY, and also made another stop in Watertown, NY, to have lunch with another college friend. Saturday afternoon we finally crossed the US/Canadian border and made it to Ottawa by the evening.

We will be visiting Stetson's sister Janine, Uncle Jan, Granddad (Dee-Dad), and other friends for the next week. On Oct 5 we begin the long drive back to Philly. We'll be flying back to Tampa on Oct 6. Although we are visiting so many people and driving all over the place, it's really been a relaxing trip. Because we took so much time off, we are able to take our time and actually enjoy ourselves and the people we are visiting with!

The kids have been really great on the trip! Kealon is getting to see and experience some things we don't have too much of in Florida...REAL PIZZA, a train system in a big city, mountains and huge boulders, the beautiful fall foliage, black squirrels, and (starting today) the cold weather! Haidyn seems to be having a lot of fun, as well! She has been laughing and smiling at everyone(especially at Kealon), doing some very loud and extensive babbling, and eating lots of different big people foods--white rice, basmati rice, hard boiled egg, pizza crust, toast, corn bread, avocado...She pretty much refuses to eat her baby food! I guess that isn't a big deal, but I want to make sure she's getting the nutrition she needs! At 6 months and 18 lbs, it sure does seem like she's eating enough :)

I'm going to post the NJ and Philly pictures now and then do another post later with pictures from Canada (since we still have a week left here!).

5 Months

Happy 6th Anniversary!


5 Months Old


Such a big girl!


I guess I haven't been taking too many pictures lately! This is pretty much it for the past couple of weeks. Working at the church has been keeping me pretty busy, apparently! Although you can't tell from the lack of pics, there has been a lot going on!

Stetson and I celebrated our 6th anniversary this month, and we were able to actually get out and have a nice dinner without the kids--thanks, Pam and Salina!

As for Kealon, he is excited to start Awana Club and the Children's Choir with church in Sept! And for all you Haidyn fans...her new favorite things are "blowing raspberries," chewing on everything in sight, playing her little piano, and practicing sitting up! Everything is happening so fast! Where did our tiny, 6 lb infant go? I added 2 new videos to our youtube site--sitting up and little mozart.
http://www.youtube.com/knightupdate

Earrings!

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER!



August is more than half-way through and it's already time for the kids here in FL to start school again. I don't plan on tutoring too much this year, since Haidyn can't be separated from the "food source" for longer than a few hours at a time! I'm now working part-time at the church organizing classrooms and volunteers for the preschool dept of the Children's Ministry...and that seems to be keeping me busy enough :) Since I won't be working full-time, we are taking Kealon down to 3-days a week at his daycare. I plan on taking many trips to parks, the zoo, and the science museum on the days he is at home! I've got to keep that kid busy or he will drive me nuts!
The other big news this month is that Haidyn got her ears pierced! Our friend Maria went with me to take pictures and to witness the event. It wasn't nearly as bad as I'd expected! She really only cried while the lady was doing the piercing, and then for maybe 30 seconds afterward. By the time I put her back in the stroller, she was all smiles again! She looks so pretty!
OH! One more big piece of news is that Mimi and Pop and Uncle Keith are officially moving down here this week! They are still working on fixing up the NJ house to put on the market, but will pack up and drive the moving truck down on Wednesday!

4 Months Old!

Haidyn is already four months old! The time is really flying by. We are so blessed to have 2 happy, healthy children! Haidyn is such a laid back baby. She is always smiling and making all of those cute baby noises during the times she is awake...except in the car where she still screams! And she is just so CUTE with all of those chubby rolls!
At her 4 month appointment she weighed a little over 15 lbs. She is already wearing her 6-9 mos clothes! We took a break from trying the cereal, since it didn't seem she was quite ready yet. When she turned 4 months, we tried it again and she enjoyed it much more than the first time. Since then, she has also tried roasted sweet potato, applesauce and sweet plantain. She really loved the sweet potato that I shared with her! Oh, and she finally decided to roll from her stomach to her back just before turning 4 mos.

Kealon is looking more like a little boy and less like my little baby every day :( He is still an affectionate little guy who hugs his friends and kisses anyone smaller than him! Sometimes the luvin' gets to be a bit much, though, and isn't always reciprocated! I wonder if he will ever "grow out" of that :) He also has a real love for animals, music, singing....and pirates!
Kealon has graduated into the 3-year-old class at school and was not too excited to leave the teacher and friends he has been with for the past year...although, he's only moved a few feet away! I can tell he will really learn a lot this year in his new class. He has already come home saying "Letter K! K-k-k...Kick! Kealon!" It's amazing how quickly kids can make connections and pick up on things at this early age.

And what about mommy and daddy? We are busy (who isn't?), but doing great! Stetson continues to work towards his MBA and is maintaining high averages in each class. In September he is participating in a prison ministry with our church to Angola State Prison during an annual child visitation day there.
I am trying to figure what I am doing this fall and for the rest of the school year! I am not going back to teaching this year, and I plan on tutoring very few children until Haidyn stops nursing. I am currently pursuing a part-time job with the Children's Ministry in our church, so we will see how that pans out!

I cannot believe how quickly this summer is going by! To everyone in NJ, remember we are coming to visit on Sept 18 and staying for about 10 days. Then we are driving up to Canada to visit more friends and family! (That should be an adventure!) Don't forget to click on the title of this post to see more pictures. You can also check us out on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/knightupdate

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Happy 4th of July...and more!

July has been a busy month so far and we're only half-way through the month! We had a lot of fun visiting with friends Bob and Camaryn from Philly. We did a lot while they were here...Haidyn and Kealon went to their first baseball game to see the Rays sweep the Red Sox (sorry, Bob). We went to the world famous Brandon parade on the 4th, where Julian and Kealon gathered as much candy and bead necklaces as they could carry! We hung out at the pool and ate bbq until we burst on more than one of the days they were here. And we even made it out to the zoo where Camaryn treated Kealon to a horse ride--one of his favorite things! It was a great week.

Haidyn has hit the 3 1/2 month mark, and I just couldn't wait any longer to experiment with some rice cereal. She wasn't as interested in the whole experience as her brother was when he first tried it! She sort of moved the cereal around her mouth and then pushed it out with her tongue, which is probably the normal reaction vs Kealon who grunted for more with every spoonful! She's getting better at it each day, though. Haidyn's favorite things right now are snuggling her face into blankets whether in her bed or in her carseat or swing AND she is doing lots and lots of coo-ing and babbling. We are waiting in anticipation for the big day when she finally decides to at least make an attempt at turning over! She seems perfectly content to stay in one place right now...I guess I should enjoy that while it lasts! :)

June 2008

Summer is in full effect here in FL and we are enjoying every minute of it! The weather is hot, but that hasn't stopped us from having fun with visitors, bbq-ing with the sound of thunder in the distance, hitting the beach to watch the sunset, and celebrating Kealon's 3rd birthday 2 weekends in a row!
There aren't too many new things to report...
Kealon just got his yearly physical. He measured 3ft, 2 in and weighed 32 lbs. On the growth chart he was right in the middle! Haidyn doesn't have another appointment until 4 months, but I'm interested to see how much she has grown since her 2 month visit. She is starting to get better now being left with other people, as long as mommy is not in the same room. I don't want to jinx this, but the past 2 nights she has slept for 9-10 hours without waking up to eat! I think it's just a growth spurt, though...I really can't complain AT ALL, because any other night she's been sleeping for 6-7 hours at a time. I love this kid!
I guess that's it!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Kealon!

Kealon celebrated with his class at daycare...



...and with us and the Smith's at home!


He HAD to have a pink, "smallberry" cake.





He got a big boy bike from Mommy, Daddy, and Haidyn.


We are having a little pool party this weekend, so there are more pictures to come!

We're Back!

I can't believe it's been a month or so since my last post! I was doing so well there for a while...
Haidyn is now about 2 1/2 months old and chunkier than ever! Many have compared her arms to those of the Michelin man. She also has a pretty hilarious double chin :) Other than doing a lot of eating and sleeping, Haidyn has been busy smiling and cooing, kicking in the tub, bouncing in her jumper, and batting at toys or other objects placed in front of her. She is growing so fast!

Kealon is still enjoying his role as big brother. He has been so gentle and caring with his sister...I'm just enjoying this while it lasts! Kealon is really growing, as well. His vocabulary keeps getting bigger, along with his imagination. He has started looking at the clouds and asking us if we can see dinosaurs, trains, horses, etc. It's so cute! Other big accomplishments include being able to pull up his shorts and undies on his own (finally), hopping on one foot, tracing his own hand on paper, and counting to twenty.

We have done so much in the past month, but for most of the time we didn't have a working camera! But don't worry--I couldn't live without one for very long. I missed out on pictures of Haidyn's 1st trip to NJ and her first wedding :( But I did get a few pictures of our visit with Auntie Jan and Haidyn's 1st trip to Disney. There are other candid shots, as well, so check out the newest album!

6 weeks

Well, I am finding that it is becoming difficult to keep up with the increasing demand for more photos! Every two weeks is apparently not enough for you people :) I don't have as much free time as I used too...funny how that is. And as if caring for an infant doesn't keep me busy enough, I just can't seem to sit still when I do get a chance! Over the past two weeks we've gone to church, the mall, the park, the zoo, the pool, and out to lunch or dinner a few times, too! Hopefully the photos will satisfy the fans for a bit ;)

Our little girl is growing and developing right on schedule. She weighed-in at over 10lbs during her last doctor visit on April 25, and she keeps getting chunkier! She focuses on faces, follows moving objects with her eyes, and has even given us a smile or two this past week. She is sleeping for 4-hour stretches at night, and during the day she finally hangs out in her bouncy chair without crying!

Kealon and Haidyn are officially sharing a room now, as Haidyn has made the move from bassinet to crib. It's working well for now! Kealon hasn't budged when Haidyn fusses or cries in the middle of the night. The only issue is that Kealon doesn't want to go to sleep unless the baby is in there with him, and she doesn't really go down for the night until 10:30pm or so! I'm sure he'll adjust soon.

Kealon is still in love with his sister and wants to be with her ALL THE TIME, but he just can't resist the urge at times to torture her.  We don't know where he gets this, but he gets right up in Haidyn's face and says, "Mr. Mr. Mr. Go-Go!" and "Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin!" He also enjoys trying out all of Haidyn's toys...and apparently her hair bows, as well :) These pictures and stories are going to be great when he gets older!

I have to say THANKS again to Wendy for doing another amazing photo shoot with Haidyn :) If any locals are interested in her services, you can check her out at www.wendyhuriaux.com

One Month Old!

Things have been going well since our return from the hospital. Kealon was very happy when mommy and baby sister were back and things returned to "normal." The day we were discharged, he asked several times, "Mommy, you and Haidyn home now?"

Kealon continues to be a loving big brother, and he is still very curious about babies. One day he was concerned about the fact that Haidyn does not have any teeth. He asked me, "We go to the store and get Haidyn some teeth?" Kealon feels sorry for his little sister because she cannot enjoy treats with him like fruit snacks and cookies! At least he is not trying to sneak things into her mouth--yet.

Kealon is also becoming more comfortable holding the baby. He now likes to lay her on his chest and pat her back--very cute! This week I got a surprise, though, when Kealon picked Haidyn up and carried her across the room. "Here you go, Mommy! She's crying for you!" Surprisingly, he was doing a pretty good job holding her, so I didn't freak out as much as I could have :) I just snatched her up and told him it was dangerous for kids to pick up babies! I'm sure it won't be the last time that happens...

As for Haidyn, she is still doing a lot of sleeping and eating. At her most recent appointment (last Monday) she weighed 8lbs 7.5oz! And she has officially graduated into size 1 diapers :) Her newest thing is crying at night between 7pm and 9pm for about an hour or so. Good times. At least it's not in the early AM hours! We now try to go on walks during her crying time, since the great outdoors is always a sure cure for crying babies.

Our outings over the past week have included Daddy's office and the PwC picnic. Stetson's work picnic at was at "Lupton's Boggy Bottom Ranch". There were pony rides, a train, bouncy houses, clowns, carnival games and lots food! Kealon was in heaven :) He loved playing the carnival games and won a stick horse that makes galloping sounds! He named the horse "Cabbie" and rides it all over the house. I have no idea where the name came from!

I can't wait to see how Haidyn develops over the months to come. The first month seems to go by so slowly; but once it passes, everything else starts happening so quickly! Before we know it, she'll be rolling over, sitting up, crawling, and walking. It's so hard to imagine all of that now...I'm going to enjoy these tiny baby days while I can!

Trip to the ER :(

If you haven't yet heard about our recent hospital visit, here is a summary of the week's events. And for those who have been waiting for the next update, you can just skip to the end!

On Tuesday evening I noticed that Haidyn felt a bit warm and had also noticed during the day that she seemed congested. She ended up having a fever of 101 degrees. The doctor advised us to take her to the ER. So, at around 7:30pm we dropped Kealon off at a friend's house and rushed over to the hospital.
The ER pediatrician told us that because she was so young and had a fever, she would need to be tested for everything...including meningitis! Poor Haidyn had to have several vials of blood taken, as well as undergo a spinal tap. These samples were sent to the lab where they had to be observed for 48-72 hours before we were able to get the most accurate results. We were given "preliminary results" that the most dangerous illnesses had come back negative but were informed that Haidyn would still need to be monitored and receive antibiotics through an IV drip until the most accurate results became available. By 3am, a room had opened up for us in the Pediatric Wing, and we settled in.

On Wednesday afternoon Haidyn's fever broke but she was still congested and very sleepy all day. Another test was done to check for common colds and viruses; thankfully, nothing serious came up. Throughout the day, Stetson and I kept busy with phone calls, sending emails, and we even had a few visitors. Kealon's daycare is right by the hospital, so he spent the day there. Friends kept Kealon busy in the evening and Stetson took him home at night, while I remained at the hospital.

Thursday, the nurses said that Haidyn looked "fantastic!" She was much more awake and alert and her congestion was almost gone. However, we still had to wait for the 48-72 hours to pass before the doctor could be completely sure she was ok and allow us to go home! Nothing new really happened on Thursday--at that point it was just a waiting game.

Now it's Friday morning I am really feeling the effects of sleep deprivation, stress and hospital room confinement! I'm ready to get out here ASAP. The hospital pediatrician just updated us on the status of the blood culture and spinal fluid sample taken late Tuesday night. He said everything looks good in the 48 hour report, so Haidyn can be taken off antibiotics for the remainder of her stay. (She is being treated as if she has meningitis through an IV drip of antibiotics.) BUT she will still have to be monitored for another night to see if the fever returns once off the medication. That means one more night in the hospital for us :( At least the end is in sight...we should be released by Saturday at some point. Tomorrow won't come soon enough!

Thanks for all of the prayers, phonecalls, emails and visits! I would have gone crazy being in here without talking with people to make the days go by faster. We weren't expecting to have to go through this experience with a baby who is still so new to the world. It's nice to have had the support of so many people through her first few weeks of life! We are truly blessed.

2 Weeks Old

We've past the 2 week mark already! Haidyn is doing a great job adapting to life in the outside world. She is still a good sleeper and eater, and I'm hoping the trend continues :) At her last apppointment (a week ago) she was up to 7lbs 2.6 oz! She is still tiny but we can see noticeable changes since we've brought her home. She is really filling out and getting some of those baby fat rolls; her complexion is getting darker and her hair is also getting more wavy--I wonder how curly it will get!

Kealon continues to be a very loving and helpful big brother (how long will this last?). His new sister is still the first thing on his mind when he wakes up and when he comes home from daycare or from an outing with daddy. He has been asking lots of questions--wondering where Haidyn's teeth are, why she is "eating mommy's stomach", and why the baby is sleeping AGAIN! He even sat in the rocker one day, lifted his shirt up, and announced that it was his turn to feed the baby! I'm sure Kealon won't appreciate me sharing that with everyone once he's older :)

Over the past 2 weeks I've really tried to refrain from housework and lifting things other than the baby. It's hard to resist doing the laundry (ha ha), but I've been blessed to have such supportive family and friends around. Stetson has taken on many of the everyday housekeeping tasks and gets Kealon ready for bed and for school, all while juggling work and MBA classes. People from church have been sending meals, which has been a tremendous help--it's so nice to have one less thing to think about! And we've had lots of family and friends visiting who have given me a break from baby duties and some contact with the adult world. THANKS EVERYBODY!