Lucky number 13

Daylynn Elyse Knighton

September 13, 2011

13 pounds 13 ounces

24 1/2 inches 

Day is such a happy and healthy baby.  She is just above the 50th percentile in every category.  She occassionally will roll over front-to-back and back-to-front.  She smiles and laughs a lot.  She likes to talk to us before she goes to bed.  We fed her baby food for the first time today - bananas and oatmeal cereal.  She LOVED it - not so happy when it was gone though.

Puzzling...

Jameson LOVES puzzles and is great at them.  Every afternoon when he gets home he works on the same 3 puzzles.  He puts them together then takes them apart and puts them back together.  Well, what is puzzling is that my 'big boy' has started having accidents again.  I think he gets into what he is doing that he doesn't want to stop.  We have tried throwing away his underwear thinking he loves his Lightning McQueen ones so much he won't have an accident - didn't work.  And spankings have not helped this situation in the past, so bribery it is!  If we can go five days without an accident he gets a new puzzle.  He is so excited about getting a new puzzle that he says he will not have another accident.  I hope so!  I can deal with a $1.00 puzzle every week if it means no more accidents!!

The happiest baby in the world

I don't know if I have ever seen a baby smile as much as Day does.  She is generally content and smiles and even laughs a good bit.  Her laugh has started sounding more like a laugh and not like a grunt.  

Go REBELS... wait, that's not right!

For anyone who knows us - we are DAWGS, not rebels.  However, our kids attend Tri County Academy, so for the next however many years, the rebels have invaded our home and wardrobe!  Dannah is a Rebelette (the K5 - 3rd grade dance team).  They are the cutest little girls ever!  

Her first game to dance in was August 25, 2011.

SIX years old...

I cannot believe that my 'baby' girl is 6!  It seems like just yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital.  Last night on the way home from church she was singing, "all together lovely, all together worthy, all together wonderful to me, I'll never know how much it cost to see my sins upon the cross..."  and she stopped and said I'm glad I don't have to.  I said, "have to what?"  She said, "be on the cross."  So naturally I asked her if she knew why she didn't have to be on the cross.  She said, "Because Jesus died on the cross for my sins!"  I am SOOO thankful for God moving in her life and her honesty.  She does not hesitate to tell it like it is!  I love our talks about 'the blood and tomb' and listening to her sing about how much she loves God.  I am so proud of my 'baby' girl!

We had a joint birthday party with two of her classmates - Corenne Thompson and 

Kate Crawford "Shug" Shepherd.  The kids had a blast!  

NICU

When Day was born, she was having a little trouble breathing.  They put her in the NICU on oxygen over night to watch her.  When they took her off early Saturday morning, she had an 'episode' and had to be stimulated.  An episode is when she would stop breathing and her heart rate would drop.  (Anytime a baby has an episode and has to be stimulated, they have to stay in NICU 5 days.)  She was admitted to NICU where  they could monitor her around the clock.  I had seen my nephew in NICU with a feeding tube and it was hard.  But when it is your baby laying there on monitors and a feeding tube, it is even harder.  I am so thankful I had my sister to lean on and talk to!

I got to feed her and hold her.  She was doing so good.  We are so thankful for all of our friends and family that were lifting us up in prayer!  I was discharged from the hospital Sunday evening and had to go home without my baby girl.  When I woke up Monday morning, my eyes were swollen from all the crying.  We stayed at the hospital all day with Day and she was moved to a semi-private room called a step-down room.  I was PUMPED!! The room could be closed off and had a tv and recliner SO I could stay up there around the clock.  David got my things and took me out to dinner.  When I got back I learned that Day had another episode and had to be stimulated.  It was so disheartening.  David and our pastor (Bro. Larry) came to the hospital to pray.  God gave us such peace.  It is so hard when the monitors go off for your heart to not sink and start worrying.  I just had to give it to God.  She belonged to Him - He created her and gave her life.  He is the ultimate heart doctor. So every time her monitor would beep, I would just say, "God that is your child, you are in control of her heart and lungs. You are the only one that can 'fix' the problem." 

She had a few great days and then Thursday, May 19th she had another episode.  David and I were extremely frustrated because most of the time the nurses were at the opposite end of the NICU so if something would happen, by the time they got there Day would 'correct' herself.  Well, Thursday night the nurse happen to be outside her room when her monitor went off.  She walked in and touched her - so she was stimulated - another 5 days in NICU.  We were more than ready to take Day home, BUT we knew that if there was something wrong we needed to be at the hospital.  So, we stopped arguing and getting frustrated and gave it to God.  We knew that when He was ready for her to come home completely well, she would.  And that is exactly what she did.  She did not have another episode and got to come home Tuesday, May 24th.

Thanking God for family and friends that pray and for a beautiful and healthy baby girl!

Big sister and big brother

Dannah and Jameson are so proud of their baby sister.  They got to come to the NICU Friday, May 20th when Day was 1 week old and hold her for the first time.  They love on her ALL the time.  It warms my heart to see them care for her.  When she cries, they make up songs to sing to her - she smiles so big at them.  They had such a big part in praying for a healthy baby sister.  Daylynn has the best 'Big sissy' and 'Big brudder' in the world.