Not to leave anyone out...

February 3, 1999. Sasha at 3 weeks old.

A bit older...in the kitchen (8 years ago!)

Elijah at 6 1/2 weeks.

Joshua at 6 and 1/2 weeks.
See any resemblance?

Getting some fresh air on Spencer's Butte

May 28th. My first hike. Seven weeks. I was very proud of myself, being so freshly post partum. I'm very proud of the fact that my kids are great hikers, and they were eager on this day. We headed out...we would have, could have gone to the very top. Certainly the kids could have. It would have been a treacherous hike down with such a bundle in front of me, so we just went half way up and turned around. The bounties of this earth are simple.

So I'm getting ahead of myself

These last two postings were from June 20th and June 30th. At this point, Elijah is approximately 8 weeks old! Here we are on May 30th, at about 4 weeks; and this budding relationship is taking off! Big brother and sister are most enthusiastic to share with their little brother all the joys of reading. Here they are, one soothing, the other pointing out the finer features of animal life in book form.

She did it again!

That last posting showed Elijah and Sasha taken June 20th. Ten days later, she did it again!

She's Got The Touch

As the weeks have progressed, each of the kids have been developing their own relationship with Elijah. Sasha will offer up her babyholding skills ever so freely and often. She has displayed a wonderful ability to put Elijah to sleep. Here, he fell asleep while she was holding him...and then...she was able to successfully transfer him to his lambie where he actually stayed asleep! What skill, what bliss!

First Days...the land of milk and honey

The birth of any child, whatever circumstance is amazing and awe inspiring. Ours was no different. A friend recently described for me that she saw the time we were in, these early days and weeks, as the time of milk and honey. Truly, in our house, despite the mess and apparent chaos, it feels to me as if we're in the land of milk and honey.

Welcome Baby Elijah!

On April 20, 2007 at 7:49am, we welcomed Elijah Manahi into our lives. In that we were already at home, the early morning saw him enter the world with joy and love, while big brother Joshua and big sister Sasha watched on, and Daddy, with our loving midwives attentively tubside. With the rising sun, light breeze blowing through the windows and geese flying overhead, Elijah rose to the surface where we joyously watched him take his first breath as his siblings and father blew on his yet uncut umbilical cord.

We are all well and in love with our boy.

Star Performer!

So we just started this blog, but I didn't want to leave out the following: Looking back to the holidays for a moment, it seemed fitting to mention a wonderful opportunity Sasha had to perform this past December 23rd in Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, Eugene's annual Christmas performance by the Eugene Ballet Company at the Hult Center. Taking a ballet class was great fun, but to do so at a ballet school in which the culmination is a performance in a world class professional venue for a 7 year old is a great treat. Sasha, and her fellow ballet-mates, were angels this year, opening the Second Act with a dramatic curtain rise with dry ice pouring out over the stage as the curtain was lifted. It was very thrilling to see her perform for over 2400 people! Sasha was a natural with no stage fright whatsoever!

Connection is everything...

Hello everyone,

This post is my first step out the door into blogger cyberspace... With me I bring a welcome from all us here in the Kewene-Hite household to you, our family and friends.

Our first bit of exciting news is to announce that we are expecting baby number three to our little nest! We are quite thrilled, as you might guess, and expect an arrival this Spring. Stay tuned for more updates...