Kristi Runyon’s Baby Blog

My sons Jordan and Kristian have been in the Lexington 4th of July parade the last 3 years.  Now if you’re keeping up with their ages you may be saying, “Wait a minute how is that possible they’re only 2?”  Well they were in my belly in 2007, I was pregnant and rode in the parade then, in 2008 they rode in their stroller and in 2006 they had the best seats around in their Radio Flyer wagon complete with canopy. 

  

Taking a cat nap before the parade....

This year our station didn’t have an entry in the parade so it was a treat to just watch the parade with my boys.  It was  a busy day.  We had swim class and play time at the pool that morning and if a picture’s worth a thousand words this will show you how worn out they were by the time we hit the parade route.

No Fear

That was the first of several things I learned that day.  I discovered Jordan is not afraid of heights.  When we hit the kids’ inflatables area he flew to the top of a huge slide even as an older cousin stood staring up at it doubting if she could climb it or not.  I had to rush to catch him at the end of the slide on the other side.  Kristian quickly followed his brother, with a little hesitation but still willing to give it a shot.

  I also found out they’re now old enough not to be afraid of fireworks.  In the past they covered their ears or wondered what was going on with the lights and booms.  I had toddler play by play (in stereo ) at the show downtown “Look mommy it’s red…and blue….and white…and blue” and they loved the display of color and light so much the next day they begged me to see more fireworks so we headed to Richmond to watch the Lake Reba show with my mom and dad.  They were in awe again.  It was a fun filled 4th weekend and Jordan and Kristian are still talking about it!

Help ABC 36 support the March of Dimes by showing off your little cuties in the:

 

ABC 36 Star Babies of the Bluegrass Gallery!

 

With a minimum $5 donation (per photo) to the March of Dimes your child’s photo will be featured on wtvq.com, (this blog)

AND possibly appear on ABC 36 News!

 

To find out how to add your child(ren) to the gallery  click here.

 

Look who’s already a “star” :

 

Julia, 7 months

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ABC 36 is proud to be a media partner for the 2010 March of Dimes Lexington area March for Babies, and I am honored to serve as chair for the event and extremely proud that Jordan and Kristian are this year’s ambassador children. 

Born Too Soon..But Growing Healthy & Strong!

 They’ve come a long way from their days in NICU after being born six weeks prematurely and having to learn to feed on their own.  Please help the March of Dimes give every baby their best start at life.

How you can help:

Make a donation to support or join Kristi Runyon and the ABC 36 team here.

To learn more about the March of Dimes and the March for Babies click here.

This year Jordan and Kristian got to participate in some of the classic childhood traditions of Easter.  They weren’t too sure about their encounter with the Easter Bunny.  Jordan looked from a safe distance…trying to figure out the bunny seated in the gazebo at the mall.  Kristian marched right up to the bunny, sat in its lap and declared “Hi Easter Bunny, I want candy.”

Is this the real Easter Bunny?

They had their first real Easter egg hunt in Richmond and did a pretty good job filling their baskets (even though Jordan thought it was a race and ran past all the eggs when the alarm sounded to start gathering eggs).  The holiday weekend ended with a nice morning church service and a family dinner afterwards.  

Jordan struck this pose before I even had my camera out!

 The count for the holiday was 3 Easter Bunny Sightings, 2 egg hunts, two adorable outfits and more chocolate bunnies, eggs and candy than we can count…but all in all one good time had by all. I do confess we did not decorate eggs this year….I admit the thought of toddlers and dye terrified me…but I promise to get that in next year.  I know…as experienced moms chime in….I thought of markers, stickers, etc. as a less hair-raising alternative, but the weekend just got away from us… so we’ll add that to the traditions for Easter 2011.

Did you know that in an average week in Kentucky, 169 babies are born premature? My sons were two of them….babies who simply came into this world too soon.

The Reasons Why I'm Joining the March for Babies

Now my twin boys have celebrated their 2nd birthday and thankfully they are healthy and strong, but that’s not always the case. I’m blessed my children are among the fortunate success stories of premature births, but my heart goes out to those who lost the battle just to survive In our state each week an average of seven babies die before their first birthday. These are staggering statistics that the March of Dimes is working hard to change. The care my children received in the neonatal intensive care unit and the resources and support my family was given is the result of the countless hours of research and education at the heart of the March of Dimes mission.

The March of Dimes is inspired by all babies-those born healthy and those who need help to survive. They are the millions of reasons behind our urgent cause! I started volunteering with the March of Dimes and participating in the March for Babies years before my children were born, I had no idea how important March of Dimes would become to me and my precious little ones. From advice on information to help me through a pregnancy at high risk for premature delivery. . . to the simple support of being able to see other families’ stories as I struggled with the challenges of having babies in the NICU, the March of Dimes provided just what I needed. Please consider supporting the March of Dimes so the work can continue for other families and children.

As we begin our 2010 March for Babies campaign in the Greater Lexington area, we invite you to join us in our mission of being a champion for all babies.

The facts:
• Each year over 540,000 babies in the United States are born prematurely.
• In nearly half of all cases there is no known cause; but no one is working harder to find the answers than the March of Dimes.
• Last year, the Greater Lexington March for Babies raised nearly $90,000 to support the mission of the March of Dimes.
• The funds are also used to bring comfort and information to families whose baby was born too soon, or sick.

Please join us in the fight against prematurity. Start by forming a team now through your workplace, church, community group, family or JOIN ME as a walker on my team at the March for Babies.

The Lexington area March for Babies is Saturday, April 24th.

Make a donation to support or join Kristi Runyon and the ABC 36 team here.

To learn more about the March of Dimes and the March for Babies click here.

A Sweet Start to Valentine's Day

I have always believed Valentine’s Day is about sharing the holiday with those you love.  My brother and I always received Valentine’s treats and gifts from our mother well into adulthood (of course now the grandkids get special treats for the holiday too) so no offense to my husband..but I have to say my sweetest gifts this year came from my little sweethearts Jordan and Kristian.  They were so proud of themselves when they came to deliver roses and a card to me while I was still in bed Valentine’s morning.  Of course I know they had a very special helper in gathering the gifts, and he’s still my sweetheart too of course.  I love all three of my guys!

U.S. Gets a “D” and Kentucky Gets an “F” in March of Dimes Report Card on Preterm Births.

As a mother of preemies myself I hope more mothers realize that healthy babies are worth the wait.  Even with bedrest and medical assistance my sons were still born 6 weeks early (3 weeks early for twins when full-term is usually considered 37 weeks ).

Maclaren Stroller Recall Due to Hinge Danger: 1 Million Strollers Recalled - ABC News.

This is pretty disturbing to hear about the danger.  I know a lot of moms with these strollers.

We started what I hope will be an annual tradition last year with a trip to a local pumpkin patch to pick out our Halloween/Fall pumpkins.  It’s shopping with built in entertainment and so far the kids have loved each trip!  This year joined my parents for a trip to Baldwin Farms in Madison County. 

Here’s a look at our photo album of fall fun at the pumpkin patch!  Keep clicking on the photos to see the slide show.