Special day for KJ

The parents Keith and Lindy Tonkin with KJ

By Susan Palmes-Dennis 

The christening of baby boy Keith Junior “KJ” Tonkin was a realization of a dream come true to parents Keith and Lindy Tonkin. While I missed attending the baptismal and the reception, I had the photos and some details of the event. 

The solemn christening at the St. Matthew Catholic Church at Pineville, North Carolina two weeks ago was an all-white affair—white was the color of the day--attended by close to 30 family members and friends. 

The parents and KJ with grandma

I was informed that selecting the godparents took sometime. 

Ever the doting dad, Keith needed to find good godparents who would be active in KJ's life and it was a difficult task. 

The couple eventually decided to have Jesett Kelly and Brian Sprinborg as sponsors. The past year I’ve been following the post of KJ's mom Lindy about her condition when she was admitted weeks before her delivery was due. 

Like her other Pinoy friends I was concerned too. Lindy, who hails from Palompon, Leyte province, was admitted at the Presbyterian Hospital in downtown Charlotte, North Carolina.

“We prefer to call him KJ since he was born in the hospital. He is a junior of Keith,” Lindy said. KJ was born on January 2, 2016 at 12:14 am. I learned that KJ was born prematurely at 27 weeks and he weighed 1 lbs. 7 oz.. 

“The doctors decided that I should give birth early due to complications in the baby's breathing,” Lindy said. KJ spent four months at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) before he was on the clear.

The reception was held at the Tonkins home and I've got the photos of the happy occasion. 

The parents and KJ with their godparents Jesett Kelly and Brian Sprinborg

The boys all in white

(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who worked as a nanny and is now employed as a sub-teacher and a part-time teacher assistant in one of the school systems in the Carolinas.
Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com and at http://www.blogher.com/myprofile/spdennis54. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis.
You can also connect with her through her email susanap.dennis@yahoo.com as well as her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/) and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063)