1.8 - Growing

Haley woke up to a nice but not unexpected surprise - she was soon to have her third child with Lucas.  She knew that Lucas wanted a boy, but she couldn't help hoping for a little girl to add to the family.

The twins headed off for their first day of school.  Tyler was a bit nervous about class but Shane was more concerned with the bus driver.

Of course, no one was more worried than dad.  Lucas trailed behind just to be sure his boys had a great first day.

Soon it became apparent that the house was just too small for the family.  Luckily, a perfect home had just come on the market.  It took every dime the family had, but the decision was a great one.

Haley and Lucas took advantage of every spare moment before another baby disrupted the semi-peace that they had.  It wouldn't be long before a new baby would grab all of their attention.

Haley and Lucas even pushed their luck and tested out yet another intimate location in Moonlight Falls.  Was there any place left to discover?!

That evening, a very unexpected series of labor pains brought the house into a total uproar.  Haley started to worry that she might be carrying twins again - or worse!

The couple sped off into the night in the new family car.  Before too long, they might have to think about trading in for a mini-van if this keeps happening.

Lucas escorted Haley into the delivery room and began the slow wait to meet his next child.  He could barely contain his excitement.

Haley gave birth to Jacob Knight to an ecstatic Lucas' delight!

Realizing how tight money was but not able to actually take a job due to the demands of three young children, Lucas explored his creative side and started submitting some small writing pieces to make some money.

Most nights the family made do with some easy and inexpensive meals.  The only important thing was that they were all together.

Lucas and little Jacob formed a strong bond from the very beginning.  The little baby made both his parents very happy.

Haley tried to pick back up with her painting.  She knew the art wasn't worth much, but the joy she received from completing them was more than enough.

Lucas registered as a professional writer and set out to complete his first novel.  It was rough at times, but it did ok, although far from a blockbuster.

Life resumed pretty normally with nightly serenades from the guitar and a kitchen full of empty stomachs to fill.  Haley even started getting a bit more confident in her cooking and started trying new items to keep her boys happy.

Lucas bought a baby rocker to keep near his desk so that Jacob could rest while he was working.  He loved having his baby close to him as he worked, something he could never do in a regular job.

Still, he often found time to hit the gym while the boys were at school, the baby was asleep and Haley was getting a quick nap.

During the next full moon, the family braved the dangers of the night and enjoyed roasting marshmallows in the back yard.

Only Haley was not so lucky and she was on the receiving end of a magical spell by a local witch under a zombie curse.

Luckily, it was a love curse and it only reaffirmed her relationship with Lucas.  Haley breathed a sigh of relief as she knew this could have gone a much different way.

Before too long, it was Jacob's birthday.  The entire family gathered around to celebrate.

Little Jacob aged up in a familiar flash of colorful lights.

And like his brother, his hair was not quite ready to develop yet.  He didn't seem to mind one bit.

On the weekend, Lucas called for a 'family fun outing' and took the entire clan to the local arcade.  They had all been dying to go and this was the perfect day to head on over.

Never without his guitar, the twins begged their daddy to play for them.  Lucas hardly needed to have his arm pulled and happily obliged.

But once the attraction of the games called, the boys, big and little, couldn't stop from playing.

Haley, not really interested in technical things, occupied her time teaching her son how to walk.  He seemed to be a natural and picked it up quickly.

Meanwhile, the boys couldn't bear to tear themselves away until they remembered that there was a pool upstairs just waiting for them.

In a mad rush, the three boys dove into the pool and swam around, fascinated by the windows that displayed the lobby below.  They tried, to no avail, to get Mom's attention.  

After getting waterlogged and tired from the afternoon sun, the kids made use of the riding toys outside.

Lucas enjoyed the comfort of the shade and the nice, comfortable bench outside.

Back at home, it was time for another birthday.  Haley was pretty hesitant about facing the dreaded cake, but she put on a brave face anyway.

Soon, she got right into the spirit of things and just decided to have fun.  It was a party, after all.

Haley aged up with grace and style and didn't feel much different than before.  She hoped that the next birthday would be a long way off.

Once the kids were asleep, having checked for monsters and reading bedtime stories, Lucas and Haley took a mini-vacation in the backyard.  They were exhausted, but not too tired to have more adult fun.  Hopefully, they were careful as they really weren't ready to add another child to the growing Knight family.