Christmas

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11

We hope that you all have a wonderful holiday. Merry Christmas!!!

Much Love,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

December 17, 2007

Aunt Katie, Kyle and MadisonPapa Joe, Grandma Angela and Katie with Madison & Kyle

Kyle with Joanna

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:14

Kyle is feeling much better and recovered from his bout with Bronchitis pretty quickly. Last week he received another RSV shot, and will continue to receive one monthly until RSV season ends in April. His weight is up to 14 pounds, still on the small side, even for his adjusted age, but he is getting there slowly but surely.

Kyle is learning to sit by himself now and each day he is able to sit unassisted for longer periods of time. Last week we received the results from yet another formal evaluation from one of Kyle's Developmental Specialists, this time his Physical Therapist. I am happy to report that this report confirmed the others, Kyle is right on target and doing everything that he should be for his adjusted age. Something a little different about this evaluation, the therapist looked as much at how Kyle's body reacted to certain tasks, rather than if he could just accomplish something. For example, when Kyle stands, is it flat footed or does he put an unusual amount of weight on his toes. Kyle stood flat footed which was a very good sign. Something else they looked for was how easily Kyle could get his foot in his mouth, which given the chance, he loves to have his feet in his mouth! Not something you typically see on a developmental checklist, but these are all areas that could possibly indicate Cerebral Palsy. Thankfully, once again, Kyle did not show any signs Cerebral Palsy.

This past week we had some very special visitors staying with us. Joe's Dad, his step mom Angela and little sister Katie were in town from Las Vegas. Aunt Katie is 6 years old so her and Madison have a blast paling around together. Kyle loved everyone, but definitely had a soft spot for Papa Joe. Any time Papa Joe would even just look at Kyle, Kyle would light up and smile! While they were in town we went to a couple family gatherings where Kyle was introduced to Joe's cousin Stacy's baby girl Joanna. Sounds confusing, huh? Stacy and I were pregnant together, with my due date being June 7th and Stacy's due date being June 9th. We had assumed that we would have our babies around the same time, but, you all know how that turned out! Anyways, it was interesting for me to see a baby born almost exactly when Kyle should have been born. Although Joanna is a little bigger (2 pounds to be exact), developmentally they seemed about the same, which was comforting to me. Anyways, we had a wonderful week seeing everyone and were very sad when it came to an end.

Christmas is almost here and it is definitely my favorite time of year! With all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season though, we are trying to keep our focus on the real reason for the season...and that being the birth of our Lord and Savior...Jesus! He is the greatest gift of all! "And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth." Luke 1:14

God Bless You and Yours,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

December 5, 2007

Kyle during his Swallow Study - not happy they made

him wear a purple hospital gown! :)

"Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." Matthew 1:23 (KJV)

Poor little Kyle has been under the weather. He came down with a slight cold last week and by Saturday it had turned into Bronchitis. When we put Kyle to bed on Friday, he was a little stuffed up, but when he woke up Saturday morning he was wheezing and his chest was retracting as if he was struggling a little with breathing. Infants airways are small to begin with but Kyle's is further complicated by his chronic lung disease, so any type of swelling in his airway makes it difficult for him to breathe. When we took him to the doctors they immediately began administering Albuterol (steroids) through a nebulizer. The pediatrician warned us that this type of treatment typically is not effective until at least 6 months of age, and with Kyle turning 6 months (adjusted) on Friday, she was unsure if it would help. If treatment did not work, they were going to admit Kyle to the hospital for oxygen support. I am so pleased to report that the treatments worked and began helping his breathing right away! So, the doctor sent us home with prescriptions for Albuterol and Pulmicort Respules and nebulizer, which is an electric machine that that turns liquid medicine into a mist that Kyle can breath into his lungs through a face mask. Kyle is doing so much better now! With his complicated stay in the NICU (pneumonia 3 times, CMV, infections, etc.) we really are so blessed that this is the first time Kyle has been sick since he was discharged from the hospital five months ago. God is great!

Kyle had another swallow study done on Thursday. If you remember, Kyle had two of these done in June, one while he was still in the hospital and another the week after he was discharged. We were hopeful that his swallowing may have matured to the point that Kyle could come off of having his formula thickened, but unfortunately, this was not the case. For the swallow test, Kyle is hooked up to an XRAY machine and fed a bottle containing barium. We are able to watch the liquid travel through Kyle. The first suck they gave him was of a bottle that was not thickened at all, which went into Kyle's airway right away. The second bottle was thickened to the consistency that Kyle is currently receiving, which is called a nectar consistency. We were stunned that this to went in Kyle's airway as well! They then moved onto an even thicker consistency (honey), and Kyle did fine with all of the bottle going into Kyle's stomach as it should. So, Kyle now receives his bottles thickened to the consistency of honey. Since this occurred on Thursday, we have noticed a decrease in Kyle's eating, but we're not sure yet how much of this is due to him having a cold and how much is because of the increased difficulty of eating. Poor thing, think how hard it would be to suck honey out of a baby bottle compared to milk! They are not going to repeat the test again for 6 months, so for the time being we'll just have to manage.

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We also met with an eating specialist and I am happy to report that Kyle is handling his "solid" foods just fine. In fact, during his swallow study they tested him eating Stage 2 baby foods and he did great. I was a little worried because Kyle still does not have much interest in food, but I am relieved that he can physically do everything correctly, we just have to wait for him to develop the desire to want to eat his baby food. Although, the way that mashed fruits and vegetables look, I can't say I blame him much!

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Where ever you are, thanks as always for your support.

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God Bless,

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Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

Thanksgiving

Madison and Kyle with Linda

Aunt Karen with Kyle

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

The lovely woman wearing the purple shirt in the pictures above is my Aunt Karen, who is in town from Georgia and was finally able to meet baby Kyle on Sunday! Many of you have read Karen's beautiful messages on the comments section of the blog. Since Kyle's birth, she has been one of his biggest supporters and has been responsible for him being on prayer lists across the country. Also included in the pictures is my third cousin Linda, whom I had not seen in over 20 years. She heard about our situation with Kyle and has been praying for him faithfully. Linda and her husband Dan are closely affiliated with the Crystal Cathedral (Robert Schuller) and they in turn have been praying for our family. The Crystal Cathedral even requested that Linda and Dan return to California with pictures of baby Kyle! We know God has been evident throughout this entire situation, but his blessings continue to amaze us. Reuniting long last family is just one more reason we have to praise Him.

Kyle received his first RSV shot last week and will continue to receive them monthly until RSV season ends in April. If you are not aware of RSV, respiratory syncytial virus, you are among the majority. Most people have not heard of RSV, even though nearly every child has had the virus by age two. For full-term babies, RSV typically is not any worse than a common cold, but for preemies, the virus can be quite different. Babies born earlier than 36 weeks are at the highest risk for serious complications like pneumonia, bronchiolitis, and other, sometimes fatal, complications. We are very fortunate that our insurance company has decided to cover these shots, as they are $1300 per month. As such, it is something that is not typically covered by insurance unless there are extenuating circumstances. With Kyle being born at 25 weeks, having such a low birth weight as well as chronic lung disease; he is among the highest risk factors for contracting RSV and developing serious complications. This website offers a great visual comparison of a preemie’s lungs, and therefore why they are not able to fight the virus, compared to the lungs of a full-term baby: http://www.preemiecare.org/LungsTrees03-4.pdf Fortunately, our pediatrician said that since she has begun administering the shots, only one baby has contracted RSV and it was a very mild case.

Every November, you hear about being thankful and grateful for all the blessings in your life. Sometimes you hear the word "thankful" so often that it ceases to have meaning to you. This Thanksgiving, I have definitely viewed the subject of "thankfulness" with a new energy and focus. Of course every day is a good time to be thankful, but we especially show our gratitude to God this year during Thanksgiving time. We are amazed at God’s love and faithfulness. Oh, we knew about it before, but the depth and the vastness of it we are still in the process of comprehending.

Love and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

November 17, 2007

GO BUCKEYES...Beat Michigan!!!

November 8, 2007

"How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you." Psalm 31:19

No news is good news, right?!? Sorry it has been awhile since we have posted, but there really has not been much to report. Kyle is busy doing typical baby stuff, which at this point is not very much! Food has been introduced into Kyle's diet over the last couple weeks. So far, Kyle has tried rice cereal, oatmeal, bananas, applesauce and pears. In the beginning, he really had no idea what to do with the food when it was placed in his mouth, and most of it ended up ON him instead on IN him. Slowly though, he is getting the hang of it. I wish I could say he is enjoying his food, but no matter what we try feeding him, he always seems pretty indifferent to the foods. Really, he could take it or leave it, but the doctor says it is good practice for him to keep at it. Nutritionally, Kyle receives everything he needs from his bottles, which are still a mixture of high calorie preemie formula, safflower oil, poly-visol vitamins and thickener.

Kyle has had two sessions with his Developmental Specialist, Mrs. Brady. I like really like his specialist and her philosophy, which is rather than have an intensive hour of therapy with Kyle every other week, she instead focuses her time on teaching his caregivers how to interact with Kyle during everyday activities. She has taught us different ways to carry Kyle, play with him, sit with him, talk with him, etc. that are all designed to assist with his development. Simple things like when we show him a toy, to hold it above his head which will force Kyle to look up and in turn work muscles in his neck and back he does not typically use. Or, when Kyle is on our lap, to bounce him on our knee which will help Kyle to develop his equilibrium and balance. The specialist is very pleased with Kyle's progress so far, and says that he is doing everything she would want him to and she does not feel there will be any long term problems or complications. Very reassuring for us to hear!

Thank you once again for all the prayers that have been offered up on behalf of our family. We are amazed at our God and His people.

God Bless,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

October 31, 2007

"Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ." Colossians 2:16-17 (NIV)

Happy Halloween!!!

Much Love,

Dr. Kyle

October 17, 2007

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." (2 Peter 1:3)

Kyle had a check-up with his pediatrician, Dr. Marshall on Monday. Kyle is now 12 pounds, 8 ounces and 23 inches long. While I was expecting Kyle to weigh a little more, (he looks so big to us!) Dr. Marshall was very pleased with his weight gain, as she said Kyle has gained 4 pounds since she last saw him in August. Kyle also received a flu shot...it is always so hard to see him get a shot. Overall, Dr. Marshall is very happy, and amazed, by Kyle's progress. The one area of concern, however, is his speech skills. Kyle tends to have a very raspy/hoarse coo. Sometimes, he will be laughing and talking, but other than this breathy sound, not much else comes out. Also, his cry is very quiet. We think that there is the possibility that one of Kyle's vocal cords may have been damaged during his stay in the NICU. This is very common in preemies that are intubated (the breathing tube down his throat) or were using a feeding tube for an extended period of time. Another risk was Kyle's PDA ligation heart surgery. There was a nerve, the size of a strand of hair, for Kyle's vocal cords in very close proximity to the ductus that was repaired during surgery. It is possible that this nerve could have been nicked during surgery. Anyways, Kyle's "raspy" voice, along with the issues he had had with swallowing (remember we are still thickening his milk) are signs of partial vocal cord paralysis. The only way to tell for sure if damage was done is through surgery. Even if damage was done, there is not a cure, so we will not even consider surgery at this point. Eventually the healthy vocal cord will become stronger and compensate for the damaged vocal cord. In the meantime, Dr. Marshall is going to have us resume speech therapy at Akron Children's Hospital as well as have another swallow study done.

I typically brag of all of Kyle's accomplishments on the blog, but this week I have some exciting news to share about his big sis Madison as well. Madison was chosen as October's "Student of the Month" for Fishcreek Elementary! Her teacher that nominated her had this to say about Madison on the nomination form, " Madison is a top notch academic performer. She is kind and generous to all the students. She leads by example and also reminds others to make good decisions. Madison follows all the Character Counts Pillars (trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship) each and every day. She is fantastic."

Joe and I are so proud of both our "babies!" Thanks for sharing this journey with us!

God Bless,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

October 8, 2007

The little children were brought to Him that he might lay His hands on them and pray. But the disciples rebuked them; but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:13-14

Kyle's "adjusted age" is four months old as of yesterday. Kyle is doing everything a 4 month old baby should and we couldn't be prouder. The age range on his exersaucer said for ages 4 months and older, so we thought we'd give it a try. Although he is still a little small to be using it (as you can see from the side view) he seemed to enjoy being in it, especially the upright position. As with everything else though, his favorite attraction is his big sister. Whenever she is around, all toys (including mom and dad) are ignored.

Kyle met with his Developmental Specialist, Mrs. Brady, on Wednesday. We thought this would actually be his first session with her, but appreantly the visit was to just literally "meet" her. Now that Kyle and Mrs. Brady have been properly introduced, his first official session will take place in the next couple weeks.

Since Kyle's premature entrance into the world, I have received the following story from several people, and most recently my Aunt Karen emailed it to me. It would always bring me comfort, and still does. I thought some of you may enjoy reading it. Be warned, it can be a tearjerker... my eyes are usually brimming with tears after reading it.

The Smell of Rain, A true story

A cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas as the doctor walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. She was still groggy from surgery. Her husband, David, held her hand as they braced themselves for the latest news.

That afternoon of March 10, 1991, complications had forced Diana, only24-weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency Cesarean to deliver the couple's new daughter, Dana Lu Blessing. At 12 inches long and weighing only one pound nine ounces, they already knew she was perilously premature. Still, the doctor's soft words dropped like bombs. "I don't think she's going to make it," he said, as kindly as he could. "There's only a 10-percent chance she will live through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future could be a very cruel one."

Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the devastating problems Dana would likely face if she survived. She would never walk, she would never talk, she would probably be blind, and she would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation, and on and on.

"No! No!" was all Diana could say. She and David, with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to become a family of four. Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was slipping away. But as those first days passed, a new agony set in for David and Diana. Because Dana's underdeveloped nervous system was essentially 'raw', the lightest kiss or caress only intensified her discomfort, so they couldn't even cradle their tiny baby girl against their chests to offer the strength of their love. All they could do, as Dana struggled alone beneath the ultraviolet light in the tangle of tubes and wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little girl.

There was never a moment when Dana suddenly grew stronger. But as the weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of strength there.

At last, when Dana turned two months old, her parents were able to hold her in their arms for the very first time. And two months later, though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving, much less living any kind of normal life, were next to zero, Dana went home from the hospital, just as her mother had predicted.

Five years later, when Dana was a petite but feisty young girl with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life. She showed no signs whatsoever of any mental or physical impairment. Simply, she was everything a little girl can be and more. But that happy ending is far from the end of her story.

One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving, Texas, Dana was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers of a local ball park where her brother Dustin's baseball team was practicing. As always, Dana was chattering nonstop with her mother and several other adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent. Hugging her arms across her chest, little Dana asked, "Do you smell that?" Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, "Yes, it smells like rain." Dana closed her eyes and again asked, "Do you smell that?" Once again, her mother replied, "Yes, I think we're about to get wet. It smells like rain." Still caught in the moment, Dana shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced, "No, it smells like Him. It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest."

Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Dana happily hopped down to play with the other children. Before the rains came, her daughter's words confirmed what Diana and all the members of the extended Blessing family had known, at least in their hearts, all along. During those long days and nights of her first two months of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Dana on His chest and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well.

God Bless You All,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

October 1, 2007

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:18-19

Hey everyone! It has been awhile, but there really has not been much to report...which I guess is a good thing. Kyle has not had a doctors appointment in over month - that in itself seems like a minor miracle considering all the doctor visits and appointments Kyle has endured over his short life! On Wednesday, he does meet with the developmental specialist that has been assigned to him. I will be sure and update you all on how it goes, although we expect it to go very well. We see more and more progress in Kyle each week, whether it be his gross motor skills or his constant babbling and laughing. He is such a happy little fella...and a show off too. Last weekend, while his Godmother Leanne was at our house, Kyle rolled over for her three times in a row!!! Unfortunately, since that time he has not repeated his newest "trick" but at least we know he is capable of doing it.

Many of you have probably read the beautiful messages left on the comments section by Laura. Well, the little boy holding Kyle in the bottom picture is Laura's grandson Gabe. The picture was taken on Friday when we went to watch Madison march in the Stow Homecoming Parade. The kids all seem to love playing with and holding Kyle, and baby Kyle just loves it right back. Especially when his big sis is involved, he is constantly watching her whenever she is present. Joe and I tried for years to have another child, and when we finally got pregnant with Kyle, I worried that with 7 years age difference between them, they would not be close. I was definitely wrong, the bond between them already is undeniable. Actually, I think the age difference is just right...Madison is a HUGE help with Kyle, plus she is old enough to be over any jealousy issues she may have had with a new baby. That is how God works. Very often, God's timing takes us by surprise. We are not in control. But God is. His time is not the same as our time. He answers our prayers in His time, and He works out His purpose in His time. Only God can see the big picture. He has planned out everything to intertwine perfectly for our family...we are so blessed!

In Christ,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

September 20, 2007

Kyle (holding) a straw at 7 months

Kyle with a straw at 3 days old

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4)

Kyle is 7 months old today! For old times sake I thought I would take a picture of Kyle with a straw. Look how big he has gotten! Mr. Kyle now weighs 11 pounds and his length is 22 1/2 inches. His original weight was 1 pound 6 ounces and his length was 11 1/2 inches. This means that our big guy is eight times bigger than his birth weight and has doubled his height.

Kyle started at the sitters on Monday. It was especially hard to leave him the first day, but we are comforted he is in such good hands. A wonderful Christian woman, who also babysat Madison until she was about 4 years old, is taking care of Kyle while we work. Nana, as the kids lovingly call the sitter, never had children of her own and considers the kids she watches "her babies". Each morning when we arrive at Nana's, Kyle greets her with a huge smile. Right now Nana is only watching one other child, a little girl named Jade who is two years old, so Kyle gets lots of attention.

As our lives return to normal we continue to seek God and listen to what he wants us to learn from all this. We don’t want to be like the Israelites who saw God in action (Red Sea parted, manna every morning, water from a rock . . . ) and soon after each miracle they forgot and fell back into their old routines. We want to keep our dependence and desire for God as we have felt Him in such a real way and seen His love in action. This Psalm became a favorite when we did not know if Kyle would survive and it is still our prayer:“O God you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live.” Psalms 63: 1-4

In Christ,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

September 10, 2007

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness. " 2 Peter 1:3

Kyle is sleeping through the night now!!! Up until about a week ago, he was still waking every 3-4 hours to eat, but the last few days he has slowly weaned his feedings to where he now goes to bed around 9:00 pm and sleeps until about 6:30 am. Mommy and Daddy are loving it! Perfect timing too, as mommy goes back to work full-time next week.

We have some updates from the past two weeks for everyone...all good ones! First, Kyle has recovered very nicely from his hernia surgery. He was sore for a few days, especially when we would pick him up, but now he is back to his smiley self. His sutures have both fallen off and his incisions look great. We have one more follow-up appointment with the surgeon and then this part of Kyle's recovery will be behind us.

Another piece of news is that Kyle's eyes are healing and developing perfectly! The retina specialist does not need to see Kyle again until next year! He would like us to follow-up with a pediatric opthamologist in 4 months as a precaution, but that is so much better than the weekly trips to Akron Children's Hospital that we had been making to see a specialist.

And the last bit of news is that Kyle has had a series of developmental assessments over the past month. Because Kyle was born weighing one pound, six ounces, he is technically considered disabled and as such our pediatrician has put us in touch with state agencies that can assist Kyle with his development. According to the information we received..." It can take three to five months for the state agency to decide if your child is disabled. However, we consider certain medical conditions so limiting that we fully expect any one of them to disable a child. These include:

• Total blindness


• Total deafness


• Cerebral palsy


• Down syndrome


• Muscular dystrophy


• Birth weight below two pounds, 10 ounces"

With Kyle's birth weight below two pounds, 10 ounces he is considered disabled (at least until he is one years old and re-evaluated) so he was automatically entered into the program. The government sponsored program that is used to assist children with disabilities in Ohio is called "Help Me Grow." Over the past month, we have had a series of meetings and evaluations with Kyle's Help Me Grow coordinator as well as some Early Intervention Specialists. Last week we received the official report from his evaluations and Kyle is "above average" and "doing much better than expected" in all areas. We received a report on his physical health, emotional development, social development, motor development, language/communication skills, and cognitive development. At the time of the evaluations, Kyle was not quite three months old adjusted age (remember when assessing his development, the doctors count his age from his due date, which was June 7). His scores in every area were that of a 3-5 month old! They said Kyle is actually ahead of where they would want/expect him to be developmentally. Praise God!!! I included the states definition of Kyle's Prematurity above, "a medical condition so limiting we fully expect it to disable a child"...because with Kyle doing so well, it is just another example of the Lord's hand prints in all of this. God has certainly blessed us and continues to do so.

One more note about the Help Me Grow Program...While we have the choice to withdrawal Kyle from the program, at this point we going to have him begin working with the therapists once or twice a month. It is a home based program where his therapist will actually come to the house and we feel at this point we'd rather be proactive with his development and catch any potential problems as early as possible. So, in the next couple weeks a therapist will begin coming to house one or two evenings a month.

Thanks for keeping Kyle in your prayers. Everyday we are thankful for his health and happiness.

God Bless,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

August 31, 2007

"Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;" Psalm 95:6

Kyle is doing great after his surgery! At times you can tell he is sore; but after periodic doses of Tylenol he is his normal self. The surgeon made 2 horizontal incisions about an inch long on Kyle's lower abdomen. He has internal stitches that will dissolve and stery strips covering the wounds. The surgery was supposed to be Wednesday morning at 7:30 am, but was delayed almost 2 hours. Actually the hospital told us the wrong time, meaning Mommy had less sleep and Kyle was famished longer. Feedings were resumed later in the day after Kyle was able to keep some Pedialyte down. At first Kyle was not fond of the 'sugar water'....but gobbled it down anyway.

Mommy spent the night with Kyle at the hospital and Daddy and Big Sister was able to visit with them in the evening. It was difficult seeing Kyle hooked up to all the monitors again....it brought back a lot of memories. Kyle returned home Thursday morning and was elated to be back in his own comfortable environment!

Thank you all for your continued prayers!!

Much Love,

Joe, Jennifer, Madison and Kyle

August 29, 2007

"Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name." 1 Chronicles 29:13

Just a quick note to let everyone know that Kyle is out of surgery and resting comfortably in the recovery room. The Doctor said everything went well with the surgery.....they will keep Kyle hooked up to the monitors overnight for precautionary purposes.

In Christ Alone,

Joe, Jennifer, Madison and Kyle.

August 27, 2007

"Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands." Psalm 78:7

Kyle turned six months old last week!!! We are so blessed (and amazed!) at how far Kyle has come since then. It has been quite the ride!

Something to make you aware of... On Wednesday Kyle is scheduled for surgery to repair his hernias. Hernias are very common in preemies because their stomach muscles are not fully developed at birth...as a result, the babies intestines/bowel can easily "pop" through the muscles. The surgeon will push Kyle's intestines back into place and then stitch the muscles up. Rylee just had the same surgery a couple of weeks ago and other than some soreness afterwards, did very well.The surgery itself will take place at Cleveland Clinics Children's Hospital. Typically this type of surgery is done on an outpatient basis, but with Kyle's history, they would like to keep him overnight. There is a 30-50% incidence of apnea and bradycardia post-op in ex-preemies undergoing general anesthesia. While once a daily struggle, I have not had to worry or think about A's and B's in so long! If you remember, the A's (Apnea) is where the baby "forgets" to breath while the B's (Bradycardias) are when the babies heart temporarily stops beating. Kyle is quite the little fighter and I am sure he will be fine, but please keep him in your prayers none the less.

School starts tomorrow and Madison is so excited to begin Second Grade. Making it even more special, Madison has the same teacher this year, whom she (as well I!) absolutely loves. I guess today is the unofficial end of summer, which is always bittersweet.

We will update you on on Kyle's surgery as soon as possible. I am doubtful that we will have Internet access from the hospital, so it most likely will not be until we return home on Thursday.

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

Much Love,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

August 18, 2007

"The LORD bless you and keep you;The LORD make His face shine upon you And be gracious to you; The LORD turn His face toward you And give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26

Kyle went to the doctors on Thursday and he is now a proud member of the 9 pound club! The doctor mentioned, in a good way, that Kyle is now in the 6th percentile on the Preemie Growth Chart! I was taken aback, as I thought he was in the 30th percentile last time, but it seems I misunderstood. Dr. Marshall had said Kyle was in the bottom 1/3 percentile. What this meant is that Kyle was literally in the bottom 1/3 of a percent, meaning that 99.7% of preemie babies Kyle's age are larger than he is according to the Preemie Growth Chart. Anyways, she said that it is great news that he is now actually "on the chart" as it is a testament to his improving health. The sicker a preemie is/was, the slower they typically gain weight. With his lungs as damaged as they were, Kyle expends more energy than most to complete simple tasks, such as breathing. Despite what the charts may say, Kyle looks like such a big guy to us! The last picture in the group above was taken on May 26th when Kyle weighed close to five pounds, and was used to show his comparison to at the time to that of a full-term newborn. Anyways, Kyle is now big enough to actually wear the sleeper!

Kyle also met with his pulmonologist (lung doctor) this past week and he is doing so well that we do not have to go back unless a problem arises, plus...Kyle was taken off of the heart and breathing monitor that he has been wearing while he sleeps. Praise God!!! Everything is falling into place and we are truly blessed and amazed by how far God has brought Kyle over the past six months.

God Bless you all.

Much Love,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle