Blessings From Above

It REALLY is more fun to give than to receive...

2008-12-13T22:25:00.000-05:00

Growing up one of my favorite childhood memories was that of our Christmas morning routine.

My sisters and I would awake very early and rush to the family room to see what Santa had left for us while we slept. We would then rummage through our stockings, each sort our presents into piles and spend time shaking and analyzing what might be in each of the many packages Santa had left for us. Once the sun came up, we were allowed to wake my parents. But in my Father's bid to ~~torture~~ tease us, he had this whole routine where he would stretch and yawn for what seemed like hours before budging. Then of course we would have to bring him coffee. And just when we thought we were going to begin opening presents, my Dad would suddenly have a craving for a cookie. My Dad would prolong his morning routine until us kids were bursting with excitement. Only then were we allowed to begin opening presents. As much as we may have acted otherwise, my sisters and I loved this little game.

Who among us does not have a favourite childhood memory of waking up on Christmas morning? A tree that somehow seemed larger than life, presents flowing from beneath its branches and perhaps the wonderful smells of a turkey roasting in the oven. Now try and picture your life void of those memories, try and picture being a child who might not get to know those sights, those smells, that overwhelming, uncontainable joy when Santa's existence is indisputable?

For many children, they do not have to imagine that - they live it.

This year, we have "adopted" a family for the the holidays through our church's affiliation with South Street Ministries. Our adopted family consists of a single mom and her four young children. When the mom approached South Street Ministries for help with Christmas, she was very reluctant to ask for much because she did not want to seem “greedy”, she just wanted to make sure that her kids each had a present to open on Christmas morning. When a family seeks help from South Street, they are asked to complete a Christmas list. The initial wish list the family submitted was somewhat heartbreaking…the 5 year old boy asked for a stocking as he has never had one before, the 3 year old asked for shoes, another child wanted a blanket.

Santa, carrying a sack full of toys and a stocking for each child, accompanied us to meet the family this week. With the help of family and friends we were also able to gather two carloads of used toys, clothes, blankets and household items for the family. The children were ecstatic to not only meet Santa for the first time, but also so thankful for just the used items we brought. The 8 year old girl was literally jumping up and down she was so excited as she came across a Hannah Montana shirt among the clothes we brought her.

We have also collected dozens of new items we are wrapping that will be waiting for the children when they awake Christmas morning. I hope that THIS Christmas will become a favorite childhood memory for our adopted family.

Spending time with those kids jolted me out of my comfort zone into an unfamiliar setting, but I left feeling very good about myself. It's amazing how giving a little to others can be so rewarding for the soul.

Yes, I do have a point to all this. I am challenging everyone who reads this to do something for those less fortunate this holiday season. Whether you donate unneeded household items, give money, volunteer your time, there are many ways to get involved.

Are you a parent reading this? What a great opportunity to teach your children compassion. Together as a family you could decide on a way to help someone else. Maybe your good thing is anonymous. Maybe that family in need doesn't need to know you left the basket of goodies on their porch or put that gift certificate in their mailbox.

It's almost selfish. Why? Because it will make you feel good. It really is more fun to give than it is to receive.

Happy Holidays,

P.S. Thank you to all my special blogging friends for your prayers, kind words, and emails. Kyle spent four days in the hospital on oxygen support,and is at home doing much better now. He ended up having pneumonia, and with his lungs already compromised, it hit him quick and hard. I apologize for not posting an update. The weekend Kyle got sick was the same weekend we adopted our family…losing almost a week's time with Kyle sick and in the hospital really put us in a time crunch. Anyways, thanks so much for the thoughts and prayers and I am sorry for my lack of updates.

Prayer Request

2008-11-25T21:47:00.005-05:00

Kyle was admitted to the hospital yesterday. What started out as a cold took a turn for the worse on Sunday night and Kyle’s breathing became quite labored. We took him to his pediatrician first thing Monday morning, and she called an ambulance to transport him to the hospital.

Kyle was admitted to ICU and it was soon discovered that he has some sort of infection in his lungs. Yesterday was spent running all sorts of tests to determine what type of infection he has, which will then let the doctors know how to treat him. So far his influenza and RSV tests have come back negative; we should have the results for the remaining cultures tomorrow.

We are hopeful that Kyle will be moved out of ICU and into a regular room sometime today. The next step will then be to start weaning him from oxygen support. Kyle has to be off of oxygen for 24 hours before they will consider releasing him.

In addition to blood work, vitals, etc., Kyle is receiving steroid breathing treatments every other hour to help open up his airways. While these have helped a ton, it also means he has had very little sleep. Kyle has a nasal cannula (breathing tubes) taped to his face/nose, an IV in one arm (which he has pulled out twice) and a blood pressure cuff on the other arm, heart and respiratory rate leads attached to his chest, and a pulse oximeter hooked up to his foot. The poor guy is covered in wires and does not like it one bit. It’s impossible to try and explain to a 21 month old that they are helping him get better, so he is spending a good amount of time trying to pull off the various contraptions. It breaks my heart to see him so miserable.

Please say a prayer, not just for Kyle, but for the other children here at the hospital as well.

Leaning on Him,

Rules of Dating...According to 3rd Graders

2008-11-14T13:18:00.005-05:00

Let me start by saying that I do not allow my daughter to date. And she won't be dating for a LONG time.

We do however live in a wonderful neighborhood filled with lots of kids.

During a recent neighborhood bonfire, the upcoming Donut Man concert at our church was mentioned. I was going to be taking Madison and her friend Sophia, but we had two extra tickets. Ahem, I can not imagine why Joe did not want to go? A couple of boys Madison's age overheard and expressed interest in going with us.

As these kids have socialized together since preschool, this really should not of been a big deal. But suddenly, it became clear to me that this playdate was different.

While Madison and her friend feigned annoyance at the prospect of going somewhere with, gasp, BOYS, their non-stop talking about the big day betrayed their true feelings.

Really, that was all they seemed to talk about. They even went so far as to type up a list of rules for the boys:

The rules actually start off pretty reasonable and respectable. No touching -a rule I hope she always adheres to where the opposite sex is concerned. Be nice, say please and thank-you.

With the introduction of "do not talk to us in public", the rules went down-hill from there.

Thinking that the poor boys must have been hurt by this note, I was all set to make Madison apologize when we picked them up for the concert.

Apparently the boys were unfazed. They jumped in the car and promptly starting burping, as they smugly declared that "burping" was not on the list of rules.

At least they are learning early how bossy women can be.

Happy, Happy Birthday

2008-11-06T15:48:00.004-05:00

Well actually, Madison turned nine last week. However; I have never been one to be on time.

My Dearest Madison,

As I sat down to write about your 8th year, one word kept coming to mind. Blossom. Blossomed. Blossoming. Well, technically those are three words, but you get the idea.

You have blossomed so much over this past year.

When you were in kindergarten, you received poor marks in music class. Not because you could not carry a tune, but because you were to shy to participate in class.

During our Parent-Teacher Conference, your kindergarten teacher said while you were an excellent student, you were shy to the point that she feared if something was wrong, you would be to bashful to let her know. And that is exactly what ended up happening. On the last day of school, you broke your finger during a relay race. But, you did not tell anyone. Instead, you suffered silently until you saw a close friend of the family that happened to be volunteering at school that day.

While you were in First Grade, your baby brother was born 1000 miles away from home under circumstances that were stressful for our entire family. Soon thereafter, I contacted your teacher to see how you were coping with things at school. Your teacher was not even aware, nor was any of your friends at school, that you had just become a big sister.

Fast forward to the 3rd Grade. When Daddy and I arrived at your conference this year, your teacher knew every little detail about your baby brother.

You have blossomed in so many ways….

During your 8th year, you received the Stolion Award.

This past summer, you not only wrote and starred in a play with your friends. But you went door to door selling advance tickets to the play. You then took the proceeds from the ticket sales and bought refreshments to sell during the play, hoping to increase your profit. Quite the business woman already!

Although you have only been in 3rd grade for a couple months, it has been a fantastic year for you so far. You have been honored with a “Raccoon Award” for kindness and responsibility. Your teacher also chose you to receive Student of the Month/Principal’s Luncheon for October. When nominating you, Miss Alexander had this to say about you: “Madison is an ideal role model for her classmates. She is always willing to help a friend or a teacher. She is extremely trustworthy and takes the responsibility to make sure her classmates are doing the right thing. Madison is committed to going above and beyond when completing assignments. Madison has a positive attitude and constant enthusiasm for learning."

You have been elected as mayor of your 3rd grade class. This feat is significant because in order to be considered you had to write and give a speech in front of your whole class.

And perhaps the most telling sign of how you have blossomed this past year. You have been chosen as one of the local winners for the PTA Reflections Program in the category of Dance Choreography. My little girl, who just a couple years ago was too reserved to sing along with her classmates, choreographed and performed a dance in front of her entire class.

To say I am proud of you would be an understatement.

You are compassionate, feisty, imaginative, sensitive, sassy and absolutely spoiled beyond rotten, and you, my dear, are the apple of my eye. You make every day better.

I am honored to call you my daughter. I am not only a lucky mommy, but I am a better person for knowing you. May God continue to watch over and bless you.

All my love,

Mommy

HELP ME!!!!!

2008-10-17T14:07:00.003-04:00

As you know by now, I won a spot in the Hot Blogger Calendar.

When I first won, I thought I was a marketing genius. I wrote one of those tacky chain email things and sent it to about 30 of my IRL friends. An email asking them to vote for me AND then send the email to five of their contacts, who would send it to five of their contacts and so on and so on. You know the kind, where there is a plea at the end. Mine was "This woman has not had a vacation without her husband or kids in almost 15 years. Please don't be the one to stop this email chain!"

Anyhoo, I smugly thought I was quite brilliant for garnering almost 900 votes, enough for a spot in the calendar. Until I started really thinking things through.

Of the 12 female bloggers chosen, at least four of them have modeled professionally before. I on the other hand am only 5'1 and could not smile or act natural in front of the camera if my life depended on it. I am so bad at smiling on demand that last year when I had to renew my drivers license, I stuck my tongue out at the lady as she took my picture. Seriously. I figured that my picture was going to look awful no matter what, I should at least try and make it look like I took a bad picture on purpose. Apparently sticking your tongue out during your drivers license picture is not allowed, so the DMV lady made be do it over. And as expected, the picture is the worst.

Alas I put my fears aside and began making my travel plans. I booked my flight and the hotel. I was really excited for my big trip. But as it got closer, I still had not heard many details about the shoot and then I learned that about half the bloggers would be doing their shoot remotely. And despite making this video showcasing why I could use some grown-up time, I started getting nervous about leaving the kids. While I was away, I would miss Madison marching in a parade. And then she was given the opportunity to cheer at Kent State University, which I would also have to miss. And Kyle...I've never left Kyle over night. Could I really leave him for 3 days?

So a couple days before I was set to leave, I panicked and cancelled my trip. Instead I am doing my shoot remotely here in Ohio.

Which brings me to the point of this post. My shoot is coming up and I have no idea what to wear. We were told to wear "whatever you feel best/most comfortable/sexiest/prettiest/most flattering" in. For those that already had their shoot, there was a wide range of outfits worn. Everything from a snowsuit to jeans to sexy cocktail dresses to legwarmers.

To be perfectly honest, I'm most comfortable wearing my Victoria's Secret PINK sweats. However, seeing as this is the "Hot Blogger" calendar, that is probably not the image they are going for.

Which is why I am once again asking for your help. What do I wear???

I have it narrowed down to the following outfits. As you'll notice, there is a lot of black. It is my hope that black is slimming.

#1 A pair of black pants and a vest.

#2 Peach top and jeans. The jeans I would actually wear with this top were in the washer, but you get the idea.

#3 Same peach top, but with black skinny jeans. These are skinny jeans, however, in the pictures they look like leggings from Lindsay Lohan's closet. Only a couple sizes bigger than Lindays' pants.

#4 Little black dress.

#5 Another black dress. This is where Madison became bored of taking my pictures and had me posing. Told you I have no business in front of a camera.

#6 Black and red top with black pants.

#7 Same outfit, but this time I'm posing all chic and sophisticated. At least in my mind that is how I pictured it would turn out.

#8 Black and red top with jeans. I really know how to shake things up, you know by changing the pants and all.

So, what should I wear? Pretty please leave me a comment letting me know which TWO outfits you like the best. Or, should I scrap them all and start over? PLEASE HELP!

Thank you!!!

A Letter from "TF"

2008-10-03T13:15:00.001-04:00

Madison lost her first tooth in kindergarten. She was so excited! Until she put her tooth under her pillow and discovered the next morning that this thing called a Tooth Fairy - a total stranger - had actually come into her room in the middle of the night...when she was all alone, violated her personal space and then took her tooth. This near brush with death was hardly worth the money left behind by this thing called a Tooth Fairy.

And, I have to admit, if you look at it from her from her point of view, it is kinda creepy.

So, soon thereafter when she lost her second tooth...she did not even tell Joe or I. She had been hopeful if she kept it to herself, that crazy fairy would not come. Of course, if your daughter is missing her front teeth, it is next to impossible not to notice! To appease her fear, we convinced Madison that Tooth Fairy's do not just visit at night, they will come anytime of day. So that afternoon, we put her tooth under her pillow and then went out to play. When we checked back a few hours later, low and behold her tooth was gone and in it's place was money.

She was finally able to relax about the whole Tooth Fairy situation and enjoy loosing her teeth. And boy did she loose some teeth! During kindergarten, Madison lost EIGHT teeth. Most of that year, she looked like a Jack-O-Lantern with the odd tooth here or there.

Seeing as how she was loosing teeth left and right in kindergarten, Madison went almost three years without loosing another tooth. She has matured a lot in that time.

While now she is still not quite comfortable with the Tooth Fairy visiting her room at night...She did set up a bed with her American Girl doll outside her bedroom door. And she put her tooth, along with the following note, under her dolls' pillow:

She is obviously feeling more comfortable in her relationship with the Tooth Fairy - she even had the nerve to ask for more money! By the way, I felt the Tooth Fairy was being more than generous in leaving $10.00 in the past. But, being the astute business person that she is, Madison requested more.

To which the Tooth Fairy replied:

Dear Madison,

Thank you for your note. My name is “The Tooth Fairy” but my friends call me “TF” for short. Over the years children have given me other names such as Flossy, Winkle, Sparkles and so many more. I don’t mind at all if you want to give me a special name. But I’ll always be the Tooth Fairy. If you want you can just call me TF. If you have a special name for me, please leave me another note to let me know.

I do not have a picture with me, but, what do I look like? I am not tall and I am not short. I have nice skin and nice hair. My eyes are very pretty and I have an enchanting smile. Sometimes I wear my wings, and sometimes I do not. If you close your eyes and imagine what I look like, you just may be able to see me looking back at you. When I was just the youngest fairy, I learned that children’s laughter made my wings move faster.

I will leave you $15 this time. But please keep in mind the amount of money I have to give for teeth changes all the time. I can sometimes leave more money, other times I have to leave less. There are several secret and loving adults that have a lot of money. They give money to me so I can trade it for your lost teeth. One time I had such a generous donation to Tooth Fairy Land that I was able to give out $100 for a very special clean and white sparkling tooth, but I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to do that again. Please remember that loosing a baby tooth really isn’t just about getting money. It is about the magic you share with your friends and family. It is about the magic moment you realize you are getting just a little bit older. Be sure to always remember this time and to cherish the people you love and that love you the most.

Love Always,
TF

Madison immediately noticed that TF's handwriting looked very similar to Mom's. I quickly pointed out the the Tooth Fairy writes in all capital letters, something I never do. Luckily, that explanation appeased her.

I'm amazed at the wonder, joy and unconditional belief that a tooth fairy actually exists. But I'm sad to realize that this utter innocence will not last much longer.

Isn’t there some way that we can slow down this growing up business?

Toddler Time

2008-09-18T11:57:00.005-04:00

Kyle started walking last week! Which officially makes him a toddler. He was into EVERYTHING before, I can only imagine the fun we're about to have!

Sorry about the poor video quality...I'm not sure what happened when I uploaded it to You Tube.

Although we are obviously so proud of Kyle, this milestone is a little bittersweet. I already miss my "baby" boy.

Maybe I need to start putting a bug in Joe's ear about having a third baby? You know, since we had such an easy time with this one and all!

Preemie Adventures

2008-09-02T18:34:00.001-04:00

Matt, owner of Red Sparks is starting a new preemie segment on The Playpen entitled “The Preemie Adventure – Then and Now.” The series will feature a picture of premature infants at birth, along with a photo of the child at present day and a brief story from the parents describing their personal experiences with preterm birth.

He has chosen our story to kick-off the series. Here is the article and pictures that I submitted:

During a family vacation to Disney World, I was diagnosed with Preterm Premature Rupture of the Membranes (PPROM)...which is a fancy way of saying that my water broke VERY early. I was 22 weeks pregnant and was told that there was very little chance that the baby would survive.

We were devastated as they went over the statistics. My due date was still 121 days away. We had a 90% chance that the baby would die in the delivery room. If he beat the odds and survived, it would almost surely be with severe disabilities and a very poor quality of life. We were even offered medication to speed up the “inevitable”.

Thankfully, I lasted almost two weeks on bed-rest, which gave the baby some much needed time to develop further. At 24 weeks and 5 days, Kyle was born weighing 1 pound 6 ounces. Again we were warned that his chances of surviving, let alone leading a quality life, were not good.

We were devastated when we saw how small he was. And it was not a tiny, cute little baby kind of small. He obviously was very sick. Despite all the problems on the inside - things like his lungs and heart not being developed - we were struck by how different he looked on the outside. One of his eyes was still fused shut. His skin was transparent and covered with hair. Even his ear lobes had not yet developed cartilage and just hung there.

You will hear many parents of preemie’s state that their NICU stay was a rollercoaster ride and this description is so true.

During Kyle’s 119 days in Florida Hospital South’s NICU, while he had some good days, he also endured heart surgery, 69 days on life support/ventilator, Cytomegalovirus (CMV), anemia, bilateral hernias, Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD), Chronic Lung Disease, bilateral renal calculi (small kidney stones), jaundice, aspirations, Respiratory Distress Syndrome, 3 bouts with pneumonia, hyperglycemia, 11 blood transfusions, high blood pressure, numerous infections and Stage 3 Retinopathy of Prematurity requiring Eye Surgery.

Thanks to many answered prayers, today Kyle is a happy and healthy 18 month old (14 months adjusted age). He is the happiest baby and loves to be the center of attention. He is close to walking on his own and is adding new words to his vocabulary weekly.

If there is one remnant of Kyle’s extreme prematurity, it is the slow rate in which he has grown. Although it is finally starting to get better, since the day we left the hospital we have received comments on Kyle’s small size. An automatic question of strangers seems to be, “How old is your baby?” When he weighed 7 pounds and I would answer that he is six months old, people would look at me like I am crazy. Kyle is now almost 19 pounds, which considering his start in life, is amazing to me. Still, I feel like I always have to defend his small size and am looking forward to the day that he is actually on the growth chart!

We had a great appreciation for Kyle even before his prematurity because I had such a difficult time getting pregnant (he is an IVF baby), so even his conception was nothing short of miraculous to us. But everything now is even more precious to us and we take nothing for granted. We have learned some valuable lessons through this trial and we’ll never be the same. When I look at Kyle now, it is hard for me to imagine that he once weighed just 18 ounces. I am amazed by the accomplishments he has made, he truly is our miracle baby. "This is the Lord's doing, it is marvelous in our eyes." Psalm 118:23

I think this series is an excellent idea! When Kyle was in the hospital, I would scour the Internet for information on preemies. While I was able to find a lot of medical based information, there was nothing like this "Now and Then" series. This may seem callous, but as parent looking at Kyle when he was just one pound, I wondered if he would ever look "normal".

Anyways, if anyone is interested, The Play Pen is looking for other preemie parents to submit stories.

Shameless Plea...for YOUR vote!

2008-08-28T21:07:00.001-04:00

A few days ago, I found out that I had been nominated for this Hot Blogger Calender. Well, me and about 500 other bloggers. I did not think much of it, until I heard what the prize was.

A trip to New York for a real photo shoot! Complete with make-up artists, stylists, a DJ, photographers and...adults!

Convinced I had no shot of being one of the 12 lucky ones chosen for the calender, I decided to have my own photo shoot right here in Ohio. So, I enlisted the help of my personal assistant Madison who took care of everything.

Take a look....

I have to admit...toilets, puke and Barney were not part of the sophisticated photo shoot I had envisioned. Which is why YOU should vote for me. So then I can really go to New York, for a glamorous photo shoot in the Big Apple.

Have I convinced you? Well then, see over there on the right, where it says "Hottest Female Blogger". Over there...on the right. See it?

To vote for me, scroll through the list of nominees (I am about two-thirds of the way down) until you come to "Blessings From Above". Double click and it should say "Voted Successfully".

The voting polls are open until midnight on Sunday, August 31st. There is only one vote per computer. But it you feel like I deserve more than one vote, feel free to pass these instructions along to your mailman or mother-in-law.

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!

UPDATE: I made it!!! Thanks so much to everyone that voted. Especially to all my IRL friends who – despite how embarrassing it probably was - sent the request to vote to their coworkers at the various hospitals, schools and/or businesses in which they work. And great big thanks to OHMommy who posted my video on her blog and even emailed it to someone in Africa. Seriously, she sent it to Africa!

Back to School, Back to Blogging

2008-08-26T16:27:00.001-04:00

Yikes. It has been over three weeks since I have last posted.

I never really had aspirations or even a desire to start a blog. But I did start one, completely on a whim from my hospital bed. In the beginning, the purpose was solely to keep everyone up to date on Kyle's health and to post specific prayer requests. That was easy and did not take much thought.

But now, with Kyle healthy, and the purpose of the blog no longer there, I have really struggled with what to post. As a result, I have debated whether or not to even continue with the blog, or in what capacity.

I've worried about who I am writing the blog for. There are some people that check in just for updates on Kyle. There are others that I have met through the blogger world that probably really don't care how many teeth my baby now has. I have begun worrying who my audience is and how I can please them.

Ultimately, I've decided that I am going to write this blog for Madison and Kyle. So that someday, when I am gone or old and senile, they will have a keepsake from me. So that if their spouse ever asks them, "were you dropped on your head as a kid" (like my husband asks me on a weekly basis) they will know the answer. Starting this week. Back to school for Madison, back to blogging for me.

As this is sort of the end if summer, I thought it would be appropriate to give a shout out to two special young ladies who became an important part of our lives this summer.

First, my cousin Elanor was in town from Australia for a few weeks. She is an absolutely gorgeous girl that is full of spunk. Madison idolized her and has been trying to act sophisticated by talking "Australian" like her older cousin. You know, using words, like lollie and fairy floss.

Elle and I would have had a blast had we actually been able to go out sans kiddos during her trip. Well, scratch that. I would have had a blast. She would have probably felt mortified hanging out in a club with her cousin who is 15 years older.

Last but not least, Amy, a young woman from church who was home from college for the summer babysat Kyle and Madison while I was working. She was awesome. If there was any way I could have convinced her not to go back to Grove City College for her senior year, that she would have a much better life babysitting for us, I would have tried. I never could get up the courage to give her the pros and cons of poopie diapers and puke, instead of say, her sorority.

At any rate, Elanor and Amy, we miss you both so much already. Our summer would not have been the same without you!

Oh, and to go along with my new blogging attitude....I've got a new blog-lift. You like? Hilary designed it for us. She is a dream to work with. If anyone is in need of a blog makeover, she is your girl.

Beach Bums

2008-08-01T06:00:00.002-04:00

We've just returned from Hilton Head. What an incredible place!

This was our first road trip as a family. You see, all of our other vacations we have flown.

In a way, this trip was reminiscent of my vacations from decades ago. When my family would all pile in the station wagon for road trips. It was the late seventies, early eighties—before car seats and seat belts were all the rage. On long drives, my sisters and I rode in the back, seats folded down, unbelted amidst piles of blankets, pillows, toys, books, and discarded shoes.

Just like trips of decades gone by, Madison and I played the license plate game. Although this trip we also had a DVD player and an awful lot of texting going on as well. And thank God - no station wagon.

And Madison's favorite part of the vacation? The twelve hour drive to and from Hilton Head. Go figure. She thought driving somewhere through the middle of the night was just the coolest thing ever. We lucked out with Kyle also. He fell asleep soon after our trip began in Ohio. And did not wake until we arrived in Hilton Head in the morning. We were so thankful!

Okay, I digress. Hilton Head was an absolutely beautiful place.

During the day, we spent every possible minute at the beach or the pool. My favorite kind of vacation!

During the evenings, we went out for yummy dinners with the two other families we were vacationing with.

Madison lost a tooth while we were on vacation. Big news to an eight year old! Especially an eight year old that has not lost a tooth in almost three years.

And speaking of my sweet, innocent, eight year old daughter. There were several pictures of this dude on my camera:

Nobody I know. Apparently my sweet, innocent, eight year old daughter thought he was cute. So she took several pictures of him. I am in so much trouble when she is older!

It was the perfect summer vacation. Kyle fell in love with the ocean. Madison fell in love with crab legs. And I fell even more in love with my family.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-07-23T23:06:00.007-04:00

We're in Hilton Head and having a blast!

By the way, Operation Baby Fat is not going well at all this week. Unless sand has any caloric value?

Luau Time

2008-07-15T09:38:00.003-04:00

As you've probably gathered from my lack of posts, this blogger has been a little lazy and lax about posting. I wish I could say I had some fabulous excuse for my laziness, but the truth is I've just been enjoying summer with the kiddos.

But alas, I am FINALLY getting around to posting about Kyle's party.

We had such a wonderful time! Almost 100 of our nearest and dearest joined us for a luau.

The kids seemed to have a blast and really got into the theme.

The adults seemed to get into the island spirit as well. My Mom won the prize for best tropical dressed:

Of course I'm only teasing! Just trying to provoke a comment from my loving Mother, since she still reads the blog but has not commented since forever.

Anyways, back to the Luau. We had barely finished with the Limbo when the torrential downpours started.

So we had to "sail" inside:

Okay, that was a very poor attempt at a joke. But, I just loved this picture of Kyle and needed an excuse to post it.

Once inside, we sang "Happy Due Date" to Kyle and let him dig into his smash cake. For someone that refuses to eat most days, he certainly enjoyed his cake:

As always, Joe was looking HAWT:

And I owe a HUGE thanks to Kyle's Godparents, Terry and Leanne.

I was so busy playing hostess during the party, I did not have time to take any pictures. They surprised us with all these wonderful photos of the party.

I especially like these two of Kyle and Madison:

Despite the rain, it really was a wonderful party and the perfect way to celebrate all that has happened over the past year.

Happy Independence Day!

2008-07-04T22:43:00.001-04:00

Hope you have the loveliest 4th of July possible!

A little flashback from last years Fourth of July...

Despite being almost five months old, Kyle was still not big enough to fit into newborn sized clothes.

So, Madison dressed him up in her Build a Bear clothes.

I am pretty sure someday Kyle will not be happy that I let his sister dress him up in doll clothes!

Happy 4th of July!

2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Unhappy Birthday

2008-06-19T09:17:00.009-04:00

The day Madison was born was one of the happiest in my life. Her birth was just like the movies. Well, except for the 51 hours of labor before she was actually born. Joe cut the cord and the doctors laid Madison on my chest. Immediately after she was born, right there in the delivery room, Joe and I spent time cuddling and admiring our baby girl. With a full head of hair and big blue eyes, she was the cutest baby ever.

Madison at five days old:

I cried tears of joy. Instantly Joe and I went from being a couple to a family. Life was perfect.

The day Kyle was born, on the other hand, was the worst of my life.

After my water broke at 22 weeks during our family vacation to Disney, I had been placed on bed rest in a hospital 1000 miles away from home. And I was okay with that. We were just so grateful that the doctors had been able to stop my labor.

At this point, I had been on bed rest for two weeks without any signs of labor being immanent. With people praying for us around the country, I was optimistic that I could last on bed rest for a couple months. But, the doctors had warned me that at some point labor would come, and it would come quickly. I however, was not prepared for just how quick they meant.

On February 20th, at a little after midnight, I got up to use the restroom. I did my business then laid back down in bed. It was only then that I realized something was terribly wrong. I literally could not put my legs together because the baby was falling out of me.

I frantically screamed for a nurse. She took one look at what was happening, and paged the delivery area to prep for an emergency. While this was happening, I grabbed my cell phone that was next to the bed and called Joe to alert him. The time on caller ID said 12:08am.

I was whisked down the hall and into the operating room which was full of people who were preparing for the delivery. The doctors discovered that it was actually the sac that was holding Kyle and his feet that were falling out of me. While Kyle's chances at survival were not high to begin with, with him being breech the doctors felt he certainly would not survive a vaginal delivery. So, the decision was made to try and push him back inside of me and then deliver him via c-section.

Kyle was born at 12:48 am. When he came out it was not as if you could hear a cry (the doctors later told us his lungs were the size of a lima bean) and everyone is happy and declares "it's a boy!" Instead the NICU team was there waiting and they went into overdrive trying to save this little life. Not knowing what his state was at birth, I just kept yelling "Is he alive???" until someone finally told me he was.

While I was being sewn up, a neonatoligist came to speak with me and let me know that they would do everything medically possible to give Kyle a chance at life, but there is only so much that can be done.

Until anesthesia wore off, which took a couple hours, I was not allowed to leave the recovery room to see the baby. During this time, I just laid in a bed all by myself and cried. I was so worried that Kyle would die before I ever got a chance to meet him.

In the meantime, Joe flew down to Florida. When we were finally able to go see Kyle together, we were shocked at how small he was. And it was not a tiny, cute little baby kinda small. He obviously was very sick. Despite all the problems on the inside - things like his lungs and heart not being developed - we were struck by how different he looked on the outside. One of his eyes were still fused shut. His skin was transparent and covered with hair. Even his ear lobes had not yet developed cartilage. I've never saw anything like it, but his ears just sort of hung down like Dumbo's. (Sorry Kyle, as I am sure you will read this someday!).

Kyle at five days old:

Unlike the day Madison was born, there was no cuddling and family bonding done with Kyle when he was born. In fact, it would be 69 days before I was even allowed to hold him wrapped in a blanket like a newborn.

Kyle was a fighter and after 119 days in the NICU, we were allowed to take our precious, healthy baby boy home. THAT day was one of the happiest of my life. I cried (okay I bawled) tears of joy as we made our way to the car with Kyle.

And it is THAT day that I want to celebrate.

Madison and Kyle the day he came home from the hospital:

When Kyle's birthday 1st birthday came around this past February, it just did not seem right celebrating with a big party in Ohio. So instead we headed back to Florida for a quiet reunion with our NICU family.

But, it has now been exactly one year since Kyle came home from the hospital and we are celebrating the occasion with a HUGE party for family and friends this weekend. And I couldn't be happier!!!

Mommy and Me Trip

2008-06-13T10:34:00.019-04:00

Well Kyle and I survived our trip to Orlando together! In fact it was FABULOUS! It was just the two of us since Joe was attending a friends bachelor party in Las Vegas, and Madison flew out with him to chaperone stay with her Grandparents and Aunt Katie who live in Vegas.

Kyle did wonderful on the plane and it ended up being a breeze getting through the airport with him by myself.

Look mom, our plane is here!

On Saturday, Rylee and her mommy came to our hotel to swim. I was a little apprehensive about how Kyle would do in the pool. Memorial Day weekend we went swimming and Kyle hated being in the water.

I think having Rylee around must have helped get him acclimated to the water because he ended up loving the pool. In fact, we were able to get some swimming in everyday of our vacation and Mr. Kyle was a little fish in the water.

After swimming, the kiddos played. It was very cool to see them interact with each other. They have come so far since this time last year when they were both still in the NICU together.

Sunday was the NICU Birthday Party sponsored by Florida Hospital. It was awesome to be reunited with the amazing staff that took such good care of Kyle during his hospital stay.

Kristin (in the middle) was one of our favorite nurses...

Kyle with his Level 3 NICU neighbor...

And his Level 2 neighbor...

During the party, Kyle played in a bounce house with Rylee...

Bowled an (almost) perfect game....

Met his first clown...

And even did a little dancing...

It was a GREAT party, well worth traveling 1,000 miles to attend!

I debated whether or not to take Kyle to Disney, but ultimately decided that I just couldn't miss not taking him when we would be so close. And I am so glad I did! Seeing Kyle smile and wave at Mickey Mouse made it all worth it.

We arrived at Magic Kingdom just as the doors opened. Although I am NOT a morning person, I love being at the park early as you can walk on just about any ride with no waiting.

I have to admit, I was a little anxious about traveling by myself with Kyle. This does not sound very nice, but sometimes you just need a little break from a baby. Kyle and I would literally not be out of the same room as each other for five days. Would I go crazy?

As it turns out, this was such a special time for Kyle and I to bond. As Madison was an only child for seven years, I had lots of "alone" time with her. After the success of this trip, I am going to try and make it a priority to spend special one on one time with both Madison and Kyle. Maybe Madison and I will take a trip to American Girl Place later in the summer...

We caught up with special friends, played in the sun, went to Disney, laughed together a ton, and came back relaxed and refreshed. All in all, our trip really could not have gone any better!

Wordless Wednesday...

2008-06-11T12:06:00.003-04:00

Dear Daddy and Madison,

Hurry home from Las Vegas. I miss you both so much!

Love,

Kyle

Orlando Sentinel

2008-06-09T18:17:00.004-04:00

Kyle and I are in Orlando, FL and having a blast! Can't wait to tell you all about our trip, but that will have to wait until we get in home.

In the meantime, thought I'd share the following article that ran in today's Orlando Sentinel:

Florida Children's Hospital reunion in Orlando celebrates preemies

When Jennifer Kupiec's water broke in a hotel room just 22 weeks into her pregnancy, her Disney vacation took a frightening turn.

"My family was a thousand miles away," the Ohio woman said.

And then after her new son was born, the doctors at Florida Children's Hospital said his chances of survival were not good.

But yesterday, Kupiec, 36, held her healthy 15-month-old son, Kyle, at a reunion for former neonatal intensive-care patients and their families. The safari-themed party at Orlando Junior Academy -- complete with a moon bounce, crafts, clowns and a disc jockey -- gave patients and their families a chance to share their stories and reunite with their former doctors and nurses.

Kupiec flew in for the event out of appreciation for the care her son received. In February, they also visited the hospital for Kyle's first birthday.

"It just didn't seem right celebrating in Ohio," she said.

The hospital hosted a similar reunion six years ago. The plan was to host one every year, but the hospital never had the money. This year, hospital officials made sure to free up $5,000 for the party, plus an additional $2,000 in donations.

"We wanted to tell the families, 'Hey, we still care about you,' " said Wanda Perara, administrative nurse manager of the neonatal intensive-care unit.

Since the unit opened in 1983, it has treated nearly 11,000 babies, most of them premature. But full-term babies born with life-threatening diseases also are taken in.

Neonatologist Jim Rawlings said he has bonded with many of his patients and their families.

Dr. Jim Rawlings visits with former patients Kyle Kupiec and Rylee Davis

during a reunion Sunday at Orlando Junior Academy.

"They're going through one of the most trying times in their lives with a recently born critically ill baby," he said. "Anyone who offers them help and care will have a special place in their hearts."

Doctors and nurses also said they often made friends with the tiny patients.

In one case, that bond has lasted two decades.

Tranica Hardy, 20, came to the reunion with her former nurse, Anna Daverman, who is now her godmother. Originally from Cocoa, Hardy lives with Daverman in west Orlando. Hardy wants to go to school in the area and eventually work in neonatal care, paying forward the help she received.

"I like it," she said. "I think it's really cool to take care of babies."

Hardy was born prematurely in Texas after 26 weeks' gestation and was transferred to Florida Children's Hospital three months later. Her heart and lungs had not fully formed and she had trouble breathing. Daverman took care of her every day that she worked for 15 months.

In addition to former patients getting reacquainted with doctors and nurses, spontaneous reunions popped up between families that had babies in the same unit. The Kupiecs joined three other families they recognized from the hospital.

Kyle and John Michael Chicarelli

In the group was Kristie Chicarelli, 36, of Eustis, who came with her 16-month-old son, John Michael."We thought it would be really rewarding just to see other babies and share stories," she said.

Her story, she said, was harrowing: she got sick with cholestasis, a liver disorder, and had to deliver John Michael by emergency Cesarean section 29 weeks into her pregnancy.

"When he was born, he wasn't breathing," she said. "They didn't say 'boy,' 'girl,' anything. They just said, 'Time 5:23,' and took him to the NICU. I didn't see him for another hour and when I saw him again he had tubes everywhere."

John Michael spent 38 days in intensive care and is now in good health, Chicarelli said.

"We call him terror on two feet," she said. "He's into everything. We just feel so blessed."

Stolion Award

2008-06-03T22:21:00.009-04:00

Warning: Parental bragging ahead...

At the end of each school year, the Stow Lion's club sponsors an award for students that have enriched their community and school by adhering to the following ideals:

Respected by others, good personality, honest, fair.

Accepts responsibly, does work promptly and efficiently, trustworthy.

Respects authority, knows the rules, abides by the rules.

Does more than required, dependable; or

Has shown unusual improvement in any one or more of the above qualities.

The teachers pick one girl and boy to receive this award. The whole school gathers for the awards ceremony and it is a surprise as to who will be receiving the award.

Guess who was chosen?

Madison!!!

This is what the teacher who nominated Madison had to say about her...

"Stolion Awards are given to those students who demonstrate excellent character and who go 'above and beyond'. I have had the unique opportunity to have Madison in my class for two years, when most teachers will only have her for one. I consider myself extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to watch her grow and flourish during that time. She is an amazing kid with amazing character. She gives me her best effort with each and every task. She is respectful, fair, and responsible. She is a good citizen who cares about the classroom, her peers, and her teachers. "

When she got home from school, as a reward Daddy took her out to get an Ipod. At 1 inch by 1 inch, these things are tiny! And to imagine they hold 250 songs. Technology sure has come a a long way since my day when a Walkman was considered cool...and compact.

Madison, I could not be prouder of the special little lady you are growing up to be. I love you so much!

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as if you were working for the Lord, not for men" Colossians 3:23

Random Ramblings

2008-05-29T22:25:00.003-04:00

The super sweet Amanda did a random thoughts post earlier in the week, and I really liked it. Since it seems I have a whole lot of nothing to say, I thought I would try it.

Here goes....

Kyle had an eye appointment to follow-up on his ROP, which had mostly cleared by his last appointment in September. Other than some slight scarring from his surgery, the doc said Kyle's eyes look great. He would like to see us again in a year, but only as a precautionary measure. While we were in the waiting room, Kyle was quite the social butterfly. If he did not have someones attention, he would literally grunt (sounds kind of barbaric, huh!) at them until he had their full attention. Once he had it, he would laugh and reward them with a HUGE smile. He was a little cutie.

Kyle LOVES to be outside. If Madison goes outside to play, and Kyle is not "invited", he'll sit by the door and cry until we take him outside. While he loves to be outside, he will not touch grass. He seems to have some strange fear of grass for some reason. This little quirk has actually served us well...during Madison's games he won't crawl off our blanket!

Boys are mischievous and apparently it starts early! Kyle is into everything. When Madison was a baby, she was content to sit and play with her toys. Kyle on the other hand, loves to go exploring. He is always going through the cupboards and has even crawled INTO the cupboards on occasion. If he can crawl somewhere, he goes. If there is something to explore, he will. We have even found him in the bathroom licking the toilet. Yuck, I know.

Yesterday Kyle learned to climb the stairs. I'm sure we're in for even more trouble soon!

Things on the eating front are going so-so, and Kyle's weight is sitting steady at 17 pounds. Some days he eats like a champ, others it is a struggle to get him to eat anything. Our challenge right now is that Kyle is beginning to prefer table food. That is actually a good thing, but the downside is that it takes him forever to "gum" his food. Where before he would consume a container of yogurt (120+ calories) in a few minutes, now it takes him the same amount of time just to eat one french fry. Seems silly, but we celebrate each calorie or bite of food that goes in Kyle's mouth.

Next week Kyle has his quarterly evaluation with a physical therapist. His last one did not go to well, so we are praying for a favorable report this time. I am (cautiously) optimistic though, as Kyle has made great strides in his gross motor skills over the last couple months. Hard to imagine that just three months ago he wasn't even rolling over yet. Now, he is crawling, pulling up on everything, and even climbing the stairs.

Kyle and I will be taking a trip together in the near future. More on that later. But, my question to you all...How in the world do I get through the airport with Kyle by myself? It's not the flying part that has me nervous. But after our plane lands and we get our luggage...I will have two suitcases, Kyle's pac-n-play, a carseat, my laptop, and the diaper bag. And of course Kyle in his stroller. I have no idea how I am going to manage! I figured that I could get one of those "Smart Carts" but I can't remember if those have a place for Kyle to sit. If that's the case, I'll be fine. I can just fold Kyle's stroller up and add it to our pile of stuff on the cart. If there isn't a place for Kyle to sit on the Smart Cart, I'm not sure what I can do. Any suggestions???

I'll leave you with some random cuteness...

Movin' On Up

2008-05-16T09:29:00.004-04:00

Kyle is obviously at risk for developmental delays. The doctors have warned us of this since the day he was born.

We have been very proactive in doing all we can to help minimize any delays Kyle has. Two months before his due date, our little two pound baby began physical therapy.

I have always tried to give Kyle every advantage to help him succeed.

The furniture in the room where our family typically gathers is not very conducive to babies climbing, and specifically, learning to pull up.

As such, I have bought Kyle a collection of toys that are sure to encourage him to pull up. I say that I bought these for Kyle because, each time I come home with another, Joe rolls his eyes at me. But, I tell him these toys are just so fabulous, they are sure to entice Kyle to pull up so that he can play with them.

Well, this week Kyle finally pulled himself up for the first time! And, what do you think he used?

Maybe this musical Leap Frog toy....

Or this fun little play house....

This scooter from Grandma and Grandpa looks like lots of fun...

And this Fisher Price toy is sure to get him going. It even has convenient handles to help him pull up...

Surprisingly, none of these did the trick.

Instead, Kyle crawled over to the couch where the cat was laying. Grabbed hold of the cat's tail, and hoisted himself up.

Disclaimer: No cats were harmed! In fact, the cat just laid there without flinching while Kyle "hung" on.

Perhaps this is the Lord again reminding me that I just need to have patience.

In my defense, now that Kyle has practiced on the cat, he is using the toys to stand with.

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12

Busy Bees

2008-05-14T18:18:00.003-04:00

We have been so busy lately, I have barely had time to feed my blog addiction. Madison is involved in so many activities right now, and it seems they all overlap in May. Most nights we are going to not just one, but two different events with her. Last night it was soccer followed by a softball game. Tonight it is Brownies, followed by an Art show at school. Ughhhh...I am looking forward to summer break!

Last week was especially busy as in addition to her regular events, Madison had cheerleading tryouts for Stow Youth Football. I was quite nervous as this is the first time she has ever had to try out for a team. I am so happy to report that Madison made it!!! She would have been devastated had she not. Cheerleading is something she loves and works very hard at.

Madison and Joe went to a Father Daughter Dance last week. I wish I had a cute story or antidote about the dance to share with everyone, but as I was not there, all I have is a photo of them before the dance:

I was at home with my own "date" for the night. A pretty cute one if I do say so myself:

Well, just a quick post to let you know I am still alive! I'm off to go observe artistic masterpieces created by second graders. Good times! :)

Operation Baby Fat

2008-05-07T09:19:00.005-04:00

Kyle is the most CHILL baby ever. The most easy going of dudes, but try to give him a bottle and he will bat it away (with remarkable accuracy) and go on a hunger strike for as long as he likes.

Our attempts to fatten him up just were not working. For almost three months, Kyle did not gain even an ounce.

We've tried enticing him with lots of goodies. We've tried tempting Kyle with ice cream, fresh fruits, every baby food imaginable...but he is unimpressed.

The doctor said we can't make a baby eat more. But, we could make what little he does eat count more.

So, we had to fool the little guy, and Operation Baby Fat was born.

Upon the advice of Kyle's specialist, for the past couple weeks, anything we give Kyle is LOADED with calories.

We're adding Carnation Instant Breakfast powder to his formula. We're adding heavy whipping cream to his baby food. We're even melting butter and adding it to his food. Mashed potatoes? Yummy. But add some cream cheese and butter to the potatoes...yummy and fattening.

And so far, it is working! Since we began Operation Baby Fat, Kyle has gained a little over a pound.

Right now, Kyle is in the 60th percentile for height. For his weight, he is not even ON the chart. At 17 pounds he is still a skinny mini.

But, at least we are beginning to see progress.

Tagged

2008-05-06T00:19:00.000-04:00

The adorable Kendra from a Superhero, Princess & Monkey tagged me for a meme. The tag is to post six uninteresting things about myself and in turn tag six others to do the same.

I'd imagine you're all quite eager to read more uninteresting stuff about me, so here goes.......

1.) Growing up I was very into softball. I was a pitcher and selected to play on several All-Star teams. And we were very good actually. During my career playing, I won several state championships and even made it to the World Series one year.

2.) I am ALWAYS late. No matter what. I hate this about myself (as does my husband).

3.) I puffy heart my neighborhood. There are tons of kids Madison's age. I've made some awesome friends. Joe is always hanging with the other Dads. We've taken a couple of adults only trips with our neighbors. This summer we're heading to Hilton Head with two other families from our neighborhood. We've outgrown our house, but love the neighborhood so much I can't bear to move. I am trying to talk Joe into building a house across the street from where we live now, but so far he thinks that idea is "ridiculous."

4.) I wear heels EVERYWHERE. Even at home around the house. I'm very self conscious about my height and can't stand to be without the extra lift I get from heels.

5.) When I was 31, I was baptized as an act of obedience and a symbol of commitment to the Lord. Growing up, my family did not attend church or pray together. I always believed in God. But, I did not have a personal relationship with Him. About six years ago, a friend invited me to a bible study. In preparation for this study, I began reading the bible for the first time. Immediately I felt a sense of peace and my life has not been the same since.

6.) I have a very annoying habit, in my head. If I hear a word, I try to figure out what other words I can spell from that word. For example, from the word "Bread" you can also spell: bar, bad, bed, red, bear, ear, are, dare, bra, read, beard. You get the idea. And did you notice that I didn't mention any two letter words? Oh, no sir re. That would not be challenging enough for my little head game!

Here's who I am Tagging:

Carey @ A Woman's Prerogative
Mandy at The Gratton Grapevine
Krissy the Firecracker Mom

If you want to play:

Link back to the person who tagged you.

Post these rules on your blog.

List 6 uninteresting things about yourself.

Tag 6 random people at the end of your entry (or like me, only three).

Fro Me To You: Happy Birthday Sis

2008-05-01T22:46:00.001-04:00

Kristen at We are THAT family is hosting a blog carnival and she has asked me to join. The carnival is called Sincerely 'Fro Me To You and the idea is that on Thursdays we'll share some flashback pictures and anecdotes.

Today is my sister Niki's birthday, so I am devoting this post to her. Niki is younger than I am by only thirteen months, so as you can imagine we were very close growing up.

We went through everything together...

Like when we complained one time to many about having our hair brushed. My mom promptly took us to get these lovely bowl haircuts...

Niki is on the left, our little sis Dawn is in the middle, and toothless on the right would be me.

We got wear such chic and sophisticated outfits together...

We received our first pair of Jordache jeans together on Christmas morning in 1981. Jordache jeans to a fourth grader? Best. Christmas. Ever.

We both got braces on the same day....

And we shared a love of BIG hair and BIG prom dresses...

It would have been cool if people thought we were twins since we were so close in age, but unfortunately for me, no one ever thought that. Instead, they always thought SHE was the older one. Niki has always been at least a few inches taller than I am (now she is about 5'8 and I am 5'2). Growing up I used to get so bummed about this.

“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” Proverbs 31:29

Niki, you have a heart of gold. I am so proud of you and thankful to have you as my sister. I love you and I hope you have the happiest birthday ever.

Much Love,

Jennifer

20,000!

2008-04-29T19:00:00.004-04:00

Yesterday we reached 20,000 hits since adding the Site Meter counter. Now I know for some superstar bloggers, 20,000 hits is a day in the life, but for me, I am thinking it is pretty cool!

Who would have thought that this rambling post written from my hospital bed last year would turn into this blog? A blog so thought provoking that it has been changing lives all over the world?

I kid, I kid. But, seriously, when I wrote that first post I had no idea if anyone would ever read it; we were just trying to cut down on all the phone calls to our hospital room! Apparently people were interested enough to keep reading, because here we are, 156 posts later.

We can’t have a 20,000th hit celebration without pictures! But since I have not taken any pictures recently, I thought I would share a few of my favorites that have been posted on the blog over the past year.

Now these aren't necessarily the BEST pictures, but they all represent something special.

This was Kyle's first picture. One I am ashamed to admit that I would not post when Kyle was first born. The poor guy looked so pitiful and hopeless. Seeing Kyle like this, it was easy to understand why the doctors did not think he would make it. (Look at Kyle's arms, they are thinner than the nurse's finger)

But, seeing the above picture of Kyle taken in February 2007, and comparing it to this picture of Kyle that was taken in February 2008, makes me realize what a strong, amazing little fighter he is...

Madison wanted so much to be a big sister. Obviously under the circumstances, Madison could not partake in big sister activities in the typical fashion. But she did not let that stop her. Here she is reading to her little brother. And although Kyle weighed less than two pounds at the time, she would read to him with as much warmth and animation as if he was a pre-schooler hanging onto her every word.

When Kyle was almost three months old, he was finally deemed stable enough for Madison to hold him...

This picture was taken with Dr. Lugo shortly before Kyle was discharged from the hospital...

And this picture was taken with Dr. Lugo when we came back to visit...

And of course, I must include a picture of Rylee and Breanne, without whom my four month stay in Florida would have been so lonely...

Hitting 20,000 visits got me to thinking. Who is reading this blog???

I totally respect your right to remain anonymous, but, I’m always curious who’s reading.

If you've been looking for an excuse to make a comment, or introduce yourself, or tell me that you loathe me, consider yourself formally invited to speak up. Introduce yourself!

I puffy heart you all. Lurkers delurk... that means you Michelle, Julie, Leanne and whomever else might read this blog but rarely ever comments. So leave me a comment (or I might have to post embarrassing pictures of you drinking "milk!").

And, do we have ANY family that still reads this blog? Dear, sweet Great Aunt Sandra, whom I have never even had the pleasure of meeting, comments on almost every post. Are there any other family members that still pop in every once in awhile?

Thanks for a happy 20,000! Lurkers? Delurk!

God Bless,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

GNO

2008-04-28T18:40:00.002-04:00

This weekend, Madison and I enjoyed a girls night out with a couple of our nearest and dearest friends. Leanne is a great friend and neighbor, who also happens to be Kyle's Godmother. Her daughter Reese goes to school with Madison.

We got manicures....

And pedicures....

I went with a sassy red, while Madison opted for maroon and gold since they are her school colors....

Afterwards, we went to TGI Fridays for dinner. While there, being the mature Mommy that I am, I discreetly told the waiter that it was Madison and Reese's birthday. They were a little confused and embarrassed when the Friday's staff came to sing them Happy Birthday...

Thankfully, the girls sat there in stunned silence and did not rat me out! All was forgiven though, when they realized their embarrassing song came with "birthday" ice cream...

Afterwards we made prank calls and tee-peed a cute boys house. No. Not really. We ended the evening by seeing the movie Baby Mama. Which by the way, is a decent movie, but something I would recommend waiting to see on DVD.

All and all, we had a great girls night out!

Much Love,

Jennifer

Progress...

2008-04-24T09:48:00.006-04:00

I have been a bad, bad blogger. Spring is in the air and for the first time in months we are able to play outside. I have been out with the kiddos every day. Granted, most of our time "out" is spent watching Madison's soccer games or softball. But, we can spend time outside none the less.

We met with Kyle's Developmental Specialists last Friday. We have been meeting with them every other week since the fall. Each session, they ask what new things Kyle is up to. For months, all I had to offer was, "Oh, he got a new toy. Does that count?" or "New, look at this adorable NEW outfit he is wearing!" I always got the feeling that was not the response they were looking for.

Well, this past session, I had lots of new things to share. Just since our last meeting, Kyle began rolling over, crawling, clapping his hands and waving hi and bye. Yep, that's my boy! It felt so good to finally have something to share and they were quite pleased with his progress as well.

Oh, and Kyle learned all of the above while cutting four new teeth. He cut two teeth on the bottom in December, but since then, NOTHING. My overactive imagination actually began to think well, when he was born his heart, lungs, eyes, nerves, skin, even his ear lobes, weren't yet developed. Maybe he was born so early somehow his top teeth never had a chance to form. Silly Mommy! I think the Lord is trying to teach me some patience, as that is definitely not a virtue I was blessed with.

Ages and Stages

2008-04-18T13:41:00.007-04:00

What word starts with the letter F and ends with UCK? The answer would of course be a FIRE TRUCK. No, this is not my idea of a good joke. It was however a joke that was written on a class mural by one of my fourth grade students during Sunday School recently. A class mural about “Daniel in the Lion Den” that each teacher was supposed to proudly display in her classroom when the kiddos finished it.

About 6 weeks ago, I switched Sunday School classes, leaving my beloved Second Graders (whom I had been teaching since they were 4 years old) and instead began teaching Fourth Graders. The class is mostly made up of boys and they are wild. On my way to teach my first class I was so excited and I prayed that the days’ lesson would reach the heart, lives, attitudes and actions, of my students. On my way to class the following weeks, I simply prayed to get through class without crying. I was out of my league.

Then my dear little Kyle came in and saved the day. You see, he is going through an awful case of separation anxiety. I would leave him in the nursery while I taught. Kyle was distraught without me, and three weeks in a row I ended up being paged to the nursery to come get him. The second he laid eyes on me, he would stop crying. Meanwhile, while I was getting Kyle, the rowdy fourth grade boys started a fire in the rest room one week, and another time they broke into the communion wine. No. Not really. Just trying to add a little excitement to my posting. But, it was obvious it was not going to work with Kyle’s newfound separation anxiety issues. So, this past week I was moved from the fourth grade classroom and I now get to serve in the nursery where my sweet baby boy is. I love it.

At eight years old, my daughter on the other hand is completely over any separation issues she may have once had.

She does not have school today. Typically this would be the ideal time to get some quality one- on-one time in with her. When I offered to take the day off work so that we could hang out or go shopping, she politely declined. I was shocked. I mean come on, I’m a hip, cool mom. Or at least I thought. Madison is now at the age where she’s rather hang out with her friends.

She may not want to hang out with me now during the day, but at night she sneaks into my bed to cuddle. Such an in between stage. I hold onto every single moment I can ... she's growing so fast.

When you’re a mom you’re supposed to give kids "roots and wings" but secretly I think we always hope our kids will never stop wanting and needing us. So for now, I am going to revel in Kyle’s separation anxiety…and try harder to figure out how to be the hip, cool mom to Madison.

On the move...

2008-04-17T00:44:00.001-04:00

Kyle officially started crawling last week! He is so curious and into everything. I love this stage...I think babies look so adorable crawling and Kyle is no exception.

With this new skill, Kyle has turned into Mr. Independent. He is constantly crawling out of rooms to go exploring. Needless to say, we've had to baby proof the house. One of the funny things we've caught Kyle doing is crawling into Madison's room to look at the chandelier hanging from her ceiling. If you recall last month when we took the kids to Florida, while Kyle liked Disney enough, it could not compete with the huge chandelier in the hotel lobby. This kid is easy to please.

Much Love,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

My very first MEME!!!

2008-04-14T18:12:00.003-04:00

What is a MEME anyways? I really have no idea, but it seems to be all the rage in the blogging world.

The amazingly witty and clever McMommy over at The McMommy Chronicles gave me a tag requesting a blog on "Five Classes I Wish They Would’ve Taught in School".

I mentioned this to the hubby, and Joe says, “That should be easy for you. Cooking, cleaning, laundry…” I don’t think he understood the concept that it should be things that would actually come in handy for me someday.

So, without further adieu, Five Classes I Wish They Would’ve Taught in School:

Driving in Driveways

When I was sixteen, and eager to drive any chance I got, I volunteered to back my father’s car out of the garage so that he could get to the lawn mower. I jump in the car, put it in reverse and proceeded to rip the mirror off of the passenger side door as my father looked on with horror. Even worse, it was a company car and only insured if my dad was driving. The poor guy had to go to the office the next morning and claim that he was the dingbat that tore the mirror off of his car while backing out of the garage. Since that time, my luck in driveways has not improved. Just last week after dropping Kyle off at the sitter’s house, I jump in my car, put it in reverse and SMASHED into the sitter’s car.

Pros and Cons of the Family Bed

When Madison was born, she ate every two hours around the clock. I was exhausted. It seemed so much easier to let her slumber by my side, breastfeed her during the night and then fall back into a welcome sleep. When she was six months old and no longer feeding during the night, we decided it was time to move her to the crib. No problem…for her. I on the other hand missed having her in our bed. I missed her so much I even slept on the floor next to her crib just to be near her. After a couple nights of that I moved her back into bed with us. Big mistake! Fast forward eight years, she is not able to sleep by herself. Although she sleeps in her own room, Joe or I have to stay with her until she falls asleep. And, undoubtedly, every night she eventually migrates to our room sometime during the night. She’s much to big to be sleeping in our bed, so the poor thing keeps a sleeping bag on the floor next to my bed and wakes up in it most mornings. I have terrible visions of her heading off to college, on the condition that Mommy will take the top bunk in her dorm room.

How To Carry A Tune

I am the worst singer. And it really is a shame because I love to sing. But I am just so bad at it. Even Kyle tends to grimace when I sing him a bed time lullaby.

Wine Tasting 201

I ingeniously signed up for Wine Tasting 101 in college. That's right. At good ‘ol Kent State you could actually get college credit for drinking alcohol. And it was great. I would have loved a follow-up course.

Bigger is NOT Always Better

Particularly when it comes to my hair in the late eighties, early nineties. What was I thinking??? I would spend two hours a day, teasing, curling and spraying. All for this…..

I'm especially proud of this look. Can't decide if you should part with your big hair for one night and wear it up to a dance? No problem. Why not just put half of it up? Best of both worlds.

And now I'm supposed to tag five people I'd like to get to know better...I’m not sure that more than five people even read my blog, so I’m going to have to tag anyone who has posted here recently! That said, I tag: Breanne, Kristie , Hilary , Kendra and Nan. I also tag anyone who would like to share a few things about themselves. Please leave me a comment after you do the meme so I can come and read it!

The rules are simple, post your "Five Classes I Wish They Would Have Taught in School" and then tag some people. Be sure to leave them a comment at their blog so they know they've been tagged!

If your happy and you know it....

2008-04-12T00:27:00.002-04:00

...clap your hands!

Yep, Kyle has learned how to clap his hands! We have been showing him how to clap for some time now, and he would always just laugh at us. Something must of clicked though...I am coaching cheerleading and during last weeks game, whenever my squad finished a cheer, or a player made a basket, Kyle would clap along with the crowd. It was so adorable to watch.

Since then, when we do something for Kyle that he likes, he claps his hands. When you get excited with him, he claps his hands. When he does something he’s proud of, he claps his hands. And if you just say “yay!” to him, he claps his hands. He's quite the clapper!

Madison had her cheerleading banquet tonight which officially marks the end of the season. She did a fantastic job cheering and had loads of fun as she had a couple of good friends on her squad. While she is a bit sad to see the season come to an end, I am relieved that we can cross one of her activities off the list. Now we just have soccer, softball, gymnastics, CAST (her church youth group) and Brownies to contend with. This kid is busy.

Madison, great job. I love you and am so proud of you.

Rollin' with my homies...

2008-04-10T22:25:00.005-04:00

"They were glad to hear the report and praised God." Joshua 22:33

Every time Kyle reaches a developmental milestone I applaud. I applaud not only to let him know how proud I am of his accomplishment, but because it is a sign to me that he is "normal."

Kyle had a very difficult start, spending four months in the NICU, but he was one of the lucky ones. He came home. And after many follow-up examinations, he appears to be healthy. While I rejoice at his will to live and our positive outcome, I can't help but wonder what impact his extreme prematurity will have on his future and, since modern medicine has just recently started saving tiny babies like Kyle, what unidentified concerns might lay ahead?

We were told at his birth that he had a 50-50 chance of survival. We were told that if he did survive, he has a 50% chance of having one of the following disabilities: mental retardation, cerebral palsy, blindness or deafness. And then again a couple months later when Kyle tested positive for CMV, we were told if Kyle contracted CMV while I was pregnant with him, he has a 90% chance of having some sort of long term disability such as cerebral palsy, vision or hearing problems. If CMV was contracted after birth, the risk of any long term affects decreased to just 10%.

Although I am elated and so thankful to God for how well Kyle is doing, at time's I can't help but be apprehensive about his future. And I must admit lately my fear for what may lie ahead was beginning to increase. The last developmental milestone Kyle hit was when he started sitting up in December. In December he also got his first two teeth and began giving Madison high-fives. Since then, he's certainly gotten more adorable, but nothing new on the developmental side for almost four months now.

The end of March Kyle had his quarterly evaluation with his physical therapist who promptly reported that Kyle had "vestibular issues" and "mild developmental delays." Although not completely unexpected, it was really the first time we had a negative evaluation. What this meant for Kyle long term, the therapist could not tell us. What she could do is give us some exercises to do with Kyle and see how his body would react to them. If they helped, then it is most likely just that his muscles needed strengthened, if we do not see improvements, it may be something more.

I am so happy to report that literally with-in hours of beginning his new exercises we were already seeing improvements! One of Kyle's areas of concern was the fact that at nine (adjusted) months old he was still not rolling over deliberately. He had rolled over several times, but it was usually not on purpose, more so that he was so frustrated that he would flop over. So, we began doing a series of exercises to strengthen his trunk muscles, such as these with an exercise ball:

We also have exercises we do with Kyle each time his diaper is changed, ways the therapist has showed us how to lay him down and pick him up, and even carry him that promote strength in his trunk area. And, lucky Kyle has also been receiving baby massages, which is supposed to help with his vestibular issues.

Our little guy is now rolling everywhere - hence the title of this post! He is rolling from his stomach to his back, from his back to his stomach. He can now go from a sitting position to his stomach. He can also go from his stomach to a sitting position.

Kyle has a few other new "tricks" up his sleeve, but I think I am going to save those for another post. I usually do not have much to blog about, but there is so much going on right now with our little guy!!! I'm so excited. I tell ya, this kid is amazing!

Much Love,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

Kyle's 1st Haircut...

2008-04-09T14:49:00.011-04:00

Our little mophead was long overdue for a haircut! I took him to this really cute salon, Snip-It's, that is designed just for kids. Kyle did great and didn't cry at all. He was just a little annoyed that the lady cutting his hair would not let him play with her scissors.

Before...

And After...

Doesn't he look so handsome? He is growing up so fast! Speaking of which, I have TONS of updates for you all, which I promise to post tomorrow. You won't believe what our little guy has been up to.

Much Love,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

New Look...

2008-04-05T23:42:00.001-04:00

We're getting more and more high-tech! Our new look was created and designed by Hilary, a very talented Ohio State student who designs blog layouts in her spare time. Thanks so much Hilary for the new look! Check out Hilary's blog here.

I thought, wouldn't it be cute and clever to take a picture of Kyle holding a sign that says "Thanks Hilary." Ugh...much easier said than done! Kyle was more than happy to sit and smile for some pictures, but couldn't quite grasp the concept of holding the sign, appearantly he thought mommy was giving him a new toy.

After many tries, we did manage to snap ONE picture where you could actually read the sign...

Anyways, thank you so much Hilary!

Confessions of a CF Husband

2008-04-03T11:50:00.005-04:00

"There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off." Psalm 23:18

I came across a blog recently that may melt your heart http://cfhusband.blogspot.com/ I have totally been touched, challenged and encouraged by the story of this family. The blog is maintained by Nate, a young man living in North Carolina married to a woman, Tricia, with Cystic Fibrosis. She was on the transplant list to receive a new set of lungs but then they found out they were pregnant. She had a choice - terminate the pregnancy and receive the transplant, or keep the baby at the risk of both her and the baby not making it. If she chose to continue her pregnancy, both she and the baby had a less than 50% chance of survival. As a couple of faith, abortion was not an option. During the pregnancy, Tricia's condition began to deteriorate and on January 8 they had no choice but to deliver the baby. Their daughter Gwyneth was born at 25 weeks, weighing 1 pound 6oz (just like Kyle!). Both Mom and baby Gwyneth have been at Duke ever since.

Fast forward to last night...Tricia received her double lung transplant!!! She has a long and difficult road ahead of her, starting with a test today to see how her "new" lungs are doing. Hopefully they will be able to take her off the vent in the next couple of days and Tricia will successfully breathe on her own with her new lungs.

This family is an amazing picture of Christ centered faith. Please pray for them...The NICU experience alone is very stressful, but I can not even begin to imagine doing it while your spouse is in their own state of medical distress. Please pray for this family and pass this along to anyone who you know will do the same!

I highly recommend you check out their blog at www.cfhusband.blogspot.com You will not be disappointed!

God Bless,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

Wordless Wednesday...

2008-04-02T13:09:00.001-04:00

Power of the Pen

2008-03-30T11:14:00.006-04:00

The following article about Kyle ran in our local newspaper last month. I thought those of you from out of town that keep up with Kyle might enjoy it...

Power of the Pen: Premature infant marks first birthday

by Andree Niswander, reporter

I'm sitting here looking at a pen.

As a writer, this ink-filled instrument is essential to my work. It's probably the most powerful tool I use every day ... well, that, and my computer. Every quote ever taken and every story ever written first fell from some little, unassuming pen.

That's probably why there are lots of them in one little compartment of my desk drawer. Most of them work, and some don't. Some are red, and others black. Some have caps, and some, sadly, have chew marks. Regardless of their present state, these pens play a fairly big role in my day-to-day work. And yet, all of them are tiny enough to get lost in the abyss called my purse or into the car seat, never to return.

Despite its importance in my life, the pen doesn't usually get a second look from me. But today is different. I can't stop looking at this pen, and that's because it's not just any pen that has captured my attention.

I'm looking at a newborn photo of Kyle Kupiec, born four months premature last February to Stow residents Joe and Jennifer Kupiec during an Orlando vacation. In the photo, Kyle's lying in a bed in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Florida Hospital South, and in the foreground, his father holds a pen to demonstrate the size of this tiny, little, tape and tube-covered body.

A pen ... not a yardstick, or even a ruler. The comparable measuring tool for Kyle one year ago was a pen. And in the photo, he's not much longer than the pen.

Suddenly, the pen doesn't look so little ... or significant.

I am without words, even with the drawer full of pens. For a writer, that's fairly unusual.
I'm struck by this powerful portrait.

How could such a tiny, frail baby survive? And yet he did. This week, Kyle turned 1.

No longer a 1-pound, 6-ounce, pen-sized preemie, Kyle survived three surgeries in his first six months on his heart, eyes and bilateral hernias, 69 days on life support and ventilators, a weight drop to just 18 ounces, 11 blood transfusions, pneumonia, numerous infections, and 119 days in the hospital.

He's been home for eight months, weighs 16 pounds, and he is thriving, according to Jennifer.

Born with a hole in his heart, Kyle had a surgery when he was just 2 weeks old to repair the problem. He'll always have a metal clip in his heart, she said, "but his heart's fine. He can do everything ... He can have a normal life."

With 20-20 vision, Kyle really has eyes for his big sister, 8-year-old Madison, said Jennifer.

"We've always said that his sister is his favorite toy, ever since he came home from the hospital. When she walks in the room, he just lights up," she said. "She's a great big sister."

To keep friends and family posted on Kyle's past and present progress, his parents created a Web site, kupiec.blogspot.com.

This week, the family will return to Orlando, a trip that will include a hospital reunion, with doctors, nurses and another family whose child was in the facility with Kyle.

The Kupiecs also plan to visit Disney World, and to provide dinner to current residents of the Orlando Ronald McDonald House, the Kupiec's second home during their four-month stay, said Jennifer.

The family also takes meals to Akron's Ronald McDonald House.

"When you have a child faced with a life-threatening medical crisis, life can become very stressful, very quickly. Added to the mix, we were 1,000 miles away from home. We are so thankful to the Ronald McDonald House, for providing us with a home away from home," she said.

With his pen-sized beginning, Kyle definitely has made a mark on the Kupiec family, said Jennifer, "We're complete, and we're just so happy. With everything we've been through, not knowing if he'd survive, everything he does, we just appreciate it. We take nothing for granted. We feel blessed to have him here."

March 26, 2008

2008-03-26T23:51:00.001-04:00

I have FINALLY figured out how to upload video onto the blog! We took this video of Kyle on Easter -Grandma Pattie is cheering Kyle on as he tries to figure out how to crawl. Enjoy…

Good Friday

2008-03-21T11:54:00.003-04:00

The following was orignally posted on Friday April 6, 2007. I thought I would "recycle" my Good Friday post from last year.

Good Friday
The death of Jesus:"From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah." Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him." And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit." Matthew 27:45-50

Good Friday really does have a different feel, doesn’t it? It’s somber and reflective; there is a grand celebration on the horizon (this coming Sunday), but today is different. Today we aren't visited by the Easter Bunny, we don’t exchange gifts or buy cards. Today we reflect on the cost of our salvation.

Kyle and Daddy were reunited...and celebrated the occasion by Kangarooing this afternoon! Joe was pleasantly surprised by how big Kyle has gotten. Kyle's weight is up to 2lb 5 oz. He has actually doubled in size from his lowest weight (not his birth weight)...at one point Kyle was down to 1lb. 2 oz.

We received the results of one of Kyle's tests, and he takes after his great grandpa Ted, in that he has Reflux. Reflux is when liquid from the stomach comes back up the esophagus (food pipe). The doctors discovered that Kyle's milk has been coming back up and entering his lungs, which has contributed to his increased breathing difficulties lately and most likely his bouts with Pneumonia. To treat his reflux, the doctors changed the positioning of Kyle's feeding tube. Instead of going directly into his stomach, the tube now goes directly to his intestines. Also, Kyle has been put on continuous feeds. Instead of being fed every three hours, Kyle will continuously have a small amount of milk pumped into him. Reflux is a condition that Kyle should grow out of. The muscles at the lower end of the esophagus should become tight keeping the food from backing up. In premature infants and even some term infants, these muscles are not yet fully developed and coordinated, but should be soon.

I won’t wish you a “Happy Good Friday,” because even anticipating the joy of Christ’s resurrection, this isn’t a happy day. Instead, I hope you’ll have a reflective Good Friday. In two days, when we celebrate the most amazing event in human history, our greetings of “Happy Easter!” will be all the more meaningful if we’ve first taken time to ponder the sober message of Good Friday.

Have a reflective Good Friday, then, and a blessed Easter.

Much Love,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

March 18, 2008

2008-03-18T09:22:00.021-04:00

...

"Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna:Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord."~John 12:13~

Poor Kyle has had a rough week. He had his one year check-up last week, where he received 4 shots. His body did not react too well to the vaccinations and as a result he had a fever for a couple days. Once he recovered from that, he developed a cold which progressed to an ear infection. Fortunately, this weekend he was finally back to his smiley self. As far as his one year check up went, overall the doctor was very pleased with how well Kyle is doing and said we are very blessed. The good news is that Kyle is finally on the growth chart – at 27 ½ inches long he is actually in the 50th percentile for height for his adjusted age of nine months and in the 20th percentile for his “birth” age of 1 year. The not so good news is that his weight gain has slowed down considerably…Kyle weighed in at 16 pounds 1 ounce, which wasn’t even on the chart. Actually, he was 16 pounds 1 ounce naked during his one year appt., when we took him back a few days later for his ear infection he had lost a little weight and was 16 pounds even with all of his clothes and a diaper on. To give him a boost, his pediatrician has switched his formula and changed the type of thickener we use in Kyle’s bottles. If you remember, Kyle’s bottles are thickened to the consistency of honey – the thickener we had been using did not have any caloric benefit, but his doctor just switched Kyle to a thickener that will add 5 calories per ounce. I am hoping this is the boost he needs.

We had a great time in Florida. In addition to our reunion at the hospital, we made dinner for the guests at the Ronald Mc Donald House, went to the beach, Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Rylee’s 1st birthday party. Kyle had so much fun playing with Rylee – as you can see from the pictures! As far as the parks go, Kyle actually enjoyed Disney World more than I expected. He loved the parade, especially the Spectro Magic Light parade at night – but his favorite part of Disney was Tigger. There was a “Meet & Greet” spot at the park where Tigger was for most of the day. Kyle would have been content to spend the whole day there just watching Tigger - he cracked up watching Tigger interact with the kids. Although I hate to admit this, but as much fun as he had at Disney World, Kyle became the most excited whenever we entered our hotel lobby. It was a beautiful lobby with high ceilings, a huge chandelier and 6 or 8 ceiling fans. For some reason Kyle was mesmerized by this chandelier and especially the ceiling fans, whenever he saw them he’d get so excited. Go figure – we take him all the way to Florida for the beach and Disney, but Kyle’s favorite part of vacation is the ceiling fans! Kids are easy to please at this age. I think for his next trip, we’re going to take him to Home Depot and let him go crazy in the lighting section!

Any day I hope to be posting that Kyle is crawling. He is soooooo close, but just can’t seem to put it all together. He gets up on his knees and with the most serious look on his face – he rocks and rocks. After thinking it all over, he takes off….but it is always backwards or in a circle. This leads to cries of frustration, then he gives up. One of these days he’ll get it.

As always, thanks for checking in on us!

God Bless,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

Florida Hospital

2008-03-05T17:13:00.002-05:00

"They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness." Psalm 145:7

We had such a wonderful time at our reunion at the hospital!!! What do you say to the people responsible for saving your baby’s life? What do you say to the neonatologists who sat by Kyle’s bedside waiting for the inevitable, hoping that statistics would overlook this one little boy. The doctors and nurses at Florida Hospital take God’s tiniest miracles and give them a chance at life.

Kyle spent the first 119 days of his life in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Florida Hospital. During that time we certainly had some very long and sad days. But our time in the NICU was also filled with small moments of happiness, and even times of great joy, many of which were made possible and enhanced by the staff who worked with Kyle. I clearly remember the nurse who asked if I wanted to hold Kyle for the first time, and how much work they would do just to get us ready for kangaroo care...during his sickest times, it took two nurses and a respitory therapist just to get Kyle out of his isolette. I remember the care with which they taught us how to touch our baby, how to change his tiny diapers, how to take his temperature. I remember that when Kyle’s head was so tiny (the size of a tennis ball) and even the smallest hats in a store were much too big for him, a nurse had her grandma knit Kyle a hat. I remember a special nurse who would take pictures of Kyle doing cute things during the middle of the night, when I wasn’t able to be there, and taping them to his isolette to surprise me when I came in the next morning. I remember the respitory therapists and nurses that would hold Kyle’s hand and sing to him to keep his sats up while they got a blood gas. I remember doctors and nurses giving hugs and high fives when Kyle’s platelets finally went back up following a nasty infection. I remember nurses going above and beyond the call of duty to always make sure Madison felt included and praising her for being such a good big sis. I remember doctors and specialists listening to our endless questions, and sitting down with us to draw diagrams to help us understand complicated medical issues, never annoyed by our incessant attention to detail. I remember the nurse who helped me give Kyle his first bath. I remember nurses who were so excited when Kyle was able to finally wear clothes (at three months of age) that they went out and bought him an outfit! I remember them crying over the loss of another NICU baby, and how I realized then that these babies are so much more than a job to this NICU staff. They really and truly care about each baby and family, and they make each tough medical decision just as they would if it were their own baby. I remember that I felt loved…and I don’t think you can feel like that in the NICU of every hospital.

As hard as it was to be in Orlando for so long, I firmly believe that God had a reason for everything happening the way it did. I can’t say with certainty that we would have had such a positive outcome if Kyle had been born anywhere else. I can never express to them my gratitude for all that they did during Kyle’s 4 months in the NICU. They are a big part of who Kyle is today and I hope that they realize what a difference they make in so many families’ lives. Anyways, as you can tell from the pictures, we had an amazing time being reunited with the staff at Florida Hospital and it was definitely one of the highlights of our trip!

God Bless,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

February 27, 2008

2008-02-27T23:16:00.013-05:00

Joe was trying to get the kids to smile by

making strange noises...Rylee didn't quite get his sense of humor!

Can I have a taste?

Yep...this is my girl!

Kyle and Rylee at 12 months...

Kyle and Rylee at 4 months...they've changed so much!

"I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul." Psalm 31:7

Reunited and It Feels So Good...Kyle and Rylee were able to have their “second date” in the hospital garden! It was SOOOOO good to see Rylee and her mom Breanne. Rylee is an adorable little girl, and although it is difficult to tell from the pictures, she is such a happy baby who smiled so easily for everyone at the hospital. She is so smiley in fact, she has been nicknamed “Smiley Rylee”. It was neat for me to watch Kyle and Rylee interact together during our visit to the garden...they were very curious about each other (and the grass!). Such a change from the first time we were able to bring them to the hospital garden. Both were still in the NICU and Rylee was even on oxygen at the time. They have both come so far, we are very blessed.

I’ll update more when we return from vacation. Thanks for checking in on us…

God Bless,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

Happy Birthday!

2008-02-20T01:02:00.001-05:00

Kyle,

You have brought such joy to our lives, we can not even begin to imagine a life without you. You are an amazing, perfect little guy...we are so proud of you!

Happy 1st Birthday!!!

Love,

Mommy, Daddy and Madison

P.S. The video below is of Kyle's 1st year. He has come so far!!!

February 17, 2008

2008-02-17T21:18:00.013-05:00

What's this???

Umm...not to bad.

Yummy...

...and messy!

"You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy." Psalm 30:11

Yesterday was a great day! Pattie Cakes (Joe's mom) and Grandma Dottie (my mom) came over to celebrate Kyle's birthday with us. Kyle had his very own "smash" cake and LOVED it! I was not sure how he would do with it, as he has not had any "table food" yet, but as you can see from the pictures above, Kyle dug right in. We have been so blessed with such a happy, easy going little guy...who will be turning one in a couple days!

Much Love,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T17:00:00.008-05:00

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." John 4:9-11

Doesn't Kyle look so cute in his pictures...not just any pictures - his ONE YEAR pictures! Our little man is going to be one on Wednesday, I can hardly believe it. I am so excited, not just for his birthday, but because a few days later we will be heading to Florida. I miss everyone there so much and I can't wait for them to see how big Kyle has gotten. Speaking of which, during his RSV appointment last Thursday, Kyle weighed in at 15 pounds 9 ounces. Still a little peanut, but growing steady. There really aren't any other updates to report, although Kyle has learned a couple new "tricks". First, he will give "high fives" to Madison. He won't do it for Joe or I, but EVERY time Madison says "high five Kyle" he raises his right hand to hers. Our other new adventure...this morning when I went in to get Kyle up, he was completely turned around in his crib and somehow his head was at the opposite end of the crib from where he slept. I'm not sure how he managed this one, as he sleeps on an inclined positioner made to help his breathing that is sort of difficult to get out of. Plus, he does not roll from his back to his stomach. However he did it, he looked awfully proud of himself and as he greeted me with the BIGGEST smile.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!!

Much Love,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

P.S. To my Valentine Joe...you are my love, my hero, my best friend and the greatest Dad in the world. I am so proud to be your wife.

February 7, 2008

2008-02-07T07:13:00.000-05:00

"He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave." Psalm 107:20

Joe and I have been reflecting back to where we were at this time last year. One year ago today is when I went into labor while we were on vacation. Madison and I had spent the morning in the craft room at the hotel making Valentine cards. Afterwards, we headed back to our room so that we could get changed for the pool, which is when I noticed I was spotting. I immediately called my Obstetrician in Ohio who assured me that some spotting was completely normal and I had probably just overdid it being on vacation. It was recommended that I take it easy until our flight home the next day. I sent Joe and Madison to the pool and I tried to lie down. After about an hour I decided that I was going to the hospital anyways, hoping that they would just tell me it was nothing to worry about.

I left Joe and Madison at the pool while I headed to the hospital closest to the hotel. When I arrived at the hospital the nurse was so nice and chatty and explained it was probably nothing...they get this "all the time with expectant moms overdoing it at Disney." Then while doing my exam, her whole demeanor suddenly changed. She soon discovered that something was very wrong and started frantically paging a doctor, telling them there was an emergency. I was rushed to Labor and Delivery where I was allowed to call Joe. In the delivery room I was hooked up to monitors which indicated that although I could not feel them (yet!) I was having contractions. Once Joe and Madison arrived, the doctor let us know that the hospital was not equipped to handle my situation, but I was in too critical a state to be transferred to a large hospital. They decided to try giving me some medication to see if labor might subside. If they could get the contractions to stop, I would be moved via ambulance to a Level 3 hospital. It was a long day/night, as unfortunately, my contractions began to increase in both frequency and intensity. Soon they were coming every two minutes and we feared that the medicine was not going to help. Thankfully, at around midnight things started taking a turn for the better and I was stable enough that Madison and Joe were able to head back to the hotel.

The next morning I was transferred to Orlando Hospital South. We sort of naively thought that since my contractions had stopped, everything might be okay. Our plan was that Joe and Madison would fly home, and I would wait things out either on bed rest in Orlando or until I was allowed to fly home. At noon I was examined and it was discovered that my water had broke. We were devastated as they went over our chances. My due date was still 121 days away. We had a 90% chance that the baby would die in the delivery room. They told us that IF the baby would survive the delivery that there was a 50% chance he would then die during his NICU stay. If he beat the odds and survived, it would almost surely be with severe disabilities and a very poor quality of life. All of this is happening just two hours before Joe and Madison's flight was scheduled to depart for Ohio! We decided that Joe would go to the airport, and if they would let him take Madison to the gate and get her on the plane, we would allow her to fly home by herself and Grandpa would meet her at the gate at Akron Canton Airport...which is what ended up happening. After getting Madison on the plane, Joe rushed back to the hospital. On top of everything else, on the way back to my room the hospital elevator Joe was riding in broke, and Joe ended up stuck in it for close to half an hour!

My medical records from my OBGYN in Ohio were transferred down to the doctors in Florida and I was admitted to Labor and Delivery. The doctors really felt that I was going to deliver the baby in the next 12-24 hours and we were even offered medication to "speed up the inevitable." Thank God we declined!!! The next couple days were probably the hardest of our lives. I was only 23 weeks along, and although it was not hospital procedure to resuscitate a baby born at 23 weeks, we had the option to have them try. How do you make that decision??? We would ask every nurse and doctor that came to our room what they would do if they were in our shoes. We also were asked if we wanted to hold the baby when he was born, keeping in mind that there was only a 10% chance that he would be born alive. We were told that if Kyle was born at 23 weeks it would be considered a miscarriage, and we would not get a death certificate, but if he was born at 24 weeks the hospital was required to file one. Did we want to have a funeral? What did we want to do with the "body?" We planned for the worst.

Finally, we had two breakthroughs. First, according to my due date I was only 23 weeks and 2 days pregnant...BUT we had conceived Kyle through in vitro-fertilization at the Cleveland Clinic so we knew the exact date of conception, which was September 11, 2006. Joe and I figured out that this technically made me 23 weeks and 5 days pregnant. After verifying this date with the Cleveland Clinic, our doctors in Florida agreed to "age" Kyle by this date. It may have only been a three day difference, but we were at such a critical point that every little bit helped. If I could stay pregnant until 24 weeks, the hospitals whole course of treatment would change and I would then be moved from Labor and Delivery to the Perinatal High Risk Unit where they would strive to keep me pregnant longer. Our second breakthrough happened around the same time when we had a new night nurse named Tammy. Remember when I said that we would ask each doctor or nurse that came in our room what they would do if they were in our shoes – regarding whether or not to resuscitate the baby. Every one had told us, that if they were in our situation, they would not have the baby resuscitated. They said that it would probably be our only chance to hold the baby and so rather than immediately trying to have the doctor revive him (which most likely would not have worked anyways, we were told) we should just hold him and love him as he died. This is what we had decided to do, UNTIL we met Tammy. She told us that she had actually had a baby born at 23 weeks who had survived and was now 9 months old. For the very first time since being admitted, we had hope…!

As I said when I began this blog entry, Joe and I have been reflecting back to where we were this time last year…our heads were spinning! If you would have told us that a year from now we would have a happy, healthy baby boy, we would have been doubtful, yet here we are. We had a great appreciation for Kyle even before his prematurity because I had such a difficult time getting pregnant, so even his conception was nothing short of miraculous to us. But everything now is even more precious to us and we take nothing for granted. We have learned some valuable lessons through this trial and we’ll never be the same. You never know what a day will bring, but God promises never to leave us, nor forsake us. I know I have said this before, but we would not be where we are today without the prayers of so many people - thank you, thank you, thank you! We are truly rejoicing in God’s faithfulness and Kyle’s health.

God Bless,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

February 1, 2008

2008-02-01T17:39:00.000-05:00

On May 7, at 11 weeks old, I was finally deemed stable enough to receive my first bath!

"But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy." Titus 3:3-5

Kyle is sitting so well we decided to try him in the "big boy" tub and he loved it! He was splashing around and laughing, it was very cute. He's come a long way since his first bath! Another new "trick" of his, he is starting to crawl BACKWARDS. Well, it is more of a scoot, but somehow he can move across the room backwards. Tuesday we had his meeting with his developmental specialist, and towards the end of the appointment, Kyle must have had enough because he literally scooted out of the room!

There isn't much else to report, but I thought I would post a couple pictures of our little man for all you devoted followers of Kyle. We love you!

Have a great weekend!

God Bless,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

January 21, 2008

2008-01-21T08:36:00.000-05:00

Kyle playing in his room after bathtime

While getting changed, Kyle likes to "talk" to this monkey

"All your children shall be taught by the Lord,and great shall be the peace of your children." Isaiah 54:13

Kyle turned 11 months old yesterday! It is hard to imagine that our little guy will be one next month. We have debated on what to do for his birthday, as we obviously want to celebrate the occasion, but a big first birthday party just doesn't seem right for him at this point. Plus, parties in Ohio are not as fun in February...too cold! So, we have decided that we are going to have a big bash for Kyle in June when it has been one year since he was released from the hospital and was able to come home to Ohio. As for his actual birthday next month, we are going to celebrate the occasion in Orlando, Florida. I miss Florida so much, especially all the amazing people we met. We already have plans to visit the hospital with Breanne and Rylee, and while we are in Florida, Kyle even gets to go to Rylee's 1st birthday party! I am so excited!!!

Kyle is growing up and developing very well. He can now sit unassisted and play with his toys. While sitting, he can lean all the way forward and twist to either side to pick up toys without falling over. While he is not crawling yet, he pivots around in circles to get to different toys. It'll be only a matter of time before he's on the move. Kyle is very vocal, though not yet talking. (Although Daddy swears he heard Kyle say Da-Da yesterday!) Kyle babbles and grunts to us to get our attention. Sometimes during these "conversations" he gets a real serious look on his face like he's telling a very important story.

Last week Kyle had his monthly shot for RSV. At the appointment, he weighed in at 14 lbs. 14 oz, which means he is probably 15 pounds now. He's roughly in the 5th percentile for weight, even for his adjusted age of 7 months. The doctor isn't worried because he is growing proportionately and consistently. He's just a little peanut still.

Thanks for checking in on us...

God Bless,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

January 7, 2008

2008-01-07T19:07:00.000-05:00

Kyle cheering for the Buckeyes!!!

O-H! I-O!

Go Bucks! Big night in the Kupiec household as the Buckeyes vie for a National Title. Hopefully, things will turn out better for Ohio State than they did last year. Whatever happens in the game, I'm sure Joe will just be happy that he gets to watch this years game with his son!

Much Love,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T18:15:00.000-05:00

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17

What a year it has been!!! Words can not describe how grateful we are to everyone that has been praying for our family over the past year. Throughout this entire ordeal, we have felt God holding us in the palm of His hand. We have been overwhelmed by the care and concern shown to Kyle and to our family over the past year. Your prayers have been so appreciated and we know they have been a part of Kyle’s miraculous recovery! When I look at Kyle now, it is hard for me to imagine that he once weighed just 18 ounces. I am amazed by the accomplishments he has made, he truly is our miracle baby. I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for Kyle in 2008!

We had a great Christmas. Kyle seems to be a social butterfly already and loved all the family gatherings. As far as gifts go, he was more interested in trying to eat the wrapping paper and bows than in actually opening his presents.

Last week Kyle got his first tooth! Poor little guy had an ear infection one day and the next day he cut his first tooth. Not knowing he had an ear infection, we took Kyle to the doctor because he would not stop crying, which is very out of character for Kyle...he is ussually such a happy baby. Needless to say, between his tooth and ear infection he was in a lot of pain. The antibiotics cleared it right up and Kyle was back to himself the next day.

I hope that you all have a wonderful New Year!

God Bless,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

Christmas

2007-12-25T23:44:00.000-05:00

"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

2007-12-17T08:16:00.000-05:00

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

2007-12-04T08:21:00.000-05:00

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.

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!

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

God Bless,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

Thanksgiving

2007-11-21T19:56:00.001-05:00

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

2007-11-17T10:42:00.000-05:00

GO BUCKEYES...Beat Michigan!!!

November 8, 2007

2007-11-08T17:56:00.000-05:00

"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

2007-10-31T10:07:00.000-04:00

"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

2007-10-17T18:44:00.000-04:00

"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

2007-10-08T09:01:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-01T09:38:00.000-04:00

"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

2007-09-20T21:09:00.000-04:00

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

2007-09-10T09:37:00.000-04:00

"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

2007-08-31T12:30:00.000-04:00

"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

2007-08-29T12:00:00.000-04:00

"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

2007-08-27T18:59:00.000-04:00

"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

2007-08-18T23:40:00.000-04:00

"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

August 12, 2007

2007-08-12T09:58:00.000-04:00

"Teach me to do your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness. " (Psalm 143:10)

Last Sunday was one of my favorite mommy moments with Kyle so far. When he woke up in the morning he was laying in his crib making baby noises, but not crying, to let me know he was awake. When I went in his room, as soon as he saw me he gave me a HUGE smile! It made my day to know he was as happy to see me as I was him. This was Kyle's first smile of the kind...before that we would have to really "work" to coax a smile from him. Lately though, he has begun smiling more and more each day.

Kyle is becoming much more alert and spends more and more time awake each day. Actually, last Saturday, he woke up at 8:30 am, and did not take a nap the entire day! We tried everything to get him to sleep, but as soon as he would start to nod off, he'd catch himself and wake back up. He follows us with his eyes wherever we go and does not want to miss a thing!

I am off to church right now, but I promise to post more in the next couple days. As always, thank you so much for the care concern you all have shown our family.

God Bless,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

July 31, 2007

2007-07-27T15:54:00.000-04:00

"Thank God for this gift, his gift. No language can praise it enough. " 2 Corinthians 9:15

Kyle is doing wonderful. We are finally settling into a comfortable routine being home with the baby...juggling work, doctors appointments and sleep. Kyle's weight is up to 7 pounds 9 ounces and his length is 20 3/4 inches. Finally, at 23 weeks old, Kyle is the size of the average newborn at birth!

Over the past week we have met with his pediatrician, a pulmonologist (lung doctor), retina specialist, nutritionist, speech therapist and an occupational therapist. I am pleased to report that his eyes are looking great...so good in fact that we do not have to meet with the retina doctor again for another month! The pulmonologist, whom Kyle will meet with on a monthly basis, said his lungs sound good. The nutritionist is happy with Kyle's weight gain and is going to continue his mix of milk, high calorie formula, safflower oil and Simply Thick. The speech therapist said that Kyle's suck is still not quite as coordinated as she would like. She gave us some tips and exercises to do with him during his feedings and we can already tell a big improvement. The occupational therapist that evaluated Kyle said his muscle tone is right where it should be, however, his neck control is a little weak. Next week we begin working with a therapist for occupational therapy on a regular basis to help with his neck muscles.

Several of you have asked how Rylee is doing. She came home from the hospital the week after Kyle did and is doing really good. Her weight is already up to to 9 pounds 3 ounces. The bottom picture above is of Rylee. Breanne had an amazing photographer take some pictures of Rylee that look like they belong in an Anne Geddes book. Rylee is such an adorable baby!!!

I am glad you all enjoyed the video of Kyle! I did not sing the song that accompanied the pictures. Trust me, if I had, you would not have enjoyed it nearly as much! When I was looking online for a preemie outfit for Kyle's baby dedication, I came across a website that had the song, which can be ordered in any name. If anyone is ever interested in the song for a baby, the website is www.soulkeepermusic.com/thebabysong/.

“O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things…” Isaiah 25:1

In Christ Alone,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

July 18, 2007

2007-07-18T17:28:00.000-04:00

"They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness." Psalm 145:7

Kyle turned five months old this week!!! In celebration of this milestone, attached is a video diary of Kyle's life thus far.

We will always be thankful for all of you who have prayed to the living God on our behalf. We believe that God has been more than evident through it all. His presence has been all that we have needed and ever needed. His power and wisdom to work in the midst of this entire past five months is beyond our understanding. We praise His name for the good that has come as a result. God has been gracious to give strength and comfort, He alone deserves our worship and adoration. Even in the time of distress, heartache, uncertainty and tragedy, He remained constant and faithful. We have been to both ends of the emotional spectrum and through it all He has been there. I look forward to the day when we join our voices together and sing... ‘I stand, I stand in awe of You; I stand, I stand in awe of You; Father God to whom all praise is due, I stand in awe of You.’

“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” 2Thessalonians 2:16 NIV

In Christ alone,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

July 16, 2007

2007-07-16T15:00:00.000-04:00

"Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal." Isaiah 26:4

Just a quick note to let everyone know that Kyle is doing great. He is such a good baby and only fusses when he is hungry. His feedings are every 3-4 hours.... Mommy and Daddy are starting to adjust to the lack of sleep.

Much Love,

Joe, Jennifer, Madison and Kyle

July 9, 2007

2007-07-10T00:37:00.000-04:00

"Every good and perfect gift is from above." James 1:17

Once again, sorry it has been so long since we've posted an update. Between taking care of a newborn, Kyle's doctor appointments and work, things have been so busy.

This past week Kyle met with his pediatrician and he is now a whopping 6 pounds 8 ounces! Kyle's height and weight is charted on a preemie growth chart. For his adjusted age (which is one month!) Kyle is still small for his size. According to the preemie chart, Kyle is in the 30th percentile for both height and weight, which means that 70% of babies that were born as early as Kyle are now bigger than he is. The pediatrician is not worried, and said as long as Kyle continues to gain weight he'll eventually catch up.

We met with the Retina Specialist and I am happy to report that Kyle's eyes are improving. The specialist is pretty confident that Kyle will not require additional surgery due to his ROP. While his ROP has cleared, the specialist is seeing some blood vessels in the "jelly" portion of Kyle's eyes that are abnormal. There is a slight risk that these vessels could hemorrhage at some point. If this would happen in the near future, it would require another surgery, however, if it occurs later in life the eyes are better equipped to heal themselves should a hemorrhage occur. Anyways, the retina specialist is happy enough with Kyle's progress that we do not have to return for a follow-up visit for two weeks.

Sorry again about the delay in posting. Thank you all for your support and prayers, tears and smiles. Kyle is our little guy, but I know he lives in many of your hearts just the same. One day, I will set down with him and be able to tell him just how loved he really is. We are so blessed to have each and every one of you in our lives.

Much Love,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

4th of July

2007-07-04T17:39:00.000-04:00

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassion's never fail. They are new every morning, great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.” Lamentations 3:22-24 NIV

Just a quick note to wish everyone a happy Fourth of July. We were able to enjoy fireworks last night and began the day today watching the Stow parade. Madison marched in the parade with her soccer club. For his part, Kyle managed to sleep through both the fireworks and the parade. Between the loud booms of the fireworks and all the sirens during the parade I was surprised he never woke up...had Kyle not passed his hearing test at the hospital I might be worried!

Hope you all have a great holiday with your families and friends.

God Bless You,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

P.S. Don't worry...I didn't make Kyle wear the Uncle Sam outfit in public, we just put it on him for the pictures!

July 1, 2007

2007-07-01T21:24:00.000-04:00

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that his all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." 2 Corinthians 4:7

It is hard to believe that we have been home for almost two weeks now! It has been great to be home, sleep in our own beds, sit around our table for home cooked meals, laugh and just enjoy being a family - out of the hospital. The time has flown as we have been so busy between doctors appointments, work and catching up with friends and family. I also went back to work last week. It is hard leaving Kyle so soon after arriving home, but my office has been very patient throughout all of this...I have taken five months off already! Fortunately, I am able to return on a part time basis...I am going into the office two days a week and working from home one day a week. The two days a week I am working, Kyle is at home with Daddy and big sis Madison. Today I also returned to teaching Sunday school. I have missed my first grade students so much, it was great to see them!

This past week Kyle had a couple of doctors appointments at Akron Children's Hospital. First, he had a swallow study done in hopes that he was no longer aspirating his milk. If you recall, Kyle's milk was thickened because it was going into his breathing airway when he swallowed. We had hoped that the problem was resolved, but were disappointed to find that it has actually gotten a little worse. To help correct this, the amount of thickener that is added to Kyle's milk was increased by 50%. A downside of this is that it makes it that much harder for Kyle to extract the milk from his bottle. He has to work harder to get his "food" and therefore takes longer to eat and often grows tired so he is not consuming as much. The doctors will keep a close eye on Kyle's weight gain to make sure he is gaining enough. If he is not gaining enough, they will have to put a feeding tube in either Kyle's nose or stomach. Kyle would be allowed to eat as much as he can by mouth and the rest of his food would be given to him through the feeding tube. Kyle has a weigh in at the pediatricians on Tuesday at which time we will know more.

Kyle also met with the retina specialist at Akron Children's Hospital. His right eye looks great, but but unfortunately, his left eye still is showing signs of Stage Three ROP (Retinopathy of Prematurity). We are still hopeful this will correct itself, but if it does not, the retina specialist said that more laser eye surgery would help. We are praying that it does not come to this but comforted that it is an option if need be.

We have just discovered a new line of clothing for Kyle...Build A Bear clothes!!! Most of the clothes made for preemies are sleepers, and the preemie shorts/pants we have found for Kyle are still to big. The other day I tried some of Madison's Build A Bear clothes on Kyle and they actually fit! The Brown's outfit he is wearing in the above pictures is from Build A Bear. Kind of goofy, but it works. At six pounds, Kyle is still pretty small, at least in relation to a typical newborn. When we are out and about with Kyle, we are constantly asked how old he is, with people assuming he was just born. When we say that he is four and a half months old, they look at us like we are crazy. At first it made me feel uncomfortable, but lately I've looked at it as an opportunity to share God’s faithfulness. To God, who is the master physician, healer and our provider, we give him all the glory for all He has done and continues to do for Kyle.

Much Love,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

June 27, 2007

2007-06-27T09:46:00.000-04:00

"As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." 1 Samuel 1:26-28

Kyle had a very big weekend. On Saturday he met Joe's mom (whom the kids affectionately refer to as "Pattie Cakes") and Papa Bill. We were so excited that Kyle was finally able to meet his grandma!

On Sunday Joe and I had the opportunity to express our appreciation to God, for the miracle of Kyle, through Baby Dedication. Christian parents who dedicate a child are making a promise to the Lord to do everything within their power to raise the child in a godly way, prayerfully until he or she can make a decision on his or her own to follow God. By word and example, Joe and I have promised to model before Kyle a wonderful love for God that Kyle will hopefully want for himself someday. After the dedication, we had some close friends and family over for a celebration. Joe's mom was so gracious and prepared a delicious feast for everyone to enjoy!

We have been so busy since Kyle came home...sorry for the delay in posting. I will try to update tomorrow with more details of life since Kyle left the hospital last week.

Thanks for the continued support. We love you all!

God Bless,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

June 22, 2007

2007-06-22T14:11:00.000-04:00

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23

As I write this first entry from home, I do so with heartfelt gratitude to all of you who have kept up with us and sent words of encouragement and comfort. We have been overwhelmed by the care and concern you have shown to Kyle and to our family over the past few months. Your prayers have been so appreciated and we know they have been a part of Kyle’s miraculous recovery! It is hard to believe that after Kyle has endured heart surgery, 69 days on life support/ventilator, Cytomegalovirus (CMV), anemia, bilateral hernias, Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD), bilateral renal calculi (small kidney stones), jaundice, aspiration, Respiratory Distress Syndrome, 3 bouts with pneumonia, a yeast infection, hyperglycemia, 11 blood transfusions, high blood pressure, and Stage 3 Retinopathy of Prematurity requiring Lasik Eye Surgery...we are FINALLY home!!!

This has probably been the best week of my life. The true joys of motherhood have begun. Everything is going great...or it is the lack of sleep talking!!! Ha ha! Actually, Kyle is such an easy going baby. He never cries, unless he is hungry, which seems to be every four hours like clock work. Yesterday we had our first doctors appointment with Kyle's pediatrician. Kyle has gained 6 ounces since we left the hospital on Monday...he now weighs 5 pounds 15 ounces and will very soon be tipping the scales at 6 pounds.

Several people have asked me how baby Rylee is doing. She was examined by the retina specialist on Monday and there is no surgery this week. He is going to check her again Saturday as her eyes are still hanging out around Stage 2-3 ROP with no plus (which is a good thing). Rylee just needs to master the bottles and then she'll be able to go home. Although she knows exactly what to do...she is quite a feisty one! Some days she does great and finishes most of her bottles, but others she is a diva and would rather be tube fed. Please continue to keep her in your prayers...both for the feeding issue and her eyes.

God bless you all.

Much Love,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

Home

2007-06-20T19:05:00.000-04:00

“There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you.” Deuteronomy 12:7

After 119 days in the Florida Hospital NICU, Kyle was discharged Monday morning at 11:30 am!! Kyle did great on the ride home and slept most of the trip. We made it to West Virginia Monday night before calling it quits, then back on the road in the morning. We arrived home Tuesday, around 3:00 pm. It was great to cross the Ohio River and even better to be home!!!

Kyle is doing well and happy to be home. Big sister Madison is a HUGE baby hog, and even woke up for Kyle's 4:00 am feeding this morning to help Daddy! Kyle is connected to a portable monitor only when he is sleeping during the night. The monitor checks for Kyle's breathing and heart rate. The only time the alarm has sounded, was a result of a loose connection. We are so proud of Kyle; he made great strides the past 2 weeks since his eye surgery. It is impossible to describe how elated we all are to be home; finally.....the 4 month roller coaster ride has ended. PRAISE GOD!!!

Kyle came home weighing 5 lb 9 ozs and is 19 inches long (@ birth - 1 lb 6 ozs and 11 inches). As Jennifer stated in a previous posting, we will definitely keep updating the blog as frequently as possible. We can never express our gratitude enough, for all of your prayers and encouraging thoughts during this entire experience. Thank you for sharing with us this blessing that the Lord has bestowed on us!

In Christ Alone,
Joe, Jennifer, Madison and Kyle

Going home...

2007-06-17T22:35:00.000-04:00

"You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy." Psalm 30:11

Heaven sent...homeward bound!!! What a great Father's Day gift! Just a quick note to let you know we will be heading back to Ohio today, we are hoping to have Kyle discharged by 11:00 am. Joe arrived in Orlando last night and then we spent the night in the nesting room with Kyle. Except for our lack of sleep, everything went great!!!

While Kyle will ultimately decide how far we get, our plan is to drive to at least Charlotte, North Carolina before stopping for the night. Tomorrow our drive will resume and we should be back in Ohio by late evening...and reunited with Madison! Praise the Lord!

Thank you so much for all of your thoughts and prayers over the last few months!!! "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." PSALMS 118:24

Much Love,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

June 16, 2007

2007-06-16T22:35:00.000-04:00

"I will turn their mourning into gladness: I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow." Jeremiah 31:13

Things are still going great...we have been busy making arrangements for our departure on Monday. Before the preemies are discharged, they must pass a car seat test. The baby sits in his/her car seat and is hooked up to a pulse oximeter that measures the level of oxygen in the babies blood. Apparently the way a baby is positioned in a car seat can be challenging for their breathing. I am pleased to say Kyle received his car seat test yesterday and passed with flying colors.

As you may know, Kyle is going home on a monitor that will alarm if Kyle has an apnea or breadboard spell (where his heart rate drops below 80 or he forgets to breath). Yesterday, I met with the medical company supplying the monitor for training. The alarm, when it sounds, is soooooo loud. It is designed so that you can hear it from anywhere in the home, whether you are awake or asleep... it sounds very similar to a smoke alarm. Thankfully, Kyle only has to wear it while he sleeps.

Doesn't Kyle look cute in his scrubs!?! They were a gift from my friend Breanne. The man holding Kyle is the head neonatologist at the hospital. We thank God everyday for the amazing NICU staff at Orlando Hospital. May God continue to give the NICU staff the strength, courage, understanding, and intelligence to do the wonderful work they do.

Much Love,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

June 14, 2007

2007-06-15T00:03:00.000-04:00

"You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalm 16:11

Kyle was allowed to go outside today!!! We went on a field trip called "Fun in the Sun" ...which basically is that the babies are allowed to go outside to the hospital garden with a Child Life Specialist from the hospital. Kyle was able to share this first experience with his "girlfriend Rylee"...unfortunately Kyle slept through his first play date, but Mommy had lots of fun.

Well, it looks like Monday is going to be the BIG DAY!!! Unless something goes wrong, we will be leaving the hospital Monday and heading home to Ohio. Joe is flying down to Orlando on Sunday. When he arrives we are going to have infant CPR training and then we will spend the night at the hospital in the nesting room. Because Kyle is going home on the heart/oxygen monitor and is considered a chronic baby, we have to spend the night with Kyle in our own room at the hospital, without complications, and we will then be discharge sometime on Monday. God is indeed good!!!

We will always be thankful for all of you who have prayed to the living God on our behalf. We believe still that God has been more than evident through it all. His presence has been all that we have needed and ever needed. His power and wisdom to work in the midst of this entire past four months is beyond our understanding. We praise His name for the good that has come as a result. God has been gracious to give strength and comfort, He alone deserves our worship and adoration. Even in the time of distress, heartache, uncertainty and tragedy, He remains constant and faithful. We have been to both ends of the emotional spectrum and through it all He has been there.

“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” 2Thessalonians 2:16 NIV

In Christ,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

June 13, 2007

2007-06-13T18:24:00.000-04:00

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12

Kyle has been breathing without any assistance for 54 hours now! He has to do it for a couple more days before the doctor will be comfortable discharging Kyle without oxygen assistance. At worst case Kyle can come home on a very low flow nasal canula until his lungs get stronger. Kyle is still taking his bottles like a champ. He has been drinking 1 1/2 ounces of breastmilk every three hours. Today his feedings were changed to "ad lib" which means as long as Kyle eats a minimum of 6 ounces every twelve hours, he can eat it whenever he would like. So far Kyle has done great and finished his 6 ounce requirement within 6 hours.

In response to the questions that were left on the comments section over the last couple days:

How will we get home to Ohio? If you had asked me last week I would have said that we would be flying back to Ohio. However, since Kyle came off of the oxygen the doctors changed their mind and would prefer us to drive home. Joe will be flying to Orlando early next week and then the three of us will drive home once we get the green light from the doctors.

Does Kyle cry like a newborn baby or has he gotten adjusted to life in his crib/isolette to the point where he is less expectant of being held all the time? Kyle loves to be held and promptly cries the minute he is put down! The hard part about this is that from 10am-12pm and 6:30pm -7:30pm we are not allowed in to visit Kyle. His nurses make sure he has everything that he needs medically, but are not able to just spend time holding him. Lately when I arrive after after the nursey has just been closed, Kyle's face is bright red from crying and it just breaks my heart. Actually, I forgot to mention something relating to this last week. If you remember Kyle was having issues with his blood pressure being high. Kyle's doctor was stumped as to why, so Kyle was examined by a Nephrologist (pediatric blood pressure specialist) on Friday. As it turns out, Kyle is fine, just stressed out. The specialist said that often times we under estimate the intelligence of babies. In the begining, Kyle was not very aware of his surroundings, but now he senses that there is more to life than what he has been able to experience. Much like you and I would be ready to leave the hospital after such a prolonged stay, they said that Kyle is ready to move on as well. I am not sure if this is the official name, but the specialist said basically Kyle has "NICU stress." He came to this diagnosis based on Kyle having some good blood pressures mixed in with his high blood pressure. Originally they thought his high blood pressure was related to his kidneys, but the specialist said if this was the case then his blood pressure would always be high. Anyways, sorry to turn a simple question into such a long explanation!

Is Kyle still on a heart monitor? Yes, Kyle is on a monitor that will alarm if Kyle's heart rate drops below 80 beats per minute or if the oxygen level in Kyle's blood drops to a certain level. There are three probes, each about the size of a quarter, that stick to Kyle's chest...which is why they weren't appereant in the pictures. Because of his BPD (Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia/Chronic Lung Disease) Kyle will be going home on the monitor but this is hopefully something that we won't need for long.

Are we going to continue the blog once we go home? Yes, we plan to still update the blog, although not as frequently, once we are home. I think this blog has turned into Kyle's baby book and his story certainly doesn't end here!

I don’t think I have ever been so happy! I was scared to death at his birth but I am overwhelmed with joy and contentment right now… I wonder what I will be like the day he rolls out from the hospital!

Much Love,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

June 11, 2007

2007-06-12T00:45:00.000-04:00

"You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalms 16:11

Notice anything different in the pictures of Kyle??? He was taken off the nasal cannula today and since 9:00 am he has been breathing all on his own!!! It is hard to imagine that last Monday Kyle was having eye surgery, back on the vent (for the surgery), receiving IV fluids and only allowed one bottle a day. Now, just 7 days later...he is breathing on his own and taking every feeding by bottle. Not only being offered a bottle each feeding, but the little piggy is finishing all eight bottles...which is why his feeding tube was also removed today. For the first time ever, I was able to gaze at my precious baby boy without some sort of tube taped to his face. God is so good!

The retina specialist examined Kyle today and said that everything looks better than he had even hoped. The "bad" cells are just about gone and in their place healthy ones are emerging. He will examine Kyle one more time before he is discharged, and after that we'll follow-up with a retina specialist in Ohio. Kyle also had his hearing test today and passed.

Things are certainly looking good for us right now...Kyle's doctor even said today that there is a chance that Kyle could come home sometime next week!!! We are trying to be cautiously optimistic but we are just so excited! I was first admitted to the hospital 18 weeks ago and am so ready to begin the next chapter of this journey. I don’t have the correct words to even begin to express my feelings to you. I am so excited, relieved, blessed, nervous, scared to death, joyful and over-whelmed all at the same time.

Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers, we would not have been able to make it without them.

Much Love,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

June 10, 2007

2007-06-11T00:00:00.000-04:00

"He will keep in PERFECT PEACE all those who trust in Him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord! Trust in the LORD GOD always for in the Lord Jehovah is your everlasting strength". Isaiah 26:3-4

Kyle is doing GREAT with his bottles!!! Yesterday his bottles were increased to every other feed, which means he was allowed to try and take four bottles a day. He finished all four of the bottles he was offered and therefore today his doctor wrote an order for Kyle to be able to take every feeding by bottle! If Kyle does not finish all of the contents of a bottle, what is left will be fed to him through the feeding tube in his nose...but, so far he has finished every bottle. Today Kyle's nurse said, "based on her 26 years experience in the NICU" if Kyle continues doing what he is doing, he will probably be released in about 2 weeks! Praise God!!!

"...The LORD replied, my precious, precious child, I Love you and I would never leave you! During your times of trial and suffering when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you." Footprints has always been my favorite poem and I get chills when reading it. Throughout this journey I have felt as though I am living IN the poem. I have always understood that God does carry you in times of trial but fortunately I have been a very blessed Child Of God and not lived through to many serious trials. During this time, I have been carried by God, family, friends, neighbors, my sisters, my parents, my wonderful husband and all of you reading this blog.. Suffering, depression and JOY all have a whole new meaning and I will never take those words lightly again.

Blessings,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

June 8, 2007

2007-06-10T00:36:00.000-04:00

To his disciples Jesus declared: "Have faith in God... I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him" (Mark 11:22-23)

Kyle completed his Swallow Study on Friday. The testing was done downstairs in the XRAY department and Kyle was thrilled to leave his little corner in the NICU for awhile ...this is only the second time he has left the NICU, the other time being Monday for his eye surgery! He was so alert as he was rolled through the halls of the hospital and just took everything in...his eyes were darting around like he didn't want to miss a thing. I guess after spending 15 weeks in the NICU he was ready for a change of scenery! Okay, about the Swallow Study...Kyle was hooked up to a XRAY machine and given ONE suck from a bottle of barium. The machine was pretty cool and allowed us to watch the barium leave the bottle and travel through Kyle. The first bottle was a very thin mixture of barium. Kyle took literally one suck of the barium and it began to go into his airway. This was considered an aspiration. From here, they thickened the barium a little and gave the bottle to Kyle again. He did great and did not have any more aspirations. I am not truly convinced that Kyle had aspirated in the first place for a couple of reasons. First, Kyle is on a strict schedule where he is fed every three hours, but because of a scheduling conflict with the radiologist, Kyle's feeding was delayed so he was extra hungry...as soon as the bottle was put in his mouth he took a big drink. Plus, his bottle was filled with barium as opposed to milk. I think it may have been somewhat of a surprise when he had that first taste...kinda like if we were expecting a sip of Diet Coke and there was barium in the can instead we would probably cough as well! Anyways, it is a very easy fix, for now they will just add a substance called "Simply Thick" to Kyle's bottles. We were warned that it may take a little time for Kyle to catch on to drinking the thickened milk because it is harder work. Same analogy as I used with the Frosty before...it would be much harder work for us to drink a thick Frosty through a straw compared to a Diet Coke. I am so pleasantly surprised though...Kyle finished both bottles he was offered on Friday, so today his feeds were increased to 4 bottles a day and he finished ALL four bottles!!! The next step is to allow him to try taking a bottle for every feeding, which I am hoping the doctor will recommend in the next couple days. Finishing his bottles is the only challenge we have left before Kyle will be discharged!

Mandy, one of our favorite nurses in Level 3 bought Kyle the outfit he is wearing in the picture above and her grandma knitted him the hat he is wearing. The staff at Florida Hospital is awesome and I have really formed a special bond with several of the nurses during our stay here. As much as I am ready to return to Ohio, I will miss my NICU family in Orlando.

Speaking of my NICU family...Please say a prayer for my friend Breanne and her little girl Rylee. Rylee had her weekly eye exam on Wednesday and her ROP progressed to Stage 3. The specialist was consulted and he said there is a pretty good chance Rylee will need surgery next week. Rylee will be reevaluated on Sunday or Monday. Please keep little Rylee in your prayers for her ROP to not progress any further and that everything will go smoothly if she does have to have surgery.

Much Love,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

P.S. Kyle was being so funny when I took the bottom picture. He kept staring at his hand as if he just realized it was there!

Due Date

2007-06-07T23:50:00.000-04:00

"Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life." Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Kyle had a great day and seems to be fully recovered from his surgery. He was moved back to Level 2 last night. His oxygen is back down to half a liter and since last night Kyle has been on room air (21%). Full feeds were resumed today and his IV was also removed. Kyle is still on one bottle a day until he completes the Swallow Study, which is scheduled for tomorrow morning. Hopefully once this test is completed, Kyle's bottles will be increased.

Joe flew back to Ohio this afternoon. It was great to see him, we have had so little time together over the last few months. Last night we had date night, probably our last one for quite some time! Joe is such an amazing father, he is a natural with Kyle. I know Kyle is going to miss his Daddy now that he is back in Ohio.

Today is my official due date! Joe mentioned something on the blog about my due date being earlier in the week, but my official due date was June 7. Joe was a little fuzzy on the date because I had calculated a due date based on conception. Since Kyle was a "test tube baby" and conceived in a petri dish at the Cleveland Clinic, there wasn't any question on the time of conception! I calculated my due date based on conception but my first ultrasound revealed that my due date was June 7. Boy, am I babbling about nothing!

Anyways...my official due date is today. Since Kyle's birth 15 weeks ago, I can't help but think of how different things could have been, but lessons often arise in our trials. One that has stood out very clearly for me is how easily distracted I could be by my own pursuits and good intentions. I was always on the go...working full time, taking care of my family, serving at my church, volunteering at Madison's school, etc. My mindset was "Get the job done and look ahead to what you have to do next." As I grew more scattered, more divided, and more exhausted, I lost sight of God's plan. "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). This trial has helped me to refocus on Him. I praise God that this journey has helped me to pay attention to what really matters...being centered on Him!

Much Love,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

June 5, 2007

2007-06-06T00:59:00.000-04:00

"Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name." 1 Chronicles 29:10-13

Kyle is still resting comfortably in the level 3 NICU, where he shares a room with 2 twin girls. We expect him to be in level 3 at least another day or so, but are in no hurry to move to level 2. It's more peaceful in the 'twins' room versus 10 to a room in level 2. This morning Kyle was still a little groggy and his eyes were puffy as noted by the pictures above.

Kyle has had a busy evening.....Mommy arrived in town and both Kyle and Mommy are elated to be reunited! Kyle was so happy to see Mommy, that he stayed awake for 4 hours! Madison is staying with her best friend Reese for a couple days until Daddy gets home on Thursday. Kyle received a blood transfusion, it has been nearly a month since his last 'tomato juice'...hopefully this will be his last. Kyle has resumed feedings. Kyle is currently on half feedings....He receives 24 cc's every 3 hours and they will increase the feedings by 3 cc's every 6 hours...and should be back to his full feeds (42 cc's) within 48 hours. Tonight Mommy was able to give Kyle his first bottle since his surgery.

Today Kyle's girlfriend Rylee was scheduled to have her retinal eye exam, we pray that her ROP has not progressed and that she will not need laser surgery.

Kyle's weight is up to 5lbs. 6 ozs. (2545 grams). We believe most of the gain overnight is a result of all the IV fluids he has been receiving since his milk was suspended.

Your faithful prayers continue to be heard!

Much Love,

Joe, Jennifer, Madison and Kyle.

June 4, 2007

2007-06-04T22:00:00.000-04:00

"He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes." Deuteronomy 10:21

Kyle's laser eye surgery went well and he is resting in the level 3 NICU. The surgery lasted about an hour an a half. I spoke with the retinal specialist after the surgery and he said everything went well. We will know more in a week or two. There is no telling at this stage whether or not Kyle will need to wear glasses.....to be honest, glasses are the least of our concerns.

Kyle is off the vent, praise God!!! However, he was 'weaned' off in an unusual manner. When I came back to the hospital after shift change, Kyle's nurse was doing his assessment. We tried to put his gel pillow under his head, when he extubated himself by coughing up his tube. It wasn't a pretty sight. Yet, it turned out to be a blessing, since the nurse practitioner recommended to put Kyle on nasal cannula. They started him off on the 1.0 liter nasal.....they have since switched him to the 1.5 liter, but he is doing great. I pray Kyle will never have to be on the vent again.

That's all I have for now....Kyle and Daddy need to get some rest. Thank you all for you continued support and prayers.

In Christ Alone,

Kyle, Madison, Jennifer and Joe

Eye Surgery

2007-06-04T12:10:00.000-04:00

"Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up" James 5:14-15

Just a quick update...Kyle's surgery is at 2:00 pm today. Joe is such a good Daddy, he arrived at the hospital at 5:00 AM to accompany Kyle on his trip back to the Level 3 NICU, which was delayed and did not end up occurring until 8:00 AM. Anyways, Kyle is resting peacefully, his IV has been started and they are just waiting for the surgeon to arrive.

PLEASE PRAY!!! Pray that the Lord gives knowledge and skill to the surgeon, doctors and nurses who will be attending to Kyle today. Please also pray that the Lord will be with Kyle in the coming hours as He has been with him since his life first began.

We'll update you this evening how the surgery went. Thanks to all of you so much!!!

God Bless You,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

June 3, 2007

2007-06-03T14:00:00.000-04:00

"The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him." Exodus 15:2

Kyle gained a little weight today, up to 5 lbs 3.2 ozs.

Kyle is still receiving 42oz feedings every 3 hours. Twice a day his feedings are given via bottles...and yesterday, he took almost all of his bottles for Daddy! His first bottle he took 40 cc's and his next one he drank 37. Kyle is getting the hang of sucking, swallowing and breathing all at the same time.... (and I think Daddy is getting the hang of it also). Any amount that Kyle does not take in the bottle is given to him through a bolus feeding method. The bolus feeding is administered via a syringe connected to Kyle's feeding tube, but lets gravity do all the work. Kyle has very little residual from his feedings and hasn't had any spit-ups. Also, Kyle's feeding tube has been taken out of his mouth and placed in his nose. Hopefully this will help with the bottles....I can imagine how difficult it would be to drink from a pop bottle if I had a straw in my throat...

It has been very therapeutic for me (and I hope for Kyle also), spending time together feeding, cuddling and rocking!

Tomorrow (6/4) would have been Jennifer's due date....It saddens me to think how different things could have been.

We can not thank everyone enough for all of your thoughts and prayers!!

Much Love,

Joe, Jennifer, Madison and Kyle

June 1, 2007

2007-06-01T22:30:00.000-04:00

"There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off." Psalm 23:18

Kyle is 102 days old and the roller coaster ride continues. We found out that he has a few small calcium particles in his kidneys, but too small to be considered stones at this point. The doctor believes that these deposits will dissolve and not need to be 'passed'; apparently these deposits are common with babies that are given diuretics.

We still do not know the reason for Kyle's high blood pressure of late. If Kyle's blood pressure continues to be over 100, a consultant will be brought in to run some tests to try and shed some light as to the cause. According to doctor, Kyle might need to be on some medication to keep his blood pressure under control. This is also something that can correct itself over time.

Today, Kyle was supposed to have something done called a 'swallow study'. This test is administered by placing a colored die in Kyle's bottles. As Kyle is feed, x-rays are taken during the feeding to determine whether the milk is going in the esophagus and/or if any is going in his lungs which can cause him to aspirate during his feedings. X-rays are also performed after the formula starts to digest to very if reflux is occurring.

The swallow study was put on hold today because the retina eye specialist needed to see him at the same time the study was to be performed. We found out this morning that Kyle needs to have lasik surgery on his eyes because the ROP has become more active. Twenty years ago, babies in Kyle’s position would eventually go blind. The retina specialist believes they have caught this early enough for a successful outcome. We won’t know anything for 1-2 weeks after the surgery if the ROP has stopped spreading and whether any scare tissue has developed. A downfall of the surgery is that Kyle could loose some peripheral vision and possibly need to wear glasses. The surgery is scheduled for Monday. Unfortunately, Kyle will need to be put back on the ventilator a few hours before, during and hopefully only a little while after the surgery. Because of this Kyle will be moved back to the level 3 NICU until he is off the vent. We are asking for your prayers for a successful surgery and a quick recovery for Kyle.

On a happier note, Kyle’s weight is 5 pounds, 2.5 ounces. Yesterday I was able to give Kyle a bottle for the first time….and tonight I get to give him a bath!

Sometimes it is hard to understand God's plan, but His love for us is constant. We are so blessed.

In Christ,

Joe, Jennifer, Madison and Kyle

May 30, 2007

2007-05-30T22:29:00.000-04:00

"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." Deuteronomy 33:27(NIV)

The past couple of days have just been so so for Kyle. On Saturday his blood pressure was high, and we thought that it had been due to the stress of moving rooms. However, his blood pressure has continued to trend up since then so the doctors began running some tests today. They said it could be nothing, or it could be something with his kidneys. Because of this, they took a urnine sample and did a kidney ultrasound. We should have the results tomorrow.

In addition to the high blood pressure, Kyle's oxygen requirements have gone up a little since Saturday. Kyle had been requiring anywhere from 23% - 25% oxygen for the past couple weeks, but since Saturday he has not tolerated anything under 30% very well. The doctors say this may be another sign that his body is under some sort of stress.

Kyle is still taking two bottles a day. He usually finishes one bottle completely, his second bottle however has been a different story. We won't move up to three bottles a day until he finishes the two he is already given. Which is no big deal, at least now we know he can suck, swallow and breathe at the same time. That has been a big accomplishment for Kyle!

Joe and I are swapping places for a week. I flew home early this morning and Joe leaves for Orlando tomorrow morning. It is so hard for me to be away from Kyle...especially now that he is so much more aware of his surroundings. Fortuneately, he is in great hands at the hospital. It is shocking to me, but some of the babies do not have visitors. The nurses take great care of the babies, but are not able to spend time just loving on them. There are volunteers, called Cuddlers, that come to the hospital to just hold and cuddle with the preemies that do not receive much attention from mom or dad. When I heard this, I instantly thought of my Aunt Sandra. While I have never had the pleasure of meeting her before, from the posts she leaves on the blog, she sounds like she would be the perfect person for such a job! Anyways, since Joe and I were not able to be with Kyle today, I contacted the Cuddlers group and they were going to visit Kyle and spend some time holding him.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you once again for all of the thoughts and prayers over the last few months. Your love and support have meant the world to us!

God Bless You,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

Memorial Day

2007-05-28T18:34:00.000-04:00

“And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me." Matthew 5

Kyle did awesome with his bottles!!! He had his first one last night and drank half of it. Prior to his feeding, the nurse warned me that preemies don't usually take much the first few times they are given a bottle, but eventually they'll get the hang of it. Because Kyle has been sucking diligently on a pacifier for the past month without getting any milk, last night Kyle was given a bottle with a very "slow flow" nipple. This was so that he didn't suck to hard and choke on a mouthful of milk. The nurse put water in a bottle with the slow flow nipple and let me try it so I would understand how hard it was to get anything from it. My friend Breanne had a good description...she said it is like when you get a Frosty from Wendy's and try to drink it from a straw before it begins to melt. It would be a lot of work to finish the whole Frosty at that consistency, so imagine how much work it would be on such a little guy. Anyways, the nurses were very impressed that Kyle was able to drink half the bottle considering the challenge.

Today at 11:00 am, Kyle had his second bottle. Since he handled last nights bottle so well, without any choking, they decided to let him try a bottle with a standard nipple. He did great and drank the WHOLE thing!!! Kyle will receive one bottle at night and one bottle during the day. Once he finishes everything in both bottles in a 24 hour period, his bottles will be increased to three a day. Again, once he finishes all three bottles over a 24 hour period, he'll move on to four bottles a day and so on until he finishes 8 bottles a day and then...we can go home!!!

I was frustrated earlier in the week when Kyle wasn't allowed to at least try the bottle. For anyone that has kids, you know how fussy they can get at feeding time until they finally get their bottle. Imagine if you just couldn't give them the bottle they wanted and had to just watch them suffer. Kyle was getting so upset and was rooting around and crying for a bottle, but was never allowed to receive one and fulfill that natural instinct. As his mommy, I have had to watch Kyle suffer so much over the last few months. The bottle thing seemed like a pretty simple way to pacify him and I hated that I couldn't help him out. God stepped in with His impeccable timing and sent the doctor to see Kyle at just the right time yesterday. Thank you Lord!

I hope everyone has a great Memorial Day...I know I have! :)

God Bless,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

May 27, 2007

2007-05-27T21:51:00.000-04:00

"Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from Him." Psalms 127:3

Hooray...Kyle is now a proud member of the 5 pound club!!! After hovering at 4 pounds 15 ounces for the last three days, Kyle finally hit 5 pounds (2280 grams) tonight. His height is 17 1/4 inches. He is getting so big!

The other good news for the day is that Kyle gets to try a bottle tonight. Kyle's doctor did his daily examination on Kyle today at the perfect time...right before a feeding was due! Before feeding time, Kyle is a huge wiggle worm, sucking anything that comes into his path while he is rooting around for a bottle. Which, by the way, is how he ended up pulling his feeding tube out for the past four days! Anyways, this is the first time the doctor ever saw Kyle before a feeding was due. He took one look at him and wrote an order for Kyle to start taking two bottles a day. The first bottle was supposed to be at 8:00 pm, but his nurse was to busy to try it then so she said we'd shoot for his 11:00pm feeding. I can't wait!

"But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep him alive in famine. We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shielded. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you." Psalms 33:18-22

The phrase unfailing love means so much to me and it means so much to God because He used it 27 times in the Psalms alone. I'm so thankful for his unfailing love because mine has gone through periods of fading or divided love, but Gods love toward me has been constant. It is what we all desire and what God desires to give us, his children - his unfailing love. I look at Kyle and Madison with a mothers love and it amazes me that Gods love is so much deeper than our earthly love.

Much Love,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

May 26, 2007

2007-05-26T18:48:00.000-04:00

"...and a little child shall lead them." Isaiah 11:6

Today is a very bittersweet day. Early this morning, Kyle was moved from the Level 3 Newborn Intensive Care Unit to the Level 2 unit. He is now what is considered a "feeder and grower" which is basically a preemie that just needs to eat and get bigger before he can go home. Very good news from a medical standpoint, but bittersweet as Kyle is now in a big room with about 10 other babies. For the past 11 weeks, we have been in our own private room. It was an adjustment today, for Kyle and I, to now be in a room with 10 babies, 3 nurses and various other parents. Today Kyle's blood pressure has been high and his oxygen level was up to 30% (it was 23% yesterday)...which his nurse said is a result of his new surroundings and the noise level. With 10 babies living in the same room, one is ALWAYS crying! The level of care is a little less also since the babies are not as critically ill. In Level 3, the nurses care for just two babies at a time...Level 2 they care for four babies at a time. Anyways, although it is going to take some getting used to, this is a great move for move for Kyle - we're one step closer to being able to go home!

For the past two days, Kyle's weight has been 4 pounds 15 ounces...we are so close to 5 pounds! To me, Kyle looks HUGE, at least compared to how tiny he used to be. I was even thinking he may be able to fit into his newborn size clothes, but we're not quite there yet. In the pictures above, I have laid a newborn size sleeper next to Kyle so you can get a little perspective on his size compared to a full-term newborn baby. The average size of a newborn is 7 pounds 6 ounces so we still have a little ways to go, but we'll get there! By the way, someone mentioned to me the other day that they wished there was a way to see a bigger picture of Kyle. Most of you have may have already figured this out, but if you click on a picture of Kyle you can see it blown up. Just don't do it to pictures of me...I don't need my wrinkles magnified any more than they already are!

We thank God as he continues to fit each piece of our puzzle in place. "May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at ALL times and in EVERY way. The Lord be with all of you." 2 Thessalonians 3:16

Much Love,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle