October 31, 2007

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

Happy Halloween!!!

Much Love,

Dr. Kyle

October 17, 2007

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

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

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

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

God Bless,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

October 8, 2007

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

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

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

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

The Smell of Rain, A true story

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God Bless You All,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

October 1, 2007

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

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

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

In Christ,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

September 20, 2007

Kyle (holding) a straw at 7 months

Kyle with a straw at 3 days old

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

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

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

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

In Christ,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

September 10, 2007

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

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

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

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

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

• Total blindness


• Total deafness


• Cerebral palsy


• Down syndrome


• Muscular dystrophy


• Birth weight below two pounds, 10 ounces"

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

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

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

God Bless,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

August 31, 2007

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

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

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

Thank you all for your continued prayers!!

Much Love,

Joe, Jennifer, Madison and Kyle

August 29, 2007

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

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

In Christ Alone,

Joe, Jennifer, Madison and Kyle.

August 27, 2007

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

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

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

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

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

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

Much Love,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

August 18, 2007

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

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

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

God Bless you all.

Much Love,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle

August 12, 2007

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

“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

"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