Rice Cereal

They weren't eating much of their bottle, so we decided to try some delicious rice cereal on Christmas day. As expected, it was crazy, messy, and super fun!

Before and After

 

Merry Christmas from the Clines!

Celebrating the birth of Jesus at the Cline household is a fun & exciting event!

First Christmas

 

 

6 Months Old

The last 6 months have pasted in a blurr, but also felt like they were dragging at times. There were many days we wished the time away. However, as we look back, we realize that it only seems terrible in the moment. Our boys are SO precious, & we are SO blessed to be their parents!

NEW THINGS this MONTH

• Max - rolling to his belly like a pro! Derek - can do it, but chooses not to. He usually just stays balances on his side.
• Max & Derek - noticing each other. We have a feeling they're going to give mom & dad a lot of trouble :)
• Max & Derek - love to make noises: moaning, grunting, gurgling, and more.
• Max - makes you work for a laugh, but has a huge gummy smile when he does. Derek - laughs at almost anything you do or say.
• Max & Derek - really enjoy just laying on the changing pad whether it's naked or in their diaper. I think it's the sound the pad makes, when the cover is off, that they love to listen to.
• Max & Derek - are now eating 5 to 6 times a day. Usually eating 5-6 ounces with a random 4 or even 7 once in a while.
• Max & Derek - starting to teeth (or so we think). They're putting EverythinG in their mouths & whine when it's not working the way they want it to.
• Max & Derek - got sick for the first time. We came home from a Thanksgiving vacation with the Freedom team & both had a nasty cough/stuffy nose. Derek ended up getting it worse than Max, & unfortunately, still has a lingering cough.
• Max & Derek - no pacifier babies here (& crossing our fingers on the thumb suckers); however, they both put their fists and/or fingers (any one) in their mouths All The Time!
• Max - grabs onto anything within reach. Derek - watches you wherever you go.
• Max & Derek - can switch hands with a toy & reach for anything you place in front of them.
• Max & Derek - know when they're alone. Both have become more alert & love to be around other people :)

We are excited, like always, when they've reached another monthly birthday! Each day we notice how much they're growing & how they're learning new things. Still no mobility, but they're trying so hard to sit up. Soon they'll be moving non-stop, & we'll wish for the times when we could just set them on the mat to play :)

Happy 6 Months Max & Derek!

5 Months Old

Wow! Are they really 5 months old already?! It's amazing to think back over the last month & almost hard to remember what it was like in the beginning. Max & Derek have made serious strides in their growth this last week. We've experienced so many firsts that I could probably write a book :)

They've rolled to their stomachs - Derek before Max. They've started to grab their feet - Max before Derek. Both of them are grabbing onto toys when we put them close to their hands. They have also started to sit in the bumbo. This only lasts for a minute or two, but is so much fun to watch! Now that they can hold their heads up, we have to hold them facing out. This also means that we can pull them to a seated position by their hands. They laugh on command & love to hear us talk. Almost any noise gets them smiling. It's one of the greatest feelings we have experienced to date :) Like last month, we know our little boys so much better & can usual figure out what's bothering them. 

|Max|                                       |Derek|
15 lbs 8 oz (in the 27% for weight)             14 lbs 10 oz (in the 14% for weight)
64 cm (22% for height)                               63 cm (12% for height)
44 (69% for head CC)                                 43 cm (40% for head CC)

Some of Their Favorites

Word = Pizza     |     Phrase = You Silly Boy     |     Toy =  Rattles & Squeaky Toys (anything that makes noise)

Place to Be = On the Mat     |     Time of Day = After Eating     |     Place to Sleep = Bouncy Chair

Song = I Love You (made up by mommy)     |     Book = There's a Wocket in My Pocket

     Person(s) = Mommy & Daddy     |     Activity = Bathtime

Happy 5 Months Max & Derek!

Halloween

Even though we're far away from the festivities, Grammy Cline encouraged us to have fun with Halloween. I almost didn't do it, but couldn't help myself after having some trick or treaters stop by :) Happy Halloween!

Introducing Mario (Max) & Luigi (Derek)

4 Months Old

We were so excited to spent this past month in the states! Max & Derek traveled overseas for the first time to see family & friends. They did a fantastic job flying! The second flight on the way there, they slept the entire time. It was amazing :)

The biggest transformation we noticed from month 3 to 4 was that they both became more alert. We got a whole lot more smiles & laughs! It was fun to watch them watch us. Our interaction with them went from just feeding and burping to feeding, burping, playing & talking. This is what I call perfect timing since we spent the month showing the boys off :)

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Likes & Dislikes Both boys love being around people, taking baths & just being naked! They’re not very fond of the sun (it’s just too bright), but they do really well outside in a Bjorn. They’re still not big fans of wearing clothes, which was a challenge at first because it was much cooler in the states. They eventually got used to being in clothes & did much better at the end of our trip. One of their favorite things was playtime on the mat. They LOVED to fling their arms around & hit their toys. Also, the bouncy seat became a lifesaver for us. We realized that the best way to get them to sleep was to bounce, so we took advantage of the bouncy seat & an exercise ball :)

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Eating & Sleeping They dropped to only one feeding a night, usually around 3:30 or 4. At each feeding, they took about 4 ounces. We started to push for 5, but it was still too much. Most days they would eat seven times; however, we started to see a transition to six as they got closer to 4 months old. This resulted in a much longer nights sleep. They both slept through the night (from 10:00 to 6:30) on October 13th at Grammy and Gramps Cline’s house! We were all super excited even if it was a one time thing.

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Growth Max & Derek both weighed over 10 lbs. Max was 12 lbs 10 oz & Derek hit 12 lbs on the mark. They both were 23 inches long & received a great report from the doctor. The only thing we were told was to work on adding tummy time to our routine. Both boys hated being on their stomachs, but it was important for their neck strength (and we can’t wait until they can hold their heads up).

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To say the least, we’ve come so far this month. I feel like we are much more comfortable with taking care of the boys & have a better grasp on what makes them “tick.” Life isn’t quite as complicated, & everyone is much happier these days. We are really looking forward to month five as they become more active & maybe even mobile!
 

Happy 4 Months Max & Derek!

3 Months Old

This post is super late! I guess the saying, "Better late than never," can truly be applied here. Unfortunately, this also means that I can barely remember what happened.

What I do remember is this... the rest of the Freedom team traveled to the states, so Kurt & I spent the entire month taking care of babies. We learned how to work together & communicate extremely well! It was nice to have this extra time to figure out how to be parents. Especially since the previous month was such a struggle.

Growth 

  Max                                                           Derek 

10 lbs                                                               10 lbs

21 inches                                                           21 inches

7 feedings                                                       7-8 feedings

28-29 ounces                                                   26-28 ounces

Both boys have done well this month & are growing steadily. They smile & laugh randomly (which is actually kind of funny). We are all looking forward to seeing friends & family this coming month!

 

Happy 3 Months Max & Derek!

The Cline Name

One of the great things about having boys is that they are able to carry on the Cline name. Kurt was the last Cline boy under Gene Russell Cline (grandpa). It is definitely a privilege and blessing to keep the Cline name going!

Furlough 2014 (The Clines)

Furlough 2014 (The Sprungers)

                                            

2 Months Old

We like to call this past month, the worst month of our lives. I know that sounds awful, but it was awful. We experienced more exhaustion & frustration than we ever want to experience again. We've both had several moments where we just want to quit.

Most of our struggles this month were a result of having premature babies. A first, we thought we were going to lose our minds because Derek would cry uncontrollably. It felt like it was nonstop; all day; all the time. He even lost his voice for crying out loud (pun intended)! It got to the point where we decided to look online to see what could possibly be the issue. According to WebMD, his symptoms matched up with that of a baby that has GERD. This just means that the ring of muscle at the end of the esophagus is not fully developed therefore causing acid reflux. I called my sister, & she asked her pediatrician what she recommended to do. We eventually got medication & new formula. Praise the Lord, Derek is feeling much better!

This month has also brought out the boy's personalities :) They are so different, it's like having complete opposites. 

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Max eats like a turtle walks... slow and steady. He takes his good 'ole time to finish a bottle. Sometimes you will sit with him for 45 minutes, & he'll only have eaten 3.5 ounces. He also tends to be the more relaxed of the two; he is content just to sit or lay wherever. Max really enjoys being in the swing, so much so, that he's known for falling asleep in it. We really try hard to get him to bed before that happens. He loves to wear clothes & will usually let you swaddle him. When he cries, it's only because he's hungry or needs to burp. Max isn't a huge fan of the pacifier, but will take it occasionally before falling asleep. If he's not really tired, & it falls out before he's asleep, he goes ballistic.
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Derek has a temper that he surely got from his daddy :) It's all or nothing with him. When he's hungry; he is HUNGRY! This is probably another reason why he cries so much. Funny thing is, you can always tell when he's getting upset because he'll clench his fists & his teeth, and his face will turn red from holding his breath. Then, he'll let out a scream. (Can't say we're looking forward to dealing with this when he's a toddler.) Derek also eats super fast. He can finish a 4.5 ounce bottle in 10-15 minutes, which in turn causes him to spit up in excess. He's the reason we go through so many burp cloths. He does not like having his arms restricted (no swaddling this boy) & will fuss when we put clothes on him. He doesn't like to sit by himself & is only content when being bounced. Kurt calls that his "money spot." Derek is better with a pacifier. He'll take it while waiting for his bottle & sometimes when he's going down for a nap. However, he always spits it out before falling asleep.

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Even though there have been times this past month where we wanted to give them away, we love these boys SO MUCH and wouldn't really do it <3

Happy 2 Months Max & Derek!

 Above pictures: Derek (left) & Max (right)

1 Month Old

I think their first month of life went by so fast, but only because we were crazy busy! Max & Derek spent the first 8 days of life in an incubator in the NICU at Hospiten in Santo Domingo. It was such a struggle for Kurt & I because we didn't know what to expect & things are just done differently here in the DR. Then, we had the job of figuring out how to feed them... and boy was this a challenge. They were so small that they didn't want to wake up for feedings. We were afraid that Derek wasn't getting enough food, so we started bottle feeding right away.

Of course, this month we had visitors & lots of people that wanted to meet the boys. Grandma Sprunger was here for the births & then Grammy & Gramps Cline came to see us. The extra hands were a HUGE blessing, & we miss them so much already :)

The boys had 2 appointments this month. The first was at 14 days old. Max stayed at the same weight at 5.4 lbs, but grew 1 inch to 18.5 inches. Derek (the one we were worried about) weighed in .3 pounds heavier at 5.7 lbs! Not much, but enough for us :) He also grew 1.5 inches to 18 inches. The second appointment was with a pediatrician here in San Pedro (a much easier trip than to the capital). The boys were 23 days old. Max weighed in at 5 lbs 9 oz. We were so excited he was starting to grow. To us, he looked bigger than Derek, but that's not what the scale said. Derek reached the 6 lb mark before his 2 month birthday. They both were the same length at 19 inches.

There was a lot of trial and error for us the first month. Kurt & I didn't have any help from the hospital so it was nice to have Grandma Sprunger here in the beginning. The boys mostly slept, cried, and pooped. We changed more diapers in the first month than I care to remember. I'm pretty sure Kurt almost had a heart attack after the first week ;) Which leads me to say a BIG thanks to all those who gave us newborn diapers. We only had to buy 6 packages of newborn diapers in all!! 

Most of our funny stories from this month come from some kind of bowel movement the boys had... haha!! If I remember correctly, Kurt got peed on at least twice. My mom was peed on, & I received a fart in the face :) We had poop shoot out over the floor a few times & even had to clean the feeding pillow after an "accident." It seems like we were gluttons for punishment; however, these times helped to ease the frustration & provide a little laughter into our stressful lives.

With all the unknowns about being parents & the many times we felt inadequet, we both (Kurt & I) thank God for allowing us to be the ones to care for these precious little boys <3

Happy 1 Month Max & Derek!!

Just call us Mommy & Daddy

The Cline Boys: June 17, 2014

@ 1:00pm --- Max Russell Cline --- 5 lbs 4 oz --- 17.3 inches

 @ 1:02pm --- Derek Thomas Cline --- 5 lbs 4 oz --- 16.5

Kindergarten Graduation

Not only was it an exciting day for the Freedom staff, but I could see the excitement in the eyes of the students & their parents! Kindergarten graduation turned out to be a great day :) We were able to accomplish so much... it allowed us to recognize our students, continue to building relationships in the community, and better explain what Freedom's vision is for the bateyes. 

First step - Clean, Clean, Clean!!!

The work site was a mess, but in a good way :) All the teachers & staff helped to scrape cement out of the rooms, wash down the floors & clean up the walls & windows. It was a group effort (minus me because of my gigantic belly). 

Mery, Freedom's 1st grade Dominican teacher

Kurt & Scott working hard to finish the
bathroom.

Everyone pitching in the clean out the school entry way.

Next - Decorate - It's a party!

We didn't go all out with the decorations, but I felt it was appropriate for the feel of the new school. Some Freedom color balloons, rainbows, and of course setting up the classrooms to get the general idea of what it will look like on the first day of school.

The preschool classroom prepped for graduation day.

The main showroom.

Last - The Ceremony

Kurt put together two videos for the parents, one in Haitian Creole & the other in Spanish. These videos were shown at the ceremony to explain to the parents why Freedom is here in the Dominican & our vision for the school. It was amazing to see so many people begin to grasp the significance of our being here! It's refreshing to see that they're starting to "get it." Toni spoke after the videos & explain the schedule, bus route, and more. Then, we had the Kindergarteners walk up for their diplomas. It was a site that just made you want to cry :) They're growing up so fast & have changed so much since their first half year in 2012. I felt like a proud parent, & I could see the same look in their actually parent's faces. Just another way to see the power of God working here in the lives of these people!!

 

 

Our students from the school year 2013-14