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