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)