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New Favorite Cookies! (with no sugar)

As our family journeys to live eat in a more healthful way I (the one in the family with a sweet tooth) went on a search to find a sweet treat that was also not so bad for us.  I think I found it!  I was on this site: http://pantrychef.wordpress.com/ and found a recipe for Banana Oatmeal Granola Bar Bite Cookies.  I decided to give it a try (we always have bananas smashed in bags in the freezer) and we were all pleased!  I even have my parents making them as well!  

Here is the recipe as found on the site: 

Banana Oatmeal Granola Bar Bite Cookies

Serving: 24 cookies
Time: 35 minutes
Level: Easy (super kid friendly, so let them help!)

3 ripe bananas (wait until they are nice and spotty. They are sweeter that way.)
2 c. oats (you can use whole wheat, steel cut, quick cooking, or most any other type of oats)
1/2 – 1 c. dried fruit, chopped (I used prunes but apricots and cranberries work well, too)
1/3 c. coconut oil (you can use vegetable oil)
1/2 c. nuts, chopped (optional)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla

In a medium bowl, mash bananas with a fork until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients. Preheat oven to 350°. Let mixture sit on the counter for 15 minutes.

On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, drop mixture by spoonfuls. With your hands, shape cookies into desired shape and press down until flattened to desired thickness. (Cookies will come out of the oven in the exact same shape they went in…) Bake for 20 minutes. Yum!

Tips
- Don’t forget to use parchment paper. The bananas and dried fruit will leave a sticky residue on your baking sheet if you don’t!

A few personal notes...

1.  We have only ever tried these with coconut oil and love the subtle coconut taste it adds to the cookies.  

2.  I have made these with all types of oats (steel cut-quick) and they all turn out great

3.  Add Brewers Yeast if you are nursing and looking for a way to increase your milk supply (you can also add flax meal in place of some of the oatmeal)

4.  I am attempting my first batch of chocolate cookies.  I increased the oil by a table spoon and added in about a 1/3 cup of cocoa powder.  I will have to let you know how everyone likes them.  

5.  So far our favorite fruits to add are apricots, raisins, and prunes.  

Let me know if you try them and add your own twist!  

Happy baking!

Look Who is 11 Months Old!

I can't believe that Judah is already 11 months old!  Where did the time go??  He is such a sweet little man and has a very mild temperament, though very strong at times.  He is also a man of few words.  While he has said a handful of words (dada, no, done, night night) very rarely will he use them again.  HE much prefers grunting! The one exception is mama, which makes me smile and melt inside!  He knows the sign for more and uses it ALL the time.  His latest trick is to blow kisses to all around!    

He is a big boy and weighs about 22 pounds.  He is also very tall for his age but not sure where he stands right now.  Lets just say that with his cloths diapers on he wears 12-18 month or 18-24 month clothes!

He loves his bunny, anything with wheels, is really into books (especially ones about trucks) and LOVES to play peek-a-boo.  It has been amazing to see the difference between boys and girls already! It is not uncommon for me to see him pushing around a car (or anything else) around the house.  He is also into playing with the little people sets far more than Haddie was into.  We have also seen a love for music in Judah.  He often hums along with the music and claps on the songs he really loves.  

He knows which rooms he is not supposed to go into and giggles with delight as you go get him out of there.  When Haddie chases after him he is in heaven.  He adores his big sister and loves to be with her.  She is usually happy to have him around as well.  

He also loves to figure out how things work.  He learned the steps to buckle up at 9 months and continues to do his part when we get him in his car seat.  He watches how people put things together and tries to copy as much as he can.  He can sit and observe far longer than Haddie ever could or would.  He also loves to pull things out of the baskets!  From laundry to toys and books to pots and pans, he is a happy little man with a basket full of things!  

While he was crawling at 7 months he is taking his time to walk.  He has been pulling himself up and cruising for months.  This mama is happy though as I have a feeling he will start out running once he is ready!  He gets where he wants to go by crawling fast and climbing on everything.  He can get to the top of the play equipment at the park in a few short steps!  He will keep me on my toes over the next few months for sure!  

Many of you know that he was not sleeping well.  He is finally doing much better.  We usually have him down for bed by 7 pm and he will sleep until about midnight.  After a quick nursing he will go back to bed until 7 or 7:30 am!  I am one happy mama!  He is still nursing about 6 times a day (one in the middle of the night) and is enjoying other foods as well.  He loves green veggies and is not very fond of fruit, although I did get him to eat some melon the other day and he seemed to love it!   

Our little Dudah!  What a delight and joy you are!  You are so funny and you know it!  Your laugh is contagious and you know how to melt our hearts with your kisses!  We love you!

No Sugar Update

We are doing well in this area.  We have had sugar a few times but are still just trying to be mindful of not having it.  We have noticed that Haddie's yeast infection is getting lots better and will still try to keep her on a very low sugar diet until we see that she can maintain this.  It has been hard for her at times and yet I have noticed that she has adapted quite well.  No longer does she ask for sweets all the time.  Go Haddie Go!

I am also doing well.  It was really an eye opening experience to see how many sweets I really eat.  Sure I eat plenty of greens and veggies but I still had more sweets than an occasional treat!  I was really addicted to sugar.  I have been a bit relaxed over the past few days but I am going to see if I can continue to go no sweets route through June.  I am finding that I am not as hungry as when I first started this and I am just making better choices with foods.  I am also down a few pounds and up on muscle mass.  The only downside for me is that I just pulled a muscle and I will have to put working out on hold for the next 48 hours.  Overall I am pleased and feeling much better with more energy!

Filling up the Heart

"Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.  You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good?  For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.  The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in  him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.  But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgement for every careless word they have spoken"

~Matthew 12:33-36

What do you fill your heart up with??  As we have been studying James in church we took a little detour and looked over at Matthew.  I was really impacted by the above passage.  It isn't anything new but it has been a while since I have really examined my heart and my tongue.

I speak quickly and easily and often do not think about what I am going to say.  How do my words impact those around me?  Do my words build up Michael?  How do my words shape my precious children?  Am I someone that people want to be around?

We were reminded that taming the tongue is not something that man can do.  While that feels a little helpless, the above passage reminds me of something that I can do.  What am I filling my heart up with?? Is it the latest show on tv that I can't miss?  Or am I slowing down my pace so that I can be filled with God's word?

Ever since having kids I have struggled in the area of making time to be still before God.  Where I once had time to soak in His word I feel like I am living off of snacks.  I get all kinds of advice from people and yet deep within I know that it really comes down to me making the time for it.  Am I willing to trust that He will sustain me through the day if I get up 30 minutes before I normally would?  Am I willing to give up the show I want to watch so that I can listen to what He wants to say to me??  Am I taking the time that God has provided me with and using it in ways that are pleasing to Him?

I want my words to be seasoned with His.  I have nothing of worth to give to others except for that which first came from Him.  I want to fill up on Him so that my words may be a sweet offering to those around me.  I am praying for a deeper hunger and thirst for his Word.  How can I also do things that will allow Michael to have this same time?  We need to be fighting for ourselves and for one another.

Not my Shoes...

Have you ever found yourself trying to fit into something that you are not?? Have you ever thought that life would be better if...? Ever wish your kids would behave the way so and so's kids behaved? Ever think that a little more money might solve it? Ever try that new parenting trick hoping it would bring peace into your home?

We look silly when we try to stand under these ideals. The list goes on and on of who the world tells us we need to be. If we were to do it all we would be crazy!

But it was our choice to step into those shoes in the first place. God never asked us to take these burdens upon ourselves. Maybe we thought it would look good. Maybe we thought we would be able to move further along in life if we stepped into these. Or maybe we saw another we respect and admire walk around in these shoes.

I am so thankful for a God of grace! A God who encourages us to step out of these ridiculously huge boots that were never meant to house our feet! And in the same way that we stepped into these shoes, we have to also be willing to step out of them.

Oh, He is faithful to help us get back on the right track. He will even help to lift us out of theses boots. He even knows exactly what will fit us and allow us to run in the way and direction He created for us! It may not be the latest fashion and they may cause a blister or two at the start, but after time we will see that there could not be a better fit!

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, ans I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Matthew 11:28-30

"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."

Philippians 3: 20-21

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD, for I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground."

Psalm 143:8-10

No Sugar???

Ready or not here we go. Haddie and I are going off most forms of sugar. Since Haddie was 2 weeks old we have been struggling with yeast infections on a regular basis (I think that this is due to all the antibiotics she/we had during labor and in the two weeks that followed). We have tried everything over the counter and nothing seems to get rid of it. As I have done some reading it seems as if one way to get rid of the candida is to starve it from sugar. While Haddie doesn't eat a lot of sugar (way less than the average 3 year old) she does have a sweet tooth and loves her chocolate every now and then. She also loves cereal. As a result we are going off grains (except for brown rice, quinoa, and oatmeal), dried fruit, sugar, and limiting milk. We are also trying not to eat a bunch of fruit and we will stay away from some veggies (corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas...).

I decided to do this with Haddie so that we would not be eating things in front of her. Today is day one. I think it will be harder for me than I thought. It is amazing how easy it is to eat "sugar" all day long. From pasta to milk and crackers to sweet potatoes - sugar (natural or not) is in a lot of what we eat. It always seems to sneak into our diet in funny ways that we don't think of. When you remove it you see that there is not much to work with. I will also be making sure that one meal includes yogurt as the base. This will help her to get good probiotics into her gut. Thankfully she loves yogurt! We will do this for a week or two and then see what we need to do from there. If needed we will cut out most fruits as well for a short time frame and then slowly add them back. I am hoping that just removing the grains and added sugar will reduce the candida.

The good side to this is that I am hoping it will help me to loose the extra weight I have put on between both kids. First of all I never got down to my ideal healthy weight before I got pregnant with Haddie. I was at 145. Then after I had Haddie I got down to 150 (I think) and then got pregnant with Judah. Now I am at 160 and I would like to get down to 140 before we have more kids. It is not so much about a number but wanting to be healthy so that I can be the best mom I can be to my kids. I want to be able to run around and chase them all day long!

I know that some people loose all their weight while they are nursing. That has never been the case for me. I do loose weight it just takes a LONG time! Some say that I will loose it faster once I stop nursing. The problem is that I am usually not done nursing until after I am pregnant again. It is like my body won't just drop the weight as long as I am nursing. I stay active but I think I use that as an excuse to eat what I want. No more. I am serious! It is time to kick this weight for good! It is time to retrain my body, mind, and taste buds! I am hoping to be down 15 pounds in 3 months in time for a family trip out to the Northwest for Ben's (Michael's brother) wedding. I will try to keep you guys up to date on how things are going, both with my health and Haddie's.

Happy 3rd Birthday Hadassah!

I can't believe that my little girl is already 3 years old! It really seems like just yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital. Life is never boring with Hadassah. She is always keeping me on my toes when it comes to parenting. While she looks like her daddy she sure has her mom's attitude! She is sweet, teachable, loves to read, sings all the time, has a heart to pray for others, is a huge helper around the house, loves her little brother, loves to run and climb, loves to explore outside, has 6 or so babies that she takes care of and about 30 more in her tummy, she loves to get mail, she is smarter than her parents know what to do with, and is as precious as they come.

We just enjoyed celebrating her birthday with a bunch of her little friends. This year she really wanted a Critter (Calico Critter) birthday party. After months of thinking through how I could do this, and coming up with very few ideas, I finally asked her if we could think of another idea. One that she thought of was Cowboys and Cowgirls. My mom and I starting thinking through some ideas but when we went to the store and saw the pick cowgirl hat - we were sold! I hope you will enjoy seeing a glimpse of Haddassah's 3 year old birthday party!

All the party food!

Gold Rush crackers, Oregon Trail Mix, Veggies and Ranch, Peeps (in honor of Auntie Sarah's Chickens), Wrangler Ropes (red vines), popcorn in cones, root beer for the adults, and pink and white milk in jars for the kids!

Before all the cowgirls and boy lost it we decided to take a group shot! So glad we did!

Target Practice with water guns!

Rody Race - Blue Boy vs. Green Girl

We have to start them early around here!

Ice cold strawberry milk after lots of running around!

Some birthday gifts (no one really followed our no gifts please). Oh well, she got some great gifts from her friends and family.

Haddie's first year to really blow out the candles! Way to go!

Daddy and his "Rootin Tootin" cowgirl

Our growing family of 4!

Grandma Susan and Papa Russell came in for the big day!

Haddie next to the tree she got from GG on her first birthday.

Haddie, we love you so much and are so proud of the little girl that you are growing into. We pray that God would continue to shape his character in you and that you would continue to seek after God and serve Him alone. Thanks for keeping lots of laughter in our home!

Wayyyyy to long!

I can't believe that it has been so long since I have written a post! I have been on a very intense journey and growing process over the past few months (9 to be exact). It has not been an easy transition from becoming a mom of one to a mom of two. Some of it is just the season of life that I am in.

All that said, I have a goal to write at least once post a week. I am removing other things in my life to make this more possible. There are so many things I long to share and I just need to set the time apart to write them down.

Judah is up and I need to get things done but I wanted to at least get things started again...

I will leave you with a pic of Judah at 9 months. More to come!

The Birth of Judah Bennett Kaspar

Judah: One Who Praises God Bennett: One Who Is Blessed

Monday May 23, 2011 I woke-up at 4:30am with mild contractions. I got up and went to the bathroom, smiled to myself and went back to bed thinking that we were soon going to have a baby. When Michael got up I told him that I had been having mild contractions and he suggested that we have my mom start watching Haddie for the day. After some breakfast Michael and I went for a LONG walk in the heat. Naturally I had to go to the bathroom after walking several miles. Unfortunately, after knocking on several of our neighbors doors (so I could use the bathroom) no one was home. So back home we went. Then I decided that it would be a good idea to go to target (my favorite place) to buy some PJ pants and a robe for after the birth. Then my mom took us out to Panera for a nice light lunch. It was such an odd feeling knowing that my body was slowly getting ready to have a baby while we sat and enjoyed a nice lunch. No one around me knew my little secret! When we got home we all took naps knowing that the night might be a long one. After a while I got up and decided to make strawberry muffins. What a nice afternoon treat! Contractions seemed to come and go with no real major pain or pattern. With Haddie I had a long pre-labor and it was looking like this was going to be the same way. My dad was scheduled to come in that evening and I was sure he would make it before this little one made his entrance. Sure enough, my mom and Haddie went to go pick up my dad from the airport and stopped off to pick up some dinner. That evening we all enjoyed a nice dinner of chicken, corn on the cob, and fresh fruit on the back deck. It was during our dinner (around 8ish) that I started to have contractions that I was having to relax through a bit although still not regular. No need to time at this point. After dinner I spent some time on the exercise ball doing figure eights and listening to some worship music to prepare my heart for the night. Around ten I put on Pride and Prejudice and enjoyed that. Around 12 I got into bed and decided to try and get some rest for the night. It didn't last long. I decided to get in the shower at around 12:30 and at this point I had to truly relax through contractions. I was making the transition from pre-labor to labor! At this point we really started to track contractions and see where things were going. At about 1:30 we were having contractions about 2-4 min. apart lasting for about a min. at a time. We decided to call the midwife and she said that it was up to us as to when we wanted to come in. She said we could stay at home a bit longer (knowing we wanted a natural childbirth). She told us she would notify the staff in the ER that we would be coming through. After talking through things for awhile we decided to get things ready and head on into the hospital. We live about 20 minutes away and I wanted to have time to get the antibiotics in before I went into transition. I was positive for Group B Strep and was hoping to get 2 rounds of antibiotics in before I delivered. I also wanted some time to get settled in my room before I was in transition. Around 2:00 am we left our house for the hospital and called our photographers to let them know that they could meet us at the hospital. We arrived at 2:30am. When we got to the ER I am not sure that the staff believed that I was truly in labor. I calmly told them that I was in labor and that I needed to go to Labor and Delivery. They asked if this was my first. I smiled and said no, it was my second. I then added that they should have been notified that I was on my way. After this they had an aid bring us up to labor and delivery. I had to stop twice on the way up to breath through contractions. We had a great nurse (Gina) who checked us in, and I asked if I could start the antibiotics while they did my initial 20 min. read on the baby. She kindly told me that they would wait to make sure that I was going to be staying. In my head I was thinking that I better be staying! At the same time I had not been checked internally at any point in the pregnancy and really had not a clue how dilated I was. I got dressed in my clothes I had brought from home (my cozy pants from high school that needed to be tossed and a nice new tank bought for labor). They checked me and we were all surprised to find out that I was about 7 cm dilated! Way to go Lindsey! I got completely energized at that point. We did the 20 minute read and they said we were staying and did the first round of antibiotics.

Michael was an amazing coach. We had a great time being refreshed in the Bradley Method as we taught two 12 week courses to 3 other couples leading up to our birth. This time we felt even more prepared and we knew a bit more what to expect. We had talked through the areas we felt we could improve on and had grown in our relationship as a couple.

During the initial reading Michael made me as comfortable as he could. I hate staying in the bed when I am in labor and so this is always the hardest part for me. I did much better this time than I did with Hadassah.

As soon as I could I got up and started walking around only pausing to relax through a contraction. The staff was so great at just letting me do my thing. They dimmed the lights and got the room at the right temperature. They also got everything set up for the birth so that it would not bother me later. Our midwife, JJ, came in and checked on us to see how we were doing. She did a great job of just letting me labor and we even enjoyed some time together talking about where she went to school and the history of midwifery. I would just pause during a contraction when I needed to.

Another thing that was new for us this time was that I had my own personal retreat a few weeks before my due date. It was a time for me to get away and prepare myself for the birth and the adjustment of having a new baby. I spent a lot of time praying for the birth and letting go of any fears or hesitations that I was holding on to. I also prayed that this birth would be a testimony to those around me to the awesomeness of our LORD and Creator. During that time I picked out some verses from the Bible that helped me to keep my focus on Jesus during the labor. He truly is my strength and rock I can rest upon.

At around 5 am I decided that I wanted to go in the shower. Here you see one of the nurses covering my port so that it didn't get wet in the shower. I am amazed to see how calm I am in these pictures because it was so different with Haddie. The shower felt amazing.

After the shower I got really warm and needed to cool down with some ice chips. Those things are amazing during labor!

I love this picture of Michael because it shows how active of a coach he is! He does a great job of meeting each of my needs and truly serving me during this time. My love for him is always so great during labor!

Just a cute pic! Amazing that this is just a few hours from Judah coming into the world!

After the shower I asked to be checked one last time. I wanted to know where I was at. I was tired from staying up all night and wanted to know how things were progressing. Maybe it is my "finisher" side of me. I wanted to get this task done! I found out that I was 9-9 1/2 cm and had a bit of the cervix left until I was fully effaced. I love how calm I look. It was like I knew it was time to rest up for the hard (but fun) work ahead. Michael did a great job helping me out there.

Again, he is such an AMAZING coach!

I surprised all the staff by making it until the shift change. At 7:00am the new midwife on call comes in. Around 7:30 Brandy (on the right) came in. JJ (the midwife who I had labored with) is on the left. After a long walk in the hallway I was feeling more and more ready to push. I was starting to go through transition and was done with labor. I was ready for this to be over. With Haddie I was very verbal with transition, but this time around it was more internal. I was tired and ready to start pushing.

I decided to use the birthing bar again. This one was a little bit different than the one I used before at a different hospital. It took some time to get used to it and find a comfortable position but once I did I was ready to go. I love the excitement in Michael's eyes here! I can tell he is proud of me!

Here he is keeping me encouraged as I start to push. My water still has not broken at this point. This time around pushing was so different. Haddie was very fast (15-20 min. with no breaks). This time around it was more slow and steady. I would push through a contraction and then I would have a pause for about 5-10 minutes before another contraction would come on. The first time this happened I sat back and asked what I was supposed to do while I waited for a contraction. We all laughed as they told me to rest. I was ready to push not to rest!!

At one point Judah's heart rate went down so I laid on my left side to bring it back up again. Then I went back into pushing. While there was a little bit of fluid coming out, the bag of waters was not breaking and Judah was not coming down. We decided to have Brandy try to push on the hole but it still didn't break. Then we had her go in and break the bag of waters. At that point the contractions really started to come and I was very uncomfortable for the first time. Haddie's birth came rushing back to me in my mind and I was thankful for the more relaxed labor this time around! After a few pushes Brandy told Michael that if he wanted to catch the baby that he should come around next to her. He quickly replied that he wanted to but needed someone to take his place supporting me. I was truly blessed to have JJ (who stayed after her shift was over) come and support me. She rubbed my back and was fanning me between contractions.

At 8:24 on May 24, 2011 after about 45 min of 2nd stage labor and about 4 or so pushes Judah was brought into this world by the loving hands of his daddy and Brandy. Michael brought him right up to my chest and it was love at first sight! We have a boy! I have a son!

I remember thinking, "You look nothing like your sister and you are huge!" His fingers were so long and his body was long as well! At the same time I thought "He is so tiny!" He came out just like his sister with one hand on his face! This time I was spared any internal cuts and I did not tear at all. What a blessing!

I love my expression here as I look at Judah for the first time. We were pretty sure that we wanted to name a boy "Judah Bennett" but waited until we could look at him to decide this for sure. After holding him for some time we agreed that he looked like a Judah and boy was he praising God with his lungs! This little guys sure had a loud cry! A beautiful sound to our ears!

I had the joy of having Judah on my chest from the begining. They checked him out as he was on my chest and he wanted to start nuring right away. He nursed for a sold 45 min! Way to go little guy! It was a beautiful sunny morning and Michael and I celebrated with a Bradley tradition of a nice cold glass of orange juice. Nothing tastes better! After Judah was done nursing I asked them to weigh him as I was dying to know how big he was.

Judah weighed in at 8 pounds 12.4 ounces! He was 21.5 inches long! No wonder he looked big compared to Haddie who was 7 pounds 14.6 ounces and 20 inches long!

Look at those beautiful baby feet! I loved taking the time to just look him over and fall in love with him. He was so sweet and beautiful!

I couldn't have done it without Michael! His care for me during the pregnancy and through the labor and delivery was truly a gift and a blessing!

Later that day Haddie got to come to the hospital to meet her little brother! She loved him and was not so sure of him all at the same time! As long as he wasn't crying she was fine. She also loved the new "pack pack" (aka back pack) that Judah got for her.

Here is Judah 24 hours old. He was (and still is) such a good baby. He slept well and ate well all night long!

Brandy came in the next day to see him and see how we were doing. What a special time to see her again. She was such a blessing to have during the delivery and an answer to prayer. When I first got pregnant I prayed that Brandy would be able to deliver this next baby and I was blessed to see how God cared about even this detail! We were getting ready to get checked out to go home when the nurse noticed Judah was breathing a bit fast. She decided to take him to the newborn holding nursery where she could watch him closer. Little did we know that he would not come back to us in our room. Michael went to check on Judah and then came back to let me know that Judah had been taken to NICU.

There is never something more devistating than to hear that your baby is in NICU. I couldn't go see him right away but was thankful for Jan (one of the lactaction nurses) being on staff. We had met before and when she came in to see what was going on I just burst into tears. I had been holding them in to be strong and I couldn't hold it back anymore. I quickly asked if I could start pumping my milk for Judah. She said I could and got me all set up. If I couldn't be with him at least I could spend my time doing something for him! When we finally got to see him it was such a comfort to touch him and have him hold on to us.

While this was not the start we wanted we tried to stay positive though the process. I was again blessed to have Michael right there by my side as we ended up spending an extra week in the hospital. I won't go into all the details as that is a story on its own but here is a little bit of what the next week looked like for us. We got to spend 2 extra nights in our room and then we spent the rest of the nights in the lobby or in rooms that were empty. The midwives and Gina

(our labor and delivery nurse/charge nurse) did a great job of helping us find a place to stay so that I could nurse Judah through the night. We will be forever greatful for their help. I don't know how I would have been able to handle leaving Judah through the nights!

We came in one morning to find one of the nurses had made this cute sign for his bed! It made us smile to see the care that some of them had for making us feel welcome.

After a few days of antibiotics Judah was looking much better! To this day we will not know 100% sure what infection he had but we are almost positive that it was Group-B Strep.

Each day kept getting better as I got to hold him more and feed him more. If I could, I would have spent every moment in there with him. It was so hard to leave him each time, but the times together were so sweet!

On the day he was supposed to leave the NICU we seemed to hit every little bump along the way. His port didn't get flushed and it had closed over so they had to start a new line for his last dose of antibiotics. I think it took 7 or so tries before they could get one in. They tried his arms, hands, legs, even head before they finally got one in his foot. They took a little diaper and covered his foot (pictured above) so that he would not kick the line out. I prayed that he would keep it in long enough to get the antibiotics in so that we could finally go home. Well he did and we packed up his little room and got him ready to go home!

On May 31st, one week after he was born, Judah Bennett Kaspar finally got to come home! We were all so excited. It had been a journey but we were blessed to see God's hand at work through it all. Judah continues to be a joy and a delight to us all and we look forward to seeing how he grows and changes over these next few months. As he name says, he truly is blessed! He had a tough start to life but he is blessed to be in perfect health to this day. We pray that one day he will live a life that praises God!