Saturday

Well we survived our first night home. It all went pretty well. I was up a few times. Mommy and Daddy took turns getting up with me, even though mommy still had to get up and pump. Mommy appreciated getting a little bit more sleep while I was still awake.

Marilu and Ken came to visit us today. They drove down from the cities!! It was so nice to meet them. I was a good boy while they were here. I slept most of the time. Mommy got some more pictures uploaded, so take a peek!

 Here I am getting my car seat test done. The doctors wanted to make sure I did okay sitting in the car seat for a long time. I had to sit in there for 90 minutes. I was a good boy though. And I passed the test :)

 Here is what mommy came to find thursday morning when she came to see me. No more tube. We were both pretty excited. Mommy even got some extra sleep, because I took a bottle three times that night.

 Here I am all dressed and ready to leave the hospital. Mommy and Daddy were so excited to take me home. We had to wait for a while though while the doctors got everything squared away.

 I fell asleep waiting for everything to get ready. Being discharged from the hospital is a lot of work you know. This was mommy and daddys bed they got to sleep on when they spent the night with me in the hospital. I was a good boy that night too! Mom and dad are hopful this trend continues.

 Here I am all packed up and ready to go. Finally got all my paperwork finished up, and said all of my good byes. We collected a lot of stuff being here for 2 weeks.

 Here I am meeting my big sister Layla for the first time. Mommy and Daddy told me a lot about her while we were in the hospital. I don't know what the big fuss is about, she is not as naughty as they say she is.

 She really doesn't know what to think of me yet. She doesn't like it when I cry... it makes her nervous. Mommy thinks she has been a lot more calm since I have been here though. We will see if that lasts too. She has been very good when we have had visitors over, which mommy was worried about.

Here I am with my Mommy, loving being at home. Mommy was so excited to sleep in her own bed. I think she fell asleep before I did when we went to bed last night.

Well we will keep you updated as new things happen, but we probably won't be updating quite as much since things are calming down here. Mommy will still try to post pictures of me though!!!

Thank you again for all of your prayers. We are soooo happy to finally be home!

Love
Easton

TGIF!

We get to go home today! I will post pictures a little later. While Easton sleeps and gets ready for his new adventure, mommy is updating today. Joe is currently trying to install the base of the carseat in the car. Good luck hubby! Last night we spent the night in a little bedroom here in the hospital with Easton. It went well. Easton finally gained a little weight yesterday so that put everyone at ease! We have been feeding him with the bottle, and it has made everyone's, mostly my, frustration less! Not much else to say here.... Just wish us lucknasnwe venture out into the world! Thanks for all of your prayers and thoughts! Love The Gudmundsons

Thirsty thursday

Well mommy came in to the hospital this morning to find my tube out of my nose! She was soooo happy! I ate all three of my feedings last night from a bottle like a champ the nurse said. I ate really well for mommy twice today, and just finished up a bottle. I got a bath today too! I really enjoyed blowing bubbles in the water (passing gas) and ended my bath by pooping in the water! My daddy is finally back, and mommy and I are so glad! He really missed us! Well the doctors are getting everything squared away so I can go home tomorrow!!!!! Everyone keeps telling me about this dog I am going to meet. I don't know how I feel about this quite yet. Mommy and daddy are staying at the hospital with me tonight, so we will see how that goes. Well time for me to nap! Hope you are having a wonderful day! Love Easton

Slow Wednesday

Not much happened today. Just still working on feeding... Jessica hung out with us all day! It was very nice to see her! Daddy had a good 1st day back to work today. Frustrating day with everyone telling us different things. Tomorrow is a new day! Feedings went well today so yeah for that! Have a wonderful night! Love Easton and mommy

Tuesday

  Mommy and Daddy have been busy trying to get me to eat today. We have done 3 feedings so far and as soon as I wake up I will be trying a 4th. I have not fed the greatest today... but the nurses say obviously I am getting food in my belly, because I sleep and act full.
  Daddy had to go back to Winona tonight, because he has to go back to work tomorrow.
  I am going to have a new second cousin either tonight or tomorrow morning. Grandma Anita is just going to be a pro. She is helping Mommy's auntie Meghan deliver her baby. We hope they have a better experience then we did!!!!!
  Otherwise here are some pictures from the last few days. Just for you Auntie Becca.

Here I am with my Auntie Alissa. This is the first time she got to hold me.

 Here I am getting my first bath. I was too big for the tiny tub the got for me.... So I got the whole sink eventually. I didn't mind my bath one bit. It even helped get some of my dry skin off.

 Here I am with big eyes just looking around after I was done eating. Just snuggling with mommy.

 My cousin Delaney was so excited to hold me. Nana had to fight her to hold her.

 My cousin Gracie says my name sounds like Easter bunny. So she got me this hat. It is still a little big, but it should fit me at Eater time!

 My Grandma Anita drove all the way over just to hold me for a couple of hours last Friday. Then she drove all the way home. She was so happy to see how good I am doing!

 After eating, just hanging out with Mommy. This was after I ate really good. Today I just frustrated mommy. The nurses tell mommy I am having a growing day.

 Mommy was so excited to put this shirt on me. I looked to Handsome!

 Kisses from my Mommy.

 My Papa and Nana getting to hold me for the first time. I told my mommy these pictures are a week old already, but she gets frustrated with the computer.

                                              Here is my Nana holding me for the first time.

Here is my cousin Paige holding me for the first time. I just stared at her, like I do my daddy.

Well that is all from me for the day. My Nana is holding me while I get a tube feed, because I just fell asleep when mommy tried to feed me. We might try one more time this evening, but who knows how I will act then either.

Hope you all had a good day.

Love

Easton

Happy Monday!

 Monday morning again!
 I am still working on eating. Yesterday I had 3 wonderful feeds throughout the day. Today we are going to try and add a couple more. If I keep doing well, I should get to go home this week.
  Yesterday auntie Alissa and Uncle Travis had to go home. Mommy and Daddy were very glad they came for the weekend.
  My cousins Paige and Delaney came with Nana and Papa to visit me. They even got to hold me. Nana had to fight Delaney to get me away from her. She kinda likes me. I really liked looking at Paige while she was holding me. I just stared, like I do at my daddy.
 We had a great weekend, and we hope you all did too!
 Thanks for all of your prayers, and for checking up on me!
Have a great day!
 Love
Easton

Saturday

We had a pretty big day today! I got my first sponge bath. I didn't even really mind it! I got moved to a real crib today!!! Also mommy and I tried our first real feeding! I did really great. I ate for about an hour. Mommy and daddy are really excited about how I did. Hopefully I can continue to do as well as I did the first time. Even the nurses were impressed with how good I did. Auntie Alissa and Uncle Travis are here visiting for the weekend, so I am getting to spend lots of time with them too! Auntie Alissa rocked me to sleep twice today after I was done eating. I am making big steps at going home! We are all so excited!

Thanks for checking on me!
Love

Easton :)

Friday!

Here I am listening to my daddy talk. Just wide awake

I was just content as could be looking at him.

 Here I am Kangaroo wrapped with my mom. I really liked it.

Here I am eyes open!

Sorry mommy has been slacking on the pictures the last couple of days. There are more to come... mommy just didn't have the patience for the slow computer today.
Grandma Anita and Great Aunt Teresa are here visiting now. Grandma says I look so much better than when I did when she left on Saturday. She was sooo excited to hold me. Now they are going to increase my food every 8 hours instead of 12. I will hopefully get up to my goal of 58 a little faster. Starting at my next feeding I will be at 40. They are going to take out my IV line from belly button today... so no more lines!!! Daddy is excited for this, because they make him quite nervous! Now I just need to show my ques that I am hungry!

Thanks again for all your prayers and thoughts!
Have a wonderful day!!!
Love
Easton

1 week old today!

I have been pretty awake today! I was awake for about an hour and a half after mommy and daddy got here this morning. The doctors say that as long as I am awake before my feedings we might be able to try an oral feeding later today. We will have to see how I respond to my new amount of food I am getting. They are going to start increasing it every 12 hours instead of every 24. Mommy and daddy's friend Kristina stopped to see me today. I love meeting all these new people! Mommy and daddy enjoy the visitors too! I am so excited for my first skype date tonight with my uncle buster, auntie Sandra, and my cousins luc and juliana! Otherwise another quiet day of growing for me. Mommy and daddy say thank you sooo much for all of your prayers and thoughts over the last week. They are just amazed at how far I have come in these last 7 long days! Love, Easton

Wednesday

Well last night they moved me to the cuddle room! Mommy and daddy took a trip to Winona so daddy could bowl. While they were gone Nana peg and Papa Jeff came to see me. They were both so excited they got to hold me! They helped me move to my new room. The nurses said I was a good boy last night. Mommy and daddy came to see me again after bowling, and I was wide awake. Kicking my legs, eyes open, sucking on my hands. They were really happy to see me like that. One of my anti seizure meds is still getting the best of doctors. They have been checking the levels in my blood, and adjusting how much they give me. I tolerated my food Yesterday so they are doubling the amount I get at each feeding today. As for the rest of the day, my adopted auntie Jessica is coming to visit me. Otherwise another quiet day for all of us! Have a wonderful day! Easton

Happy Valentines day everyone!!! Yesterday was a wonderful day! My daddy got to hold me, and my mommy got to Kangaroo hold me. I also got to meet my Uncle Jeremy. He kinda liked me. I also got to meet Daddy's cousin Corinne, and one of mommys work buddies, Lani. It was wonderful to have the visitors. Otherwise we had a very chill day.  I have to tell you how good of a day I am having! Boy oh boy a day it is!!! I get to start eating today... I will get a little bit of mommys milk every 3 hours. It will go in the tube through my mouth for now, until I wake up a little bit more and am able to suck.
  The doctors made mommy and daddy very happy this morning. They said I get to eat, and my blood chemistry is back into normal range. Before my Magnesium was a little low, and my sodium level was a little low. Also my QT wave is  now completely normal. It was longer than it should have been on the ECG. The doctors say this could have been from being cooled, or having seizures. So I dont have to have anymore ECGS as of now. They also got the results back from one of the blood tests they have been waiting for. It was a more complex one to determine brain damage versus muscle damage. The test showed that it was not from my brain. This is a very good thing. It means I don't have any brain damage!!!!!! They say that the muscle damage is not severe, and is most likley from my very tramatic enterance to this world!!!! So far I got to meet mommy and daddys friend Kirsten. My Nana Peggy is going to visit me this evening, and she iis going to hold me. She is really excited! My adopted auntie and Uncle Matt and Tanya are coming to visit me today too!!! Ohh here is a picture of me eating for the first time!!!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful day today, because mommy and daddy and I are planning on it.!!!

Love
Easton

Monday morning

Mommy and Daddy met with the doctors this morning, but they let me sleep in! I was all warm last night around 11pm. My nurse was pretty excited because she finally got to dress me after seeing me cold all weekend. The doctors this morning are pretty impressed with my progress over the weekend. There are still some questions to be answered, but they are working on it. They have me on 2 different seizure medicines, that are working pretty well. Today's plan is to get this EEG monitor off, and take my catheter out. Most importantly though, my daddy gets to hold me. I don't know who is more excited, but he has been picking on me since they got here! Well that's all for now! Thanks for all of your prayers! They have been helping:) Love Easton

Getting warm!

Easton started to warm up at 6pm tonight. So far things are going well. He can warm up a half of a degree every half hour. So far he has warmed up just as much as he can. We are hoping all goes well tonight. They will keep a close eye on him for seizures as he gets warmer. As for other news today mommy got out of the hospital! We already miss everyone who had to leave us, but are so happy they came! That's all for today... We are just working on getting warm and staying warm! Love The Gudmundsons :)

Pictures

Here is my first picture!! My mom and dad think I am cute!!

Mommy meeting me and holding me for the first time!

Mommy, Daddy, and I in the NICU

Mommy thinks my puppy dog face is cute!

Getting baptised by pastor Kathy!

Me with my Mommy, Daddy, and my two wonderful God Mothers!!!

 I am such a lucky little boy! I sure love these ladies!

Kisses from one of my favorite Aunties!

We hope you enjoyed a little sneak peak of our little bundle!

Mommy and Daddy started me a blog

     Hi Everyone!
   I know I have scared everyone these last couple of days, but I really appreciate your prayers!! My doctors seem pretty optimistic about me today, so everyone here is really happy about that!
   Yesterday I had a rough day. Daddy noticed me having some seizures in the morning when he was visiting, which is kinda why I am in the NICU anyway. So in the afternoon I had to go to get an MRI. They had to sedate me to go to that, and I had to be intubated- to help me breathe. Daddy took me down because Mommy was still down at her hospital. Let me tell you how much that stinks, Mommy has to wait for a shuttle to come and see me, and then wait for one to back. It usually is an hour long process. This is hard for Mommy especially since she is not very patient!
     So back to that MRI, the doctors noticed a couple of things. There are a couple of spots in my brain that have what the doctor called a "Diffuse injury" - it is in the grey matter, more specifically the Thalamus. This could be a reason for my seizures. The Neurologist doesn't seem to concerned about this right now, because I am so little and my brain should be able to fix itself. I did also have a little bit of blood in 2 of the ventricles in my brain. This should absorb on its own. They think that is from the trauma Mommy and my labor and delivery.
    I also have to have a lumbar puncture or spinal tap last night. Nana Peggy says Uncle Jeremy and I now have a bond! They are waiting for results from that still. They are afraid I might have an infection in there. Which is another reason I could be having seizures. They did find a little bit of blood in there too, but this could just be from doing the procedure. They did start me on an antiviral medicine just in case.

Mommy and Daddy did get to talk to my doctors this morning, but I will let them tell you about that later!!!
I just wanted to say Hi to everyone and let everyone know that I am doing okay they think!

Thanks again for your prayers! I really appreciate them, and need them right now!!
Love, Easton


P.S. Mommy or Daddy will post a picture of me soon THEY PROMISE!!