Here's little man on his 1st Christmas!

1st Christmas!

Erik's 1st Christmas went well. I will post pictures later. He got lots of presents and enjoyed lots of attention from me and all of his grandparents, as well as his big brothers. He enjoyed looking at the lights on the Christmas tree and he couldn't care less about his new toys:0) Erik turned 10 months old yesterday and he weighs over 9 lbs. now. I am babysitting him tomorrow and I plan on working with him on his muscle control. I am going to try putting him in an excersaucer for the 1st time. He needs to build his neck muscles. I am babysitting him overnight while my brother and Claire take Justin to a parade. I look forward to my time with Erik.

Infections

Well, Erik had an appt. the other day and we found out that he weighs only 9 lbs. 4 oz. as opposed to the 10 lbs. we thought he weighed. We also learned that Erik has a lung infection as well as an ear infection. That explains why his smiles and coo's went away for awhile. I had noticed that he was more fussy these days. Hopefully the medicine will clear it up and he will start smiling again. Tomorrow is his 1st Christmas. I hope he has a happy day.

No bigger than a baby doll.

This is Erik next to a baby doll. He is getting big considering his tiny size at birth (1 lb. 3 oz.) but he is still so small considering the fact that he is 9 months old and not much bigger than a baby doll. More pictures to come! I am so happy that he is here with us to celebrate his 1st Christmas!

Little Man.

Erik is estimated to weigh at least 10 lbs. now! No small feat for a little guy who weighed just 19 oz. at birth. However, to be 10 lbs. at 9 mos. old is still small. He is outgrowing most of his preemie clothes and now wears Newborn size and occasionally, 0-3 month size. He is getting chubby. He is still struggling with asthma-like symptoms and he still spits up through his nose (a result of reflux). He is otherwise doing fairly well. His preemie issues are showing more and more as he gets older. He's our little man and is quite a fighter! It was his fighting spirit that he had the day he was born that let me know he was going to be okay and that he was going to make it. And so he has. Erik will be 10 mos. old on the 29th of this month. I am so proud of him!

Photos of Erik

My little buddy!

Breathing treatments.

Erik now has to have 4 breathing treatments a day. He was diagnosed with Bronchial Asthma. It won't be 4 a day forever, but for now it is. It will be one a day once they get his cough under control. His lungs remind us daily that he is a preemie. He is doing so well otherwise. He weighs 8 lbs. 4 oz. now and is 20.9 inches long. He is FINALLY starting to outgrow some of his preemie clothes. I actually said to my brother the other day "This outfit is too small for him". Soon he will get to wear much cuter outfits and all the 0-3 month stuff I bought him will have to go back to the resale store since it is all summer stuff. He wasn't supposed to be here until May. Oh well. We'll just trade it in for some warm 0-3 month stuff. I keep this blog for Erik so he can read about his journey someday.

Pictures

Erik talking to his grandma.
Erik with big brother, Justin, on Halloween.

Our little Pumpkin.

Erik hanging out in his carseat.

For some reason the pictures did not come out in the order I put them in, but oh well. Erik is almost 8 lbs. finally. He is able to wear newborn size clothes now although the preemie stuff fits him better. He even had a 0-3 month outfit on the other day, although it was way too big. Erik has come a long way these past 8 months. From being no bigger than a soda can to finally fitting regular baby clothes. He is quite the fighter. He loves to babble and coo and he does okay when he is fed baby cereal and baby food from the jar. Although I'm almost certain he gets more on himself than he gets in his mouth. We love our little miracle!

1st Halloween!

Well, Erik was a pumpkin for his 1st Halloween. I will post a picture of it later if I remember:0) Erik weighs 7 lbs. 13 oz. now and he is 8 months old. He can finally fit into some newborn stuff, but he is mostly in preemie stuff still. He even wore a 0-3 month outfit the other day and it was too big. Erik has bronchial asthma and has to endure more breathing treatment right now. He is our little miracle and I am proud of him!

7 months!

This is a picture of Erik (on the right) next to an 8 day old baby. Bryan (on the left) has his legs kind of curled up, but if he were to stretch them, he'd be the same length as Erik. Erik is 7 1/2 months old now. He is smiling a lot more often now too. He eats jarred baby food and rice cereal. It's great to see him growing!

Smiles!

He blinked as I took the picture, but he is smiling:0)
The end of his smile!

I decided to keep Erik for the afternoon and I was rewarded with some big smiles! I was so happy. Erik is 7 months old and it was the 1st time I ever got to see him smile. His parents assure me he smiles all the time, but I had never seen it. Well, now I have. It was worth the wait. He is so adorable! His smile just melts my heart. It makes me glad to see him happy after all he has been through. He is starting to act like a 7 month old too. He is 7 lbs. 6 oz. now.

1st cereal

Erik is growing and reaching milestones. His newest milestone is getting a taste of rice cereal for the 1st time. He tried is last Saturday (9/27). He wasn't too sure about it and ended up crying after a few bites. I also did a little photo shoot with the boys while their parents were at a picnic. I took care of both boys from 12:30-8:00 p.m.

He started so small...

Erik has grown so much it is hard to believe he was ever so small. His tiny feet were so precious. I finally found a pair of sandals the other day that actually fit him. They look so cute on him. Erik has been busy gaining weight and growing. When I said he was 6 lbs. 7 oz. it was a weight from the week before, that actual day he was 6 lbs. 11 oz. and today he was weighed (and he received 4 shots) and weighs 7 lbs. 4 oz! He is also 19 1/2 inches long. He is now the size of a full term baby. Erik will be 7 mos. old on Monday, it's hard to believe. Tomorrow I am babysitting him and I plan on taking him out a bit to show him off. I will wear him in the Snuggli so no one thinks they can kiss or hold him. He doesn't need their germs. It should be fun!

Bronchitis!

Well, you know he's a preemie with lung problems! Erik now has bronchitis and has to have a breathing treatment every 6 hours. At least he is at home and didn't need to be admitted to the hospital again. He was weighed and he weighs 6 lbs. 7 oz. now. Erik is almost 7 mos. old. I can't believe how fast time flies! Big brother, Justin, goes to school all day now and so it is a bit easier for Claire during the day. Well, that's the update for now. Not much new besides that!

Getting bigger!

Erik is getting bigger. He weighs 6 lbs. 4 oz. as of last week. That is the most he has ever weighed. He is getting better and taking his bottles and is drinking on average, about 2 to 3 oz. His preemie clothes are starting to get snug on him although many still fit well. Way to go baby Erik! You are a miracle like no other!

Home

Erik came home last Thursday (Aug. 21st) and is doing real well now. He is alert and enjoying his formula once again. I will be visiting him tonight. I had a slight cold last week and could not see him, but I am all better now and I look forward to some snuggling tonight.

Home tomorrow

Well, after nearly a week, Erik is expected to come home tomorrow. They will take the I.V. out of his head and send him home with oral antibiotics. My brother says that Erik is full of energy and actually drank 4 oz. of milk today. We think he may have been sick longer than just these past few days, since he was cranky and losing weight. Now he is a happy eater again and staying awake for longer periods of time. So, hopefully tomorrow he will be home. I am adding pictures of him in the hospital to this post.

Strep pnemonia!

The test results are finally in! Erik has strep pnemonia, which I have never heard of before. They also haven't completely ruled out the meningitis, but we are hoping that he doesn't have that on top of the pnemonia. He kept kicking his IV out so they put the IV in his head:0( Poor little guy has been through so much and we just got him home less than two months ago and on a schedule, and now he has to be back in the hospital being poked and prodded. We are praying for him though and I know that with God's help, he can pull through. We know he is a fighter.

In the hospital again.

Erik was taken to Children's hospital with a slight fever. They have admitted him and discovered he has an infection somewhere. They are waiting for the test results to find out exactly where it is at. He will be staying there overnight. They started him on antibitotics and have given him a fluid IV and he is now sleeping peacefully. Hopefully it is not too serious and he can come home again soon. He had to have a spinal tap earlier this afternoon, poor little guy. I just hope this isn't another long stay in the hospital, we just got him home 6 weeks ago.

Erik is still doing great. He is almost 6 lbs. and he is a good eater. His big brother, Justin, adores him and can hardly wait until Erik is big enough to play with him. His biggest brother, Christopher, is a typical teenager and sees him once in awhile and on rare occasions, actually holds him. I love all 3 boys a lot.

5 months old!

Little bitty guy on his daddy's recliner.
Chunky monkey:0)
Erik in his grandma's arms next to his big brothers.
Trying on silly glasses.

Church

I took both boys (Justin and Erik) for the afternoon to church. I gave Mommy and Daddy a break. I had a great time showing the boys off to all my friends, especially showing Erik to all the people who have prayed for him. I know if it weren't for answered prayers, Erik would not be with us today. God is the giver of life. I am so happy that I can take Erik places now and that he is well enough to be out and about. He is a wonderful little guy.

Here is another picture of my 3 nephews all together. Erik's big brothers love him a lot. So, here are the big brothers, Christopher and Justin, with Erik. Erik weighed 6 lbs. 1 oz. the last time he was weighed and he is 17 inches long. He is eating and sleeping well. Thank You, Lord.

Happy baby boy.

Erik is a very happy baby. He is content to play on his playmat, and he is content to be held. It is so nice to be able to pick him up and hold him whenever we want. He has fit nicely into our family and has made a smooth transition from the NICU to home. Way to go little buddy.

We took Erik for his 1st professional pictures today. He was a trooper and Justin did real well too. Both boys looked adorable and I am very happy with the results.

Eye appt.

Erik had an eye exam yesterday and it went well. They don't need to see him again for another 6 months. He is still 5 lbs. 11 oz. as of Tuesday. He isn't gaining tons of weight, but he isn't losing either, so that is good. I am taking him to get professional pictures done with big brother, Justin, this Saturday. So far he is adjusting well to life at home. We are so happy to have him with us all the time. It's the way it should be.

Here is Erik at home. He has been home for almost 2 weeks now. He is doing well and he weighed 5 lbs. 11 oz. at his last dr. visit. It is so nice to have him home. We get to spend hours with him and there are no nurses there to hover over us. He is sleeping and eating like crazy and is as healthy as we can expect. I am so proud of him.

Finally home!!!

Erik is finally home!! He came home on June 24th after 16 weeks and 4 days in the NICU. (That's 116 days!). We are so excited to have him finally be with us all the time. We will miss some of the nurses, but we are so happy he is home. We love you Erik!

Home soon.

Ok, ok, so we have thought for quite some time that Erik would be home, but this time this is for real (hopefully). Erik is supposed to (notice I said supposed to) come home tomorrow. The dr. signed a paper to release him, so hopefully there will be no more setbacks to hinder that. I leave for vacation in just a few days, so I hope he does come home so I can see him at home before I leave. Oh, Erik weighed 5 lbs. 8 oz. on Monday. Way to grow little guy.

Still there.

Well, the doctors are horrible at giving "going home" dates. We were told no later than Wednesday, and today is now over and we still don't have Erik home. They ran some blood tests that are supposedly normal, but, hey, the doctor wasn't there today to give the go ahead for Erik to go home. I am getting very frustrated. I want the best for Erik, but unless there's something I'm not being told, then there is no reason for Erik to still be in the NICU. He weighs 5 lbs. 3 oz. and he breathes on his own and is drinking all his milk (2 oz) from a bottle. He has reached all the milestones they want to see. I can only hope he comes home soon. Until then, I'll just have to wait. It's just been a real trying time on everyone. No one wants to go to a hospital all the time just to see and cuddle with the newest member of the family. It's loud there (beeps from machines, other babies crying etc...), and there are always nurses hovering nearby, or right there with you, so there is no alone time. Well, now that I am done venting, I will say, I am glad Erik is doing well and I can hardly wait for him to come home. We love you baby Erik!!!

A few pictures

Justin and Erik.
Erik on oxygen because he had surgery.
Sweet dreams baby boy!

Here are just a few pictures of Erik taken on 6/7/08. Erik was taken off the oxygen last night and is expected to be home no later than Wednesday. They keep pushing the date back.

Almost home!

Well, this is Erik's last week in the NICU. He had his surgery and is recovering well. He should be home within the next 3 days or so. He has been in the NICU for 100 days today. He is so amazing! (And so stinkin' cute). He weighs 5 lbs. 2 oz. now and is almost 16 inches long. He will be home on either Tuesday or Wednesday, but I'll have to wait until Saturday to see him again since I will be busy this week. I will post pictures of him at home next Monday (not tommorrow). I can honestly say that I will not miss visiting him in the NICU, although we have met many nice nurses. It will be so nice to have him home where he belongs. We love the little guy! Thanks to all who have prayed for him. He is a miracle!

Surgery done.

Erik's surgery was done yesterday. It went well and the dr. accomplished everything she set out to do. If Erik continues to progress well, he could be home as early as Sunday. We have been waiting such a long time for this day to arrive. I can't wait until my brother and sister-in-law have their baby home with them.

Surgery is scheduled.

The surgery for Erik's hernia's has finally been scheduled. He will have surgery on June 5th. If everything goes as planned, then he will come home 2-3 days later!! We have been waiting so long to have him home. He will be 14 weeks old when he comes home. It will be a wonderful day!

Growing, growing and more growing

The three brothers!
Big brother, Christopher with Erik
Grandpa Ellis and Erik.
Erik thinking about something.
Erik's cute bear pajamas.

Erik is 4 lbs. 2 oz. now and doing great without the help of oxygen. He only has to endure the hernia surgery now and after he recovers from that, he can go home. We are excited that he is so close to being home with his family. Enjoy the new pictures!