2 months old!

Erik is 2 months old today. Yesterday they took him off the nasal canula and he is now breathing room air. He only has the small, orange feeding tube on his face now. Tomorrow his nurse plans on putting him in an open bed. Bye-bye incubator! He's growing up and hopefully he'll be home soon. He's our miracle baby!

A few pictures.

So cute.
Big yawn.
Erik and his mommy
Holding the ring that used to fit on his arm
So cute!

My sweet, buddy!

Erik is doing great! I love my time with him on Saturdays. I got to dress him in a cute outfit yesterday and of course I held him and took pictures. I will post the pictures later. He lost 2 ounces and weighs 2 lbs. 12 oz. which is, according to his nurse, his true weight. His nurse, Jackie, said he will be in an open bed soon. Right now she wants him to use his calories to grow though, she doesn't want him to use them to try and stay warm. So, he's in the incubator a little longer now. He has a few things he needs to accomplish before he can go home. He needs to take all his feedings from a bottle and he has to have a surgery to fix 2 hernia's and he may possibly need laser eye surgery. So, he's got about another good 4-6 weeks left in the NICU. I can hardly wait for him to come home and be with his family. I love holding him and talking to him. He is so sweet and much more alert now. Yesterday when we got there, he was wide awake and looking around. He is amazing!

Precious boy.

Erik weighed 2 lbs. 14 oz. as of Wednesday. He is 8 weeks old today and growing stronger. On Tuesday, the 29th, he will be 2 months old! I can't believe how fast time flies. I can hardly wait until he comes home which may be only one month away. He's a cutie and I look forward to seeing him tomorrow.

Growing so fast!

Our little buddy Erik is 2 lbs. 11 oz. today! Wow! He is a miracle baby. It has been such a joy to watch him grow. He is amazing everyone with his progress. God is the one protecting him and my prayer is that he'll realize that one day when he is older. I hope he comes home soon. We love you Erik!

Seven weeks old!

Erik is holding his own. He has been in the NICU for 52 day so far. He weighs 2 lbs. 8 oz. and drinking from a bottle. He is getting close to being able to come home. We love you baby Erik!

The step down nursery!

Erik has been moved to the other side of the NICU where the less critical babies get moved to. He is doing real well. He is 1/2 ounce away from being double his birth weight. He wieghed 2 lbs. 5 1/2 oz. yesterday and will probably be double his birth size today. He has been successfully weaned off the c-pap and has been free of that huge contraption for over a week now. He is so cute and it is nice to be able to see his face. What a handsome baby boy!

We can see his face!!

Kisses from Aunty Karen
Justin and me with Erik
Eyes wide open!
So very cute.
In the incubator

Erik is doing real well. He is 2 lbs. 4 oz. as of Saturday. Claire (his mommy) and I spent some time holding him and talking to him. We went with Erik's big brother, Justin, in the morning, then we had a surprise baby shower for Claire. After the baby shower, I took Claire and her mom, and my friend, Patty back to the hospital to see the baby. Claire's mom got to hold her grandson for the first time. She was so happy. Erik does have a slight problem with his eyes. The blood vessells in his eyes are not laying flat. It is common for preemies to have this problem. If it does not correct itself, however, Erik will need to have laser eye surgery. We are keeping our fingers crossed and hope for the best.

He's getting BIGGER:0)

Well, my brother and his wife went to see the baby again and he is doing good. He weighs 2 lbs. 2 oz. today and they spent about an hour holding him and talking to him. He opens his eyes more often but he squints because he is sensative to light. My mom and I found a preemie outfit that actually fits him. (Well, almost, it was a little big). It is made by Gerber and I found that Gerber's preemie stuff is actually preemie size. All the other preemie brands could fit an average sized newborn. I look forward to Saturday when I can see my little buddy again. He's a doll! We love him very much and look forward to him being able to come home.

Doing good again!

Well, Erik is doing better again. He is back up to 2 lbs. 1/2 oz. and he is once again off the c-pap. We'll see if he stays off of it. It would be nice. My mom got to hold him yesterday (his Grandma Ellis) and I think his Grandpa got to hold him too (Grandpa Gorman, Claire's dad). My mom said he opened his eyes and looked good. I will try to make it up to see him again on Saturday and more pictures will follow, but until then, it will have to be just written updates. Hey, if you're reading this blog, let me know by leaving a comment. You don't have to have an account, just click on annonymous, and you can leave a comment. Just remember to say who you are at the end of the comment since it will show up as annonymous. Take care!

Back on the c-pap

Holding daddy's finger
Aunty Karen finally holding him.
Big brother, Justin, got to hold him too.

Erik is 5 weeks old now. He is back on the c-pap but is otherwise doing well. He is a strong little guy. I was a very happy Aunty when I finally got to hold him last night for the first time. After I held him we let big brother, Justin, hold him. He is so sweet and he was very content to be in his family's arms.

Off the c-pap

Erik was taken off the c-pap yesterday!! He is doing well so far. He only has the assistance of the little prongs in his nose that help give him air. He also has a blood pressure thing on and the oxygen level thing. Sorry, my terminology is not that good. I hope to see Erik on Friday and hopefully he will still be off the c-pap so I can see his cute little face. He did drop an ounce and he is back to 1 lb. 15 oz. That is normal according to the nurses. He is our little fighter and he is doing much better than we ever expected! Thank you to all who have been praying. I know he is doing so well as a result. Please continue to pray for him. Thank you!

2 lbs!!

Erik weighs 2 lbs. now! Finally he is putting on weight and keeping it on. He is almost doubled in size now and it shows. Notice his round belly in the pictures below. He is still tiny, I know, but he is much bigger than he was before:0) I am so proud of my little buddy. He is so strong and he is doing so well. Please continue to pray for him as he grows. Thank you.