And in this corner...

...weighing in at 2 lb and one-quarter ounce - Magnus "Gus" Brekke!!! Gus was moved to a new corner in the NICU - away from some construction noise so he could rest while he recovers.

While he may not be a prize-fighter in the ring, he is pretty awesome in the incubator! Gus topped the scales this morning at over 2 pounds. It may just be fluids added after the surgery, but it was still nice to see it on his chart.

Gus was still a little groggy from surgery, but once his goggles were off he managed to sneak a peek at us. He is now on a "jet" ventilator after the surgery - it will be gentler to his lungs for the next few days. His blood pressure was back up so he was taken off the dopamine. He is still getting a little morphine as he is indicating that the surgery site is bothering him a bit by trying to move off of it.

Here is another of Gus' wonderful and loving nurses - Penny. She is so caring of him and thoughtful in every way. The house church she belongs to is also keeping Gus in their prayers and asking her for frequent updates. If any of you are reading - thanks! Your prayers are joined with those of many around the world.

This post-surgery period is a time for Gus to gain strength and begin to grow more now that his heart is doing a lot less work. The doctor who is on rounds this week said they are likely to introduce Gus to mom's milk this weekend if everything progresses as it is. If I heard the nurse correctly it will be 1ml over 6 hours to start with, one fifth of a teaspoon! If Gus can tolerate and process this much they will keep increasing the amount over time.

Gus' other grandma (my Mom) and his big (half) sister Zoe arrived yesterday. Grandma got to see Gus today but unfortunately Zoe is too young to enter the NICU. She gets first shot at seeing the pictures from the digital camera though. It was also good to see longtime friend Don F today - his wife Jen and kids sent a wonderful present of books and a stuffed bear. We may use this for Gus' "compare bear" to take pictures with as he grows. That way he will always know how big/small he used to be. Thanks!

Many Blessings,
Gregg, Jill and Gus