Some good news!

4/22/08
Miracles are already starting to happen for Carsen. The Neonatal Doctor looked at his brain picture’s and x-ray’s and told the nurse Nancy that he wouldn’t have graded the right side of Carsen’s bleeding a 3 but a 2. So it sounds like the right side of his brain is much better than we thought. At grade 2 there is little danger and the right side of the brain is what most of us use for functioning every day. The left side is what we use for creative thinking. We are still praying and hoping for a miracle and that all the bleeding will be gone and he will have no problems. Nancy also told us that a friend of hers that is also a nurse adopted a little boy who had such extensive bleeding on both sides of his brain that they thought it would be fatal. They put in a brain shunt and now he is 11 years old and head of his class and has no noticeable disability what so ever.
Please keep praying and hoping for the best.

A new update!

4/21/08

The doctors and nurses have been telling us to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Last night we got some pretty bad news about Carsen. The doctors did and ultrasound on both babies and found Cierra had a small blood clot on her brain but nothing to worry about. But Carsen had extensive bleeding in his brain that would most likely cause some disabilities later in life. We won’t know how much until months or even years down the road. When there is bleeding on the brain it is graded a 1-4 4 being the worst. Carsen had a grade 3 on his right side and 4 on his left. The doctors say all we can do is hope it has stopped but the damage is irreversible. The nurses can tell their opinion more than have to tell you the consequences and they are telling us to count on divine intervention. And we are. Heidi’s brother Kyle got someone from his ward and went and gave Carsen a blessing last night. He said during the blessing he was reassured that everything will be OK. We are all praying so much and Heidi and I fell calm about the whole situation too. I know that we will be tried in our faith and miracles can happen.
When Cierra had growth on her liver we prayed and it disappeared Carsen had air in his bowels that disappeared after praying. We all just need to pray for Carsen and the miracle will happen.




Here are some pics of before and during it all! Look at Heidi, so amazing!







Ciearra Lynn Eskelson


















Carsen John Eskelson

Hi all, The last update was lacking in a few details...sorry, so this message is to fill in the gaps and add a little of what has happened since then.
Heidi delivered our twins Sunday April 13th at 11:00 and 11:01PM. A boy Carsen John whom weighed 1lb 11oz, and a girl Cierra Lynn whom weighed 1lb 8oz, Cierra was born first followed less than one minute later by Carsen. Heidi had been dilated to a 2 on Tuesday when Dr. Nolte (my new HERO) checked her.

On Thursday she had been feeling labor pains and we took her in to UBMC to be checked again....still a 2. At this same visit the doctor did a test called a natalfibranectin test, it is 95% accurate in determining if she would be delivering in the nexttwo weeks. The results were negative so the doctor sent us home. He did give her a long list of symptoms to be worried about. Sunday afternoon she was in the restroom and saw some of those symptoms the doctor was worried about. So we called my brothers and my dad to come over and give her a blessing. After her blessing my parents took Braden, and Grace and we drove to the hospital in Roosevelt (UBMC). When Doctor Nolte (Heidi's OBGYN for only 5 days now)checked her she was dilated to a 5. So they gave her a bunch of meds to stop the labor and arranged a helicopter flight to get her to a hospital that would be suited to take care of herthe best. When the Air Med team showed up an hour later they did their own exam on her and she had dilated to an 8.

Her medication didn't slow anything down, the twins were determinedto meet the world right now. The Air Med team could not take her up in the air for risk of her delivering in the air putting all three lives in extreme danger. The first airmed team stayed there to lend any extra needed support and two Life Flight teams were called in to take the babies once they were delivered and stable. Luckily the two teams were not busy and got there in just under an hour.

When they arrived UBMC had 8 nurses, 2 pediatricians, and a surgery team ready. And our new hero Dr. Nolte was in game mode patiently waiting for the Life Flight teams to say they were all ready. Two minutes after the word go was pronounced Cierra was out of the womb and being rushed down the hall into the waiting incubators of the LF teams. One minute later Carsen was headed the same direction. I was holding one of the double doors to the surgery room open and watched every step of the surgery. When both babies came out they were reaching out and grabbing what ever they could get a hold of. They were both gasping when they passed me, it sounded more like a squeaky way of saying hi to dear old dad. At the moment of delivery seeing both of them delivered all my nervousness and fear was swept away and I was so happy to see them already grabbing onto as much life as they could. I flew out with Cierra in the Air Flight plane, Carsen got to ride in the Helicopter, which made me jealous I have wanted to go up in a chopper my whole life he was only 30 minutes old and already going up in one.

We arrived at the McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden at just after midnight. We wanted to send Heidi here in the first placeand after the nurse found out that the Primary Children's Hospital in SLC was full she called McKay-Dee to see if they would take us in and they did. The babies will get the same level of care here as they would at PCH. Heidi's brother Kyle works here and lives only 20 minutes away. He and Naja are so very kind they immediatelytold Heidi they would take her in and help out while she was here to be with Carsen and Cierra.

Earlier today Heidi and I were talking about how lucky we are to have the friends and family we do. They are all calling and offering sooo much to help, our brothers and parents are stepping in and taking full control of all the loose ends making it easier for us. I know we would be so stressed and frantic without them.

We are getting calls from all our friends and being offered so much help it is truely humbling. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. Heidi got to leave the UBMC Wednesday morning and I brought her out to be with me and the twins in Ogden. They are doing very well right now. I am writing a journal of all that is happening and sending it and pictures to Ashley Harris and she is going to help us keep a good blog of everything. Thanks Ashley, here are some more Photos. We love you all and thank you for your prayers and help.
Love Brandon and Heidi

Carsen John

Carsen again!

The twins first week!

Cierra Lynn!