By Ginette on December 5th, 2011
I really feel like God continues to answer our prayers and I can’t begin to express the comfort and joy that gives me! For all of you out there covering our family in love, phone calls, emails, messages, and prayers…..THANK YOU. Here is our most recent update for Sebastian:
The recap/summary from today’s appointment with the urologist: Basically the urologist said that with the 1. abnormal ultrasound (hydronephrosis) + 2. normal VCUG it could = one of three things. (This is really similar to the news from before) the three range from 1. all is good, that he just happened to have a UTI and all tests will come back normal, 2. condition that he could outgrow with time but would cause him to have to stay on antibiotics long term and need check ups & ultrasounds every 3-6 months, and lastly 3. he has a abnormality that could need surgery in the long term.
Feels a bit like we are at square one again, but I am re-assured that each of these tests are ruling out new possibilities/different potential problems and because God is so clearly answering our prayers along the way this news isn’t discouraging.
From here: 2 more tests. It seems that everyone seems very nervous about just saying “all is well” cause if they take him off antibiotics prematurely it could cause more UTI’s and a kidney infection and bladder infection that can all be fatal in an infant this young. The tests we have already done are not conclusive (they comment that it is hard to get conclusive results with his small size/young age) so we will re-test and hope and pray for conclusive results either way. Test one is a Renal Scan, test two is another VCUG (we have already had one of these to look at the valve and there was indeed no back-flow to the kidney which is GREAT…meaning he has the valve he supposed to have, but the urologist said that the urethra looked “too big” so we need to re-test with another VCUG to look at the urethra specifically, as a swollen urethra can be a problem or symptom of another problem.)
That being said:
For Those of You Praying, This Our New Prayer Request: That the two tests come back conclusive (no more tests please!) And MOST OF ALL: that all the tests on the 29th come back “normal” or “negative”! That would be a HUGE relief and a HUGE PRAISE. Again we know that God will take care of us and Sebastian no matter what, and that no path is the end of the world or too scary….as there are answers and healing for all (praise God for that too)…but our hearts desire is definitely for it to end on the 29th and for our little guy to get a “normal” bill of health. =)
The biggest encouragement along the way is that God continues to answer our prayers!!! In case you don’t know, I will shout it from the rooftops….God is SO GOOD.
Please Read and Praise God With Us for the Answered Prayers:
1.The urologist did disagree with my pediatrician…that in fact this could all just be an UTI and nothing more…that it is not necessarily the indicator of a bigger problem.
PRAISE GOD.
2. I told the urologist about our financial predicament and how we really wanted these tests done before the calendar year was over (for insurance and financial purposes) and he was SO KIND and sympathetic and purposefully put on the order that the tests had to be done in two weeks time so we could get them scheduled before the end of the year. When scheduling the three appointments I had to schedule (two tests and one follow up) the receptionists I talked to each noted “wow..I can’t believe I found a spot for you!” I can. God is awesome. All three appointments are on December 29th.
PRAISE GOD.
We come to you again with what we hope is our final prayer request regarding this UTI and our Sebastian. Again….THANK YOU for each and every prayer. THEY ARE BEING HEARD!!! Please say another. Please.
By Ginette on December 5th, 2011 She doesn’t shower him with affection every second or even every day…
…and she gets annoyed when his cry is too loud and interrupts her videos…
…but on the first day we brought him to her school, she asked me to stay so she could show her brother to all her friends…and as each 4 year old walked into the classroom, she would grab their hand, pulling even the less than excited classmates over and say “Come meet my baby brother!” with the biggest smile on her face I have ever seen.
She is not overly enthusiastic about having a baby in the house, but if you hang out with her for a couple days you will know how much she truly loves her little brother. It isn’t inflated love or unrealistic infatuation, but what seems to be a realistic and genuine affection. She talks to him, laughs at him, puts his pacifier in when he is crying, kisses him, strokes his head, sings him songs, and even requests pictures with him. I love seeing her love…her genuine love and affection for the little guy…
…and I have a feeling she is going to be the best big sister in the world.
By Ginette on December 2nd, 2011 As I drove away from the hospital for the third time in one month, I felt nothing but comfort. It was like God was wrapping His arms around me. My heart and mind felt still; peaceful. If you have ever felt this feeling, you know that it is a peace and comfort that is different than any other; you know that it is a peace and comfort that words cannot describe. I believe this is what it feels like to be covered in prayer.
To all of you out there who are praying for us and specifically for Sebastian…although these words will never be enough and can’t even begin to express my gratitude…Thank you.
I would have never guessed that in one month’s time so many pleas for prayer would be sent out, or that so many prayers would be answered. I think that if I were to name him again I would have to find the name that means “answered prayer”. I have never been on my knees as much as I have for this little guy, and I have never had so many answered prayers.
Thank you God.
The back story:
Sebastian was hospitalized for a UTI about 20 days ago and as a part of routine he had an ultrasound of his kidneys. The ultrasound came back “abnormal” (he had hydronephrosis which means he had liquid around his kidneys). We were told this was normal for a UTI, but that because he had an abnormal ultrasound he would have to be scheduled for a VCUG (to test to see if he was missing a valve causing urine to not only go down but also back up) We were told 40% of baby’s with UTI’s are missing this, but fervently prayed and begged your prayer to be that he would not be in this 40%.
Two days ago the radiologist said, “All is well. Everything looks normal.”
My heart leapt. The tears welled up. OUR PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED!! PRAISE GOD.
Although there is a “however”. I asked the radiologist what this meant, “Are we in the clear?” She said to follow up with my pediatrician. Yesterday we had an appointment with the pediatrician and she brought a “however” into our lives. Our pediatrician noted that “there is no way he could have the abnormal ultrasound that he had (pretty bad) and a normal VCUG. There must be blockage or something else. You need to follow up with a urologist.”
WE ASK FOR PRAYERS AGAIN:
The prayers that are already being answered are huge and have been met with overwhelming gratitude in our hearts. The power of prayer is mighty. However, as our hearts are filled with gratitude and thanks, they also long for more answered prayers. I don’t know exactly what to ask for, but I ask for your prayers.
We have an appointment with the urologist on Monday December 5th, and I am hoping and praying and begging God that he gives us the “all is fine”. Whether it is a miracle (why not?!), or my pediatrician is misinformed, our hearts long to hear those words. If we need to do further testing, we hope and pray that it can be done in this calendar year, as we have reached our insurance maximum for this year and if we go into next year the financial burden will be heavy to say the least.
Again we say a huge thank you to each and every one of you. The outpouring of emails, calls, messages all expressing your sorrow and prayer are beyond what I could have ever imagined…your love and prayers are indeed heard and felt.
And thank you for your continued prayer for our little Sebastian. If I could give each and every one of you a hug or a reward or a gift of some kind for each prayer sent up to God, I would.
By Ginette on November 16th, 2011 I can’t help but wonder if he will always be a fighter and I can’t help but wonder if his life will continue to remind us what a miracle he is. From conception, to his birth story, to 9 days old in the ER with an infection that could have cost his life, this little guy of ours has been a fighter through it all: defying many odds.
I have a feeling we will never forget our first visit to the ER. And I don’t think I will ever be able to erase from memory our first time watching our baby get a spinal tap, a catheter, blood drawn, his first IV, and his first time being hooked up to all sorts of monitoring equipment. And all at 9 days old.
 In the ER Some times in your life God is silent, but then there are times when He graciously shows us his hand, his perfect timing, his love, his comfort and his peace. Last Friday was a really scary day, one we will never forget, but there is also something about knowing God is there with you the whole time, directing each moment and step. At the end of it all Daniel and I came out of it all knowing how blessed we are , how covered in prayer we are, how much God watches out for us and our little Sebastian, and we are overcome with thankfulness.
The story:
On Friday after Sebastian, Dayla and I came home from our first real outing out; Sebastian (to my surprise) didn’t want to eat at his usual time even though he seemed hungry and fussy. Then while I was on the phone with a friend, he started to make a very low, very guttural grunting noise. This didn’t throw me off at first, as I attributed it to gas, but then nothing I did relieved it…..AND…..it lasted TWO HOURS. At the end of the two hours of grunting I was surprised to see that he still had no interest in eating and suddenly he was very hot. I took a thermometer reading: 101.7. I re-took it: 101.9. I started to cry.
There was no way this was okay.
I got a hold of the nurse on duty and I told her the story and noted that by this time it had been 5 hours since he had eaten, holding back my tears as I explained it all. She told me to give him baby Tylenol and that should cut his fever. Being one who never grew up going to the doctor much I usually will find every excuse not to go, but in this case everything inside of me felt that this suggestion was crazy. Call it mother’s instinct.
Trust your instinct.
I asked for an appointment and got one later that evening 6:45pm. Not long after I hung up the phone the fever broke on its own and two hours later Sebastian ate again. ”Should I go to this appointment?” I wondered. Everything seemed so fine now. However, there was something in the back of my mind that kept hounding me, and ultimately that got me to go to the doctor’s that night.
Just two days earlier my friend Amber came to drop off food for our family and she happened to tell the story about her son Asher, and how when he was just 9 days old he started to not eat and had a high fever. She told the saga of how they had to go to the ER and that Asher ended up having a really bad viral infection (that could have had the ending that every mother fears the most if they hadn’t gone to the ER). As I held the thermometer in my hand that read 101.9, I just couldn’t help but get this story out of my head….I mean it just seemed too coincidental that she HAPPENED to just tell me that story, for the first time, two days before.
As it turns out, I don’t actually believe in “coincidences”.
I sat in the doctor’s office for almost two hours (after-hours care is slow) and as Sebastian continued to look completely normal I started to regret my decision to come. But I am stubborn and I like to finish what I start, and praise God that our doctor’s office is far enough that I thought to myself, “I came all the way out here, I might as well just stay and see the doctor”. A nurse finally came to see me, she heard my story, took his temperature (now a low 99) and her calm demeanor and lack of concern about the situation put me at ease, “this is no big deal” I thought. Then the doctor came in and nonchalantly asked me if he had a fever today.
“Yes, 101.9″ I responded.
“WHAT DID YOU SAY?”
I repeated my answer.
“GET UP NOW. YOU ARE GOING TO THE ER.”
My heart started pounding. ”Really??? Do I NEED….”
“YES. You NEED to tell me now that you are going to go to the ER. A temperature over 100 in a newborn is very serious. I don’t care that he looks fine now, you need to go to the ER”
I choked back my tears, asked where Children’s Hospital was, and I called Daniel to come with me. As we sat and looked at Sebastian, we couldn’t help but continue to question if we needed to be there. Several of the staff kept commenting on how “good he looks”. Then we talked to the supervising doctor.
“Let me put it to you this way” the doctor said, “80% of newborns who come in here and we do the spinal tap and blood cultures and urine cultures… and all this invasive and not fun stuff to….well, they have nothing wrong and they go home and we wonder if we should have done all we did to those little babies. But then there are the 20% who come in and they have an infection and we end up saving their lives.”
Well, after our ER visit, being admitted to Children’s Hospital and staying almost a full 72 hours… being poked, prodded, and checked by countless doctors …we found out that our Sebastian was in the 20%.
24 hours after being admitted to the hospital ,the pediatrician came into our room to let us know that Sebastian has a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). She not only gave us the diagnosis, but told us the same 80%/20% statistics and confided in us that was so glad that we came in and decided to stay in spite of the fact that he “looked fine”. And we in turn became so glad for each doctor along the way, each moment, each decision, each little turn in the story that was made, that ultimately ended up saving our Sebastian’s life.
There is something very strange about thinking of the “what if’s”. It can be scary. It can be humbling. It can make you fall to your knees and thank God. It can make you weep. It can make you hold your baby a little bit tighter and a little bit longer than you did the day before, breathing him in and appreciating every last rise and fall of his chest.
Breathe them in. Praise God. Their life is so precious and so fragile.
 Sebastian's IV The Update:
Sebastian had an ultrasound on Monday to see if the infection had gotten to his kidneys, and if it hadn’t, we could go home. We are praising God that his ultrasound came back with good news. We are home now and Sebastian will have to stay on antibiotics for the next 14-24 days to treat any infection left in his body and to insure that he doesn’t get another infection. We are praising God’s name over and over again that he is here with us and being treated, however we still long for your prayers. Please Read:
There are two reasons that a newborn can get a UTI. One: they just got a UTI, no explanation. This is our hope for our Sebastian and honestly our fervent prayer. BUT there is reason two: UTI’s can be caused by blockages and a condition called vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), in which urine from the bladder backs up into the kidneys. VUR is found in 30 to 40 percent of babies and young children who have UTIs. (This was explained to us as a valve that we should have, but in some babies it is missing causing the urine to not only go down, but also to back up into the kidneys. This can be very dangerous.)
On November 30th we will get a VCUG to show if this is what Sebastian has. A voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG), shows whether urine is backing up from the baby’s bladder into the kidneys. During a VCUG, X-rays are taken before a catheter is inserted into the bladder through the urethra. A liquid dye is put into the bladder through the tube, and more X-rays are taken to watch the dye as the bladder fills and as your baby urinates. If the urine backs into the kidneys, it can be corrected either with time and age or with surgery (depending on the severity and situation). With either situation (if there is any sign of a condition) at the very least Sebastian would have to be on antibiotics for an extended period of time, possibly a year or more. The worst case scenario would be surgery.
We know that this is not the end of the world and that it is completely treatable, but we still are fervently praying that this was just a UTI and nothing more. Only God knows right now, and we appreciate all prayers, love, support and help that have come our way in the mean time.
So we thank you for each and every prayer that has already been said for our little guy….and ask you to praise God with us for so many answered prayers….but also humbly beg you to please keep praying.
By Daniel on November 3rd, 2011 I want to have a new baby every week. The sheer amount of emails, texts, Facebook messages and hospital visits is awesome.
Several friends have come to visit us here and Dayla has come with Grandma & Papa a few times.
 This is how Ginette spent much of her time in the hospital: holding Sebastian and taking calls.  What's up buddy  A visit from Julie  A rare view of Sebastian's eyes  The nurse let Dayla hear Sebastian's heart beat
By Daniel on November 2nd, 2011
By Daniel on November 2nd, 2011 Welcome to this world Sebastian Victor Sundin. You rolled in on a rare 8-digit palindrome day 11-02-2011, for which I am grateful. It’s important to establish nerd cred early. You also made it very clear that you would be challenging your tall father (and even taller uncle Keith) in the size department.
21.5 inches long, a 15 inch head, and a whopping 10 pounds, 11 ounces. Well played sir. Well played.
You were four days overdue so Ginette went to the hospital to make sure all was well. It turns out the amniotic fluid level was low so it was recommended to jumpstart the process with a little Pitocin. Labor started around 5pm and you popped out at a little over 10 hours later at 3:12am. Suffice to say I’m writing this with precisely zero sleep.
Dad (me) is especially thankful that your Mom was helped through the process by four amazing friends/private doulas who stayed with us through the ENTIRE process. It was clear the nurses had never seen anything like it. Several of them kept making excuses to come hang out in our room since we were the “cool kids” on the Labor and Delivery floor.
Did I mention Ginette delivered naturally with no anesthesia?
 Ginette's Posse: Jen, Kristy, Julie, and Crystal. THANK YOU! Again, welcome to this world baby Sebastian. Mom, dad, big sister Dayla, and a bevy of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends are so happy to meet you.
By Ginette on October 30th, 2011 Dayla has been at school now for 2 months and it so fun to see how much she has grown and changed in such a short time. The transition to school was not easy (to put it nicely) as our girl thought it was “boring” and “not as much fun as she hoped”. Daniel and I knew that we just had to push through; we knew that once she liked it, she would love it. For 3 weeks we kicked and screamed to the car. The fourth week she came home with the announcement “I have a new best friend!!” and it has been wonderful ever since.
 [Dayla and her "new best friend" Katelynn stand in the back of the group together next to the teacher]
Everything about North City Preschool we have LOVED so far. One rule they have (that I think is brilliant) is no parents in the classroom for the first 2 months so that the teacher can be established as the main authority. So this last week was the first time that parents got to come and stay; we came for the Halloween Animal Parade. Is there anything cuter than a bunch of preschoolers dressed up in costume, marching in a parade?
 The parents all lined up on the fence, cameras in hand, proud smiles on their faces. Many of the kids were shy and just walked following the person in front of them, but not Dayla. She was a bee, so she flew and ran most the way with a smile on her face.
 They did the parade for two days (so all the kids could participate) and on the second day Daniel was able to come. I can’t begin to explain how excited our girl was to have us both at her school. Each time she walked by us, she looked something like this:
It was so fun to see her in her element for the first time. She was confident and energetic, but also a great listener, a great helper, and a great student (the only one in her class who knew what “utters” were called when Miss Karen asked).
[Miss Karen is on the right in the cow costume]
We so love North City Preschool and the director (Miss Karen) and Dayla’s teacher (Miss Cullison) who are both amazing with Dayla and her dynamic personality.
Each morning we go we are often the first one to the classroom door, and Miss Cullison always matches Dayla’s enthusiasm for whatever it is that Dayla has to tell her that morning. I love this picture below because it captures perfectly how Miss Cullison greets Dayla each morning:
Dayla goes to school Wednesday- Friday so she has the chance to be with two different sets of kids. She is beginning to make more and more “best friends” and, like we hoped and predicted, seems to be more in love and more passionate about school everyday.
[Top class picture is her Thursday class and bottom picture is her Wednesday and Friday class]
What more could we ask for than an amazing preschool with the world’s best staff to transition our girl to the idea of school and grow her love for learning? We are SO thankful!
By Ginette on October 22nd, 2011 I have put off doing a lot of pregnancy posts, mostly because this has been such a rough (read emotional, physically, and spiritually draining) pregnancy for me. But I will say, at the end of each day, whether it was a hard day or a “slightly better” day, I knew in the bottom of my heart that this pregnancy is nothing but a blessing and gift.
Thank you God for this boy. We pleaded, longed, waited, trusted….and now he is almost here.
Now I am ending my third trimester, and this trimester has by far been the best one….and I am daily praising God for the relief and joy that has come with this last month! I am finally not sick or nauseous and have managed almost all of my “pregnancy aches and pains” with the help of herbal teas, vitamins and medications. I am so thankful to end the pregnancy on a good note. As I have been enjoying the last month here and really trying to soak it all in as we get ready to welcome baby boy into our life, I thought it would be fun to list all the things that I like about pregnancy.
The things that fill my heart:
People who hold doors for you…bless their hearts.
Not having to “suck it in” for 9 months.
When I take a bath, I love that I have a little island to rest the book on and I don’t have to worry it will get wet!
The wondering what baby will look like, who he will be, and the blissful dreaming of the future.
Listening to Dayla talk about and to baby brother. It is not everyday, and I would even say that her affection to my stomach is pretty rare compared to other kids I have seen with their moms, but to me infrequency makes it feel that much more precious and true.
Stopping to think about how there is a person, a life, a little baby fresh from God’s arms growing inside me right now.
When Dayla thoughtfully picks out things when we are at the store for her baby brother…and even buying them with her own money.
Having no one balk at the strange food I want to eat…seems everyone let’s you off the hook when you are pregnant.
Knowing I have a husband who is willing to go to the store late at night to fulfill my craving.
 
By Ginette on August 29th, 2011 Thinking, planning, dreaming, talking about it for months. The biggest difference of this year’s birthday party was that it was the first year that Dayla (and Ellie) were really excited and cared about what would be at their party. So, being the first time moms that we are, we took a lot of joy in this new little development and let them have a lot of say in what would be at the party. Ellie’s requests were: all her friends dressing up, music, cakes (not cupcakes), and balloons. Dayla requested: balloons, the bounce house, cake for the birthday girls and cupcakes for everyone else (and for some reason “no boys”). I loved that their requests were not extravagant (the bounce house would be if we didn’t have the gift of being able to get one for free!)…so we took their ideas, added some pink and purple to the mix, kept it nice and low-key…..and had a great time celebrating two little sweet girls turning 4.
The Birthday Princesses:
Bouncing and dressing up…
The birthday cakes for the birthday girls (I was so excited to get this Barbie cake pan handed down from our sweet neighbor when we moved in last year). Purple dress Barbie cake was for Dayla (her favorite color) and pink dress Barbie cake was for Ellie.
The cupcakes for everyone else. (This was my first time making homemade frosting for cupcakes..and I have to say…I am pretty proud with the way they turned out!)
The girls also excitedly talked about what presents they would get this year. We knew this day would come that they would get excited about the gifts, so we just encouraged gifts to be small. Dayla and Ellie were so thrilled for each little thing they opened…it was so sweet to watch!
I love their reactions here!
Ending with another picture of the birthday girls!
(The other big difference this year was no Yzzy. For the last 2 years we have had a joint birthday part with the 3 August birthday girls, but this year Yzzy moved to Seattle..so it was just Ellie and Dayla’s day. We miss you Kerns!)
Happy 4th Birthday to our sweet little girls!
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