Last blog here...please follow us at our new location

We have set up a new website through Shutterfly. Hope you will follow along with Annika's journey with us at:

http://babyannikasoko.shutterfly.com/

If, you would like to be added as a friend to our Shutterfly webpage and recv notices when updates have been made please send me a message with your email and I can add you to our growing list :) Thanks

While little Annika sleeps in her bassinet next to us, Mommy and Daddy are working on filling in my baby book pages. We are stuck on the news headlines from the day she was born. We never grabbed a newspaper and trying to look it up online is proving to be impossible. Hmm, may have to call the newspaper on that one.

There a some things the baby book calls for that I will be saving for her scrapbook though so some pages will not have what they need. I think that will be okay with her though :0) kee kee kee

We are still working on getting her left eye all better from her blocked tear duct. Hoping it will clear up over the next few days and we are still able to have her pictures done. But if not we will reschedule for the following weekend when Daddy comes back home.

We also took some fun pictures of Annika in her first Halloween costum thanks to Grandma. Just too cute. Love it.

Introducing: Annika Yvonne

Our little miracle has arrived and is tiny and healthy all the way around :) YAAAAAA I was to be induced on Tuesday Oct 20 but thank goodness our little one loves her Mommy so much she gave me much need relief on Sunday October 18, 2009. She was born at11:33 AM weighing in at a whopping....6 lbs 1 oz :) lol and 19 inches long.

Believe it or not, the labor and delivery was the scariest part for me and going in to start out with being so exhausted I was a wreck. Thank you epidural :)))))))) I felt no pain of any kind. kee kee kee I started strong contractions Sunday morning about 1 AM. I tried my best to time and count them as they came. Finally at about 4:30Jim heard me in the other room and checked on me. I was having them very close and fast. The contractions on top of the other issues I had been having for the past 5 weeks almost made me pass out. We finally made it to the hospital about 6:30 AM and I was at 2 cm only. I prayed they would not send me home. They stripped my membrane and said they were going to keep me and I was relieved. Got into my delivery room and by 8 AM was at 4 cm. Then 9 AM only at 5 cm. I had a catheter put in for my bladder kidney issues, then the IV yuck, then came the epidural. It hurt going in but let me tell ya, what a miracle thing that little guy was for me. I felt no pain of any kind and it was the relief I needed to recoup for pushing. Around 10 AM or so my nurse checked in on me and I was not dilating fast enough for her she said. She was awesome. Gave me Potassium and off I went. By 11 fully dilated and ready to do my thing. We did a few trial pushes and it was weird cause I could not feel myself pushing. The nurse and Jim said I was doing great and she was coming fast. Called the doctor and after like 15 minutes of pushing Annika was screaming and letting us know she was finally here and not to worry. Feel better Mommy :) lol

It was one of the most amazing things to ever go through in my life and glad Jim was right there by my side the whole time. We have set up a webpage for everyone to view pictures and read journal entries as Annika grows up and becomes her own little person. If, you would like to view it here is the link:

http://babyannikasoko.shutterfly.com/

Time to check on the munchkin and it's feeding time almost :) kee kee kee Loving the life changes!

We have a date :)

Wow, things are coming along over this way. I went for my amnio this morning to have Annika's little lungs checked out and all that good stuff. Was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Thank goodness. Jim went with me and he has been my support system for sure through all this craziness.

We heard back from the doctor early evening last night that her lungs are mature and since she is in the down position and sitting way low she is more than ready to go. Healthy little one we have in there he said...YAAAAAAAAA.

So, I will be induced on Tuesday the 21st of October at 6:00 PM unless little Annika is ready to leave the nest before then :) lol

I have been having contractions since the amnio this morning and we thought my water broke but nothing has happened since the first indication something might be happening. Just keeping a close eye on things and taking it easy.

We are both so excited and nervous at the same time. I think all will go well but it's just getting through it for the first time ya know. We will keep everyone posted. Parenthood is right around the corner :) YAAAAAAAAAAAA

Pictures have been done :)

There is still a lot going on with me not feeling well and the countdown to the big day seems like forever away. Being sick or just feeling uncomfortable every day is hard to do for 7 weeks or maybe even more who knows. But, I am some how managing to make it through the best I can so guess that is the good thing right? :) lol

We finally had our maternity pictures taken on Sat afternoon and I was really excited. Felt horrible but I was determined to have these pictures done regardless of how I felt. Just something that is important to me and that I really wanted to look back on and remember years down the road. Now we wait for about a week when we will be able to view them online and can share the link with everyone to enjoy as well. Hope they turn out great. My hubby was a trooper during the whole thing and he has just been my rock during this rough time. Annika is lucky to have him for her Daddy and I so can't wait to see them bond and grow together :) I am soooo looking forward to Annika's first photo session within the first two weeks of her little life. I have some cute prop items I want the photographer to use plus she does amazing things with little ones. That's why I chose her, though she is expensive she will be so worth it for the memories. The props I have are for her Christmas photos so I think they will just be too adorable :)

I started washing all her preemie to newborn clothes and getting things washed up that have been exposed to all the dust in her room. I will be working on packing our hospital bag this week and starting to prepare foods to put in the freezer for easy meal time after she arrives. Just hoping I can feel good enough to do that over the next few weeks. Jim helped me pick out her coming home outfit this past weekend as well. She will be just too darn cute :)

I am also still very excited for Christmas this year. Since having NOTHING last year going to deck the halls I guess you could say. Just need to get a stocking for Annika and a stocking holder so she can be added to the rest of our families stockings on the fireplace. I have already picked up her first Christmas doll and an ornament to her from her Daddy that says To Daddy's Girl. Those will go in her stocking. Plus, Jim has an ornament from her as well. The only ornament I still need is the family one I get every year. Just need to find the perfect one. Plus the fur babies need their ornament too. Can you tell I am big on the dated ornaments and stuff. Just think it's fun to look back every year when we decorate the tree of all the fun times in our lives over the years :) I also booked my mom and Niece's flight put here for Christmas so it's all starting to really feel real. Now just need to figure out the menu lol.

Praying to feel better

it's been a long 3 weeks over this direction. From my hospital stay, to the kidney stones to the stint placed in for pain relief. On Wed of this past week I started having severe dizzy spells that would wake me in my sleep. They were very scary and lasted a few minutes. During which time I became very sick to my stomach as the room was still spinning around. By the time Sat rolled around and I was completely unable to move from the bed and stay out of the bathroom I called my doctor to see what I could do.

The symptoms I gave her told her I was becoming very dehydrated and to really start pounding the water as much as I could. Get more iron and all that good stuff. thank goodness Jim was home because no way could I have made food and taken care of our fur kids. The catch 22 was the more water I drank the MORE I had to use the washroom. It was a nightmare. By Monday I was completely a mess and unable to do anything with the pain and lack of sleep. Called my doctor and she wanted me to come in that same day. Sad part was, Jim was on his way back to Indy and I don't drive anywhere these days if i don't have to. I did force myself to go and made it there and back ok. Come to find out I now have, on top of everything else, a severe bladder infection. Oh Joy! So more meds and hoping they will be my miracle cure. Guess we will see but feeling hopeful.

On Sunday Jim installed the car seat in my SUV along with the mirror so I can see our little one the whole time. It was the reality check to remind me she could be here anytime within the next 30 days. Yikes. I am so ready but still soooo much to do.

We had to cancel our maternity photo sessions as well and that just broke my heart. Hoping she can get us in this Sat because these are photos I realllllly want to have. Keeping my fingers crossed she has an opening.

Will I ever feel normal again?????

I went for my follow up appointment today and nothing really new to report. That's not a bad thing either so looking on the bright side of things. They will be leaving the stint in until after delivery then immediately they will do a CT scan to see what is going on and where things are at. Then a game plan will be made. I am sooooo hoping they take care of everything before sending me home with little Annika. Just want my insides to function properly again and enjoy being a MOM :)

Jim and I are excited for our photo session tomorrow. I am praying with everything I have that I feel up to it and not feeling sick like I have been almost every day for the past 3 weeks. I have been looking forward to this day and just want to be able to enjoy it you know. It is only going to happen one time for us so enjoying it as much as possible it important to me. Let you know how it all goes.

We are also waiting to hear news on Jim's sister-in-law as she was being induced this morning with her 3rd child. a boy. I wish it were me :) lol Hope all went well for her and her little one and her are doing well. Pictures soon I hope :)