Annika's Surprise Arrival!

Annika Carina Ekre Welky decided to join us in the world 8 weeks early!!

Born 5/11/09
11:58 a.m.
3 lbs .6 oz.
16 inches

Baby's first photo! In the operating room moments after she was born.

In her isolette

Baby and daddy!

The shower to celebrate her arrival will take place on Sunday, May 31st from 2-4 at Middleburg Heights Recreation Center.

Talk about a dramatic entry!!

On 4/27 I had a routine appointment with my midwife. She found some protein in my urine, which can be indicative of an impending problem with preecampsia. But my blood pressure was perfect, as always! So I was asked to do a 24 hour urine screen on 5/4. The results came back on 5/7 and my midwife, Coleen called me and told me I have preeclampsia and will be lucky to make it to 35 weeks. She told me I would need to come in for non-stress tests twice a week and we were really waiting until my blood pressure went up, because it would eventually. Then it would be time to deliver. She transferred my care to a high risk OB and I had a consult with him on 5/8. I was SO upset, even by this much and my boss, Jacquie, made me quit work that day so I could rest and take it easy.

Well, on Friday, 5/8, I went in for my consult, expecting to be put on bed rest, possibly. Well, the nurse took my blood pressure and when the Dr. came in the room, he read it (150/100) and admitted me immediately to Fairview Hospital. I was on hospital bed rest under observation starting 5/8. They gave me a steroid shot to develop the baby's lungs in case of delivery and another one 24 hours later - at 5 p.m. Saturday. When I was admitted my midwife and my Dr. had told me they just wanted to get me through the next 24 hours to make sure the baby's lungs were developed. So I was lucky to get this far.

So, Sunday my blood pressure was down and I was feeling better, from being on blood pressure medication, so I thought maybe I could make it a couple more weeks and deliver vaginally at St. John Westshore (I was at Fairview which specializes in high risk pregnancies before 35 weeks). So Tim went back to VA (He had come on Friday and was with me in the hospital for the weekend). We wanted to make sure that Tim could stay a whole week after the baby was born so he went back.

Right before going to the OR

Monday morning I woke up in pain that was indescribable and my Dr. decided an emergency c-section was best. So an 11:30 a.m. c-section was scheduled. I called Tim and told him to come home and he started driving, but was unable to make it in time. Laura was in the operating room with me and had Tim on speaker phone. I was able to tell him "It's a Girl" and he heard her cry. The OR team said they never did that before. During the surgery, the Dr. found a small fibroid and removed it as well. This is pretty interesting because without the c-section I never would have known it was there.

Annika was born at 11:58 a.m. She screamed for a couple of minutes - good lungs! She did not need to be intubated, or need oxygen or IVs. She only needed to be put in an isolette to keep her warm and a feeding tube (continuous drip).

I was in the hospital until Friday 5/15. Tim was in town all week and we finally named Annika. They would not discharge me until we gave her a name. Annika Carina is Swedish - I wanted a Scandinavian name. Annika means "grace" and Carina means "pure". I also gave her a second middle name - Ekre, which is my maiden name.

Now she is doing great! She has gained back the weight she lost early on and is already holding her temperature some. Now we have to learn how to eat! Soon we will get to try nursing, once the continuous drip is changed to every 3 hours. Hopefully that is soon. It looks like she will be in the NICU for several more weeks just so she can grow, learn to hold her temperature and learn to eat. In the meantime I am going back and forth to the hospital and bonding with my baby every day, pumping every 2-3 hours and praying for the day Annika comes home.

Kangaroo care 5/19

My last week of pregnancy!

Week 32: Weight - 156; Waist - 41; Hips - 41; Bust - 38.

I miss being pregnant. The worst thing about this is not enjoying the last 8 weeks of pregnancy. I am really sad about it because I loved pregnancy SO much! Having had to have a c-section is really disappointing too, and such a small baby in NICU! Good thing she is healthy. That is a blessing - Mom and baby are healthy!

How Ironic!

The most ironic thing is I got my first stretch marks on FRIDAY at the hospital!! And some more Saturday and Sunday! Three days before delivery...I almost dodged the bullet on that one! But still 9 stretch marks isn't bad!

Another ironic thing is how much I hate hospitals. I have never been in the hospital, was planning to have the baby and be out the next day if at all possible. And then I sepnt a week in myself and have to basically live at the hospital for weeks and weeks!! How ironic!!