some funnies....

Here are some funny and sweet things the kids have said since Annika was born! Starting from Day 1... I've been writing them down. Enjoy!

Drew
(seeing Annika for the 1st time)
"Mom, she's so cute! Are you going to have another one when I'm still 7?" (He's 7 for 9 more months)

Gavin
(seeing me for the first time after her birth)
"Did they cut your tummy open?"
"No"
(making a horrible face) "Then how'd she get out??"

Drew
(after Jeremy praised him for being so nice lately)
"Yeah, but sometimes when I'm being good I miss my real self!"

Drew
"Can I see where she eats from?"
"No, but I'll show you on your body..."
(lifts his shirt) "Oh! Then why did God make men have those?"
"So we all look the same!"
"OH! Got it!"

Drew
(Annika was 1 Day old)
"Mom, so how do you feel now that baby Annika is born?"
"Well, I feel really tired and pretty sore."
"No, Mom how do you feel?"
"Well, I'm really tired!"
"NO! Mom, how do you feel in your mind?"
"Oh! I feel really happy."
"Me too. I'm so glad she survived and she made it through."


Gavin
"Mom, I didn't know you had milk in your lungs! When I get bigger, I'm gonna feed baby Annika with the milk in my lungs!"

Drew
I was having a hard day, took Mom to the airport, was having headaches, sleep deprived, etc... and was crying in the car and when we got home, Drew asked me why I was crying. Sobbing, I told him that it's just really hard taking care of four kids and that I was feeling kinda tired and kinda sad. So he helped me in and held my hand, carried my bags and said, "It feels really good to be helping someone!" Once inside, he said, "Mom, you've made it this far with four kids, you can make it farther! I want this to be your best day ever!"

Gavin
We were talking about the next time we were going swimming and he said, "Mom, next time I only want to swim in the cat pool!"
"What??? Oh, the kiddie pool!" (or "kitty" pool)

Gavin
(he is always trying to interpret Annika's every noise)
"Mom, she just said "I believe in God-y!"
and "Mom, she just said, "We have the same Mom!"

Morgan
Singing, "If you're happy in your nose, clap your hands!"

Annika is 5 weeks!

Here is little Annika showing us her new-found smile! She started smiling at us last week, and it is so much fun! I had forgotten how early smiling starts! She is a happy girl, and is a little peanut. She weighs just over 8 lbs! She had quite a drop in weight after her birth and is finally climbing back up! She's gaining like a champ now, though. And she's a great little sleeper, this Mama has been feeling quite rested in the morning. And I'm SO thankful!

Holding my two sleepy girls. It was a precious moment for me! And Jeremy just happened to come home in time to snap a pic.

The last two weeks have been great as a Mom of 4! I feel more like myself and Annika is into a daytime routine of sorts and taking care of the house, homeschooling, etc... are much more manageable! I'm treasuring every moment with my little newborn... I don't want her to grow! But I know all too well that every baby stage is my favorite. :)

Doing some backtracking...

Annika sure was spoiled that night!

The final side profile shot!

I wanted to post some pics of the fun baby shower that was thrown for Annika and I! It was held at Teeland's, a great restaurant/coffee house here in the Valley, while they were closed to the public. Teeland's, as you probably all know, was the first "general store" here in town way back when!



I was in early labor at the baby shower! It was a fun distraction to be hanging out with my good buddies during those first few hours of real labor. I would have much rather been there, than at home feeling that way! I was able to just relax through contractions and not focus on them. It was great to just try to ignore them, rather than focus on each one and how close together they were like I would have if I was at home!

What a fun night!

Smooches for Auntie

Jessica and Chantel

(don't forget 3 wk old baby Nathan!)

Rachel (due in April), Janeen (due, like now!), Jody, & Amber

Sarah & Jen

Mom, Janeen, and Jess checking out the spread.

My Top 5

Here's my "Gotta Have for Baby" list. Since I had Morgan 3.5 years ago, there is a whole new world of baby gear and products! Here are a few of my gotta haves, in no particular order! :)


1. Burt's Bees Baby Wash, Buttermilk Lotion, and Apricot Baby Oil ~ These products have been around for a long time, but I didn't have it with my other kiddos. Love them! (Thanks, Janeen for the yummy lotion!)









2. Swaddle Me Blanket by Kiddopotamus ~ Thanks to Anita Eller, (thanks, friend!) Miss Annika sleeps so well at night in her pink blanket.. it's a clever little blanket that velcros closed to keep baby cozy and sleeping! We love it so much, we bought one in yellow! (They have them at Fred Meyer!)





3. WeeAlaska J-Tai Baby Carrier ~ This is the best carrier I've used! The Baby Bjorn that I had with the other three killed my back! It's spendy, ($100 bucks) but well worth it! I only paid for a portion of it thanks to my Mom and a $$ gift from someone! http://www.weealaska.com/ If you live here and want one, they are available at Pitter Patter too!



We call it the "sleep inducer"! Within minutes of her being in the carrier, she's out cold!

4. Boppy Pillow ~ The old standby... I absolutely love this for nursing in the first couple months. It saves my back and leaves my hands free to read, knit, write a note, talk on the phone, etc... She likes to be propped up in it and lay there awake too!

5. JJ Cole Bundle Me lite ~ I love this carseat cover, and the print is super cute too! It's great for keeping the breeze out of Annika's face when we're loading up in the car! This is the one that we have.

Iditarod Fun!

On Sunday, my Dad, Jeremy and the boys took a trip out to the Iditarod Restart in Willow! They drove around on 2 of my Dad's snowmachines and had a great day! They even had official sponsor passes (my Dad's company is a race sponsor) so were able to drive right up front and catch the action in front of the barriers! What a fun memory made by all. The boys were sporting their new helmets too.. thanks Grandpa!

More favorites...

I just downloaded my Mother in Law's pics from her camera and have loads more photos of Annika's birth that I didn't have before. Here are a few of my favorites! Thanks, Anita!

Her first bath.

Meeting Auntie Jenny for the first time.

Mom, Jen, Morgan, and I at the baby shower just 12 hours before Annika was born!

The last two and a half weeks!

So the last two and a half weeks since Annika was born seems like an eternity ago, but yet it seems like yesterday! (I'm glad it wasn't!) Life has been crazy and I have had virtually no time to sit down and update this blog! I fall into bed around 9pm or whenever Miss Annika allows! We're doing well though and Annika is an absolute joy. She's as cute as can be and we are all enamored by her. Here are a couple pics of our first couple weeks together. She looks much different than she did in the first photos we posted of her. She has lost that swollen, newborn look! She has many of the same features of Gavin, we are finding!

My Mom has been here from Oregon, and that has completely saved me these past couple weeks. I was teasing her that my dishes are going to look like the Eiffel Tower after she leaves tomorrow! I haven't touched a dish in a month! Reality is gonna hit hard this week! She has been a HUGE blessing to us!

Here is Annika pondering her next meal.

Here she is, showing off her chicken legs!

I'll update again soon, gotta run! Annika is crying!!! :)