Week 1

      We're one week into being parents and it's been an amazing, unbelievable experience.  Changing diapers and routine feedings have kept us busy.  We have actually really enjoyed our trips to the store and walks around the neighborhood this week.  It has felt really good for me to walk longer distances after months of discomfort with braxen-hicks contractions.  We are slowly figuring out a night routine that allows for a couple hour stretch of sleep at a time.  The last two nights have been really good and we hope to continue the trend.  Mostly we just spend hours and hours looking at her cute little face and wondering how it was possible that we created this little person.
      We have had quite a few visitors this past week.  It has been wonderful to introduce Annika Marlene to our family and friends!  People have been so generous with gifts, attention, and support, we have been truly blessed.  Annika has even received packages in the mail addressed just to her.  We have realized that the nordic/scandinavian pronunciation of her name is not always obvious for others. (It is pronounced: Ah-nick-ah Mar-lay-na).
      We have also noticed that Annika has been stretching a lot this week.  She often reaches straight up with one arm and then kind of circles it around her head.  This is usually followed by a leg stretch where one leg is resting on top of the other.
      One fun experience we had this week was giving Annika her first bath at home.  She really loves the warm water, but not the getting ready or getting dried parts.  We have also found out that she is very content in her car seat and usually sleeps the entire time while in it.  We are still learning to be comfortable with settling her into her car seat because she is so little.
       A trip to Target was important after the first few days as we realized that we didn't have many clothes small enough to fit her.  Sizes 0-3 are actually quite big on her and she manged to dirty the two newborn sized onesies within a couple of minutes at the pediatrician's office.  Somehow stripping her down to a clean, dry diaper to be weighed was much more challenging than we thought it should have been.  Lucky we are keeping a good sense of humor and traveling with at least one change of clothing. 

 At her first pediatrician check-up.

 We just can't stop taking pictures of her facial expressions :)

 Going on our first walk around the block.

 Friends Jody and John

 First bath at home in the sink.

 Kyle painted lettering that is hanging above the crib.

 Our friend Heather visited and we walked around the University of Puget Sound campus.  Annika is wearing the adorable knit apple hat that Heather made for her.

       Snuggle time