Little Annie Joy is now 10 days old! She was born Monday September 10th at 9:29am by Cesarean section at Liverpool Women's Hospital. She weighed 8lb 2oz.
Lee was there at the birth & was a great support to me throughout the section. I don't know what I would have done without him there!
Our first visitors were Auntie Helen, Uncle Ian & Jordan. I wasn't very well at all on Monday so I was glad that Jordan was more interested in his new sister to worry about me although he was a little unnerved by all the drip tubes in my hands! As you can see, Jordan couldn't have been more pleased to have the little sister he had asked God for so many months ago!
On Tuesday, I was feeling much better & little Annie had her first bath & her first professional photograph by the Bounty Lady who said how gorgeous she was & how she could photograph her all day!
Feeding Annie was very slow to start as Annie was very relaxed & not really in a hurry to feed so I had to express milk for her to drink. Jordan was fascinated by the orange milk! I like to call it liquid gold as it is so precious!
Annie had a bad case of jaundice so we put her on the sunbed! (In the window of my ward!) I had prayed that I would have a bed by the window & it was such a blessing to be able to use the sunlight to help Annie get better. she lost a lot of weight so we needed all the help we could get to get her feeding & putting on weight again.
She just looked so sweet asleep in her hospital cot!
And just look at the size of the security tag she had to wear on her leg! If anyone tied to walk off the ward with her an alarm would have sounded & all the doors would lock!
Lee came to visit us every day juggling time at home with the boys to allow my parents to visit me in hospital. My mum & dad did a fantastic job looking after the boys while I was in hospital for 6 days. In the photo above Annie is wearing her Liverpool Football Club outfit which all our boys have worn when they were born. Jordan said to Annie very sweetly 'Look Annie! That's Lilly the Liverbird on your top!' pointing to the Liverbird crest. Then he added 'Oh! You don't know what a Liverbird is do you? It's a bird Annie!' Then a few minutes later he said 'But you don't know what a bird is either do you?'
After many blood tests Annie's Billi Ruben levels started to drop & she gained 30grams & we could come home at last! With my staples removed, medicines & painkillers in hand we were briskly discharged from hospital & made our way home to our lovely boys. Annie loves sleeping in her Silver Cross pram/cot & has been out for 2 walks in it with Lee & the boys (who love helping to push her along in it).
All 3 boys are so in love with their little sister & are keen to cuddle her & involve her in everything. They call her 'My Annie' or 'Mrs Annie'. This morning I lay in bed with all 3 boys & Annie just enjoying being together (poor Lee lost his place in the bed when he went to the toilet though!). It is so great that the boys have accepted Annie without too much trouble at all. Long may that continue!
Annie loves to sleep & cries very little. She really is an easy baby so far! We just need her to feed a bit more & get back up to her birth weight! (She weighs 7lb 8oz at the moment so quite a way to go yet!)
Today we all went out in the car together for the first time as I wanted to go to the feeding clinic at the hospital at 9:30am. We managed to get all 6 of us out of the house & the boys to school for 9am but we forgot to pick up my medical notes & nappies for Annie!!! So anyway, life with 4 kids is going well but there's no routine as yet! I have 2 more weeks of Lee being off work before I need to do it all on my own.... can't see how that's going to happen at the moment but I'm sure we'll manage somehow! In the meantime we are so very grateful to my mum especially for all her help during the pregnancy & while I was in hospital, to my Dad & to our friends who are cooking us lovely meals for our tea each night until the end of the month. We really have been truly blessed by God in every way! :O)
