My Angel

Surprise!

Our little angel 

Annalea Fey

arrived May 7th,

at 36 weeks -3 days.

5lb, 1oz

I can't even begin to put into words how incredible it feels to hold

my baby girl in my arm. It was a long hard journey; the last 5 years have been full

 of tremendous emotion as we endured years of infertility, 

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), a difficult pregnancy, and a life threatening delivery. 

At my 36 week routine doctor visit I was sent over to the hospital for

what my doctor presumed was the early stages of preeclampsia. 

I felt fine so I wasn't too worried but I couldn't help but think "oh, poor sybil!"

(My Downton Abbey friends will certainly understand my thought process).

From there everything unravelled rather quickly.

I was diagnoses with HELLP sydrom,

a very scary life threatening complication.

After a difficult (but luckily short) natural delivery,

I was rushed off to the operating room where I lost 

3 liters of blood from a hemorrhage.

It is by the grace of God and the skill of my doctors and nurses

that I am alive today.

My recovery has been miraculous. 

Many woman diagnosed with HELLP are not so lucky. 

Even after having a terrible reaction to a blood transfusion 

days after my delivery,

baby girl and I were allowed to go home after only 6 days. 

After returning home I went in for a second CT scan, 

where another miracle presented itself. 

My first scan had shown tumors on my lungs,

but there was nothing there the second time around!

It will take my body 6 weeks to replenish my blood supplies. 

Each day I get stronger, although there is still much I can not do.

After being so sick during my pregnancy, 

it's sometimes easy to forget just how

fragile my body is right now. 

I'm so grateful to my family and friends,

and especially my mom and husband

for their tremendous love and support during this time. 

*kissing my baby girl just before they took me back to the OR

Annalea is doing great! She is struggling with reflux, and isn't a strong sleeper,

but she is otherwise healthy and striving. 

I feel so tremendously blessed,

The love I feel for my baby girl is without measure. 

She is my JOY!