On June 17, 29 years ago ...

Good morning Tuesday!

29 years ago, on this very day— June, 17 1996— I gave birth to a little baby girl at Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax, Virginia.

The little girl was my very own Karolina.

I was thirty years old, Peter was 31. Proud parents we were.

There she was, our perfect little baby girl. 

We had never seen anything so pretty in our lives.

In the very end of my pregnancy I suffered from pre-eclampsia and I was to be induced, but my water broke early in the morning that Monday.

Yes, it was a Monday, and Peter was about to take off for work. I had been on sick-leave from my job for a while. 

Time for baby to be born. Ten days earlier than expected.

So in to the hospital we went.

And then we waited and waited in the delivery room I had assigned to me. I got induced around 11 AM,  And it hurt like HELL with every contraction.  Being induced is not fun ... We waited some more ...

I got an epidural—best feeling ever. And we waited some more, and waited ...

The little girl did not want to drop into the birth canal …

My OB/GYN (förlossningsläkare) told me that she wanted to perform a c-section since the baby was under stress.

I did not object at this point.

So yes, into the OR we went. And just a little bit later Karolina was BORN!!!

 

This is the very first picture taken of Karolina.  The hospitals here take pictures pretty much right after birth.  Well, she's cleaned up and all, but this is the first pic of her.  Since it was a c-section nor Peter nor I were even thinking of taking a pic earlier than this.  Now we sort of wish Peter had done so, but back then it did not even cross our minds (way before smart phones even existed)

And there she was, all perfect.

She weighed in at 8 pounds and 4 ounces. That equals 3.800 grams. She was 21 inches long, 52 centimeters.

We stayed in the hospital for four days. Then it was time to go home.  

At about five weeks old.

Here we are around five months of age.

A little one year old.

She grew up up to be a very independent little girl.

And so funny and charming! I think she was born with a wicked sense of humor.

Also she has such an easiness to her, I think she can talk to almost anybody in the world and find a common ground with that person.

She's an extroverted soul in a very pleasant way.

 

Halloween 1997.

All baby dolls in our bed :-)

When she started Kindergarten she pretty much asked me to leave the school building , she was fine and a 'big girl', jag är inte rädd, mamma (I am not scared). Du kan gå (you can leave). 

She loved her school. She had so many friends growing up, in different friend groups.

And yes, Karolina is truly bilingual (and I am crazy proud of that fact).

 

Christmas 1997

Around 4 years old.

Playing video games with Peter.

Around five years old with me.

At seven years old, she asked us if she could start taking drama lessons . Yes, of course.

And that was that, she took theater and drama all the way thru college. She was in every school play there was. It was no problem for her being in school rehearsing after hours and on weekends.  She loved it.

 

Little colonial girl on stage.

With the drama group.

After a performance.

A Mother's Day a long time ago.

With my mom not very long ago.

Check out the way my aunt Lisbeth looks at the girl!

With my dad 2021.

When it was time for university all she wanted was to study theater Arts and get a degree in Fine Arts.

That she did, she majored in Theater Arts and became an actor with a minor in journalism.

 

A head shot taken a couple of years ago.

Karolina and I in 2021.

In LA a couple of years ago.

Karolina and I at Mama Shelter in Hollywood.

Last time we were in the OBX.

Then she set a time line for herself. BY March 2019 I will be in LA.

And sure, enough … She was in Los Angeles then.

She’s been there ever since.

You all know what happened, COVID did. And Covid hampered her acting dreams. There were zero auditions during this time, LA was under a strict lockdown, all drama classes were cancelled. There was nothing. 

She met Mike in December 2019, and during Covid she hung out with Mike and Mike’s friends in their big apartment in West Hollywood.

I am so glad she had Mike during this time.

Now Karolina works as a producer for Dear Media in Hollywood. She produces podcasts, mainly for women by women. And yes, I think she might continue the path of producing.

 

Karolina and Mike at some event.

At Mike's brother's wedding last year.

I shot this pic of the young couple last year in Joshua Tree.

Today she’s turning 29! My big little girl.

Pretty soon we’ll get together.

And thanks for FaceTime. I love how easy it is to keep in touch these days.

All right, dear reader, have a great June, 17!!