diff --git a/RestConnection.inc b/RestConnection.inc
index 84c3c3e8..b8ccaec5 100644
--- a/RestConnection.inc
+++ b/RestConnection.inc
@@ -1,6 +1,27 @@
 <?php
 
+//do this until we expost these in a module or library
+require_once 'sites/all/libraries/tuque/Datastream.php';
+require_once 'sites/all/libraries/tuque/FedoraApi.php';
+require_once 'sites/all/libraries/tuque/FedoraApiSerializer.php';
+require_once 'sites/all/libraries/tuque/Object.php';
+require_once 'sites/all/libraries/tuque/RepositoryConnection.php';
+require_once 'sites/all/libraries/tuque/Cache.php';
+require_once 'sites/all/libraries/tuque/RepositoryException.php';
 
+class RestConnection {
+  public $connection = NULL;
+  public $api = NULL;
+  public $cache = NULL;
+  public $repository = NULL;
+
+  function RestConnection($user){
+  $url = variable_get('islandora_base_url', 'http://localhost:8080/fedora');
+  $this->$connection = new RepositoryConnection($url, $user->name, $user->password);
+  $this->$connection->reuseConnection = TRUE;
+  $this->api = new FedoraApi($connection);
+  $this->cache = new SimpleCache(); 
+  $this->repository = new FedoraRepository($api,$cache);
+  }
+}
 
- 
-?>
diff --git a/islandora.api.php b/islandora.api.php
index 67f8c98a..da949ffa 100644
--- a/islandora.api.php
+++ b/islandora.api.php
@@ -9,3 +9,12 @@ function hook_islandora_view_object($object_id){}
 function hook_islandora_get_types(){}
 
 function hook_islandora_add_datastream($object_id) {}
+
+/**
+ * creates and populates a php Fedora object. 
+ */
+function hook_islandora_preingest_alter(){}
+
+function hook_islandora_postingest($object){}
+
+function hook_islandora_datastream_edit($object, $dsid){}
\ No newline at end of file