Saturday night, October 14, around 10pm I thought I was feeling a slight tightening in my back and legs. Not a hard tightening- just like when you move and it's achy, but I hadn't moved. So I wonder, but figure it's nothing, and we go to bed about 10:30pm. At 2:30am I wake up- my mind is racing with work stuff. And I'm a little achy, but didn't think much of it. I go downstairs cause I can't get comfy and figure I just can't sleep cause my mind's racing with thoughts of work... I heat up a rice sock I made and lay down and watch TV. hmmm.. the pains are still there. I realize that they are like when I had Kyle- start in my back, and then they head to my thighs. Probably contractions, but they're not that close together. So about 3:30am I go back up to bed. Still can't get comfortable, and the pains are continuing. At 3:50am I think- let's see how close they are- 11 min, 7 min, 8 min... I tell Chris that I can't sleep I've got these pains, and how they are close together. He says what I'm thinking-I should call the doctor. So I call the doctor's answering service at 4:30am. Chris gets up and gets dressed. He also times the contractions- 3 to 4 min apart. I'm also pacing and breathing with the contractions cause it feels better that way. Around 5:15am I call the service again- Doctor Fitzgerald calls me very soon after. (It's not my midwife or even a Doctor from her office- it's someone different on call that night) I'm finishing a contraction when he calls- I tell him I think I'm having contractions- Yes, I'm early, but I had my son at 32 weeks... It's the same pain I had with him from my back to my legs... about 3-4min apart... We both aren't overly concerned here... Then I have another contraction- stop talking, breath... After I'm done he says come on in and we'll check you out. So I get ready- finish packing my clothes, get dressed, and off we go. About 5:45am we arrive (we're only 10 min from the hospital)- they get my info, hook me up, and check me. I'm already 4 cm! The doctor asks about pain meds- I say I don't want any. The next contraction I'm saying I want some. About 30 minutes later they check me and I'm already 7 cm! They get me into a room, I go to the bathroom and after thay were going to hook me up for pain meds. Before they do, they check me- I'm already 9 1/2 cm and ready!!! So at 7:26am October 15th my beautiful baby girl, Natalie Teresa, arrives!!! 5 pounds 4 ounces, 18 1/2" long. Delivered by Dr. Fitzgerald and Dr. Smith, and Daddy got to cut the cord!

Earlier I had asked the doctor about her chances of having to go to NICU? He said they'd have to check her, but she's farther along so it could be either way. Knowing that checking her meant that they'd deliver her, hand her to the NICU Dr's and then barely let me see her if she does have to go to NICU, I asked he could put her on me right after she's born. I can't remember the exact answer, but it was a we'll see type answer- like a she'll need to be checked answer. So... After she was born, and he was still holding her, I reached out to touch her. He let me touch her head and put her onto my tummy!!! Chris cut the cord while I had her there. They then checked her. They said she showed some respitory distress, and they need to check her. My biggest fear is that maybe her lungs aren't developed??

They let me hold her for a moment- I did NOT want to give her back!!!! I know how tough it is to have them take the baby quickly!

So they bring her to the NICU and then my Mom and Chris check her out- she's doing fine. She'll need to be in the NICU for a few hours for observation, but she'll more than likely be with me in a few hours and we'll get to spend the rest of the time together. Yeah!!!

(speaking of my Mom- she arrived just before I delivered her, but the first thing she asks is where's the camera- which is in the car cause we didn't think it'd happen so quickly. She arrives back within the minute after she's born!, but we have beatiful right after birth pictures of Natalie. (We got Kyle's birth in pictures)- on another note, Chris' parents had Kyle for the weekend and he was already spending the night over there. They arrived hours after she was born- since it happened so fast. Also just after she left the room the doctors were commenting on her being on a mission. Now you need the whole picture, my Mom works for the Air National Guard (Air Force), and this weekend was a drill(work) weekend- she came from work in her fatigues! So the doctor or someone starts humming the theme to mission impossible! It's too funny!)

So about 1:30pm, Natalie is able to come into my room!! Wow- I'm getting a normal experience with my baby. I felt fine after it- I wanted to go home Monday, but they were keeping Natalie till the next day. Well, Tuesday rolls around and Doctor Starr checks her out (not her ped., but someone from the practice) thinks she looks a little yellow(jaundice). So they test her. Her bili is 11.1 not too high. BUT he's erring on the side of caution- she has to stay another day- and I've already been discharged!! I'm in tears to say the least. The nurses are great. Although they have tons of people in labor they will find a way for my to stay with Natalie!! Needless to say the beds are all needed, so they help to set my up in an office for the night with a cot!!! Also since the doctor is treating her for jaundice, Gladys,the head nurse, does manage to talk him into letting us use a "phototherapy blanket" It's like a heating pad that glows green when plugged in- instead of putting her under the lights in an incubator where breastfeeding would be tough and we can't hold her, we use the blanket and can keep her with me and hold her... That evening they test her blood again the bili is 11.6 which could mean that we caught it before it got way too high. Later that evening Maggie calls the Dr. with the results, and Dr. Nguyen, my pediatrician, calls to get them. She even mentions to the nurse she probably would have let me go home. Maggie mentions how they are full and I'm staying on a cot in an office to be there. Well, Dr. Nguyen let's us go home!!!!!! But I have to call her at 11:00am the next morning- ok whatever she wants me to do I will!!! So we got home about 9:45pm on October 17th!! Even with getting up throughout the night I felt much more rested than I would have at the hospital.

October 18th we went in for a checkup at 1:00pm to make sure she looks fine. She does!!!! and she weighed 4lbs.15oz. at discharge, and she weighed the same at the checkup- which is good cause they sometimes lose for several days to a week before they gain weight again!!! She's breastfeeding well.

Kyle is adjusting well. He love to kiss his baby sister. He even gets worried when she cries- especially when the doctor is checking her and she cries.

She's absolutely adorable- looks so much like her big brother did when he was born! I absolutely love my new family!