Natalie is here!

Natalie Paige 12-23-08 8:23pm, 8 pounds, 11.2 ounces, 20 inches

The big event started at 6:30 am on the 21st. Contractions were a solid 7 min apart. By 2 they were at about 4 min so we went to the dr. I had only dilated to 1 cm so the dr thought it might be false labor. They gave me some pills that would knock me out for 6 hours and when I would wake up either it would all be gone, proof of false labor - or it would be in full swing. WELL-- i never fell asleep! the contractions continued the whole time getting continually harder. At 2 am on the 22nd we were back at the hospital.

I had progressed to 3 cm, but while they were screening me, Natalie's heartbeat dropped for a few seconds. To be on the safe side we were admitted and I was given pitocin to help make my contractions stronger to dilate me more (this is when i got the epidural, the pain was just more than i had thought it could/would be)At 9 am my water broke and I was dilated to a 6. by around noon I was FINALLY an 8. And by about 3 I reached a 9. Where I stayed for over 5 hours.

The pain was horrible but the medicine was working - that is until the nurse shift change. A nurse turned it off and never turned it back on! The pain kept building and I kept trying to deal with it. But it got so bad I thought I was going to die. That is when Daniel noticed what happened and we got the anesthesiologist to turn it bak on and give me some drugs to hold me over.

TOO bad the pain dr over dosed me and it stopped me from dilating. By now i have been in labor for 30 hours and I am stuck at a 9. A few more hours go by and with me still at a 9 the dr gets me to push. I pushed and pushed and PUSHed... nothing. That is when the dr said I could push all day, but her head wasn't going to make it out, OR go for the c -section.

So with her head nearly out, I have to stop pushing and wait about 45 min for the anesthesia to relieve the pain. It was now 8pm. 38 hours from the start of things.

I was so scared, not at all prepared for a major surgery, but I knew it had to be done. The drs took me to the OR and prepped me, Daniel met me in there when they were done prepping me and 30 min later we had a baby! Daniel saw her first and they finally let me see her! oh she was perfect.

Then the drugs all kicked in and I passed out.I was in recovery for 2 hours then taken to the mommy wing. I thought I was going to be able to see natalie but she had been taken to the nursery because at some point I had spiked a fever and they had to monitor her. The next afternoon I was finally able to stand well enough to get into a wheel chair amd I was taken over to the nursery to see her. OMG she is amazing.

for the next 24 hours as my strength built back up I took many trips to the nursery to see her and at 5pm on Christmas day, Natalie came home with us, making the West family complete!