update on Natalie Sat afternoon 1/17

we just finished talking to the surgeons and they said things couldn't have gone better and they are very pleased. Much relief to us. thanks to all that have had Natalie in your prayers. we haven't seen her yet...they are just putting on her cast and then will get her set up in the NICU. They will keep her asleep until Tuesday. At some point after she wakes up I will be able to breastfeed her..unsure exactly when. Meanwhile they will be able to give her my milk via a feeding tube. best case scenario is that she comes home maybe next Friday. i guess it just depends on how her recovery goes.

Natalie's awesome nurse went into the OR with her to help get her situated and she told us afterwards that Natalie was laying on the table just content and looking around until they put her to sleep. i was so happy to hear that!! She had cried a little on and off on the way to the OR and I was worried she would be crying until they got her to sleep. i'm telling you, that is one content little baby. She really has been an angel through this whole ordeal. After she was asleep it took them 2 hours to get the additional IV lines in that they wanted (thank goodness she was asleep for that!) so they didn't actually start until 10:30 and it's 3:30 now and she should be in the NICU shortly.

After we see Natalie i plan on coming home for the couple of days that she is asleep. i may need to bring more milk back up depending on how much she takes (I'm leaving some behind when we go today). It will be hard to come home without her but I need to take this window of time to be with my other girls while there is nothing I can physically do for Natalie.

I was going to be booted out of my guest house room on Monday because of rennovations but today they were able to get me in another room and they didn't care that I might not sleep there for a couple nights...i will have the room indefinitely when I come back...a big relief.

I hope people will not take this the wrong way but even though I will be coming home for a day or two I do not think I will be up to a lot of visitors. I am deliriously tired and worn out and I haven't had much time with katie and annabelle. I'm hoping to spend the next couple days resting and being together as a family. We have totally appreciated the love and support we've felt. Thanks again for all your prayeres for Natalie, we feel blessed that everything went so well.