update on Natalie Thursday 1/15

(If you haven't read the first post about Natalie below, read that one first)

Quick update before I try to go get some sleep:
Natalie's surgery is scheduled for Saturday morning. It will take around 4-6 hours. She will remain sedated and basically paralyzed for about 2 days afterwards. We originally thought she'd be able to come home 2-3 days after the surgery but today the pediatric urologist said 10-14 days. i think we will just have to wait and see how it goes. When she comes home she 'll be in a cast around her whole pelvic area and she'll have a catheter because her bladder is small and will be irritated from the surgery. She will keep both of those for 4-6 weeks.

Katie and Annabelle have been with my parents for the couple days after Natalie was born. Last night Ben took them home and they came back to the hosptial today and basically spent the day here. Annabelle even took a nap in my guest house room. It was good to be together as a family but I can tell it's hard on the two girls. Katie did really well until it was time to go then she got a little clingy with me. It has been a little harder on Annabelle. She's not able to understand quite as well what's going on and I know she misses me and our normal routine at home. But they are home with their Daddy right now and he knows how to take good care of all his girls.

Thanks for all the calls and e-mails and comments and prayers. We really appreciate all of them even though i can't respond to everything right now. Sometimes I forget that with all that's going on I'm still a post-partum Mom that's feeding a newborn around the clock. So on that note, I'm going to go get some sleep.

Yes, Rachel i've thought of you and your time here with Julia. yes, i'm in the Rossi guest house.

I'm anxious to upload pictures but I can't find a computer here in the hospital that will let me do that. maybe i can get ben to do it from home.

okay, good night for reals now.