Natalie

Natalie was born December 2, 2002 and weighed 9 pounds 6 ounces. Her full name is Natalie Eleanor. I had originally wanted to name her Eleanor but we ended up just using it for her middle name. Eleanor comes from my great aunt Eleanor. I have very fond memories of her teaching me how to sew a button onto a shirt and just believing in me. Women I have known with the name of Eleanor always remind me of strong women and for Natalie, I think that will ring true. She has a strong spirit about her!

I found out I was pregnant with Natalie on my 22nd birthday. As soon as Emilie turned 6 months old, I was ready to get pregnant again. Natalie took a little longer to conceive than Emilie did or as I would find out, Kodie would. My pregnancy with her was extremely easy. I walked daily and ate much more healthy this time around. I was nervous to be adding a second child because most people I spoke to made it sound a bit terrifying.

My mom and aunt came to Japan two weeks before my due date to be there for Natalie's birth. Natalie however had different plans. Natalie was in absolutely no hurry to be born. My aunt left to go back to the states and I was still pregnant. I spent the day after Thanksgiving for a non-stress test at labor and delivery. I was 4 cm dilated but the doctor sent me home. I left very frustrated because I had been told up to that point that once I was 4 cm they would induce me but what I came to find out that every doctor has a different opinion and no two doctors do things the same way. As we got ready to leave I told Steve I was not coming back to the hospital unless it was my induction date or my water broke...this had not been my first visit to labor and delivery so I was feeling a bit irrational at the time. The doctor overheard me and tried to reassure me and told me to come back if I had contractions. The problem was, I was having contractions but not enough to make me dilate more. My mind had been made up though, I was having Natalie at home before going back to labor and delivery unless my water broke.

Thankfully, I did not have Natalie at home...I don't know what I was thinking! I made it to my induction date. My mom and friend Brandy stayed home with Emilie and Steve and I went to the hospital. The induction started at 8 am and I had decided I wanted an epidural again. By 9 am, the contractions were strong and I was 6 cm dilated so they called for the anesthesiologist. That doctor was in my room within 5 minutes and I had quickly dilated to 8 cm so they told me no epidural but they could give me something else and again, 5 minutes later they decided to check me again because I was in a lot of pain. They quickly realized that I was ready to push and it was now too late for any medication. That's right, in all of 10 minutes I had gone from 6 cm to ready to deliver our second daughter.

Some of my delivery is a blur because it happened so quickly but what I do remember is Natalie being born to a room full of what felt like a ton of people because everyone had been paged to come deliver her at that point. No one thought my delivery would be that quick considering my labor with Emilie was almost 72 hours. Natalie had also passed meconium so they had paged the pediatrician's too. One thing I do remember clearly were the comments of how big she was. We were all shocked when she was weighed and we saw 9 pounds 6 ounces!!

Steve called my mom shortly thereafter and my mom thought for sure he was playing a practical joke until she heard Natalie crying in the background. This delivery was so different from my first. I felt very connected to her and I felt great afterwards. I was able to get up once everyone had taken care of everything and walk around where with Emilie I was stuck in the labor room because the epidural left me not being able to walk for a couple of hours.

Natalie is now in 3rd grade. She is spunky,energetic and a funny kid. She has kept me on my toes that's for sure and sometimes I worry about the teenage years with her because of her strong-willed spirit. She is a child where you never have to guess how she's feeling. She reminds me of myself sometimes. I remember being dramatic at times as a kid and I see it in her.

I think Natalie could lead to some interesting blogs!