Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77717 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77717 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
“I can’t feel anything. I shouldn’t have gotten the epidural. What if I push wrong?”
“There’s no wrong way to push,” the nurse says. “And you did great with the practice pushes. Are you ready?”
Lauren looks at me, green eyes full of fear. “I think so.”
“I’ll get the doctor.”
“Noah,” Lauren says as soon as the nurse leaves the room. “I’m scared.”
“I know you are. But you’re going to do fine. Our baby is almost here. You can do this.”
She closes her eyes and lets out a shaky breath. “I hope you’re right.”
“I know I’m right.”
The doctor comes in, and just a few minutes later I’m holding onto Lauren’s leg, watching our baby come into the world. She’s tiny and wrinkly and covered in goo, but she’s the most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes on.
She’s perfect.
Then she opens her mouth and lets out a little scream, followed by a cry. I’m hit in the heart with emotion.
That is my daughter.
That teeny tiny little thing is mine. She gets to come home with us, make us a family.
The nurse puts a blanket over Ella then puts her on Lauren’s chest.
“Oh my god,” Lauren whispers, tears running down her face. “Ella.” Carefully she wraps her arms around the little bundle and kisses Ella’s head, which is full of hair, dark like Lauren’s.
I move to the head of the bed and put my hand over Lauren’s. Ella’s cries quiet, soothed by the touch of her mother.
“Dad,” the nurse calls a bit later. “Time to cut the cord.”
I don’t want to step away from Ella. It takes me a few seconds to tear away and cut the thick cord. Then I’m right back up there with Lauren and Ella.
“Hi, sweetie,” Lauren says softly. “I’m your mommy, and this is your daddy. We love you very much already.” She closes her eyes, nuzzling her face against Ella. “Is she okay?” she asks the nurse.
“She’s perfect.”
“Told you,” I say with a smile, looking down at our baby. I lean over and kiss Lauren. “Good job, Mama.”
“Do you want to hold her?” Lauren asks.
“Yeah. How do I pick her up?”
The nurse comes over and helps, tucking the blanket around Ella’s little body. She opens her deep-blue eyes and looks around, taking in the new world. She’s so light in my arms, like a feather. It’s crazy how something so little, something I’ve only seen for mere minutes, can make me feel so much love.
I look down at Ella, then at Lauren. “We did this.”
I sit in an uncomfortable chair next to a hospital bed, holding a sleeping baby. It’s been four hours since Lauren gave birth. We’re in a different room now, and her parents—and my mother—are all crowded in to see Ella. Everything went as smooth as we could hope, and Ella is perfect.
“It’s my turn to hold that baby,” Mrs. Winters says. I carefully stand and hand her Ella. I move to the bed, sitting on the edge next to Lauren.
“Are you doing okay?” I ask.
“I’m sore,” she says. “The epidural is completely worn off now.”
“Want me to call the nurse? She said you can have pain medicine.”
“Yeah. And I have to pee. Help me up?”
I take her hand and slowly help her to her feet. She winces when she takes a step. She did end up tearing and needing stitches.
“Can you fill this with warm water?” she asks, sitting on the toilet.
“Sure, but, why?” I take a squirt bottle from her and move to the sink.
“I can’t wipe.”
“Oh.” I turn the water on. “Birth is a lot more, uh, messy than I thought.”
“Are you glad you watched it or do you wish you hadn’t?”
“No, I’m glad I did. Yeah, it’s messy but it was kind of amazing.”
She smiles. “I’m glad you were there. I’m glad we were there.”
I know what she means. We were there together, as a couple. “We will always be there.”
“And we just had a moment while I’m on the toilet,” she chuckles.
I fill up the bottle. “I didn’t even realize that. Spoken like a real couple, right?”
“Right.”
I help her back into bed.
“She looks just like you,” my mom tells me. “I’ll find your baby pictures when I get back home and send them over.”
Our parents stay for a while longer, then leave so Lauren can sleep. But right after they leave, the nurse comes in to check on Lauren and Ella, then sticks around to help Lauren with breastfeeding. Ella is sleepy and not wanting to latch.
I thought pushing out the baby was the hard part.
Twenty minutes later, I’m able to take Ella and Lauren lays down. Not five minutes later, someone knocks on the door, asking about insurance. By the time they leave, the nurse has to come back and take vitals.
And now I remember why I hate hospitals.
“You’re never going to get any sleep at this rate,” I say, taking Ella out of Lauren’s arms after a feeding again. “Try to rest now.”