The first two months of the new year seemed to move a bit more slowly than the ones at the end of the year. Charlie’s body continued to change and she was finally feeling hugely fat and pregnant. She still had a hard time believing there was only one baby in there, but Sandi assured her that being pregnant the last two months had always made her feel as though she must be having twins or triplets. They agreed they couldn’t understand how any woman could have huge multiple births and remain sane in their own bodies.
If Charlie had felt like she needed to move into the bathroom
because she had to pee so often, as each and every day went by, the water she took in
seemed to pass right through her. If she hadn’t been so thirsty most of the
time, she swore she’d have given up drinking anything. Sandi also suggested she
try Depends or begin wearing menstrual pads, but that seemed disgusting,
although she wondered what was more disgusting panties with pee in them or
something to catch the pee. And, it only got worse when the baby turned head
down. She was sure her bladder was incapable of holding more than a tablespoon
of fluid.
Charlie was looking forward to beginning her maternity leave the
beginning of March. She was looking forward to spending some time nesting and
just lazing about the house for a week or two, but the baby had other plans.
She was holding her final meeting with Stephanie and Dennis before beginning
her leave when her water broke. And, it didn’t just begin to leak out, but
gushed, wetting her from the crotch down. By the looks of what ended up on
the floor, Charlie thought there must have been gallons in there. She was
horribly embarrassed, but Steph and Dennis, both parents, immediately took
over.
“Dennis, while I call Adam, go get my
car. We’re gonna need to get her to the hospital ASAP.”
“Adam, this is Stephanie. Charlie’s
water just broke and I’m taking her to the hospital now. We’ll meet you there.”
Just then, Charlie felt the first
contraction and it hurt. Once it passed, she looked at Stephanie and said,
“Jesus, but that hurt like a bitch.”
“They do sometimes Charlie, but you’ll
be fine. Now, let’s walk you out to my car.”
On the way out, Charlie had to stop as
another contraction rolled through her. When she could walk again, she asked,
“How long is this gonna last. It’s horrible.”
“You won’t even remember once the baby
arrives.” Stephanie reassured her as she grabbed a blanket from the backseat
and placed it on the passenger seat. “Now, climb in there and let’s get you
buckled up. I’ve a feeling I need to drive faster than the speed limit because
your contractions are strong and so close together. This is amazing for a first
baby.”
While Stephanie drove, Charlie tried
to concentrate on what she’d learned in the birthing classes. The next time a
contraction arrived, her breathing was her entire focus. She had additional
contractions before Stephanie pulled into the hospital ER and jumped from the
car.
In the midst of another contraction,
Charlie barely realized the car had stopped or Stephanie had left until her car
door opened and a white-clad person reached in to help her out and into a
wheelchair. She was barely pushed through the entrance when Adam appeared by
her side. “Oh baby. You okay? What can I do?”
“Excuse me sir, but you need to get
out of the way. We need to take her to the maternity ward right now.”
Charlie didn’t pay attention to
anyone. Another contraction was coming and this time she wanted to do something
about it. She clenched her teeth and took a deep breath only to have her
concentration broken by a voice in her ear, “Don’t bear down, don’t bear down.
Pant, that’s it, pant. Just pant, don’t push.”
When the pain began to leave, she
heard the voice yell, “We don’t have time for a labor room. We need to get her
into delivery STAT.”
Before another pain arrived, most of
her clothes were gone, she’d been moved onto a gurney, and there was someone,
her doctor she realized, between her thighs. “She’s fully dilated and I can see
the head crowning. Okay Charlie, the next contraction, I want you to push. I
want you to push as hard as you can.”
While they waited, Charlie realized
that somehow Adam had managed to get behind her and as the next contraction
began, he raised her to an almost sitting position. She grabbed hold of the arm
he’d placed around her chest and squeezed so hard he thought she’d break his
bone. Teeth gritted, grunting and groaning, Charlie pushed before the pain left
and she slumped back against Adam. It wasn’t much of a rest because almost
immediately, the pain began to resume. Again, Adam propped her up as she
grunted and pushed with every muscle she had. Before the pain totally
diminished, there was the sound of a newborn cry in the delivery room.
Charlie sank back against Adam as an
ugly little thing was placed on her abdomen. Oh my god, there’s something wrong
with my baby she thought as Adam moved away to cut the baby’s umbilical cord.
“You have a beautiful, healthy boy
Charlie. Congratulations.” Her doctor said.
Charlie shook her head and crying,
asked, “What’s wrong with it? It looks so bad.”
“Charlie, there’s nothing wrong. He’s
just covered with birthing material. Once he’s been cleaned up, he’ll be pink
and lovely. Here.” And her doctor placed it on her chest.
Charlie looked down into a pair of
dark blue eyes that seemed to know her down to her very soul. His forehead
wrinkled and his mouth seemed to form a smile before opening wide in a yawn, as
if to say, “Getting born’s hard work.”
Then, he was taken away while they
tended to Charlie. The doctor told Adam how surprised she was to have Charlie’s
water break and the birth happen so closely together. “She’s a lucky woman. It
may have been painful, but it didn’t last long. She’s a natural breeder.”
Charlie, still conscious of the
horrendous pain snorted. Natural breeder my ass she thought. I won’t ever be
doing this again in my life.
Once she was ensconced in her room,
all clean and tidy, the nurse brought in the baby bucket on wheels in which her
son was all bound up tight and sound asleep.
“Do you want to hold him?” The nurse
asked.
“Yes, please.”
Once he was in her arms, with Adam
beside the bed, Charlie undid the snug blankets. She knew it was important to
keep the baby tightly wrapped, but she had to see him. “Oh, Adam, look at those
toes. Look at his little fingers. Oh, Adam, isn’t he the most beautiful baby
you’ve ever seen?”
Adam agreed and helped her re-wrap the
baby as he began to cry. “Maybe he’s hungry.” Adam suggested.
It was as if she’d been doing it her
whole life. Charlie moved her gown aside and lifted him to nestle against her
bare chest. She used her hand to direct his mouth to her nipple. He looked like
a little bird as his head flopped back and forth, looking for a way to get the
nipple. Then, he latched on and Charlie felt such a connection with her child,
she wasn’t sure she could explain it or identify it. Such contentment. Such
peace. Such love.
Charlie looked at Adam with tears in
her eyes. “Thank you for this Adam. Thank you for him.”
Adam responded with the gentlest of
kisses as his huge hand cupped the baby’s head.
Since Charlie was already
breastfeeding successfully and since her labor and delivery had no
complications, her doctor allowed her to go home late evening. Before the
birth, Charlie had thought she’d be terrified to bring the baby home all on her
own. She’d thought she’d need her mamma and maybe even Sandi with her for
reassurance, but that wasn’t the case.
The birth had happened so quickly,
there hadn’t been any time to call the various family and friends who were
going to be involved at the hospital and when she went home. Once Adam got her
settled into their bed, the bassinet with the little guy in it adjacent, he
began calling everyone to share the news. Of course, most people wanted to come
visit, but realized it was much too late. He even managed to hold Ruth Ann off
until late morning the next day. He also hoped there wouldn’t be a deluge of
visitors because he really wanted some time for just the three of them to
adjust to each other.
As if the fast labor and delivery had
been a gift, the new baby made his presence known almost immediately. Adam was
still making phone calls when he began to cry. Charlie scooped him up and
offered him her nipple, but he ignored it, continuing to cry to the point he
was all red. Charlie was sure there was something wrong. She tried jiggling him
against her chest and that didn’t help. She checked his diaper and he was dry.
She didn’t know what to do and joined her baby in crying. While she wasn’t
screeching like he was, the tears were flowing fast and hard down her face when
Adam came back in the bedroom.
“Something’s wrong Adam. We have to go
back to the hospital. Something’s the matter with our baby. Oh my God, I don’t
know what to do.”
Adam took the little guy from Charlie
and began to hum a tune he’d hummed against Charlie’s tummy throughout the
pregnancy. He, too, jiggled the baby but walked around as he did so. Soon, the
cries had turned into little whimpers and hiccoughs and he was again sleep.
Charlie smiled through her tears,
“Well, look at you, the baby whisperer. Oh Adam, I’m so glad you knew what to
do. This just scared the hell out of me. What’s going to happen when you’re not
here? I can’t believe I thought I could be a mom and raise a child. I’m going
to be horrible at this.”
“Honey, you forget I have nieces and
nephews and was around when most of them were born. I babysat for every single
one of them when I was needed and mom wasn’t available. I’ve had crying babies
in my life before, but this one is the most special. As for you being a mom,
you’ll be great and I’ll be here to help always.”
Adam put the baby back into his
bassinet and climbed on the bed with Charlie. She carefully snuggled up against
him because her bottom was sore from the birth. She didn’t know if she’d had to
have stitches and hadn’t asked, but very much pressure caused pain.
“So, what are we going to name the
little guy?” Adam asked Charlie. I know we talked about several male names, but
we never did make a decision. Now that he’s here, what do you think will best
fit our boy? My siblings have already used my parent’s names, so we don’t have
to think about that. You want to name him after your dad?”
Charlie was silent for a bit,
reviewing the various names they’d sort of put on their list before suggesting,
“Maybe daddy’s name as a middle name, but I’ve never really liked the name
Simon. How about Charles Adam and we could call him Chase?”
“Using both our names doesn’t leave
much for any other kid we have.”
“Speak for yourself buddy. Your bottom
doesn’t hurt when you plop down on it. I seriously doubt I’ll want to do this
again…EVER.”
“I heard that’s what most women who
just gave birth say, but I’ve also heard that you’ll soon forget the pain and
difficulty.”
“Yeah, well I’m not most women, I’m me
and don’t plan to do this EVER again.” Both times, Charlie had emphasized the
word ever, but Adam didn’t seem to hear it.
“Okay, well, how about the name that
was at the top of the boy’s list? I really did like Jacob Rowan so we could
call him JR. What do you think? I like that better than Charles Adam.”
Charlie heaved a big sigh and yawned. “Okay,
fine. JR it is then. I think I brought the paper home that we’re supposed to
fill out and send in. You’ll have to find it. Geeze, but I’m tired.”
Adam lay there for a while as Charlie
slept. He was sure they’d have more children than just JR, but he didn’t plan
to push the idea for at least a year. Surely by then Charlie would be like all
the other women he’d known and have forgotten the trauma of JR’s birth.
Adam was almost asleep too when JR
began to fuss. Adam pulled away from Charlie who didn’t wake and picked up the
baby. He changed his diaper and could tell the baby wanted to suck, so he woke
Charlie up. Her milk wasn’t in yet, but what the baby did get now was full of
good stuff.
He hummed and jostled JR until Charlie
returned from the bathroom, complaining loudly about how much it hurt to pee.
She plumped her pillows and carefully got back in bed. When she was ready, Adam
handed JR to her and watched as Charlie exposed her nipple to the baby and the
small grimace she made as he latched on.
Charlie leaned back against the
pillows and looked down at her son. His little mouth worked hard sucking on her
nipple. His eyes gazed into hers and again, she felt such a close connection
with him. She continued to stare, as if hypnotized, until JR’s eyes began to
lose focus and close. She was sorry to lose that connection but knew she would
have it again and looked forward to the experience.
Her own eyes began to drift closed too
and she thought about the big changes that had occurred in her life in such a
short time. Her little house, Adam’s entry into her life, his importance to
her, the wedding, the pregnancy, and now the little mite whose weight gently
rested against her.
Charlie’s last thought as she joined her baby in sleep was that she’d never ever expected her life to be this good. Her lips curved up in a smile as she realized she had a whole lifetime ahead that included Adam and JR and maybe, someday, a sibling for JR.
finis