Moving Forward

She's Here

"I can't believe I thought the 8 hours with Ava was long." I complain to Brad, rolling over in the hospital bed trying to get comfortable "This is so much worse."

He holds my hand, trying to make me feel better.

"But it's going to be worth it as soon as it's over. You know that."

I finally start to get comfortable just in time for another contraction, leaving me feeling even worse than before.

"Brad go get someone." I cringe in pain as it ends "Now."

"But they just said you're only at 8."

"I don't care what they said. I need to push." I breathe through the pain of another one as he leaves room.

A nurse runs in the room following Brad, getting in her spot at my feet, checking to make sure I'm serious.

"Get her doctor." She tells another nurse who immediately runs out of the room.

I try my hardest not to push until the doctor gets in the room, not wanting anything crazy to happen, but the pain is almost unbearable. I can't take it much longer.

"Jennifer I need you to relax." She looks up at me. I look at Brad as I feel the next contraction, knowing that is not going to happen.

"I can't." I finally tell her, trying to breathe through all the pain "I need to push."

She quickly grabs the supplies she needs, and tells me to start whenever I'm ready. I take a deep breath and start immediately.

"You got this, babe." Brad leans over me, trying to see the baby "You're almost done."

I take a break from pushing, trying to regain my strength. He grabs my hand, watching with excitement.

"Fuck!" I complain as I push again and the pain gets even worse. Brad pushes my sweaty, wet hair out of my face, kissing my forehead, trying to encourage me.

"You're almost done, Jennifer. One more push." The nurse grabs a blanket and hands Brad scissors "You can do this."

I gather the rest of my strength, pushing as hard as I can. I need to get this baby out. Now.

"Just a little more!" Brad says excitedly as I push one last time.

I feel the nurse help pull her out, and relief rushes over me.

"Here she is." She smiles, laying her on my chest "Beautiful baby girl."

I pull her closer, falling even more in love with her by the second. Brad reaches out, taking the scissors the nurse gave him to cut the cord so that we can hold her better.

"She looks so much like Ava." He smiles down at her, admiring her beauty as he cries "I can't believe she's here. It's still so surreal."

"I can't wait to see them together." I stare at her as she looks up at us "I wasn't thrilled about having to start over, but she's so worth it. Shes worth everything."

My doctor walks in eventually, surprised that she missed everything.

"I'm so sorry, there was an emergency and the last we checked, you weren't far enough along." She quickly looks at all the monitors and talks to the nurse to make sure everything is okay.

"It's fine, as long as she's okay it doesn't matter." I look up from the baby just long enough to talk "She is okay, right?"

"She's perfect. There weren't any complications and she's breathing well on her own, all we need now is to weigh and measure her whenever you're ready."

I eventually hand her over to the nurses so we can call our parents and have them bring Ava. They do everything they need, giving her to Brad once they're done so I can get some rest.

"Be quiet so mommy and the baby can sleep." I hear Brad whispering as I start to wake up "You can come with me to get some food."

I wait until they leave to wake up, and see my parents standing over the baby.

"She's beautiful, Jen." Sherry holds back tears as she looks at her "Did you guys name her yet?"

"Yeah," I pick her up, handing her over to Sherry "Kassidy Jane."

"That's cute." My dad says, playing with her tiny fingers, getting her to look at him "Ava's going to have so much fun with her."

Brad walks back in with Ava a few minutes later, setting her next to me in bed.

"I wanna see baby." She says, standing up and leaning over the rail "Now I wanna hold her."

We all laugh at her, and Brad gets Kassidy to lay in my arms so Ava can help hold her.

"She's cute, mommy." Ava leans down to kiss her "But she's too little to play. You said she would be big."

"No princess, we said she would be big enough to live outside of mommy's belly like you do, not that she would be big enough to play." Brad leans down closer to all of us "She's going to get big quickly though, just like you did."

"Can we take her home now? I don't like it here. I want her to see her big room at home."

"Soon, honey. She can go home tomorrow and then you can show her everything." I watch closely as Ava does everything she can to get Kassie closer and closer to her "You're going to be such a good big sister."

"Are you going to help mommy and daddy?" My dad asks her "Help them take care of Kassidy?"

"Maybe sometimes, but not when I don't want to." She thinks about it for a while "Only if she isn't crying."

Brad looks over at me, leaning in for a kiss.

"I think we're on our own, babe."

"I think so too." I look up at him smiling "Unless she doesn't cry. There's always a slim chance."

"What do you think of your baby sister?" Sherry watches Ava "Do you like her?"

"No." Ava responds, surprising us "I love her."