Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 95307 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95307 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
“I’m sorry, baby. Everything was so messed up,” I rush to explain.
“Dad,” the nurse says, placing her hand on my arm. “We’re going to need you to hold her hand and her leg. She’s going to need help. It’s almost time to push again.”
I nod, my eyes finding Dr. Taylor’s. “You’re just in time, Harrison. You ready to meet your baby girl?”
Emotion clogs my throat as I nod. It’s impossible for me to speak. I almost missed this. Turning my attention back to my wife, I bend and press my lips to her forehead. “I-I love you,” I croak out.
She smiles. “I’m glad you’re here. I didn’t want to do this with-o-out y-ou,” she pants as Dr. Taylor tells her to push.
“You’re doing great,” Gabby says soothingly.
Winnie’s grip on my hand is tight as she bears down with all her might. The contraction passes, and she slumps back against the bed. Again, I bend down to kiss her. Needing that contact, that connection that flows between us. This time, I linger, resting my forehead against hers. “Thank you,” I whisper softly. There is no time to reply as another contraction comes and she’s being told to push.
“Grab her leg, Dad,” the nurse instructs.
Looking over at Gabby, I copy what she’s doing. Holding Winnie’s hand tightly in mine, I pull back on her leg, assisting her with the other.
“There you go, Gwen. Keep pushing. You’re almost there.”
Everything seems to happen at once as time stands still. Winnie exhales in relief as the cries of our baby girl fill the room. “It’s a girl,” Dr. Taylor announces.
Winnie flops back against the pillows, and her smile is radiant. “You hear that, Winnie? You did it, baby. You did it,” I say, kissing her lips.
When I pull back, her palm rests against my cheek. “You’re crying,” she says through her own tears.
“It’s not every day the woman I love makes me a father,” I tell her, not bothering to wipe my tears. I know there are more to be shed.
“Harrison.” Dr. Taylor pulls my attention away from my wife. “You want to cut the cord?”
I look down at Winnie, and she nods. With shaking hands, I make my way to the end of the bed. Dr. Taylor is holding my daughter. The nurse hands me a pair of scissors and explains to me what I need to do. My hands are shaking so badly, I have to use both of them to operate the scissors. As soon as my job is complete, the nurse takes my daughter. I don’t take my eyes off them as they clean her up and call out some kind of score. My head is too jumbled to understand. I watch as they place her on a scale and she cries, not liking that one bit. I want to step in, but I hold still. One nurse stretches her out while the other calls out her length. I watch as they prick the heel of her tiny feet making her cry. I knew this was going to happen, Dr. Taylor warned us that they would need to check her sugar right away. However, that doesn’t make it any easy to watch them draw blood from her tiny foot. Once they’re done, they then wrap her up in a blanket, place a hat on her head, and walk her to Winnie. Gabby steps back, tears streaming down her face.
“Here you go, Mommy. Her levels are good. We’ll need to test her again after she eats.” The nurse smiles as she hands Sophia, our daughter, to Winnie.
Our daughter.
Holy shit!
I’m a father.
“She’s so tiny,” Winnie says, unwrapping her and counting all ten fingers and toes. “Hey, angel, I’m your mommy,” she says as Sophia’s tiny hand wraps around her finger.
“Thank you, Winnie,” I kiss the top of her head and then turn my attention to my daughter. She’s so damn tiny, and the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen.
“Seven pounds, eight ounces, and nineteen inches long,” the nurse tells us. “She passed her Apgar scores with flying colors,” she adds. “We need to feed her.”
I watch as the nurse shows Winnie how to help our baby girl latch onto her breasts. Baby girl is a champ, at least that’s what the nurse tells us and she begins to eat. The sight of my wife breastfeeding our newborn daughter is not something I was prepared for. I feel hot tears prick my eyes, but I blink them away. These two ladies, they are my entire world. I stare at them in wonder, until Sophia’s little belly is full. The nurse takes her to again test her sugar, then brings her back to Winnie.
Winnie looks up at me, our daughter belly full, and sleeping in her arms, and I can only imagine that the wonder on her face is the same that’s reflected to her on mine. “She’s beautiful.” I lean down and kiss the top of Sophia’s tiny head, before kissing my wife on her lips. “Just like her momma.”