Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 107803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Caden let one of the nurses guide him over to a sofa.
Dr. Lawrence walked into the room with a wide smile on her face. “Hey there, Lilibeth and Caden. How are things going?”
I nodded as I breathed through the last of the contraction.
“Coming faster now?”
The nurse answered her, while I lay my head back on the pillow. That one was painful.
“We talked about an epidural. Is that still possible?” I asked.
“Let’s take a look and see how far you’re dilated.”
According to the doctor, I was fine to get the epidural, and before I knew it, I was resting comfortably. Caden was now sitting in a chair next to me, watching a movie on the TV.
I had dozed off, but woke when the nurse came in to check on me. She did a quick examination and then popped back up. She smiled and turned to Caden.
“Dad, you good?”
He gave a thumbs-up. “All good here!”
She smiled and slipped out of the room.
The door opened again, and a few people entered the room, including Dr. Lawrence. She sat down and did an exam. When she lifted her head, she grinned. “We’re going to get you to start pushing.”
“What?” Caden asked, jumping up and nearly knocking over his drink that was sitting on the floor. “It’s time? We’re pushing?”
Dr. Lawrence laughed. “You’re not pushing, but Lilibeth will be.
After that, I lost track of time. Very quickly, I was exhausted, thirsty, and so ready for the baby to just get out of me. They’d turned the epidural off so that I could feel when the contractions were coming so that I could push. The pain wasn’t too bad, thank goodness.
After another round of pushing, I fell back against the bed. “I can’t do this anymore! Can you just take her out?”
Caden leaned down and kissed my forehead. “Hey, you’re doing amazing, Lili. So damn good. We’re almost there.”
Turning to glance at him, I felt tears welling up. “I don’t think I can do it.”
He gave me that smile of his. The one that made me weak in the knees…and was the reason I was sitting here in so much pain.
“You can do this, Lilibeth. I know you can. I also know you want to meet our little girl just as much as I do.”
I nodded as he wiped a tear away.
“You’ve got this, Lili. I’m here, I’m right here.”
Dr. Lawrence looked up at me. “We’re so close, Lilibeth. I think we just need one more big push.”
“O-okay,” I said, as I grabbed Caden’s hand, leaned forward, and pushed with everything I had.
“Wow. Umm…ouch. You’re kind of hurting my hand, Lilibeth.”
All eyes went to Caden.
“I mean…she’s stronger than she looks.”
“Keep pushing, Lilibeth. We’re almost there!”
Another push with all my might, and I felt a strange pop in my lower pelvis.
“That’s it! Your baby girl is here! Dad, want to cut the cord?”
I dropped back against the bed, and Caden was wiping the hair from my sweat-soaked face.
“You did it, baby! You did it.”
“Caden?” Dr. Lawrence asked.
“Yes! Yes, I want to cut it.”
Our little girl’s soft cries filled the air, and when they placed her on my chest, I couldn’t hold back my tears.
Caden was also crying and saying something to the baby, but I was too focused on her to hear anything or anyone else.
“She’s perfect,” I said, as I picked up her tiny hand. Her little fingers instantly curled around my finger. “I love you so much, little one.”
I looked up at Caden, who was still crying, but he also wore the biggest grin I’d ever seen.
“You did it, Lili. And she’s the most precious thing I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
Looking back down at her, I smiled. “She’s beautiful.”
“Just like her mother.”
“Do we have a name for baby girl Wilde?”
I nodded. “We do.”
Caden reached over and placed a finger on her hand, and she quickly latched on to it.
I looked up at him and nodded, smiling.
Never taking his eyes off of our daughter, Caden said, “Her name is Nellie Rose Wilde.”
The nurse smiled. “Welcome to the world, Nellie Rose.”
We’d named our daughter after both of our grandmothers.
“Are there any family members you’d like me to bring in?” the nurse asked.
Shaking my head, I said, “It’s just us three for right now.”
When I looked down at Nellie, she was staring up at me. I smiled and blinked back my tears. My chest warmed so much that if I hadn’t known any better, I would have sworn a flame lit in my heart. This was what love felt like. I’d only felt it twice in my life…so far. Once with Caden, and now with my daughter.
Caden crawled into the bed with me and placed his hand on Nellie’s back. “She’s so little.”
“She is.”
He bent down and kissed her softly on the head. Then looking at me, he said, “Thank you.”