Finding the Missing Piece: Book 4

Chapter Ninety-Nine

"Oh, Katniss. Look at her. She is so perfect." Peeta cries as he sits on the side of my bed and shows her to me.

Dr. Coles comes up behind him, "She is in fact perfectly healthy. I just checked everything and it's all good. She can breathe well and has good, strong lungs." She winks.

I smile but my eyes never leave her.

"I think you guys were right about her being a little further than we thought, but that's okay." Dr. Coles says with a smile.

"What time is it?" I ask curiously.

I've lost track of the time and day.

"She was born at 4:51am on Feburary 4th." Dr. Coles informs me and writes all of her information on the shoulder of Peeta's gown.

I was pushing way longer than I realized. Last time I remember hearing the time was at one when Peeta said something. I believe I started pushing at nearly 1:45, I'm not sure but it doesn't matter.

"Has your milk come in?" Dr. Coles asks and I immediately feel award, the nurses clean up down there and everything.

I shake my head, "I don't think so, maybe?"

"Well, strip that gown off and we will get you a new one to put on shortly or if you brought clothes you can wear those and then you can try to start breastfeeding her. If nothing comes out then we will just do an alternative until it comes in."

I swear, I'll have absolutely no modestly left after this is all over.

I get out of the stupid, gooey with my insides gown and pull the blanket up. I'm still in my bra but Peeta is asked to help take it off. We get it off and he lays her on across my bare chest, making us skin to skin. Doctor Coles helps Willow latch on, putting a pink blanket over her and myself.

It's awkward, having someone do that but it feels so natural and I guess she's getting something out of them.

"Good. When her little fists aren't balled up anymore that's when you know she's full." Dr. Coles says to me, "I will leave a message for the lactation specialists to pay a visit in the later this morning." She tells me.

I nod my head as I awkwardly sit here, tired, sore, but so incredibly happy.

Peeta sits in the chair next to me, not daring to even look at what's happening.

"You may as well look because you're going to be seeing this a lot and it's not like you haven't seen my boobs before." I tell him with a tired laugh.

He brings his head up and smiles shyly, "I love you so much, Katniss." Peeta tells me softly, tears still in his eyes.

"I love you too." I say, looking back down at Willow who's content it seems. Her eyes are closed and she stops sucking, I look at her hands which are relaxed and open.

I softly start patting her back and she lets out a big, loud burp.

Peeta and I both laugh a little as she seems to have startled herself.

"Hey, baby girl." Peeta whispers to her, he leans down and presses a kiss to her tiny, wrinkly newborn head.

It's her first kiss.

"Mommy and Daddy are so glad you're finally here." He tells her softly, in the voice he's used the last 6 months to speak to her.

She must recognize it too because she opens her little eyes and looks around until she finds him there next to me.

"Her eyes are blue." I whisper excitedly.

He smiles wider when he realizes that her eyes are in fact almost the same shade as his.

"Hey, Willow." Peeta says softly.

She stares at him the longest time before falling asleep on my chest. The nurses come in and swaddle her up for us, then they lay her in a little tray next to my hospital bed. 

Since I don't feel all too awful, just sore, the nurses allow me to change into my clothes from home and they change my bed stuff so that Peeta can sleep with me as I requested.

"Do you need any pain medication?" A nurse asks.

I nod my head and she retrieves some pills and I take them. I'm pretty sore and still am really fat but I'm mostly tired, exhausted actually. It's nearly 6am before Peeta and I lay down to sleep, everyone is so surprised I'm still awake but I just can't stop staring at her.

The nurses left and won't be coming in for at least a few hours to allow us some rest and they said Willow is still doing really good which I'm so thankful for.

Peeta fell asleep a few minutes ago but I just can't bring myself to sleep quite yet.

Willow is absolutely perfect and I couldn't be happier than I am now.

Then I look at the little smile on Peeta's face as he sleeps and remember the look on his face when she was finally here and I know that it was all worth it.

It's nearly 7am before I fall asleep.

What an all-nighter this has been.

And out of all the all-nighters Peeta and I have pulled, this one has to be my favorite.