Consigned

Part 21

Enzo

I wake up to Erin calling my name.

I look around and she's sitting up some, looking over at me. 

"Hey baby." she smiles obviously not in pain anymore.

"Hey Angel, how are you doing?" I stand up and walk over to her bed, pressing a kiss to her lips.

"I'm okay. Starving. But the nurses said I can't eat." She laughed.

"Well as soon as the baby comes I'll make sure we get you some good food. What time is it?"

"About 3 in the morning."

The nurse walks in and comes to check on Erin.

"Hey Erin, I'm gonna check you again and see what progress has been made, it seems your contractions have picked up, so it may be time."

I smile and watch the nurse examine her and quickly the nurse jumps back up and pushes Erin's legs back down. 

"Oh yeah it's time, don't move! She's ready to come on right now! I gotta grab the doctor! Hold tight!"

She sprinted out the room to outside and I look down at Erin.

"Alright baby, here we go! Are you ready?"

"No! Oh my God." I could tell she was nervous and she started becoming jittery. 

The doctor and some nurses walked back in and they cut on all the lights, making me squint my eyes to adjust to the light.

"Alright mom and dad, you ready to meet your little girl?"

yes.

I nod and Erin starts crying squeezing my hand.

"Okay dad, I'm gonna raise mom's legs, and I want you to grab one of her legs and pull back, and the nurse over here is going to pull back on her other. Now Erin, you keep breathing the entire time. I want you to push when I say push and you don't stop and until I tell you to."

"Okay" she mumbles out.

I nod, and give her one more kiss on her lips.

I grab a hold of her leg and the doctor removes the sheet from her.

"Okay Erin, I want you to give me a big push, and hold it."

Erin begins grunting and pushing as hard as she can, she begins sweating and screaming at the same time.

"Alright good push Erin. You can stop."

She leans back some out of breath.

I lean forward and glance down, I jump back up, oh my God, how in the hell is she doing this?

"Alright Erin, give us one last big push, I can feel her head, you cannot stop, okay? You'll feel like giving up, you'll feel a lot of pressure, but once I can grasp onto her shoulders, I can pull her out. Okay?"

Erin nods, and begins pushing again.

"Come on Erin, push harder, more. Don't stop, come on!" the doctor yells.

"You're doing great Erin, come on!" the other nurse says.

"Okay keep going, I got her shoulders, but I need you to push harder."

"AHHHHHH, I can't!!!" Erin screams.

Two more nurses walk over to her other leg and begin pulling back on it, oh my God they're going to break her leg.

I look down again and see the baby's head coming out.

"Oh my God Erin, push baby I see her!" I tell her.

"AHHH OH MY GOD!! OWWWWW" She yells, but pushes with everything she had.

The doctor pulls back and pulls with him, a baby.

Erin collapses back, and the nurses release her leg into the stirrup, and I do the same, watching the doctor with my daughter.

A few seconds later, I hear it. 

"Wahhh, wahhh, wahhhh,wah, wahh."

I loud, terrifying crying baby.

I smile in relief, knowing she was good.

"Alright dad, come cut the cord."

I walk over, and grab the scissors, I shakily cut where he showed me to.

The nurses cleaned up our baby and walked over to where Erin was.

"Congratulations mom and dad, it's a girl."

They hand Erin the baby, and she lays on her bare chest, and the nurses take a clean sheet and cover them both up.

I walk over, leaning against the bed, and kiss Erin's head, and stare down at our baby girl.

She's beautiful.

"Good job, mommy." I whisper to her.

"Thank you."

"Enzo, she's perfect, absolutely gorgeous."

"She is. I'm so happy she's here."

"Do you wanna hold her?"

"Can I?"

"Of course!"

I lean down and Erin passes me the baby. 

I hold my daughter, and I cry.

My baby girl. I will do anything on the world for you.

Anything.

I stare down at her, and she tries opening her eyes. 

Her little hand grasps my finger, and she starts making noises, and moving her mouth.

"I think she's hungry?" I look up towards the nurses and look over to Erin, not knowing what to do.

"You breastfeeding, mom?" One of the nurses walks over.

"Yes."

"Perfect! So we try to encourage two things in the first few days, and that's skin to skin contact, and breastfeeding. So lay her on your chest, and her mouth right here by your nipple. Now your milk won't come in for a few days, but she'll be fine off of the colostrum in your body. It's full of antibodies for her, and the best for her. Also don't get discouraged if she doesn't eat a lot at first. Every baby is different. You and her will find what works best for you."

I watched as the nurse continued to explain everything to Erin, and I took a seat beside the bed, just taking everything in.

I'm a dad.

I have a daughter.

A kid.

Now time to make mommy mine forever.