Doorstep Baby

Cole Nathaniel

Lauren was 38 weeks along and was huge. I mean, comparatively. She managed to get around without too much trouble, but she had been tiny, and her balance was all out of whack. 

We decorated the baby's room in a nice light green in a monkey and jungle theme. She didn't want to know the sex of the baby yet, and she insisted on a gender-neutral theme and color scheme for the room. "I never understand the whole pink and blue thing anyway...I mean, I know my mom always told me that I liked trucks and Legos more than purses and tutus."

Lauren and I were sitting in the living room reviewing her birth plan. She was planning on having the baby at a birthing center nearby. After watching a lot of videos, reading a lot, and talking with her doctor, she decided that she would work with a midwife and have a water birth. The birthing center was only a few minutes from the hospital, so even if there were problems, she would be close to help. She made me watch movie after movie about it, too, and honestly once I got over the ick factor, I decided I wanted to have a water birth if I have more kids. I mean, if I have some the old-fashioned way.

By this time, Carter was almost 10 months old, and she was already walking. The past week she walked into the sliding glass door leading to the back lanai. Like a cartoon character, she bounced off the door and landed on her padded rump, and then she popped right back up and started walking the other direction. Meanwhile, both Jason and I had little heart attacks. 

I had been working at the local women's shelter as much as I could, and it seemed like there weren't enough hours in the day between that and studying and trying to squeeze in time with Carter and Jason. But I worked there not only for the money, but because it 

I only had classes three days a week, and one Thursday afternoon, the shelter gave me the entire afternoon and evening off. When I got home, Jason was lying on the couch with Carter on his chest. Both of them were asleep, and they looked so adorable that I pulled out my phone and took a photo. The flash woke Jason up. "Sorry," I said as I took my bag off my bag.

"Oh no, it's ok." He looked at the clock. "It's four in the afternoon. What are you doing home so early?"

"Yeah. Tammy is such a sweetheart. She told me that the shelter had a lot of open beds right now and she had, but I am pretty sure she could tell I just needed a day off. And I wasn't about to argue. I wanted to see my amazing husband," I said quietly as I picked Carter up from his chest and walked to her room. I put her in her crib and grabbed the baby monitor. I walked out into the hall, then leaned against the doorway and looked at Jason, who was sitting up on the couch. 

"You know, Carter's down..." I said and walked slowly toward him. "Lauren's not home..." I stood in front of him and grabbed his hands. "But I'm home...and you're home," I paused for dramatic effect. "So just the two of us are here..." I put his hands on my butt, which made him grin. Widely.

He stood up. "Alone? Whatever will we do?" 

I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Oh I see..." he said. I started to walk off and take off my shirt. I whipped around and faced him, dressed only in my purple lace bra and skinny jeans.

"Only if you come..." I said as turned to him.

"Oh I'm coming." He ran to me and I turned as he bear hugged me and picked me up, then plopped me down on the bed as we both laughed.

I must have fallen asleep at some point, because I woke to my phone ringing. I wrapped the sheet around my body and looked at our clock it was almost 6. I didn't recognize the number, but it looked local, so I answered the phone. "Hello?" I said.

"Syd, um, my water broke."

"It what?" I asked, still groggy.

"What's going on?" Jason asked.

"Meet me at the center, okay?"

"Okay, I'll be there in twenty minutes. Ten, I'll be there in ten minutes." I hung up. "Lauren's in labor!  Call the sitter and get dressed. I need you to take me to the birthing center."

"Okay." Jason got up and got dressed. I grabbed a tank top and some shorts, and a hoodie in case it got chilly in the center. Jason put on some jeans and a T-shirt. The babysitter arrived in a few minutes, so we hurried off to the center.

We pulled up and parked like we were in an action flick, slinging gravel and grinding to a halt. Jason grabbed my hand and we walked in. Lauren's midwife Sherry was walking her around in her long red skirt and white t-shirt and flip-flops. She stopped walking and took a deep breath as Sherry talked softly to her. Lauren just continued breathing and rubbing her stomach while her eyes were closed, and we waited until the contraction passed.

"Lauren," I said as we walked up to her. She turned to look at us, and her smile came across her face.

"Hey guys," she said, and I gave her a hug. She filled me in on everything that had happened so far, which honestly wasn't a lot. Then she grabbed my arms and bent down. This contraction lasted about 30 seconds then she stood back up. "I'm okay," she said. I smiled at her, and she almost managed to smile back.

She'd started having contractions around noon, but at first, she thought they were just Braxton-Hicks, the "practice" contractions. But they'd intensified enough that she decided she might need to play it safe. She'd driven herself (which I fussed at her about later) to meet the midwife, and her water broke just as she was walking into the birthing center, and that's when she called us using Sherry's phone. 

Her contractions went on and on until about 9 o'clock, and by then, she had been in the pool for a couple of hours. Since getting in the water, Lauren had been completely focused and calm. Another contraction hit, and her face turned red and she sat there breathing and panting, and I excused myself to go find Jason, who was standing outside. I closed the door behind me. 

"That's it. If we have more kids, you better get me, like, loads of drugs because I won't be able to go through all of that shit," I said.

"Sorry, Honey, but I know you, and you'll be all about doing the right thing for the baby when that time comes," he said. "But I'll be right there supporting you, just like you are for Lauren right now."

"Oh, you're just the best husband ever." I gave him a peck on the lips and hugged him tight.

"Not even just a little bit of drugs?" I asked.

"Nope."

"SSYYYDDNNEEY!!!!" Lauren screamed.

"Oh that's right-- Lauren, in labor, now. I'll be back." I ran into the room and held my friend's hand while she was a complete trooper as she produced what was an absolute miracle.

The midwife let me cut the cord while Lauren held the new baby boy in her arms. "He's beautiful, Lauren," her midwife said. "See if you can get him to nurse right away. It'll help you deliver the placenta."

"What's his name?" I asked.

"Cole, Cole Nathaniel Davidson."

"Cole would like that." I said as I stroked her hair.

"You think?" she asked.

"Yes, definitely, and he looks just like him."

A little later we got her out of the tub and onto the bed. They weighed Cole, then cleaned him off, then wrapped him in a blanket and laid him next to Lauren. She just stared at him until she fell asleep. She had handled the whole thing well, but she was rightfully exhausted, and the birthing center was so homey and comfortable.

I picked up the baby and walked over to Jason, who'd just gotten off the phone with our babysitter.

"Welcome to our weird little family, Cole." Jason said.

"Yeah. Welcome, Cole. Your daddy would have loved you so much."