Joe was enjoying every moment of holding his infant daughter while Taylor took a few candid pictures with her phone. Taylor smiled watching Joe with the baby, smiling at how happily in love he looked while looking down at her. Taylor put her phone away, took a few sips of her water before she settled back down in the hospital bed and made herself as comfortable as possible. Labour and giving birth was not an easy task, no matter how many children she bore into this world. Situating herself in a comfortable position Taylor winced slightly before resting her head against the pillow.
Joe looked up at Taylor, reluctantly pulling his eyes away from the baby to ensure Taylor was ok. "Love, you alright? Can I help you at all?" He asked, noticing her fidget in the bed and winced in pain.
"No, I'm fine, in pain, but nothing out of the ordinary. I'm ok, thank you for checking." She said with a soft and tired smile. She reached her hand out for Joe, "Come sit with me, or bring the chair closer so I can see you both." She suggested softly so they could be close, finding it funny that even after carrying the baby for nearly nine months, she still was eager to be near her and wanted to be close with both the baby and Joe.
Joe happily obliged and moved the chair closer to Taylor's hospital bed. Though he wanted to sit with Taylor on the bed, she had just gotten herself comfortable enough to relax and he wasn't about to disturb her. After sitting closer he held the baby in one arm, and his other hand held Taylor's hand. Placing soft kisses on her knuckles occasionally and running his thumb over the back of her hand.
Taylor smiled at his affection, and smiled at their little bundle of joy. "She's so cute, and already so good. Quiet compared to the boys. Both of them were born crying." She said with a soft laugh as she shook her head. "Maybe she's going to be the quiet one, like you." Taylor teased and Joe shook his head gently with laughter.
"It's the quiet ones you have to look out for, you know that." Joe teased back playfully and looked back down at the baby. "But not this little angel, no. She's perfect. She's going to be Daddy's little love, so perfect and angelic." He said as though talking directly to the baby.
Taylor giggled softly. She watched Joe talk to the baby a little more before she spoke again. "We still need to decide on her name. We can't keep calling her perfect, she grow up with some inferiority complex."
Joe chuckled at her comment about an inferiority complex. He smiled before looking back to Taylor with a sigh, "Well I suppose you're right. But we still don't seem to agree on anything," he reminds her.
Taylor scrunches her nose playfully and sighs softly. "I still really like Evelyn or Eleanore...." She says in a pleading manner while Joe makes a face in disgust and shakes his head. "Tell me what's wrong with
them, I don't understand why you don't like them?" Taylor laughed at Joe's dislike for her name choice. "There is nothing wrong with those names, if she were a mid-aged retired woman." He scoffs back lightly with a bit of sarcasm in his voice.
Taylor rolled her eyes and shook her head playfully, "We can call her Evie or Ellie...."
"Then why not just name her Evie or Ellie then? I don't want to age our infant with an old lady name." Joe laughs and sighs now remembering why they had yet to decide on a name before the child was even born. Joe looked back up at Taylor then back to his daughter. "To be honest, I still would like to name her Alison, after her Mum. I'm sure your mum would love that too." He adds trying to encourage her to consider her own name.
Taylor sighs and laughs. "We've been having this same conversation since we found out she was a girl!" She said, shaking her head with a tired smile. Just as she was about to open her mouth to suggest another name there was a quick knock at the door before it slowly opened again.
"Hello, I am so sorry to disturb you both, but we need to finish the baby's initial exam, is that ok?" The nurse asked politely as she washed her hands. Joe looked over at Taylor who smiled and silently agreed with Joe that the baby did need to go with the nurse to ensure she was healthy and doing well.
Joe stood up with the newborn in his arms and handed her to the nurse. She smiled and thanked him before taking her to the exam table. "Do you have a name for her yet?" The nurse asked innocently, which only made Taylor and Joe look at each other and start laughing.
Joe shook his head as he rubbed his chin with embarrassment. "Actually no, we are still trying to decide on that...."
The nurse smiled at the new parents and laughed softly. "That's ok. Take your time, when you do decide we will fill out her birth certificate ." She said while unwrapping the baby gently. "She seems very calm!" She added softly and was pleasantly surprised when the baby didn't start crying.
Taylor watched from her bed, anxiously watching everything she could to make sure her daughter was in good hands. "Yes, she is, isn't she," she said softly before adding, "actually, we haven't heard her cry yet. At all. Is she ok? I'm concerned something might be wrong, both our sons cried right away and she has been so quiet." Taylor was slowly getting anxious again about her daughter's health.
Joe quickly was at Taylor's side, taking a seat beside her on the bed and grabbing her hand and holding it tightly. "Love, stay calm, she's fine." He whispers to her and looks over to where the nurse was with the baby, getting anxious himself over the idea that they truly haven't heard the baby cry at all.
The nurse smiled back at the parents and nodded. "She looks great to me. We'll have the doctor come in in just a moment to verify, but it does happen from time to time. It isn't very common, but some babies are very calm and quiet when they are born. You may just be very lucky- but I'm sure she will cry sooner rather than later. Especially once we start the exam, most babies are not a fan of that process." The nurse explained calmingly, knowing her tone of voice would dictate how the parents reacted. She had been working in Labour and Delivery long enough to pick up on parents' concerns and know how to keep them as calm as possible until there was a real reason for concern.
Joe looks back to Taylor with a reassuring smile, and squeezes her hand gently. Joe pulls himself closer to Taylor and gives her head a soft kiss before looking back into her eyes and smiling. "She's fine love, let's
let the doctor finish her exam before we consider worrying," Joe whispers to Taylor calmly before looking back to where the nurse has the baby.
Taylor knows he is right, there is no need to worry just yet but it's hard to keep her composure with her exhaustion and postpartum hormones racing through her body.
Just as Joe wraps his arm around Taylor there is another knock at the door followed by the doctor. The brunette doctor smiled at the new parents and joined them at Taylor's bedside. "Well, congratulations on baby number three!" She said cheerfully and shook Joe's hand then gave Taylor a gentle hug. "I hear we finally have a girl too?" She motioned over to the baby who was still with the nurse. Taylor nodded with pride, and just as she was about to voice her concern about the baby not crying, the doctor spoke again.
"All right, let's check her out. I hear she's a quiet little thing too!" She said looking over the chart quickly before joining the nurse after washing her hands. "Well, I'm sorry but I may be the one to make her cry, most babies aren't thrilled with being cold while we do the exam, weigh them and do a quick heel prick. But, we'll be fast to make sure we can get her back in your arms in no time!" The doctor called out to the parents while starting the exam. She and the nurse worked efficiently together as they took care of the baby. Taylor watched from her bed, watching both the nurse and doctor's facial expression intently to see if they would indicate if anything was wrong. Joe on the other hand was occupied with trying to keep Taylor calm even though he was just as concerned as the doctor and nurse continued to talk to one another as they made notes in the baby's chart.
Sensing Taylor was getting too anxious and worked up again, Joe decided to try and distract her while they waited for the doctor to complete her exam. "So what do you have against your middle name for our daughter's name?" He asked casually, hoping to coax some kind of answer from her.
Taylor tore her eyes off from the doctor and looked back to Joe with a smirk. "Nothing, nothing at all. But, I would like for her to have her own identity too and I'm not sure if naming her after me will allow her to separate herself from that once she is older. I'm not saying no to it, but I'm not entirely sure it's her name."
Joe nodded his head and smiled. "Well, I don't think that will be an issue for her. You will be the perfect role model for her to learn from, but I understand your point." He said while still holding her close as they both kept an eye on the baby.
"Well, aside from Alison, what other names do you like?" Taylor asked Joe, feeling the conversation was not only necessary but it helped calm her nerves as well.
Joe sighed dramatically and smirked as he rubbed his chin again. "I like your suggestion of calling her Ellie, it's cute. So I'm going to stand by my earlier suggestion of Eloise." He said confidently and looked back at Taylor.
Taylor looked at him questionably. "When did you make that suggestion? I thought I came up with that before and you said no to it." She said laughing just as Joe looked at her and laughed with her.
"No, I said no to Eleanor," he laughed.
"Yes, I know that, but I'm sure I said Eloise separately after that too," she said laughing. Joe chuckled a bit more and shook his head. "So we both agree on Eloise then?"
Taylor nodded her head and peaked over back to the baby during her work up. "Yes, we do. But do you have any other names you like?"
Joe was quiet for a moment as he thought. A smirk appeared in his face as he began to speak. "It's a shame you used Olivia on the cat, I love that name." He chuckled thinking of all the nicknames the cat already possessed. "I still like Ava as well, but the two don't necessarily go too well together though, do they?" He asked as he ran his fingers through her hair.
Taylor laughed, she too considered both Meredith and Olivia as names for their daughter but couldn't go through with the idea of naming her after the cats.
"Not really, but Ava is a beautiful name. We can play with the two names. Get to know her a little more before we decide." She smiled and rested her head against Joe's chest.
"You should pick her name, I felt like I decided the boys names. And after all you carried her for nearly nine months, you should get to name this one," he added playfully.
Taylor looked up at Joe and grinned. She kissed his lips gently before nuzzling back into his chest. "I loved the boys' names the moment you suggested them. She's our daughter, we will decide together," as added happily.
Joe grinned softly at her words, placed a soft kiss on top of her head and held her just a little tighter. Meanwhile the nurse and doctor were talking with one another as they finished up the baby's exam. The nurse had removed the infant's blanket and diaper as they checked her weight and length prior and so the doctor could take a listen to her heart and lungs. "Go ahead and put her diaper back on, but don't swaddle her, I believe they will want to do skin to skin." The doctor mentioned quickly to the nurse as she discarded her gloves before making her way back to Joe and Taylor.
"Is that right Mom and Dad? Do you still wish to do skin to skin with her for a little longer or did you want us to wrap her up?" She asked them with a smile.
Joe smiled back to Taylor who was clearly more relaxed now. "Yes, skin to skin please," she said softly and looked at the doctor hopefully.
"Good, I assumed as much since you did the same with the boys." The doctor said as she took a seat on the stool near Taylor's bedside. "How are the boys, they must be what? Three and four?" She asked cooly to play catch up with the family.
Joe and Taylor gave a soft chuckle and shook their heads, "Not quite." Joe said proudly. "Jackson is six now, and Hunter is seven, nearly eight now." He said while pulling up a picture of the two boys on his phone to share with her.
"Six and eight already?" The doctor said in surprise. "Wow, time certainly does move quickly," she looked at the picture with a fond smile. "So handsome too," she added before looking back to Joe who was smiling proudly.
"Yes, they are a handful, but in the best way. So much different from when they were babies." Taylor says while looking at the picture Joe had shared. "They are so excited to meet their sister!" Taylor gushed proudly.
"That is great to hear. And how are you feeling? I know you just gave birth so you're exhausted from it, but how's your pain and discomfort?" The doctor asked to change the topic slightly to ensure her patient was doing well so far.
"Tired, for sure and sore. I wouldn't call it pain, but definitely discomfort, but nothing more than that really. I feel pretty good, better than I did when I had the boys." She said calmly with a tired expression.
Joe kissed her head once again and smiled at her. "You did outstanding Love. I'm so proud of you." He whispered encouragingly into her ears.
The doctor smiled at their endearments as she looked over Taylor's chart. She added a few notes before turning back to them with a smile. "Well, everything here looks great. Taylor, you know the routine, do not overexert yourself. Take it easy and get as much rest as you can. When the baby sleeps, you sleep. Ok?" She coached gently knowing that in the past Taylor had tried to dive into motherhood and work again before her body had recovered.
Taylor looked down and smiled, nodding her head as Joe looked at her too. "She knows, the boys are older now, and she doesn't need to chase after them as much now." He said to the doctor, but in reality he too was reminding Taylor she needed to take it easy.
The doctor and Joe made eye contact and Joe nodded his head as to promise he would ensure Taylor would take it easy and allow her body to heal from childbirth. The doctor grinned and signaled to the nurse. The nurse had the baby in her arms and was about to place her in the bassinet before bringing her back to her parents.
"Good. Now that we understand that, let's brag about your daughter." The doctor smiled knowing every parent wanted to hear the good news. Taylor and Joe perked up a little and were smiling over to the nurse who was putting the baby down.
"She is very healthy, nothing presents a cause for alarm at all. Little smaller than her brothers, coming in at 6 pounds and 2 ounces and just making her entrance in time to coincide with her mom's birthday as well! Her heart, lungs and eyes all look fantastic. I think you two did it again and created another perfect little human." The doctor explained it all with a smile. "I know she hasn't serenaded you with her own song yet, but I'm sure that will come in time," she added with a wink that caused both Taylor and Joe to chuckle.
"I told Joe she may be the quiet one of the children, just like her father." Taylor mentioned with a chuckle which caused Joe to roll his eyes again as he blushed.
The doctor laughed again. "Yes, I remember both of your boys were very vocal after they were born ."
Taylor, Joe, the doctor and the nurse all laughed together. Taylor remembered hearing their cries for the first time. At the time it was the most beautiful sound in the world, the memory still warmed her heart. She knew her daughter would no doubt cry eventually, but part of her was so curious to hear her little cry for the first time. The nurse was just bringing the bassinet to the bedside when Taylor and Joe were able to view their newest addition to their family. The doctor stood up and thanked the nurse for bringing the baby over before she excused herself once she reminded Taylor to use the call button if they needed anything at all. Reaching for the baby carefully the doctor took her in her arms and smiled checking her once more.
"She is beautiful, healthy and strong. Congratulations again, to both of you," she smiled and put her stethoscope on once more. "I trust you want to hold her and try to nurse?" She directed the question to Taylor before taking another listen to the baby's heart and lungs again for good measure. The doctor smiled and just was finishing with listening to the baby's heartbeat when the baby began to fuss. The doctor began to chuckle. "Well, she doesn't like the cold steel of my stethoscope, and she certainly doesn't want to be held by me. We may get to hear the sweet little cry after all." She said happily as she held the baby close while she waited for Taylor to get situated.
Taylor nodded her head with a smile, excited to hold her baby girl once more. Joe quickly sat up to help Taylor sit in a more comfortable position to nurse and rearranged her pillows to give her more support. Just as Joe finished fluffing her pillows for her, the baby began to cry. Her soft, gentle wail protesting the doctor and her medical devices let everyone in the room know she was more than ready to be back in the comfort of her mothers arms again.
Both Taylor and Joe gasped softly and smiled widely at one another before looking back at the baby in the doctor's arms. "There's that first cry! Like I said, her heart sounds great, and clearly has a healthy set of lungs just like her mother." She teased playfully as she delicately placed the baby back into Taylor's arms.
The baby only cried for a moment, but it was enough to bring tears to both Taylor and Joe's eyes. That first cry was so special to both of them. "Aww, she's so tiny, her cry is even little." Taylor said as tears ran down her face. Joe smiled, wiping his own tears away before taking care of Taylor's. "Shhhh," Taylor whispered lovingly to the baby, "you're ok. Mommy and Daddy are here now."
The doctor took a step back, she smiled at them once more before she said her goodbyes and saw herself out. Letting the parents enjoy quality time with their newborn.