My heart was bursting with pride and joy as I looked into my daughters eyes as she fed from my breast. My labor was hard and long, but she was so worth the whole 10 hours. Simone Rae Chambers was born 8lbs 6oz. She looked so much like Maurice it was scary. I was almost jealous, because of the time I spent holding her and laboring to bring her in thus world and she had the audacity to come out looking like that man. Smh....
Maurice hadn't left this, other than to use the bathroom and go to the cafeteria to get coffee. He cut the umbilical chord and he was the first one to hold her, but that's something I had prepared myself for the whole pregnancy. He hovered when the nurses took her to clean her up, run vitals, and weigh her. I dang on had to beg him to give her to me and he stayed hovering awhile through my struggle to latch her onto my nipple so I could breast feed her. He was now sitting in the recliner chair taking a nap, it had been a long day for all of us so I didn't blame him for being exhausted. Plus that gave me time with my babygirl without him over my shoulder every 2 seconds.
Her eyes closed and she stopped sucking my breast so I assumed she was sleeping. I expected it to last long, but I guess because she's so little she didn't need a lot. I laid her on my lap, grabbed a nipple guard and pad and held it to my breast until I was able to snap the flap on the breastfeeding bra, Lady had bought me. Then I gently laid her on my chest and pat her singing top, top, bottom, bottom, middle, middle, middle, middle until she burped. I allowed her to lay in a ball on my chest for awhile just enjoying the new smell and feel of having my baby in my arms. I said a prayer to God thanking him for blessing me with a beautiful healthy baby and allowing me to make it through labor without complications. My eyes started to get tired, so I got up and put her in the little see through buggy/crib they provided for her. Making sure she was on her back, she had her little cap pulled down, and she was covered because it was cold in the hospital. I then wabbled to the closet and pulled out an extra blanket and laid it on top of Maurice, before getting back in bed and pulling the covers over myself so I could rest while she slept.
I don't know exactly how long it was that we rested, because I hadn't paid attention to the time before I closed my eyes. It felt like I was only sleep for about 20mins when I heard a knock at the door. Before I could even answer the door opened and a nurse walked in. "Hello Mrs. Smith how you feeling sweetie." My eyebrows arch and I sighed. "That's Mrs.Chambers" Maurice sat up and corrected the lady. "Oh, umm I apologize, I think I might have the wrong...." She started to say while looking through the chart on the computer. "No, you have the right patient. I was married yesterday, so there might have been a mix up in the paperwork." I Told her rolling my eyes at Maurice. "Ok well, I was checking to see if you were able to use the bathroom yet? And if you needed anything for pain while I grab your meds?" She asked clicking the mouse and typing on the key pad. "Umm, I urinated, but I haven't had a bowel movement yet. And yes I do need pain meds." I answered her positioning myself upright, so I could take the medication they gave me. "And on a scale of 1-10 what would you say your pain was?" I peeped over into the crib to see ny baby still sleeping soundly. She was so cute bundled up I just wanted to pick her up and cuddle her, but I would for atleast another half hour or until my breast filled up before disturbing her. "A strong 9" I responded. She nodded her head. "Ok, here you are Mrs. Smith or I apologize Mrs. Chambers. I'm gonna have to get the paperwork for you to change the last name on your records, but I'll be back later with those. Other than that, is everything going ok?" I took the small cup of pills and water she offered me and swallowed them all at once. "Yes ma'am, everything's fine thank you." She took the pill container and water cup crumbled them and threw them in the trash. "Well, if you need anything just ring the call bell and someone will be in to help." She said gathering her things to leave. "Thank you, I definitely will." I told her leaning back and resting my head on the pillow. "Imma go freshen up in the bathroom, Simone is sleeping comfortably." I told Maurice swinging my legs off the side of the bed. I walked slowly to the cabinet area and went through the bags I had packed previously and got things I needed to take care of my hygiene and a pair of the oversized pajamas. "Don't take too long baby, she already been sleep for almost 3 hours and I know you haven't had the chance to pump any milk yet." He told me while standing over the crib looking at her. I smiled when he took his phone out and started snapping pictures. I hadn't even thought about my phone till now, so I didn't have any pictures of her, but he was gonna send me all the ones he'd taken and I know I would be taking a lot myself. Right now I needed to go ahead and freshen up before we got company, because I figured it wouldn't be long until Lady and my cousins would come.
"Oh my...if this baby is not the spitting image of you Maurice! You should've named her Maurine." I screwed my face up. "Mom that's such an ugly name, NO." I chuckled as I reluctantly handed Simone to Lady. She had came right in and went straight to the sink washed her hands and hovered over me, so I know she was dying to hold her. "Oh blessing, this beautiful baby...." she cooed and begin to pray over her. Me and Maurice were quiet as she prayed to God for blessings over our child's life, success, good health, obedience, a child after God's own heart. When she was done we all said "Amen" Maurice had been pretty quiet the whole time and was texting, so it was no surprise to me when he came and kissed Simones head, rubbed her back and kissed me goodbye so he could go handle some business. I know he was just itching to leave the way he had been acting, but he probably would've felt bad leaving me alone. Atleast he waited till Lady was here to keep me company. " You be safe son. And don't worry about these two, cause Nana got it." She smiled as he gave her a hug from the side and kissed her cheek. "Thanks Lady. I'll see you in a little bit sweetheart. Call me if you need anything ok." I nodded my head and he was out the door.
"Alright Mrs.Chambers I want all the details! I was kinda disappointed that I couldn't be here with you, but I completely understand Maurice wanting it to be an intimate moment between you." She said carefully sitting down in the chair Maurice had slept in. Since I plugged my phone up to the charger after getting out the bathroom it was blowing up with messages. "Well....it was the most painful thing I've ever experienced in my life!" I said dramatically making her laugh softly. " I don't know if I ever wanna go through that again." I said getting up to get the phone. I walked over by the large window and looked out at view, before reading my notifications on the phone. "That sounds about right sweetie. Once your body heals you won't even be able to remember all the pain you went through." She told me gently rocking the baby. "Well it's very clear now." I stated making her laugh again. I had so many text messages and missed calls I didn't know who to respond to first. All my cousins, my coworkers, Lady, and Adonis. The one that stuck out the most was Malik.
Malik: Hey, I heard from you in a few days. I was just checking on you.
I smiled. Given the condition he was in the last time I saw him, I assumed he had someone else send that for him. After I visited him, Maurice made it perfectly clear that he wasn't gonna tolerate it. I pulled my lips into my mouth and looked out the window at beautiful view. I now knew Maurice was following me, but did he also have a way to see what was in my phone? Nah...there was no way. I'm sure he would've flipped his lid if he did, because of the conversations I was having with Adonis. Although there wasn't anything sexual about, just the knowledge of me meeting up with another man would've pissed him off I'm sure. "I think she might be hungry Rain." My mother called to me, breaking me out of my thoughts. I turned to her and gently squeezed my breast to find them both engorged. If Simone didn't eat more than she had last time I planned on pumping after, so I could continue to make large quantities of milk. I grabbed my boppy pillow and sat down in the bed, making myself comfortable with the pillow on my lap. "Ok Lady, bring her here please." I told my mom while releasing the little clamp on my bra so Simone would have access to my breasts. It was easier for her latch on this time and I relaxed into the pillows as I looked into my baby's eyes. My phone rang and looked up to see my mother straightening up my things. I reached over to the side table and grabbed it, "Hey" I answered. "How you feeling? They bring you breakfast yet?" I shook my head. He hasn't even been gone an hour and already calling fussing over me. Why did he leave if he was just gonna keep worrying about me every hour. He had sent text messages that I hadn't opened, which is probably why he called. "I'm feeding the baby right now. No they haven't brought anything for breakfast yet." I told him repositioning myself so I was more comfortable holding the phone. "You gotta eat Rai, you can't produce milk for our daughter if your not nourished yourself." I chuckled and shook my head. "Well I know that, but it's not like I can get up and go make pancakes and eggs right now. I have to wait on them to bring me food." There was a long pause before he spoke up. "What you want?" I would've said pancakes, but I didn't want to eat them cold or out of the microwave. "I want an omelet, shrimp and grits, and cinnabon." I told him quickly. "Lady you want something?" I'm sure Maurice would've brought something for her since he knew she was here, but she wanted to see if she had a taste for something specific. "Ah..I'll just eat a little bit of what you eating." I nodded my head. "Get her the same thing, just a small portion." My mother turned her head towards me and looked at me "Greedy little girl." I laughed at her. "Alright, I'll be up soon as I get this food. You need anything else while I'm out?" I couldn't think of anything off the top of my head so I told him no and we hung up. I burped the baby and changed her diaper before putting her on my other breast.
"Hey cousin" my eyes bugged out my head at the loud outburst as my cousins came busting into the room. "Awww look at the baby" Dianne cooed and sat down at my feet. "Hey auntie." Marie said hugging my mother. "Hey baby..." She said squeezing her tightly before hugging Regina and then moving on to Jean. She went tobthe end of the bed and hugged Diane from behind. "And how are you feeling Ms I'm not in labor?" Regina asked with a big smile. I laughed and shook my head. "Girl....I had no idea, shoot I was expecting my water to brake."pursing her lips and with her hands on her hips " I told you, as many kids as I got I know when a woman in labor." Jean came over near the bed and pulled out a comb brush and some edge control on the side table. "Babygirl even if you aren't feeling your best I'm about to make you look like you feeling like a million bucks." I sighed and rolled my eyes. She pulled a chair near the bed and told me to have seat. I handed the baby to Marie who happily reached for her and made myself as possible to endure this torture I was about to be put through. "Can you look in that bag and grab that bottle of moisturizer, oil and my blow dryer." She said as she began parting my hair. "Lord help me." I said dramatically. Jean parted my hair in six section with scrunchies and applied the moisturizer and oil to one section and turned the blow dryer on. As the hot air blew she took the wig brush and followed the flow of the blow dryer to straight my girls. When she was done with that section she moved on to the next. They asked a million questions as I tried my best to give them details of my labor as she tugged and pulled at my hair. Halfway through my hair being done Maria put the baby in the crib and sat on the bed. We were laughing when Maurice came into the room. "Hey ladies." He put the bags of food on the counter and hugged everyone before kissing my lips. My eye lit up with joy and I reached eagerly as he held out a Styrofoam cup which I assumed was filled with a strawberry milkshake. I closed my eyes and hummed as the smoothness invaded my tastebuds. "Still got them cravings huh?" Regina asked laughing at me. "Yep."