9 Months of Bliss
As the tiny little baby was lying there in her arms, Taylor couldn't help but to be amazed at how after just nine months, something so little and so perfect could've made it out of her. It had been nine moths with ups and downs, but mostly it had been nine months of bliss.
The first month, Taylor hadn't given it any thought that she might be pregnant. She and Ryan had only been married for a year, and they hadn't really thought of having a baby so soon. They were very happy together and wanted kids someday, but at the moment, she was rather occupied with her life, and Ryan was always busy with work, so neither of them gave it too much thought. She had thought that she was simply sick when she threw up, because everyone she knew had came down with the flu.
The second moth however, Ryan had known something was wrong when Taylor had fainted while cooking, and he had immediately rushed her to the hospital. Well there, they had told her that she was simply pregnant, and that nothing was wrong whatsoever. Surprised, yet ecstatic over the news, there had been no hesitation over keeping the baby, because even though it wasn't planned, they both wanted it. They told their friends and family, who were all happy for them and Kirsten and Sandy were particularly thrilled since it was their first grandchild. Taylor was surprisingly calm throughout the month but cried when they had received their first ultrasound picture, even though the little peanut in the picture was barely even noticeable.
The third month though, the hormones had gotten to her. She had been throwing up everyday, four times a day and was noticeably irritable. She would yell at Ryan when he got home from work, and she would go through every emotion on the entire emotion scale in less than an hour: from insane and throwing vases around as Ryan tried to duck, to being completely calm and collected in a very un-Taylor like manner, to crying uncontrollably for no reason while Ryan hopelessly tried to comfort her.
Ryan quickly learned during this phase when he should talk to Taylor, when he should be quiet, and when he should stay away completely, but he was always there for her.
The fourth month, things had been settling down to average again. Taylor's morning sicknesses had been less frequent now and less hard on her, and it made her really start to enjoy being pregnant. She had that pregnancy glow that everyone always talked about, but as did the father-to-be. Ryan was always beaming with pride as he told his colleagues about his pregnant wife at home, and he missed her like crazy when he went to work, and tried to sneak home to her during lunch breaks. He didn't mind at all when Taylor told him to get this or that for the severe food cravings she was having. It was everything from chocolate cookies in warm milk to ice cream and pickles in the weirdest combinations, and some of things were definitely less appetizing in Ryan's eyes, but he never could deny his wife anything.
The fifth month had been one of the most exciting. Taylor had started putting on a little weight, and a tiny bump was visible when she wore some of her clothes, though most people wouldn't notice her being pregnant if they didn't know how petite she normally was. It was also the time when they could finally feel the baby move for the first time. It had felt like a little flutter from a butterfly wing, and Taylor had been so excited that she had immediately called Ryan at work, and he had rushed home at lunch, pushing the speed limit getting there so he could feel it to. He had placed his hands gently on her stomach, afraid that he would somehow scare the movement away if he was careless. At first, he hadn't felt anything because the baby wouldn't move, but at last he felt it too: a tiny flutter. It had been so light at first, barely noticeable, but it was there: it was their baby's.
The sixth month had been when Taylor had really starting to show, and she had both excited and sad at the realization that she had outgrown all of her old clothes and had to go shopping for new ones at the maternity section. Another ultrasound stated the baby's sex, and Taylor had cried like crazy at the sound of the news, and even Ryan had let a tiny tear slip at the words: It's a girl… It was finally becoming so real. In just a few months, they would be holding a little baby girl in their arms, and they immediately started suggesting names, but couldn't agree on anything except that Marissa should be the middle name. It had been Taylor's idea because she had felt it was only fair since Marissa sort of was the one to have brought the two of them together. Ryan had thought it was a nice tribute to her memory, even if he had been too much of a coward to suggest it himself, since he didn't want Taylor to get the wrong idea that he wasn't over Marissa. Because he was. He was having a baby with the woman he loved the most in the world, and nothing could've felt better.
The seventh month, Taylor had started going crazy with her baby shopping. She had suddenly realized that it was only two months left until the baby would arrive, and she needed to put the nursery together before then. She had spent her days looking for cribs, playpens and clothes and everything else that the baby would be needing the next five years, and Summer had helped her paint the nursery in yellow and pink. Taylor had also felt it was time to baby proof everything in the entire house, something Ryan came to notice one morning when he realized that he couldn't open the refrigerator without Taylor telling him how the lock worked.
The eight month, Taylor had gotten annoyed. The very active baby had kicked hard all the time, and carrying around over 30 pounds of excess weight had made her back starting to hurt. She had barely been able to feel or see her feet anymore, and she had blown up the size of an air balloon. Ryan had insisted she still looked as beautiful as ever, and she really had. It wasn't until this month however that their sex life had severely started to suffer. Previously, it hadn't bothered Taylor to have sex during the pregnancy, but now that she was too big to almost walk, she was certainly not keen on having sex. Taylor had definitely felt it was time for the baby to just pop out of her, and it had been with a mixture of anticipation and excitement that she and Ryan counted down the days until December 10th when the baby was supposed to be born.
In the ninth and final month, at noon the seventh of December, Taylor's water had broke. She had immediately called Ryan and he had rushed home from work and drove his wife to the hospital. The staff had placed the parents-to-be in room shared with a few other couples, and Ryan had stayed with Taylor, holding her hand all the way through her contractions until the doctors had finally said she was dilated a full ten centimeters. When the pain had gotten unbearable, Taylor screamed for every drug they could find even though she had wanted to keep the birth as natural as possible, and Ryan had been by her side through it all, never letting go of her hand. Finally, after all the excruciating and exhausting hours, one last push, and a fragile baby scream had filled the room. Ryan had gotten to cut the umbilical cord, and he'd nearly cried at the first sight of their beautiful little girl.
A few hours after the birth, the new little family was alone together in a nice, little room at the hospital. Seth and Summer, and Sandy and Kirsten had already came to see the newest little clan member, and Kirsten hadn't been able to get enough of her, Sandy eventually having to shove her out of the room so Ryan and Taylor could get some privacy with their first born. Kirsten had immediately gone out in the hall where Seth, Summer and a sleeping little Sophie were waiting, and she started nagging on her son, demanding another grandchild.
Everything was perfect as the happy family lay there. Ryan had been the first to hold the little girl, but she was lying peacefully in the arms of her mother now. Taylor had been terrified during the pregnancy that she wouldn't know how to hold the baby or that she would break her somehow, but now, with the little girl resting so peacefully in her arms, everything felt so simple and natural. Ryan couldn't take his eyes off of either of his two favorite girls, and both of the new parents were amazed at the little one that was theirs. This was what life was all about: this was what they had been waiting for.
"I've been thinking…" Taylor said, not taking her eyes of the little girl. "…I think we should call her Lauren. What do you think?"
Ryan looked at the tiny baby in his wife's arms and couldn't agree more. The baby looked like a nice mixture between the two of them. She seemed to have Taylor's mouth and nose, but definitely Ryan's eyes and chin, and with the few strands of sandy blonde hair on her head, she just looked like a Lauren. "Lauren Marissa Atwood", Ryan said, allowing himself to feel every aspect of the name. It was perfect. "It suits her."
Taylor nodded and looked down on their tiny miracle. It had taken them nine months to have this beautiful little girl, and it couldn't have been more worth it. Nine months off bliss…more or less, Taylor though remembering the ups and downs of the pregnancy, and smiling to herself as she recalled the memories. Then she looked at the product of it all, the soft and tiny baby that lay in her arms, and said in a gentle voice: "Lauren Marissa Atwood, welcome to the world…"
Author's Note: Please review! I have never written a oneshot or fluff before.