Finally A Midwife
(This is the third installment to my series (following A Birthday Of Memories).
[Christmas of 2005, Melinda is almost 3 years old, Maddy is four months old]
Dashing through the snow
In a one horse open sleigh
Over the hills we go
Laughing all the way
The Christmas music rang through the manor. A chipper Piper was busy in the kitchen and Leo had Melinda in the living room finishing her tree. It was Christmas Eve and the Wyatt's had a tradition of putting a small tree up Christmas Eve just for Melinda to decorate. Piper already had a large beautifully decorated tree set up in the sunroom. The manor was cheery for once.
In the kitchen Piper was decorating shortbread cookies while an excited little baby bounced in her chair.
"You like being in the kitchen with mommy don't you Maddy?" Piper asked the smiley child. She just giggled in response to Piper.
Madison had been born four and half months earlier on September 3rd. Another girl and the whole family was thrilled by her arrival. Once again Piper had had her at home in hers and Leo's king size bed. As much as Piper still wanted to be in hospital she thought it was kind of neat that their children had been both conceived and born in that bed. Once again Eva had helped Piper through the pregnancy and birth. As well Phoebe and Paige were there. However Phoebe had taken on a less active role herself. Piper's guess that Phoebe would be pregnant within a year of her marriage was a bit of an understatement. Phoebe had gotten pregnant on her honeymoon. It had been nice for Piper to have someone else go through and understand how she felt. Phoebe was due in three weeks. A week after Maddy had been born Paige and Luke announced that they were going to seriously start looking for a house. She had just found out that she was pregnant as well. Poor Leo was going to have his hands full trying to protect a new mom and two pregnant sisters at the same time. Paige was not due until March. Piper was finally going to get to be the midwife and not the one in labour and she couldn't wait.
"Well little Maddy, the cookies are done and you are clean what do you say we find that sister and father of yours?" Piper picked her up out of the chair and went into living room to join the rest of her family.
Phoebe and Matt and Paige and Luke were supposed to be coming over any minute. Piper had made a feast. She still did most of the cooking even though technically she didn't have to. Meals at the manor were large and getting larger. Every dinner both couples would come over and eat. Neither Paige nor Phoebe had really learned to cook. However Matt was really good at it and sometimes offered to give Piper a break. Phoebe still insisted that they go to the manor for dinner whether Matt was cooking or not. It was a way to keep the sisters close without living together. Piper had a suspicion that there were going to be at least two high chairs in the manor kitchen for several more years.
As Piper settled Maddy into Leo arms Phoebe and Matt came in with Paige and Luke close behind. Poor Phoebe was having trouble walking. She had gained a lot more weight then Piper had. Although Piper had gained more weight this time than she had with Melinda. Phoebe's thinking that a May wedding would be early enough that Piper would only be starting to show was proven completely wrong. Unlike her pregnancy with Melinda Piper had started showing in her third month and was defiantly pregnant by the wedding two months later. Still Phoebe had already gained 10 lbs more than Piper did and she still had three weeks to go.
"I don't think that I can wait three more weeks. I am having a hard enough time getting around as it is." Phoebe said as Matt eased her into a chair. Her eyes were sparkling and her skin had such a glow to it. She sat on the couch and rubbed her belly while Matt rubbed her back.
"Now you know how I felt. All you two would do is tease my belly and me. Now it is my turn. Both of you." Piper said with a big smile. Paige was definitely showing but she was completely comfortable still. Maddy started to fuss in Leo's arms and he gave to back to Piper. "Are you hungry my dear?" She asked, as she got ready to feed her. Both Matt and Luke were still a little uncomfortable with Piper breastfeeding Maddy in front of them. Noticing this she got up and moved into the parlor. Melinda tagged along and so did both of her sisters.
"You know that they are going to have to get used to breastfeeding?" Piper said as she settled down between her sisters to feed Maddy.
"I think that they will be fine if it is us nursing and not their sister in law." Paige said. She paused and then continued. "Does this hurt the first time?"
"Well it takes some getting used to but it won't take long. You will be old pros at it in no time." Piper reassured her sisters. They were watching and trying to learn before it came time for them to try. Melinda sat at Piper's feet and watch as her mom and aunts watched Maddy eat. She would often sit and watch her mom and Maddy.
"Piper I wanted to ask you something." Phoebe said as she broke the silence of the moment. "Matt and I were wondering … do you think that it would be okay if I had my angel at the manor?"
"Of course Phoebe, but why?"
"Well I think that I need to be as close to you and Mom as possible. I need the strength that this house holds."
"Phoebe I would be thrilled. I was actually wondering the same thing. I think that it is important that the next generation of Halliwell witches be born in this house. They will need to draw strength from these walls in their lives and if they begin here hopefully it help." Piper said and then she looked at Paige. "Paige I'd love for you to have your children here as well. I think we need to stick together."
Paige smiled knowing that Piper was right. "I would love to have her here."
"Her, how do you know it will be a girl? Did you find out at the doctors?" Phoebe asked as she looked up at Paige.
"Well no but I am assuming that all the Halliwell women will only be having girls. Piper you have already had two and I bet Phoebe you will have a girl as well. This is the one family were the women determine the sex of the children."
"I think that you are right Paige. I do feel sorry for the men in the other room though. They are going to have three houses full of women. Think of the hormones they are going to have to deal with when the girls hit puberty." Piper chuckled as she started to burp Maddy.
"So Piper you changed the "P" history in the Halliwell's. Do you have any ideas one the name thing Phoebe?" Paige said.
"Well I was thinking in order to somewhat keep tradition I
think all the children should have Halliwell in the name and that each of us
should pick a different letter and name all our own children with that
letter. Matt and I were talking about an
"L" thing. He wants to name her after
his grandmother, Lilly. What do think?"
"I like it." Paige said. "If I had to pick one letter it will be "B". I always liked B."
"I think that is a very good idea Phoebe. We will need some way of keeping the girls straight. The "M's" belong to the Wyatt's, the "L's" belong to the Johnson's and the "B's" belong to the Grant's. At least the school board will be able to tell them apart." Piper said as she sat Maddy on her lap.
Melinda climbed up onto Paige's lap to play with Maddy. Melinda loved her little sister. She was always playing with her and making her laugh. She would try to help take care of her but she still wasn't big enough to do all that much. Just like Melinda, Maddy was a happy baby. She laughed a lot and enjoyed being held and cuddled. However unlike Melinda she liked to eat. She was a very quick eater and she never seemed to stop. Melinda had been a slow eater. She would sometimes take up to 45 minute to eat. Maddy was often done in ten minutes but she eats every two hours. Maddy was also smaller than Melinda but Eva said she was healthy. Piper was so glad that they had found Eva. She was wonderful. She was also the same age as the girls, which was nice. Eva had just got married in October. All of the Halliwell's had attended her wedding. Just then Piper heard the oven timer go off.
"Dinner's done." She said as she got up and went into the kitchen to the turkey out of the oven. "Leo will you come and carve the turkey?"
Leo followed Piper and Maddy into the kitchen. Matt and Luke followed Leo and helped their wives off the sofa. Paige had no trouble but poor Phoebe really needed Matt's help.
"I hope you don't gain any more weight or we will need a crane to move you around." Matt said jokingly. Phoebe got her balance and swatted him in the arm.
"You think you're real funny. I'd love to see you carry this around for nine months." Phoebe said as she swatted him again.
Paige took Melinda's hand and Luke lifted her into her booster seat at the table. Leo came into the dinning room carry a plate full of turkey and Piper was not far behind with the rest of dinner. They had a wonderful dinner and after dinner they sat in the living room and talked most of the night. Piper and Leo still had some presents to wrap after they had put Melinda into bed. It was nearly one in the morning before everyone went home. They would be back first thing in the morning.
Christmas morning was a big success. Melinda got everything on her list. Maddy wasn't all that interested but she did like the paper. Around two in the afternoon Melinda fell asleep in a pile of boxes and paper. They spent the rest of the day talking about the new babies and what their future may hold. It had been a perfect Christmas.
[New Years Eve]
Piper had spent the whole day at P3 getting the club ready for the New Years Eve party. Both and Paige and Phoebe were going to come. Phoebe had warned them that she may not stay two minutes past midnight but she promised she would stay as long as she could. Both Melinda and Maddy would be at the club as well. When Leo and Piper could not find a caregiver when Melinda was born Leo had built a room in the back of the club as a nursery. He made it sound proof so the baby could sleep even with the music. Piper wore a speaker so she could hear everything that was going on in the room and Matt had set up a video camera behind the bar so they could see into the room at all times. It worked out well.
When Phoebe arrived she looked exhausted but she was determined to stay up. She had not missed a New Years Eve since she was seven years old and she was not going to miss this one. Around ten o'clock Melinda started to make noise. Phoebe volunteered to go and get her. Knowing Phoebe was in the room Piper turned the speaker down. About 40 minutes later Phoebe had not returned.
"I wonder what is taking her that long? If Melinda had not gone back to sleep Phoebe would have come to get me." Piper said a little worried. She turned the speaker back up and it was silent. She and Matt decided to go and check on her and the kids just to be safe. When they opened the door they saw Phoebe curled up on Melinda's bed with Melinda in arms. Melinda's little head was resting Phoebe's big tummy and Phoebe was completely asleep.
"Should we wake her up?" Matt said with a smile.
"No let her sleep. I'll come and wake her just before midnight. She would never forgive me if she missed it. Doesn't she look cute?" Piper asked Matt.
"Just as sweet as the three year old in her arms." He replied.
They went back to the table and told everyone else what had happened. At midnight Piper went to get Phoebe but she just groaned and went back to sleep.
"Well I tried. She can't get mad at me now."
After midnight hit Leo went back to Phoebe. They had decided it would easiest if Leo orbed her back to her bed. He did and then came back for the children. It was a nice way to travel. It didn't wake anyone up. Paige decided to orb her and Luke home and that they come back for the cars tomorrow. Luke and Matt were still not sure about the orbing thing. Surprisingly both men had taken the information about the girls being witches fairly well. They took some time to adjust to it but in no time at all they had accepted that magic made the women they loved who they were. Both Phoebe and Paige had told them at the same time. They figured this way the two guys could talk about it together. Both Paige and Phoebe had lucked out with the men they fell in love with.
[One week later]
"Hi, is anyone here?" Phoebe shouted into the manor.
"I'm in the Kitchen." Piper said from the back of the house. She was busy getting lunch on for Melinda.
"Hi. Well Eva says that I am right on schedule. Another week or so." Phoebe said as entered the kitchen. "I really don't think that I can wait another week. My feet and back are killing me. Next time you get pregnant you better gain more weight then me. I don't want to hold the Halliwell fatness record."
"The next time I get Pregnant?" Piper responded. "Just how many kids do think I will have?"
"I figure at least one more. You need to even out the power of three. Plus your kids will be the strongest. They are the only ones with two magical parents." Phoebe teased as she eased herself into a chair at the table.
"We'll see about that. Maddy is only five months old. I have no plans to get pregnant any time soon. So how are you feeling? Are you ready for labour?" Piper chuckled.
"I am ready for her to get out of me. I am not looking forward to the pain."
"Well who knows maybe you will have an easy time of it. Hey will you be here for dinner?"
"Of course I will be eating here. Do you really think that I am going to cook like this? Matt said he would be home early and help you with dinner. Do mind if I just stay here for the rest of the day? I really don't feel like moving." Phoebe with a puppy dog like on her face.
"No problem. I do have to run down to P3 for two minutes and drop off the new work schedule. But you can stay. Hey can I leave Maddy with you? I will take Melinda but Maddy really needs a nap."
"Sure maybe I'll join her."
Piper left the house twenty minutes later. At the club Melinda ran around the dance floor while Piper got her paper work together and posted the new schedule. They left the club for home a half an hour later. When they got home Piper went to check on Phoebe and Maddy. Both were sound asleep. She let them stay that way for most of the afternoon. When Phoebe woke she felt great. She looked at the clock in Piper's room, 4:30 already. She had slept all afternoon. She got up and went down stairs. Matt was home and bringing some food into the manor as she came down the stairs.
"Wow, you're awake. Piper said that you slept all afternoon. How are you feeling?"
"Great actually. You making dinner?"
"No just helping. Piper has pasta on. Do you need help honey?" Matt said as he held out his hand to help her down the last few stairs. They went into the kitchen and finished getting dinner ready. Although Phoebe was full of energy she was also very uncomfortable. She couldn't sit still the whole meal. Just as she got settled in one place the baby would give her a good hard kick and she would have to move. Piper watched her carefully. She wondered if this was maybe the start of labour. Phoebe and Paige volunteered to the dishes. Just as Paige was drying the last dish Phoebe grabbed her stomach. Piper had stayed in the kitchen packing up the extra food and ran over to Phoebe when she saw her wince in pain.
"Okay, lets sit down. Paige go and get Matt and Leo." Piper said as she took Phoebe's hand and led her to the kitchen table. Paige ran into the living room where the guys were playing with Melinda.
"Phoebe's in labour." She shouted when she got to them.
Matt jumped up and ran into the kitchen. "Are you okay?" He said slightly out of breath. "Should we call Eva?"
Leo came in and told him to calm down. This would take hours. He got out the stopwatch and a few minutes later Phoebe had another contraction. They started timing. Ten minutes later she had another. They decided not to phone Eva until she was five minutes apart but they did move her up stairs. Paige had gone up stairs to get the bed ready. Phoebe was already in a lot of pain and not able to walk. Leo orbed her up stairs and put her in bed. Paige and Piper tried to keep Phoebe calm while Leo and Luke tried to keep Matt calm.
Three hours later Phoebe's contractions were still six minutes apart. They called Eva anyways and explained the situation. Eva said that she would be there shortly. About 30 minutes later she arrived and checked Phoebe. While she was checking her Phoebe's water broke and Eva said that she was five centimeters dilated. She suspected that Phoebe's labour would progress steadily and that she would likely have the baby by 1 or 2 in the morning. Eva was wrong. Phoebe did not progress at all over the next several hours.
Piper felt so bad for Phoebe. Piper's deliveries had both been around nine or ten hours. Phoebe had already been in labour for seven hours and was not progressing very much. She was up to six centimeters. Eva had her hooked up to a fetal monitor and it seemed as if the baby was doing fine.
"Sometimes it just slow. I am going to home and get a change of clothes and stop by the hospital and see if they have anything to help you. I won't be long. Piper will you come down stairs with me for a minute?" Eva told Phoebe and Matt. Paige had sent Luke home and both Melinda and Maddy was asleep. Paige and Leo stayed with Phoebe while Piper went down stairs with Eva.
"I need you to keep her calm. It looks like this baby is going to be very slow. It is just past two now. I will be back in less than one hour. If anything happens you call me." Eva told Piper.
"If anything happens I can send Leo to get you." Piper responded.
"You need to keep a close eye on the monitor if the baby's heart beat drops too much call me right away. I don't want to take any chances." With that Eva left. Piper went to the kitchen to make a pot of tea. She also wanted to make a pain-numbing rub. Paige had figured one out when Piper had Maddy. However she was not sure it would help with Phoebe. She was in a lot more pain than Piper had been with either of the girls. A few minutes later she went back up stairs to sit with Phoebe.
When Piper came back she noticed that Paige looked exhausted.
"Paige why don't you go and lay down? I can get you up when she needs to push." Piper asked Paige.
"No way. I am not missing this delivery. I was there with both of yours and I want both of you there when I go into labour. I am not leaving you Phoebe." Paige responded.
"Paige it's okay. Nothing is going on but pain. You are almost six months pregnant and you need sleep. Trust me I know. When Maddy was born it drained me and that was only nine hours." Phoebe said.
Piper gave her a look. "You were drained. I was the one having the baby." She chuckled.
"You know what I mean. I was five months pregnant when you had Maddy and I know how Paige is feeling."
"I know sweetie. I'm just teasing you." Piper said. "But Paige go and lay down in the guest room. I will come and get you later."
Under much protest Paige did go and lay down. Leo and Piper had turned her old room into a guest room until Maddy was out of the nursery that was in Piper's closet. Matt had gone home two hours ago. He had to work in the morning and Paige told him to go home and sleep. Piper talked Phoebe into getting into a warm bath to help with the pain.
Eva returned around three in the morning. Phoebe still had no change and Eva warned her that if she progress in the next two hours that they may have to take her to the hospital. Thankfully she dilated two more centimeters over the next four hours. She was now at 8 centimeters.
It was 7:00 in the morning and the manor was starting to wake up. Maddy had been up twice through the night and was starting to stir. Melinda started to wake up when Piper went into her room to get Maddy. They had put Maddy in the basinet in Melinda's room so she could sleep without Phoebe waking her up.
"Hello my sweet baby." Piper said as she reached down to pick the smiley baby up.
"Mommy is it morning yet?" Melinda asked still half asleep.
"Yes baby. It's morning. What would you like for breakfast?" Piper asked as Melinda climbed out of bed.
Realizing why Maddy was in her room Melinda asked very excitedly "has aunt Phoebe had the baby?"
"No sweetie, not yet. Come on let's get you two dressed and you can go down stairs with Daddy and get breakfast.
Piper got the girls dressed and went to see how Paige was. She was still sound asleep. Piper couldn't believe how just four and a half years ago they did not even know Paige existed. Now they couldn't imagine life without her. She was such a good sister and a wife and soon she would be a mother as well. Piper's train of thought was interrupted when Leo came out of their bedroom.
"Piper? Honey? Phoebe wants you." He said as he started to take Maddy out of her arms. "Give me the girls. I'll take them down stairs and get breakfast. Do you want some coffee?"
"Thanks that would be great." She said. She reached up and gave him a soft kiss. How did she get such a wonderful man, she thought. He had stayed up all night. Leo had kept Matt calm and often ran to get things or food from the kitchen while the others stayed with Phoebe. "I'll keep Maddy. She will need to eat in a few minutes."
Leo swung Melinda up into his arms and went down stairs. Piper and Maddy went back into her bedroom. Phoebe was screaming. It had been over twelve hours. Unlike Piper's labour Phoebe had been in a lot of pain the whole time. Piper had been able to move and walk around the house but Phoebe was in bed and not able to move at all. Piper put Maddy down on the floor and climbed on the bed with Phoebe. A few minutes later Leo came in with coffee.
"Melinda and I are going to go out to the bakery and get everyone breakfast. What would you all like?"
Leo got everyone's order and turned to leave as Paige came in.
"Well sleepy head I told you that you wouldn't miss much." Piper said. Maddy started to fuss and Paige picked her up. She sat her on her hip and bounced around a little.
"So how are you doing?" Paige asked looking a red faced, tear stained Phoebe.
"Great I guess." She replied sarcastically. "It's been over twelve hours and I'm still only at 8 centimeters."
"Despite what she thinks she is doing well. The average first birth takes ten to twelve hours so she is right on time. She is progressing. It is when she's not progressing that she worries me. If she keeps up at this pace and doesn't stall again she should deliver by noon." Eva told every one in the room. Maddy was still crying and Paige was walking her around the room.
"Give her here Paige she's hungry." Piper said holding her arms out.
"She is wet too." Paige said as handed her back to Piper.
"Well I'm not changing her until after she eats or I'll have to do it again in hour." Piper said as settled Maddy into place. Matt sat on the chair in Piper's room. He was too tired to care if she breastfeed Maddy in front of him now. This was Piper's favourite thing about having a little baby. She would stare at her the whole time. She gently played with Maddy's hair and rubbed her back. Both Paige and Phoebe saw the joy on Piper's face. Piper could never find the words to describe it to them. It is the most fulfilling, peaceful, magical, wonderful feeling. She looked up for a second and to her surprise Matt was staring at her. She had forgot he was there and that this made him uncomfortable. She started to fidget and wondered if she should leave the room.
He noticed her looking back and said "it's okay don't move. I never understood until now. I just always thought "Oh no my sister in law is going to expose herself to me." I know it was stupid but that is what I thought and Luke too. It's okay really."
Piper finished and changed Maddy. Leo and Melinda came back, Phoebe continued to scream and Luke came over before he had to leave for work. When he came over he was very excited.
"Guess what I just found out?" He said looking directly at Paige. "The Mackenzie's next door are getting a divorce."
"Honey that's horrible. Why are you so happy?" Paige asked.
"Well, Jeffery came over to me as I was coming up the drive way and told me this. He said that he knows that you and I have been house hunting and he thought that we might be interested in theirs. They have to sell it in order to settle the divorce and he wanted to give us first dibs. We have until next Saturday to decide if we want it. What do you say?"
"What do I say? Luke we need to talk about this and now is not really the time. Phoebe is kind of in a little bit of pain here." Paige said sarcastically.
"Yeah you can discuss this later." Phoebe said in between deep breaths.
"Okay, well we need to talk soon." Luke said.
Four hours later Eva said that Phoebe was at ten centimeters and Phoebe really wanted to push. Piper was at the end of the bed to help Eva while Paige and Matt were on the bed helping Phoebe. Luke had long gone for work and Leo was downstairs with Melinda and Maddy.
A half an hour later and after much pushing Lilly Marie Halliwell Johnson was born on January 7th, 2006. It was beautiful. Eva had let Piper deliver the baby. Piper couldn't believe how good she felt helping her baby sister to deliver her first baby. Later on in the early afternoon she also helped Phoebe feed Lilly for the first time. Lilly and Phoebe were much better at it than her and Melinda had been the first time. The rest of the day was peaceful and relaxed. The girls spent the day in bed with Phoebe and Lilly. Matt never left Phoebe's side. Like Piper and Leo they were overjoyed at their new lives and couldn't believe how much they loved their new baby.
To be continued…