It's a short chapter, sorry about that, but I wanted to get this one posted. Surgery ended up taking a bit more out of me than I had expected, but I'm on bedrest until the 24th, at least, so it'll give me a chance to write AT LEAST three more chapters, yeah? Also, thanks to the new followers and favorites – yall are the best! Enjoy, and let me know what you think.
Chapter 26
"You had an umbilical cord prolapse, which is when the cord slips into the vagina, which could flatten during a natural vagina birth."
"So, you gave me a c-section."
"Yes. During which you began to have excessive bleeding, a risk that comes with a c-section in even the best circumstances."
Her eyes widened, "how's the baby?"
"She's perfectly healthy. We'll keep the both of you for at least another five days, possibly longer depending on how you're healing." Annabelle nodded. "Have you decided if you're going to breastfeed or not?"
"Yeah. That was the plan, at least."
"That's fine. We gave her formula while you've been out, but we'll let you feed her next time. Now, when you leave, you can not lift anything for at least six weeks. You have to take it easy, until your incision heals, alright?"
"When can I meet her?"
"I'll have someone bring her to you now." The woman smiled, "congratulations, Anna, she's beautiful."
It took less than ten minutes before Maria was bringing her now day-old daughter into the still dimly lit room. Carefully cradling her daughter, a smile instantly rose upon her face, as she took in the olive skin, a shade that was a mixture between her own and Rafael's, and the dark bundle of hair atop her head was already forming the same curls her mother grew up with. Her lips were puckered into a pout, causing Annabelle to gently run her fingertip over her chubby little cheeks. "Perfect." She looked up at Maria, who had been quietly checking the new mom's vitals, "do you know where Rafael is, by chance?"
"He went down to get some coffee. He hasn't left your side." She finished up the last thing she was checking, before going to leave, "when she gets hungry, call for me and I'll help you get situated to feed her." With Annabelle's quiet reply, the Hispanic woman left the room.
"I feel that ice is slowly melting. Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear."
"I haven't heard you sing that in months." She jumped at the voice, her head turning to look at her jean clad husband leaning in the doorway. "She's perfect." He pushed himself off the wooden frame, "and you," he planted a quick kiss against her pale lips, "are the most amazing woman I've ever met."
"I love you." He pulled the small leather recliner closer to the hospital bed, taking hold of his wife's hand, the topside of his hand brushing against his daughter's leg. "Have you slept?"
"You saying I look tired?"
She smiled at the twinkle in his eyes, "Unless those bags under your eyes are designer, then yes." The wailing of his daughter cut off any reply he had, causing the couple to wince at the volume. "Maybe she's hungry," Annabelle wasn't entirely sure, but she did know that she wasn't dirty. Pressing the call button on the side of the bed, they didn't have to wait very long before Maria came bustling inside. "Help me."
The older nurse gave a small laugh, "she's probably hungry." The woman undid the back of Annabelle's gown, revealing her breast, "so you're going to turn her entire body towards you. Just let her upper lip touch your nipple." The moment the baby's mouth opened, Maria pressed the newborn to the exposed breast, grabbing hold of Annabelle's breast, "You're going to hold yourself so that you can support her eating," her other hand came up and touched around the part that was mostly covered by the feasting child, "you see how she has the entire nipple and a bit of the areola?" With Annabelle's nod, she continued, "you want her to have as much as the areola as possible. It's going to help her get more of the colostrum. Any pain?"
"No. Just strange," Annabelle gave a slightly uncomfortable giggle, causing Maria to smile at her in understanding.
"It'll get better. You'll be able to tell when she's full. It can last awhile. If you need anything, just call for me."
"Thanks, Maria." She watched her daughter suckle, before glancing up at her husband, to find him staring at her, "what?"
"That's a wonderful sight."
Once she was finished, Rafael placed his daughter into her clear hospital bassinet, sliding the small pink blanket over her legs, allowing both mother and daughter to rest for a few minutes of uninterrupted silence. Annabelle jerked awake the moment the door reopened, and the hallway light flooded the room. "What's wrong?"
The blonde nurse smiled, "sorry. I didn't realize it opened so easily."
"it's okay," was Rafael's reply as Annabelle just fell back onto the pillow, trying to pretend she didn't cause herself pain when she rose up so quickly.
"I just came in to have you fill out the birth certificate." Dropping the slip off the thick sheet, the young nurse left the room, allowing the new parents to fill out the information themselves.
Grabbing the pen, Annabelle looked at her husband when she saw the first two parts, "length and weight?"
"18.6 inches and 6.2 pounds."
"Was she really that small?"
"Yes, and still absolutely perfect. 100% healthy."
She gave him a small smile, feeling like a slight failure as their daughter was over a pound less than the doctor said she should weigh. "Parents' names…Annabelle Daniella…Johnny Depp." She smirked at the affronted look on his face, "Kidding. Rafael Xavier." He came closer when she motioned for him to do so with her finger, where she pressed a long kiss to his plump lips, "you've probably got a bigger dick." Laughing at his new expression, she turned back to the birth certificate, "baby's name."
-xXx-
Annabelle woke up to voices filling her small room. As her brain joined her body in awareness, she realized who it was. "Hey, guys."
"Hi, mama." She shot a smile at Fin, before pushing herself up into a better sitting position, so that she could see the SVU squad a bit easier.
"How are you feeling?"
She nodded at Carisi, "Sore. Worth it, but sore," she chuckled a bit at the end of that sentence, her eyes going to Olivia, who was cradling the newest Barba with a smile on her face. "It feels like I haven't seen of ya'll in months. What have I missed?"
"Carisi has a girlfriend." Green eyes shifted from the Staten Island native to the southern woman next to him, both of whom were blushing slightly at Fin's words.
Annabelle smirked, "Anyone I know?"
"She's just a friend!" She laughed at the smug look on Fin's face as Sonny denied the relationship quickly…and loudly. "She is."
"Suuree." Noticing that he was about to protest again, she looked towards Olivia, "anything else happening besides Sonny's not so fake girlfriend?" Olivia's reply was cut short when the baby began wailing in her arms, and Annabelle motioned for the woman to give the little girl to her, "she's probably hungry."
"That's my cue." She giggled as Carisi quickly made his way from the room, followed by the rest of the squad as she untied the blue gown the moment the door clicked shut.
-xXx-
Annabelle stood slowly as she slipped her ankle boots on, the black color matching the skinny jeans, before she pulled the long-sleeved olive-green shirt on, leaving it unbuttoned to showcase the grey tee underneath. Her slightly longer than shoulder length was in a messy ponytail at the crown of her head, a few loose strands giving her difficulty as she walked her way to the clear bassinet that her daughter currently lay in, already dressed in a white long sleeved onesie that said "worth the wait" in silver and pink, with a glittery pink heart centered between two silver ones at the bottom of the words. Gently pulling up a pair of grey pants on top of her bare legs, she then placed a grey beanie on top of the dark curls, the pink bow on the front centered on the girl's head. "Let's go home, princesa."
Once she placed the newborn into her green and grey, she made her way to the door, only to stop as Nurse Maria stood in the hallway with a wheelchair. "Where do you think you're going?"
She sighed, "I was hoping to escape having to use that contraction."
"Nope." She motioned to the chair, "in you get. Mr. Barba can take your daughter." She scowled when Rafael appeared with a smile, instantly relieving her of the heavy seat, his hand gesturing for her to get into the seat.
"I've already got the car at the entrance for you, carino."
"Ya'll suck."
Maria patted the young mom's shoulder as she began moving them through the corridor, "enjoy this, because once you get home…it's over."
"Are you trying to scare me?" She paused, to glance up at the older woman, who she recently learned was from Puerta Rico, "Cause it's working."
"Not at all. You'll get used to not having sleep, the moment she decides to sleep through the night." The group was quiet for the rest of the trip to the entrance, only being broke as they stopped in front of the range rover, "you have my number. Call me if you need anything, or have any questions, alright?"
"Okay," she gave the woman a brief hug before sliding into the front seat, allowing Rafael to put the baby girl in the backseat, with almost the same amount of confidence he has in the courtroom.
She gave a soft smile when he got into the driver's seat, the black of the seatbelt contrasting with the light blue polo he had paired with his jeans. Slipping his fingers through hers, he brought her palm to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss to it, "let's go home."
-xXx-
"Your turn," the words were mumbled as she slapped her husband's arm. His reply was unintelligible, causing her to hit him again, before groaning as she pressed herself from the comfortable mattress. "You suck." Annabelle shuffled across the room, her body cringing as the soles of her feet hit repeatedly met the cold wood, "shh, sweetheart. Momma's here." She kept whispering sweet nothings to her daughter as she took the elevator up to the nursery to sit in the rocking chair.
The two-week-old infant suckled on her mother's breast as they pair rocked gently, the sounds of ocean soothing them from the monitor on the shelf. An hour later, Rafael found them still sitting in the rocker, both of his girls sleeping soundly. Picking the small bundle from his wife's arms, he smiled when Annabelle jerked awake, before relaxing the moment her eyes landed on him. "come back to bed."
-xXx-
"How is she sleeping at night?"
Annabelle watched at Dr. Wren performed the one-month check-up. "she sleeps about three hours at a time. Wakes up to eat, then back to sleep."
"Good." The young doctor tapped the baby's nose with a smile, "good girl." She watched at the man weighed the newborn, "Looks like she's gained about half a pound, and she's just a little bit bigger." The doctor looked back to the new mother, "how often does she eat?"
"Uhm, about fifteen minutes every three or so hours."
"Okay, I'm going to send some vitamin D drops home with you. We recommend that for most breastfed babies, but everything else looks to be going well. I'll send the nurse in to give her the second hep B."
Annabelle nodded, "Thank you." The two were leaving the office less than fifteen minutes later, the baby still a bit fussy. Once the little girl was happily sleeping in her crib, Annabelle took a moment to post one of the photos they had taken on the day home from the hospital on Instagram, the first photo of her daughter on her social media. Catalina Elizabeth Barba