Chapter Forty Five
"I like the animals," Eddie smiled. "The ones that bend like the alphabet, it's cute and functional for our future Harvard graduate…"
"You're going to push him into Harvard, just cause I went there?" Jamie asked. "What if he wants to go to Notre Dame?"
"She is going to school on the eastern seaboard where I can go see her in the van anytime I like, that is if you still refuse to let me learn to drive again."
"I'm not refusing, Eddie," Jamie sighed. "I'm just saying let's get used to having the baby first, then we'll discuss you getting wheels of a different sort again okay?"
"Okay, but I'm not going to let you forget it. That car was super, I could handle that around Brooklyn."
"I'm sure you could, Angel," Jamie replied and kissed her head. "Now, let's finish picking out the rest of the bedding, your shower is only a few weeks away. People need time to shop."
"All right, I like the baby elephants by themselves too," Eddie replied. "You can surprise me after this, I trust you and the shower possee."
"Eddie," the nurse called as Eddie and Jamie waited to see the doctor. Since her twenty eighth week, Eddie was seeing the doctor once a week and today they would discuss her options for labor.
Eddie drove herself back to the exam room, and Jamie carefully put her on the table and arranged her body for the doctor before moving to hold her hand. He was a little tense today because of the conversation that was coming up. He and Eddie wanted the best for their little one.
The doctor greeted both her patient and the nervous father to be. Jamie stood over Eddie with his hand gently on her shoulder listening intently to every word the doctor said. "Relax," Eddie laughed. "You are going to miss something if you let yourself get so tense in your thoughts."
"Take a big deep breath," Eddie said to Jamie at the same time the doctor said it to her. The doctor began the exam. "It's going to be a little tender, so if you feel faint tell me..." Jamie kept an eye on the blood pressure cuff attached to Eddie's arm. The numbers stayed steady for Eddie, ensuring Jamie's own blood pressure stayed still as well.
Eddie took a deep breath in and looked at Jamie using his face to focus. "I feel… "
"What?" Jamie jumped. "What is it? " He was worried. The doctor stopped and waited for Eddie to signal them what she needed or if she could go on. This was common in later pregnancy, tender and thinning cervix would cause a little pain.
"Okay it passed," Eddie squeezed her eyes shut anyway. "Jamie, can you just keep rubbing?"
"I'm here, Angel, I'm here..." Jamie kissed her head and rubbed her shoulder until the doctor was finished.
"Looks great Eddie, the baby is in great position. Let's listen to him or her then talk about D-Day."
"Okay," Eddie agreed looking up at the doctor as they set up. A minute later the steady heartbeat of their little one filled the room. "I love that sound," Eddie said to Jamie. "It sounds like we have a tap dancer in there…"
"Eddie listens to the baby mostly all day now," Jamie told Dr. Eisenberg. "Oh, there it goes, kicking Mommy...you see Eddie." Eddie saw the tiny foot moving and looked at her belly for the corresponding ripple. Jamie put her hand on the rippled and helped her trace the baby's foot across her belly. "Maybe a track start like Daddy."
Dr. Eisenberg watched the couple taking a few special moments to bond with their baby. If you told her this was the same couple that nearly split up over this child's existence five months ago, she'd never have believed it except for living it. The love for one another and for their unborn child was shining all around them.
"All right, Jamie if you want to put Eddie in her chair and come to the back office, we can talk about the delivery. It'll be here sooner than you know it."
Jamie helped Eddie into her chair the followed her to the doctor's office where he took a seat.
Jamie stroked Eddie's hair, he was that much more attentive lately as her time grew nearer. Eddie smiled at him, they each looked at the doctor and waited for her to speak.
"Well, in eight more weeks it's going to be time to welcome this little one, and Jamie, I made you a promise early on that we would explore the options for delivery so…there are two viable options…"
Jamie sat back listening as he promised Eddie, with an open mind and an open heart. "Many parents decide that a scheduled C-Section is the way to go. It's predictable, I can perform it in a controlled environment, but it means planning to take baby out about 37 weeks, it's full term but it is earlier than what you might expect if we go with option two."
Eddie looked up at Jamie, his face was unreadable. "What is option two?" she asked. She wasn't too tickled with option one. She wanted her baby to grow as long as it was supposed to grow, not come out early.
"Option two," Dr. Eisenberg replied. "Is to let the baby stay in, and monitor you for contractions for the final four weeks. The issue with you Eddie, is if you begin to labor and we don't' know it, there's risk of blood pressure spikes, seizures, and the other symptoms of AD. The idea of the monitor would be to detect the early light contractions so we can get you to the hospital before the water breaks and begin the spinal block and labor you naturally."
"Is that safe?" Jamie asked. "I mean, it's going to be hard for her to push a baby out, isn't it?"
"It is relatively safe," Dr. Eisenberg replied. "And it's a more natural experience for Eddie and for you and the baby. As far as pushing the baby out, we will use techniques, the birthing chair to get gravity to assist, you and a nurse pushing down on Eddie's abdomen and supporting her back."
"So you're saying I'll be able to have this baby like a normal person, more or less?" Eddie asked. She liked anything that made her feel normal.
"Yes, you'll need to stay close to home during the final month, no long outings or anything too exciting," the doctor replied. "I know it's a lot to take in, this is something you really should discuss and we can make a birthing plan at your next appointment."
Jamie nodded, "Thanks Doc, we will talk it over and let you know. Of course, if we do go with the natural delivery, you can step in if you needed to?"
"Of course, the section option would operate just like a regular labor, except of course for the monitoring beforehand," Dr. Eisenberg replied. "I will be there to intervene if anything goes wrong, Eddie is a priority labor so I will handle her labor myself from start to finish. Think it over and I'll see you next week."
Jamie and Eddie left the doctor with smiles and headed to the car. "You know what I want," Eddie said as they got into the car.
"Something you shouldn't have probably," Jamie laughed.
"A big thick slice of pepperoni pizza from Monty's and a chocolate egg cream…" Eddie revealed with a giant smile.
"Okay, Momma, I think we can do that." Jamie knew what this meant, Eddie wanted to sit on it for a little bit before talking about it. "We have a few hours yet before we have to be at Melissa's."
Eddie nodded, "Yes, I 'm anxious to meet her brother. She had nothing good to say about him at the assisted living or well ever so…"
"Well, she seemed really excited so maybe he changed his tune and straightened up," Jamie offered. "Let's be happy for her unless we have a reason not to…next stop Monty's…' Jamie started the car and put it in gear…
Eddie took the table in the back while Jamie ordered their pizza and sodas. He cut the pizza and sat beside his wife as she inhaled two slices. "You are so beautiful…"
"Really, think that's the first time you've said that while I'm eating," Eddie smiled all the way to her eyes.
"You are beautiful no matter what, and with the baby coming so soon, it's even more. I'm going to have to keep my eye on you tonight," Jamie smiled kissing her hand. "Bite?"
Eddie's face brightened slightly at the compliment. "Yea and you can keep your eye on me at all times Mr. Reagan." Eddie offered Jamie a bite of her pizza. Jamie leaned in for a kiss. Eddie turned her head, "Uh uh, not yet…"
Eddie's belly rippled and Jamie smiled, "There goes the baby…here…" Jamie moved Eddie's arm fast to touch it. He rose and stood behind her, his chin resting on her hair. Jamie didn't care there were people watching, to him the only people were the ones he was holding.
"Do you feel it babe that's our baby..can't wait to meet him or her " Jamie's eyes twinkled excited about their family.
"She's so active lately," Eddie sighed. 'Running out of room in there. I can't believe it's so soon, that soon we'll have our precious little baby in our arms."
Jamie felt his jaw tighten, "A dream come true, for us both…"
Eddie dropped her chin to watch the baby. The sunlight caught her hair, it looked like a halo, glowing in the light. Jamie couldn't hold it back…he just had to…
With infinite tenderness, Jamie lifted Eddie's chin. Slowly, he slid his bottom lip between both of Eddie's, using his top lip to control the kiss. Jamie slipped his tongue into Eddie's mouth, she always tasted so sweet even after eating, a taste uniquely Eddie that he would always savor.
Quickly, Eddie lost herself in the kiss, temporarily forgetting the surroundings and the people…this was her Jamie, their baby, and her…that was their little family…the most important thing in the world.
Next Update – June 23rd – The Reagans meet Tommy, Ray's opinions get him in trouble.
