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LIFE

Chapter 49

Halloween is upon us, and we are already experiencing snow falls. We have a few inches of snow on the ground, and the temperatures have fallen dramatically. We had found that Fairbanks, Alaska is one of the coldest places in the USA. This didn't surprise me at all. I remember our first winter here very well, and all the snow. Temperatures are on record as going down as low as -40F, and I don't find that hard to believe either.

We have plenty of supplies all around for animals, and people. We have worked our butts off the last couple weeks getting things moved around, stored, and prepped. We were ready for whatever mother nature wanted to throw at us...hopefully.

I was now seeing Carlisle every two weeks at least for another month. Then I'd see him every week until I delivered. I was so ready to have this baby. I was having severe problems getting around without continuous help. This would be Jessica helping unless she was needed in an emergency at the medical office. I didn't mind; I was now doing severe arranging things in his nursery. I was told the last couple weeks I would be doing a lot of 'nesting'...getting ready for him.

We had the ranch decorated for Halloween as I was in a very...what (?)...some kind of mood that everything had to just 'jive' with the holidays'. I loved it. I even had corn stalks all through the horse barn, and around the different pastures. They were just kind of standing around bales of hay for the animals. We even had a slew of pumpkins carved sitting around, too. I got some little shirts for Ash, and Lise. Ash was dressed as a vampire, and Lise was a ballerina. OMG, to cute!

I went all out on candy, especially tootsie rolls. It seems if Edward can't have chocolate cake, tootsie rolls are the next best thing. He goes around with a pocket full every day since I bought them.

We decorated up the longhouse, too. Inside they had bowls of candy everywhere, and were cooking halloween decorated cookies. They were working on some kind of meal to go with the season. I was thinkingspaghetti, and meatballs to look like eyeballs. I liked it, and between Maggie decorating, and the other ladies that was the main meal. They were also going to offer meatball subs to look the same way. They were making halloween cookies, and caramel apples. I love caramel apples. Yummmmm...lol

Anyway, we managed to get the small heaters set up in the greenhouse, and one small one for now in the chicken coop to see how that worked. We got the windbreaker sheeting over the heifer sheds, and it was really working good. I had some good employees keeping ahead of the mucking, and feeding the cattle. Everything was working so far. I was not counting on anything until we made it totally through this whole winter. I knew we were in a tougher part of the country weather wise, but I was hoping we would be covered with all the preparations we had done.

We were keeping the greenhouse going, and still managing to keep growing things. I was hoping next spring to grow enough we could start canning, and freezing a lot of produce. We needed to do more hunting, and I wanted to set up a couple weekends where the men, or women could do just that. Maybe throw in some camping if they ended up far enough away.

We have only had a few more instances of wild animals wandering close, or even coming on the property. There are riders covering the horses, and cattle pastures, and they have been killed. I am not losing anything to the wild life...people, or animals.

Another small time jump...

I have gotten into nesting with cleaning everything in the nursery, even though it is totally germ, and dust free. I have started washing, and folding his clothes. I asked Angela to just help me with it if it got to be to much. I wanted to do it all, but it was getting very hard to do much of anything. Edward threatened me, at having Esme spend her days keeping an eye on me, and if needed she would call in reinforcements...Edward.

Edward has gotten so close with this baby...talking to it, reading, playing music, everything. I can't even imagine how he's going to be once he gets here. Poor baby will be strapped to his chest out riding the horses. Oh hell no! Not until he is a LOT older.

My husband is so damn wonderful. So attentive, so loving. I can't imagine being without him ever. I have talked to Jason a while back, and had my will changed. In the event of my death all of this goes to Edward. I want him to have it all, and then pass it down to our children.

I am still a billionairess, and still got at the last count five of the companies my father brought about. I have not sold off anything else. What I spent on this ranch was nothing. I think at last count it was eight million, with all the equipment, supplies, horses, and cattle. I think I done good with what I had. We have come a long way from living in a camper. I love our home, and everything here. It really is beautiful.

I'm being a glutton, but I'm looking at buying an additional twenty five hundred acres. Why not round it out to five thousand acres, and spread it out. We have only ventured out about a hundred fifty acres so far, with our buildings, pastures for the cattle, and for growing hay. If this coming spring Edward feels like it we may buy another one hundred fifty head of cattle, and set up part of it as a small dairy. Just for our use. We do go through a lot of milk, and I will have growing kids.

It's time for another visit to Carlisle...another ultrasound. Edward gets so tickled when he can see the baby. I'm coming up on thirty seven weeks I believe. I know we are both getting awfully anxious every time we see him. The name plaque Alistair ended up doing was his name carved out of some of the wood. I think it turned out beautiful.

When we arrive Esme weighs me, a urine sample, blood pressure, and temperature all fine. I then go into one of the rooms, and Carlisle comes in to check me out. He does some feeling around on my stomach checking his position, and seems to be happy with it. Then they bring in the ultrasound machine, and Edward moves my shirt.

They apply the gel, and he starts moving the wand around. He turns on the sound, and we got his heart beat in stereo. He does his measuring, and says everything seems on track. I am at thirty seven weeks, and then he turns the machine around for us to see him. I gasp, and Edward comes over wiping my face, kissing my tears away. He is so beautiful. Edward is just staring, and then Carlisle pushes some more buttons, and says we will have copies waiting on us up front.

Edward wipes the gell off, and pulls down my shirt. He helps me up, and we walk out to get our pictures. I'm already putting things in his memory book. He has grown so much, and Carlisle wants to now see me every week. We are now winding down to the last three weeks, and a lot of things will be happening.

I called the weather center, and it seems we have one hell of a front coming at us. They are predicting at least a couple feet snow, and a lot of strong winds. I've told them to crank up the heat in the barn, and make sure they have a good supply of hay brought in, and stacked up.

Edward is getting all the cattle into the sheds, and their bringing in a heavy supply of feed, and hay for the cattle. We're trying to cut down people having to wander outside, even though we know it's going to happen.

When the people came in to do landscaping, we had trucks of gravel brought in to lay roads down from everything. I didn't like the thoughts of asphalt, as I wanted it a little more natural. Besides, you got better traction on the gravel in bad weather. There was a path from the longhouse, to the cabins up on the ridge. We had a road cut out with Emmett's equipment when they started building the cabins. We also had a better road ran out from the ranch to the highway. We then had tons of gravel laid for the road.

In addition we had roads that ran from the horse barn down to the heifer sheds so it would be easier, to drive haulers down. We also tended to drive trucks on occasion to transport new supplies in. I liked the gravel, but if it became a problem we would have asphalt laid.

Anyway, things are still moving along. At this point it's get up, get dressed, eat, take care of horses, cattle, and then come in for dinner. Same thing everyday. We had Thanksgiving coming up, and I was anxious to help with the cooking. If I didn't do anything but sit on my butt peeling potatoes, or whatever. I was very bored, and looking for things to do.

Micah's nursery was set, and I had done so much nesting in it, I shut the door planning on staying out until he was born. I was at thirty eight weeks, and I could tell he had dropped. When I walked into the longhouse, and into the kitchen Esme came over in a flash rubbing my stomach, and asking how I was feeling. I felt fine, I just wanted something to do.

They brought a chair into the kitchen, and made me sit. They brought me potatoes to peel as they were making mashed potatoes for dinner. I sat, and began peeling as everyone went back to work. I was sitting there for about twenty minutes, and stopped. I had to go to the bathroom, and asked someone to fix me a glass of ice water for when I came back.

I went to the bathroom, walked back to the kitchen sitting down going back to the potatoes. They had a big pile of them as they were feeding about sixty people, or more. I sat there for about another twenty minutes, and then it was so uncomfortable. I got up going to go to the bathroom, and no more than stepped down from my seat when there was a gush of fluid down my legs.

I then had a pain wrap around my stomach and into my back. I knew he was coming. Esme came running over, telling me to sit down. She was going to get some help. That everything would be alright. They proceeded to call Edward, and Carlisle. Before I could even turn around Edward came running into the room. He almost fell in the water on the floor. Someone went running for a mop, and bucket to clean it up. Carlisle was the next one to come flying in. They were asking how I was feeling, and I sat there through another contraction explaining we needed to get a move on things.

Edward picked me up, and they went out the doors. We headed over to the medical building, and into this room Carlisle had set up for my delivery. Esme helped me get out of my clothes, and into a gown. Then up on the table, as they began to attach a monitor, administer fluids, and watching my contractions on a machine. Edward sat at my side holding my hand, and he couldn't quit telling me he loved me.

Carlisle came over asking me if I wanted an epidural to help with the pain. I told him I didn't want anything. That I was going to try for a natural birth. We had done a lot of research on the different methods, and an epidural caused some problems I didn't want to deal with. I knew it was not going to be a picnic, but I wanted to experience this naturally. We had also watched some videos on Lamase breathing, and technics. I liked that, and was wanting to give it a try.

The contractions were coming awfully fast, and they were now a little under five minutes apart. I told Edward to run to the house, and get cleaned up. Also to grab the bag in the closet that had my clothes for going home, and Micah's clothes. He went flying out the room. I had to give him something to do as he was so very nervous. I knew he was scared from a lot of things we saw, read, and watched. I wasn't trying to scare him, but inform both of us what was, and could happen.

I worked through almost four contractions when he came back panting. I looked at him wondering what was going on. He said he had went telling everyone what was going on, and to close things down for the next few days. They were kind of anxious along with Edward for the baby to get here.

They done another check, and I was dilated seven, and sixty percent effaced. Everything was moving right along. I was sweating like crazy, and this hurt like hell. But, I knew it would be. The price for a most precious git usually was. I just wanted to see our son.

Edward was still sitting right there, and kissing my hand, wiping my face, and feeding me ice chips. He kept telling me he loved me, he loved Micah, and couldn't wait to be a daddy. To hold his son was going to be unreal. I had talked to Esme about taking some pictures when she could, or getting Jessica too. I wanted lots of pictures of it all.

Something happened, and suddenly I was totally effaced, and at ninety percent dilated. We were almost down to the wire. They started getting different things, tools, bassinet, towels, just everything they would need.

I was almost in constant pain, and Edward was about to pull his hair out. I screamed I needed to push, and Carlisle came over checking me again. He told Esme, and Edward to get ready to help me push. Things were moving fast, and they each were holding my legs helping me push. It hit me hard, and Carlisle told me to push as hard as I could. Edward got a little behind me pulling me up.

This kept on, and on for about an hour until finally Carlisle said he could see him crowning. The top of his head was showing, and he asked us if we wanted to see. I told Edward to go look...go see his son. He looked down there touching the top of his head, and tears went to falling from his eyes. He looked at me, and just lost it.

He came back up to me, and we went at it again. This kept on for about another twenty minutes, and Carlisle told me to stop pushing, and just deep breaths. Micah's head was out, and he was clearing his nose, and mouth. He then told me to give him one more good push, and our son would be here. I gave it all I had, and suddenly I felt kind of empty, and then the most wonderful sound in the world. Our son crying out. Boy, did he have a set of lungs. They took him over to clean him up, weigh him, getting something called his apgar, and put some clothes on him.

Micah weighed seven pounds, two ounces, and was nineteen inches long. He was going to be tall like his daddy. His apgar was a nine, and said that was very good.

Carlisle kept on taking care of me, while Esme took care of Micah. She brought him over for me to see him, and he was beautiful. I held him for a minute, and then handed him to Edward. We were still working on the placenta coming, and then cleaning me up. I wasn't needing any stitches, and we had also worked on that. There were lot of things we found to make this less stressful, and more a joy.

Jessica was taking pictures of Edward holding his son, and finally Carlisle was through. Edward came back over handing me our son, and sat beside me. He was so damn beautiful. I couldn't do anything but cry. Edward leaned over, "I love you, Bella. You were my life before this, but now I am in heaven...with my wife, my son. I couldn't ask for anything more. I will never forget this moment, and look forward to quite a few more of them." He leaned down to kiss me, and then kissed Micah. It was so beautiful.

My life has been an adventure from the moment I set foot on this property. I couldn't have asked for more myself. I have a wonderful husband, a beautiful son, and a LIFE right here.

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Alright people, we got one more chapter to go. I got to give you an epilogue, and we will mark this complete.

I have come to love this story, and all the research I done. It was quite informative, and taught me a lot. I'm not really trying to hurry things, but they have their ranch, a lot of people pairing off, and there is a lot more to come for them. I like to think of all the things they could continue to do on the ranch.

Please let me know what ya'll think.

Don't forget to check out the group page for a lot of pics.

Thanks muches...