So this is a short one - sorry - but just wanted to post something today as February 28 is Kelly Bishops birthday and it seemed fitting
Well it might be short but I think it is sweet - and so sorry for you having to experience my own husband in Richards way of acting in this one :-)
So on to the story and Happy Birthday to Kelly
Enjoy
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"Melinda?" Richard asked
"Yes, I'm sorry but while I was giving birth to her that name came into my mind." Emily looked up shyly at him and released her breath when he began smiling.
"You have been speaking with Sweety a lot lately huh. Melinda it is then. But can I pick her second name?" he brushed the hair out of Emily's face.
"Of course, but if you say Lorelai - then no!"
He laughed and shook his head "No, I think that Melinda Hope Gilmore will be just what suits her the best." He stated and looked at his newborn daughter
"That is perfect." Then Emily laughed "So much for making a list of names we wanted to use huh – and not even one of them are being used." Richard kissed her again and reached out for the baby. Emily happily let him take her, she leaned her head back into the pillow and watched her big, strong and confident husband turn into butter as he looked at his baby girl, he had been the exact same way when he first held Lorelai. She looked at the pair for a long time, and Richard couldn't be any prouder than when the midwife asked the nurse to take all three of them down to their room and Kathrine told him to just carry the baby.
As they had settled into the room almost two hours had passed since Melinda's arrival and she started whimpering, Kathrine was in the room mostly to set up the incubator to keep the baby warm but also to check up on Emily.
"I think that daddy has sucked in all the baby he can for at least a few hours, should we try and get her to nurse and then we better unwrap her of her cocoon and get her into her warm one-bedroom apartment for the next few hours – and mommy needs some rest as well." The woman firmly instructed with a smile and watched on as Emily positioned herself in the bed and was handed the baby.
"Alright, be patient little girl, it has been years since mommy last did this." Emily coed as she unbuttoned her shirt and offered the tiny baby her breast.
"She is a tiny one, you will have to guide the nipple a little more forceful into her mouth." Kathrine said softly as she watched on
"But I…." Emily started but did as she was told anyway
"Yes, just like that – perfection. She has latched on just as she should, let us see for how long she is willing to try, I don't think you have much for her at this point, but let us see how eager she is for this – I mean she really wanted to enter the world so who knows." She smiled at both parents, before she patted Emily's shoulder and left the room.
"Richard?" Emily looked at the newborn as she addressed her husband.
"Yes – anything I can do for you?"
"Go call Lorelai and tell her that her sister is born – and answer all the questions she probably has." Emily looked up at him.
"I'm not particularly fond of talking with her right now."
"Richard!" she raised her voice volume only a little but enough to let him know that this was not up for discussion.
"But Emily it is past midnight – she is probably asleep." He tried again
"Fine – I'll go and call her you finish nursing our daughter!" she simply looked at him
"I'll call her." He said and left the room, Emily looked after him smiling and then returned her attention to the baby.
"Sometimes you just have to play your dad to get him to do certain things, but I guess you will learn that all on your own, you will have him wrapped around your little finger in no time. Your sister did it in a few days after her arrival, and if you don't know how to do it, I'm sure she will teach you how to, so don't worry." Emily brushed a finger down Melinda's cheek and was again marveled at the softness.
Out in the hall Richard borrowed the phone in the reception and called the house, on the third ring Lorelai picked up.
"Is my sister here?" she asked eagerly
"Hello Lorelai, it's your father." He started
"Yeah yeah, is she born?"
"Yes, your sister entered the world around ten thirty, small but strong."
"What is small?"
"uhm…. She is four pounds and eleven ounces – your mother is doing good as well. I'll be home a little later when they are both asleep and then you can come back with me tomorrow." Richard tried to sound happy, but it was hard with the way they had parted
"I'll think about it. Thanks for the update. See you!" and then she hung up, Richard looked at the phone and thanked the nurse at the reception and placed the phone back down again. He looked towards the room Emily was in and saw Kathrine enter again, so he hurried to the room himself.
Inside Emily had placed the baby over her shoulder and patted the baby's bottom softly. Kathrine noted something down on her notepad and smiled as Richard walked over the bedside.
"Well daddy, you are now called for duty, because mommy is staying in bed right now, so you will take a look at how we are doing diaper wise!" Kathrine instructed and Richard looked a little panicked, at first her then Emily.
He took a deep breath and picked up the baby and walked over to the table on the opposite wall, slowly he unwrapped the baby and removed the blankets she was wrapped in, then he opened the cloths the baby was put into and then he opened the diaper and quickly he folded it back over the baby's lower half and turned to Kathrine. "Something is wrong here."
"What do you mean?" she walked closer with a smile on her face
"It's black inside." He said and looked over at Emily who was also smiling "What am I missing here?"
"You just never changed a newborns diaper before, this is what we want to see, the baby is just passing meconium as she should, so everything is working perfectly. Now clean her up and let us get her into her nice and warm bed." She nodded and started preparing the incubator for baby-Melinda.
Richard worked slowly and securely on changing the diaper and cleaning the black and dark green of off her, and was quite proud when he finished up, Kathrine picked up the baby from the table and placed her into the cozy warmth. "Now I will take her down to the nursery so she and mommy can get some sleep, daddy you should kiss and say goodnight." With that she unplugged the incubator and rolled it out of the room.
Richard turned to Emily "I told Lorelai, she seemed happy, but I don't know if she will come tomorrow." He sat down on the bedside.
"Oh alright, did she have any questions?" Emily tried to hide her disappointment
"No not really, she only asked what small was – so I told her of Melinda's weight and then she hung up on me practically, after I told her that you were okay as well."
"Don't push her to come tomorrow alright – if she is not up for it then she will just see her when we get home." Emily yawned
"I should let you go to sleep. You did wonderful!"
"Thank you." Richard kissed her deeply and ran a thumb over her cheek as he pulled back softly.
"Goodnight my love." He pecked her lips once more and got up "I'll go see her one more time before I leave – sleep tight and I will see you in the morning." With that he left the room and walked down to the nursery and looked at his daughter for a little while through the window and left for home.
The Gilmore house was dark as he entered and he tip-toed upstairs and peeked into Lorelai's room as he passed it, it looked like she was in bed, asleep with her headphones on, so he walked to the bedroom and quickly crawled into bed, it felt empty without Emily besides him, but his mind went to the birth of his second child and the amazing woman who had gone through it all and he smiled happily and fell asleep.
Next morning Richard was at the table when Lorelai came down, she stopped shortly in her track, eyeing her father for a second, but quickly decided that it was already too late to leave, and she might as well just face the music. Richard looked up from the card he was writing and the two just starred at each other as Lorelai sat down.
After a little more time, Richard cleared his throat "So did you sleep well?"
"Kinda, the baby keeps moving around but okay I guess, you?"
"Not too well, it is different when your mother is not in bed besides me." He admitted
"You do that multiple times a year." Lorelai looked at him with a frown
"But that is in hotels, not my own bed. It is very different." Richard took a bite at his breakfast and watched his very pregnant sixteen-year-old reach around for different things on the table, brushing crumbs of her extended stomach like it was the most natural thing, he sighed and closed the card "So are you joining me for the hospital?"
"Yeah, I am, I want to see my sister – did you guys decide on a name?" she asked with a mouthful of bread.
"Lorelai, manners please. But yes, we did, but let's have your mother tell you that. We just need to stop by the florist and pick up the flowers I ordered this morning." He explained as he got up
"Fine, I have a little present for the baby I'll just find it and meet you down here when I'm ready."
"If I say twenty minutes will that be enough time?"
"Yeah, if I can bring a snack-pack – she doesn't leave room for huge meals." Lorelai said and got up as well bringing her plate with her.
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So how did you like it? Leave me a little word as to how you liked it.