Chapter Nine
My Little Miracles
January 30th, 1995
"I look like a cow," Jennifer said as she glared in the mirror. Steve was walking by and shook his head.
"You do not look like a cow," he responded.
"Oh yeah, well then why is my stomach so big?" She said.
"Um, well honey because you're about nine months pregnant, and that's what happens when you sleep with someone, you get pregnant generally," he said laughing as he wrapped his arms around her.
"Well what was I supposed to do, say no I won't have sex to with you," she said he chuckled and kissed her cheek.
"I'm so hard to resist," he said as she smacked his chest.
"I still think I look like a cow," she said. He threw his hands up in the air in defeat and walked out of the room.
"Can we please go to sleep, I'm really tired," he whispered.
"Am I attractive?" She asked. He laughed.
"Jen, you'll always be the most attractive person in the world, cow or not," he said, receiving a harsh smack in the ribs.
"Hey stop abusing your baby's father," he said smiling as he leaned over and kissed her.
"You are the most beautiful woman I've ever met, and I am in love with you, everything about you, even the baby you are carrying, now would you stop calling it a cow or you'll hurt his feelings," she said.
"Steve, we've had this conversation, stop calling the baby he or it, we don't know what it is yet," she said.
"Call it wishful thinking," he said.
"What if it's a girl?" She asked.
"What about it?"
"Would you still be happy?"
"Jenny, boy, girl or alien I'll be thrilled as long as it and you are both healthy and happy."
"Do you think it could be an alien?" She asked.
"Coming from you, who knows," he said as she once again ribbed him hard.
"Ow, would you stop hitting me," he said.
"Why don't you behave yourself," she said.
"I was, then you asked me if you looked like a cow," he said chuckling as she hit him with a pillow.
"What? Is your elbow starting to hurt?" He asked jokingly as he climbed into bed with her.
"You're a fiend you know that," she said.
"One of my better traits," he said smiling. She sighed and curled up against him, Steve placed his warm hand on the protruding belly and smiled.
"My baby," he whispered as he closed his eyes.
Jenny opened her eyes, trying to suddenly figure out why she had woken up in the first place...then suddenly it hit her, pain, oh god she was in labor.
"Steve," she called.
"Yeah," he groaned.
"I'm...I'm in labor," he turned over and looked at her.
"Cute joke," he said.
"I'm not joking, I'm in labor honey," she said as another contraction came. This woke him up quite quickly.
"Okay, just calm down, I'll go get the bags," they had practiced this a million times, but he still didn't seem calm about it.
"Honey," she called he looked at her.
"Get the bags tomorrow, I need to go to the hospital now," she said as she breathed.
"Okay," he answered. He quickly helped her out of bed and into a jacket and sweats and hurriedly helped her to the car.
The ER was quiet and empty, as Steve helped his wife through the doors, Allie saw her first and quickly grabbed a wheelchair.
"You're not due for a week," she said as she helped Jenny sit down.
"Yeah, well I didn't exactly get a choice here," she whispered as another contraction came.
"How far apart are they honey?"
"Ten minutes or less," she whispered.
"All right, Nurse, could you page Dr. Travis and have him report to maternity," Allie said calmly, Steve stood there staring.
"Come on Steve, we don't have time to waste," Allie said. He nodded and followed her up.
Jesse, Jack and Amanda entered the room smiling, it was well past three in the morning. Kate had offered to watch the kids until the baby was born and bring them by in the morning if she was up to it.
"How's the patient?" Jesse asked looking at Jenny who was sweating and trying to rest.
"Oh God, when will this be over," she whispered. Jack smiled and looked over at Steve, who looked about ready to drop.
"Here comes another one," Jenny whispered as she screamed, clinching Steve's hand. He winced as he felt a couple bones crack.
Six hours later the moment was finally coming, Jenny was breathing as she tried not to scream and cry. Steve stood beside her holding her hands as she pushed.
"Okay Jenny a couple more, ready push," Jack said as he smiled. Steve was breathing along with his wife, afraid she would lose concentration or something.
"Come on sweetie, you can do it," he whispered.
"SHUT UP!" She yelled at him. Jesse smiled and chuckled softly, he looked over at Allie who simply shook her head.
"I hope you're not like this when we have our first children?"
"Oh hush up," she said chuckling.
"You're doing beautiful Jen, give me one more good push and then you can relax okay," Jesse said with a smile. With a grunt and a very loud scream as well as two more fingers the baby was born with a loud cry.
"Congratulations, it's a girl," Jack said as he and Jesse looked at the baby, they watched as Steve's eyes rolled back into his head and he fainted dead away.
"Couldn't take the pain," Amanda said as she gently held Jenny and wiped her face.
"What are you going to name her?" Jesse asked, he knew most of their choices.
"Katherine Amanda," Jenny said as she leaned her head back against the pillow and smiled softly, she had done it.
"It's a beautiful name," Jesse said smiling at Amanda, who was obviously honored. Allison took the newborn into her arms and slowly began to clean her, while Jack cleaned himself up and got out the birth certificate.
"Katherine Amanda Sloan, 7 lbs. 4 oz. 18 in. January 31st, 1995," he announced and looked down at the beautiful baby. She was still squalling, Allie picked the baby up and brought her over to Jenny.
"You up to holding her?" Allie asked.
"Are you kidding, I've been waiting eight months and two weeks for this," she whispered as the baby was lowered into her arms, all noise ceased as the infant looked into her mother's eyes.
"Hi beautiful, I'm your mother, and the big lug over there on the floor is your daddy," she whispered, tears running down her sweat covered face.
"She's beautiful," whispered Amanda. There was a moan from the floor, Jack and Jesse both slowly helped Steve to his feet.
"What happened?"
"You gave birth to a beautiful little girl," Amanda said. Steve smiled slightly and looked down at the girl.
"Why don't you sit down and hold her Steve, you still look a little shaky," Jesse said. Steve nodded and smiled as the tiny baby was brought towards him, he looked up at Amanda.
"What if she doesn't like me?" He asked.
"Steve, you're her father, she'll like you," Amanda whispered as she continued to stroke Jenny's brow.
"Jesse, Allie, Jenny and I have been discussing it for a couple months now, and we'd really like it if you two were her godparents," he whispered. Jesse smiled and Allie blushed.
"God, we'd be honored," Allie answered as she looked at the tiny baby. Jack was already working at sowing Jenny back up while she was falling asleep.
"Steve, why don't you go home and get some rest," Amanda said looking at him.
"When can they come home?"
"Day after tomorrow if everything goes well," Amanda said calmly.
"She seems so small," he whispered.
"Don't worry she'll get bigger and quick."
"I'm afraid I'll break her," Amanda smiled.
"Don't worry you won't break her, just love her. Now, I'll go take her into the nursery and you just go home and get some rest." He smiled and nodded, he walked over to his wife and touched her face.
"I love you," he whispered and bent down to kiss her cheek.
My Little Miracles
January 30th, 1995
"I look like a cow," Jennifer said as she glared in the mirror. Steve was walking by and shook his head.
"You do not look like a cow," he responded.
"Oh yeah, well then why is my stomach so big?" She said.
"Um, well honey because you're about nine months pregnant, and that's what happens when you sleep with someone, you get pregnant generally," he said laughing as he wrapped his arms around her.
"Well what was I supposed to do, say no I won't have sex to with you," she said he chuckled and kissed her cheek.
"I'm so hard to resist," he said as she smacked his chest.
"I still think I look like a cow," she said. He threw his hands up in the air in defeat and walked out of the room.
"Can we please go to sleep, I'm really tired," he whispered.
"Am I attractive?" She asked. He laughed.
"Jen, you'll always be the most attractive person in the world, cow or not," he said, receiving a harsh smack in the ribs.
"Hey stop abusing your baby's father," he said smiling as he leaned over and kissed her.
"You are the most beautiful woman I've ever met, and I am in love with you, everything about you, even the baby you are carrying, now would you stop calling it a cow or you'll hurt his feelings," she said.
"Steve, we've had this conversation, stop calling the baby he or it, we don't know what it is yet," she said.
"Call it wishful thinking," he said.
"What if it's a girl?" She asked.
"What about it?"
"Would you still be happy?"
"Jenny, boy, girl or alien I'll be thrilled as long as it and you are both healthy and happy."
"Do you think it could be an alien?" She asked.
"Coming from you, who knows," he said as she once again ribbed him hard.
"Ow, would you stop hitting me," he said.
"Why don't you behave yourself," she said.
"I was, then you asked me if you looked like a cow," he said chuckling as she hit him with a pillow.
"What? Is your elbow starting to hurt?" He asked jokingly as he climbed into bed with her.
"You're a fiend you know that," she said.
"One of my better traits," he said smiling. She sighed and curled up against him, Steve placed his warm hand on the protruding belly and smiled.
"My baby," he whispered as he closed his eyes.
Jenny opened her eyes, trying to suddenly figure out why she had woken up in the first place...then suddenly it hit her, pain, oh god she was in labor.
"Steve," she called.
"Yeah," he groaned.
"I'm...I'm in labor," he turned over and looked at her.
"Cute joke," he said.
"I'm not joking, I'm in labor honey," she said as another contraction came. This woke him up quite quickly.
"Okay, just calm down, I'll go get the bags," they had practiced this a million times, but he still didn't seem calm about it.
"Honey," she called he looked at her.
"Get the bags tomorrow, I need to go to the hospital now," she said as she breathed.
"Okay," he answered. He quickly helped her out of bed and into a jacket and sweats and hurriedly helped her to the car.
The ER was quiet and empty, as Steve helped his wife through the doors, Allie saw her first and quickly grabbed a wheelchair.
"You're not due for a week," she said as she helped Jenny sit down.
"Yeah, well I didn't exactly get a choice here," she whispered as another contraction came.
"How far apart are they honey?"
"Ten minutes or less," she whispered.
"All right, Nurse, could you page Dr. Travis and have him report to maternity," Allie said calmly, Steve stood there staring.
"Come on Steve, we don't have time to waste," Allie said. He nodded and followed her up.
Jesse, Jack and Amanda entered the room smiling, it was well past three in the morning. Kate had offered to watch the kids until the baby was born and bring them by in the morning if she was up to it.
"How's the patient?" Jesse asked looking at Jenny who was sweating and trying to rest.
"Oh God, when will this be over," she whispered. Jack smiled and looked over at Steve, who looked about ready to drop.
"Here comes another one," Jenny whispered as she screamed, clinching Steve's hand. He winced as he felt a couple bones crack.
Six hours later the moment was finally coming, Jenny was breathing as she tried not to scream and cry. Steve stood beside her holding her hands as she pushed.
"Okay Jenny a couple more, ready push," Jack said as he smiled. Steve was breathing along with his wife, afraid she would lose concentration or something.
"Come on sweetie, you can do it," he whispered.
"SHUT UP!" She yelled at him. Jesse smiled and chuckled softly, he looked over at Allie who simply shook her head.
"I hope you're not like this when we have our first children?"
"Oh hush up," she said chuckling.
"You're doing beautiful Jen, give me one more good push and then you can relax okay," Jesse said with a smile. With a grunt and a very loud scream as well as two more fingers the baby was born with a loud cry.
"Congratulations, it's a girl," Jack said as he and Jesse looked at the baby, they watched as Steve's eyes rolled back into his head and he fainted dead away.
"Couldn't take the pain," Amanda said as she gently held Jenny and wiped her face.
"What are you going to name her?" Jesse asked, he knew most of their choices.
"Katherine Amanda," Jenny said as she leaned her head back against the pillow and smiled softly, she had done it.
"It's a beautiful name," Jesse said smiling at Amanda, who was obviously honored. Allison took the newborn into her arms and slowly began to clean her, while Jack cleaned himself up and got out the birth certificate.
"Katherine Amanda Sloan, 7 lbs. 4 oz. 18 in. January 31st, 1995," he announced and looked down at the beautiful baby. She was still squalling, Allie picked the baby up and brought her over to Jenny.
"You up to holding her?" Allie asked.
"Are you kidding, I've been waiting eight months and two weeks for this," she whispered as the baby was lowered into her arms, all noise ceased as the infant looked into her mother's eyes.
"Hi beautiful, I'm your mother, and the big lug over there on the floor is your daddy," she whispered, tears running down her sweat covered face.
"She's beautiful," whispered Amanda. There was a moan from the floor, Jack and Jesse both slowly helped Steve to his feet.
"What happened?"
"You gave birth to a beautiful little girl," Amanda said. Steve smiled slightly and looked down at the girl.
"Why don't you sit down and hold her Steve, you still look a little shaky," Jesse said. Steve nodded and smiled as the tiny baby was brought towards him, he looked up at Amanda.
"What if she doesn't like me?" He asked.
"Steve, you're her father, she'll like you," Amanda whispered as she continued to stroke Jenny's brow.
"Jesse, Allie, Jenny and I have been discussing it for a couple months now, and we'd really like it if you two were her godparents," he whispered. Jesse smiled and Allie blushed.
"God, we'd be honored," Allie answered as she looked at the tiny baby. Jack was already working at sowing Jenny back up while she was falling asleep.
"Steve, why don't you go home and get some rest," Amanda said looking at him.
"When can they come home?"
"Day after tomorrow if everything goes well," Amanda said calmly.
"She seems so small," he whispered.
"Don't worry she'll get bigger and quick."
"I'm afraid I'll break her," Amanda smiled.
"Don't worry you won't break her, just love her. Now, I'll go take her into the nursery and you just go home and get some rest." He smiled and nodded, he walked over to his wife and touched her face.
"I love you," he whispered and bent down to kiss her cheek.