After the initial scare, I enjoyed my pregnancy. I enjoyed having an excuse for my mood swings and craziness (not that I ever needed an excuse before), resting, and being waited on by Rory. The only things I missed was caffeine (I hated decaf), being able to do half the crazy stuff I usually do, and work (I was going stir-crazy sitting in the house by myself). But I grew attached to the big lump that grew in my stomach, otherwise known as my kid. I wanted this kid to be like me, and be as much to me as Rory was – everything. I knew I wouldn't get so lonely about Rory going to college in a couple years anymore. And Rory was so excited. She was practically a third parent from the beginning. She was my birth partner and coach, she bonded with it with me, she helped around the house, and she was included in all the decisions, from the color of the nursery to the books that we bought for it. There was only one thing I deprived her from having an opinion in, and that was the name. I had told her from the beginning – and Luke, too, that this was my baby to name, and I wanted to do it myself. This kept e from hours of boredom, going through names in my head or through the baby naming book that Rory had bought for me. Finally, though, the day arrived, and I went into Labour.
It was January, and fresh snow was on the ground. I knew that my kid would be born when snow was on the ground – after all, it had been snowy every time something major happened in my life. It was my present.
I woke up suddenly. There was a puddle of water beneath my legs, and my back hurt. I looked at the clock. 3.15am. I tried to go back to sleep. Who wants to get up at 3am on a Thursday morning? I dozed off for a while until there were sharp pains all along my back. It was 10 mins later. Suddenly I knew what was happening.
"RORY!" I yelled. There was a minute before I heard her thundering up the stairs.
"What!" she asked. Her position told me she was ready to do anything I wanted her too.
"Ok, Rory, this is it. You're gonna have to drive me to the hospital. Help me here." She helped me get up and put my robe on before guiding me downstairs and into the car.
"Ok, good. Now what?" I was never the calm one.
"Well, you wait here, and I will call Luke while I get your bag." She ran towards the house.
10 mins later, we were on our way. Luke was following us to the hospital. Much better than Christopher, as he nearly missed Rory's birth.
As soon as I got the hospital, I was rushed to a room and told to wait because I was nowhere near delivery. I was told it can take hours, which I knew, as Rory took 8 hours to appear.
The waiting got very tedious. Rory was the best, staying by my side the whole time, helping me through the pain and entertaining me when I got bored. Luke went in and out, calling people, getting food and coffee, and getting me things I wanted.
Finally, about 2.45pm, a doctor came in and said, "You're fully dilated. Let's do this." I was wheeled into the delivery room with Rory beside me. Although I didn't really want him there, Luke was allowed to come too, although thankfully he was happy to sit quietly in the corner.
14 minutes later I was told to push one last time, so I pushed with all of my strength. I then heard a babies cry and "It's a girl." I sank back on the pillows, exhausted but happy. I couldn't stop smiling. Looking around, neither could Rory or Luke. "Wow," I heard Rory whisper.
Once I was wheeled into the room I would stay in for the next few days, I was given her to hold.
"Hey" I said to the little pink bundle. "I'm your mommy. And that's you're big sister, Rory." I showed her.
"Hey, Mom" Rory said. "What's her name?"
I stared down at the baby for a minute. "Lily," I said finally. "Lily Phillippa Gilmore."
"Isn't she supposed to be named after someone, following the Gilmore Tradition?" Rory asked.
"Nope," I said. "Only I get named after, and she can't have the same name as you."
"Ok then." One thing Rory had learnt was to never asked questions no matter how crazy I may seem.
Just then Luke walked in.
"Luke," I said. "Meet Lily Phillippa Gilmore."
"Nice name," he said as he took her from me. He went over to the corner and sat down and just watched her sleep.
About then I dozed off to sleep too, as happy as I'd ever been.