A Child is Born
Jamie laughed loudly as he opened his "Secret Santa" gift from Renzulli. "Modern Dad's Survival Kit," Jamie read. "Includes two sets of ear plugs, one nose clip, one set of protective goggles, a box of latex-fee gloves, a $10.00 couponed to J&R liquor store and 10 condoms. Thanks, Sarge."
"I thought I'd get you something useful this year," Renzulli laughed. "Though after three kids you're probably a pro by now."
"What do you think, Eddie?" Kara asked her very pregnant friend who had been quiet most of the evening. Eddie was nearly ten days overdue and very uncomfortable.
"He's not so bad," Eddie replied smiling. "Though if this baby doesn't make his or her appearance soon he'll need a good deal more condoms or a vasectomy."
"You look like you've dropped some in the last few days," Kara observed. "It shouldn't be much longer." Kara had three children herself.
"Her OB says if she hasn't delivered by Friday she is going to induce," Jamie commented. "It's never taken this long. I thought the more children you had the shorter the pregnancy."
"Some say so," replied Renzulli. "That's only true with the delivery though."
"Do you think it will be another girl?" McKenna asked. Of the three children they already shared only one had been a boy.
"This is the first time I didn't have a feel for that," Eddie sighed. "I know Jamie will be glad if it's a boy."
"Honey, at this point, I'll be glad if it's a monkey. I know how uncomfortable you've been," Jamie empathized as Kara cringed. That was the worst thing he could have said to her right now.
"No, you don't!" Eddie snapped. "You aren't carrying around a 35 pound basketball with swollen ankles, sore breasts and an aching back! You are just sitting pretty."
Jamie searched the room for help only to find his friends busily avoiding eye contact with him. Finally Regetti spoke, "You walked into that one, Reagan."
The party continued as more gifts were opened and food eaten. Eddie ate very little and stayed quiet watching the activity around her rather than participating in it.
Kara sat beside her, "What are you worried about, Eddie?"
"The birth," Eddie replied. "The doctor says if the baby is over 7 lbs I'll need another C-section because of Patrick and I don't want another one of those. It hurt so badly and Jamie couldn't be with me. I need him with me when I deliver, Kara."
"Yeah, sure," Kara sympathized. "Did your doctor have a guess about the weight?"
"Not really, but I know babies that are late are usually bigger and I'm so late," Eddie sighed. "Don't worry about it, I'm just tired, my back has been killing me for two days."
"I remember that," Kara commiserated. "Hang in there, oh and thanks for throwing Tracy that babysitting job. I know you usually use someone in the family but she really needed the money." Kara's sister had been struggling to find a job so Eddie and Jamie helped her out by hiring her to watch Abigail, Elizabeth, and Patrick.
"It's our pleasure, believe me," Eddie smiled rubbing her belly. "The kids adore her."
Kara moved to the side to get a plate of cookies leaving Eddie to people watch as she shifted to find a comfortable position. She leaned back against the head rest of her chair and closed her eyes.
A short while later, Eddie felt Jamie's familiar touch on her shoulder. "Come on, honey. Time to go home."
Eddie grimaced a bit before protesting, "No, I'm fine and you're enjoying yourself. You stay, we'll stay."
"No, not any longer," Jamie overruled. "You'll need your strength when this little one decides he or she wants to be seen," he smiled and helped her out of her seat.
They took a few minutes to say goodnight and Merry Christmas before departing.
"Jamie," Eddie said as they headed toward the parking lot. "I better run in here before we get on the road or we'll just have to stop." She nodded towards the ladies room.
"Good idea," Jamie agreed. "I'll wait here."
Eddie was in the bathroom nearly ten minutes when Jamie began to worry. He wrapped gently on the door and called, "Eddie, are you okay?" When she didn't answer he called again, "Man on the floor!" before entering the bathroom.
Jamie found Eddie at the sinks trying to clean a large puddle of fluid around her feet even as more gushed every second. Eddie looked at her husband embarrassed, "My water just broke," Eddie cried. "Look at this mess."
"It's okay, Eddie," Jamie soothed. ""Are you having contractions?"
"I haven't felt any really strong ones," Eddie replied "Not enough that my water should break."
Jamie sighed, "Either way we are going to the hospital," Jamie said. "Tracy is already with the children. It's all perfect. I'll call the family and tell them to meet us."
Eddie didn't protest at all only followed obediently as Jamie lead her out of the precinct to their car. They were about ten minutes away from the 12th when Eddie cried out in surprise at the strength of her contraction. "Oh, oh…my God! Jamie!" she gasped.
"Contraction?" he asked though the answer was obvious.
"No," Eddie snapped with sarcasm. "We just won the lottery."
"Try and relax, honey," Jamie comforted. "St Ben's isn't far away."
Eddie sighed and nodded as she focused on her deep breathing. Although she took Lamaze for each birth she still forgot the breathing exercises as the pain increased.
After another ten minutes, traffic on the avenue seemed to slow to a crawl as Eddie's labor accelerated at warp speed. "Jamie, you have to go faster," Eddie moaned seized by her sixth contraction in ten minutes. "This baby wants out now!"
"I can't go any faster, honey," Jamie said frustrated as she was. He wanted his wife and baby safe in the hospital not in the middle of Fifth Avenue. "We're wedged in here, love."
"Then get off of Fifth! Turn back to the precinct," Eddie cried her words lost in a shriek.
"I can't get off of Fifth, Eddie," Jamie told her. "I'm stuck in here. I can't get over to the side of the road because of the damned turn lane and I can't use the turn lane a rope around because of the construction zone. We'll be at the hospital soon."
"Jamie, there's nothing but a sea of tail lights up there," Eddie whined. "Get off this road now!"
"I can't get off this road without turning across two lanes of traffic going the opposite direction. I'm not doing that with my pregnant wife sitting in the passenger seat!" Jamie argued. 'Try to breathe deeply and be calm, sweetie. Just breathe deeply, in and out, you remember how you are so amazing at this, Eddie."
Eddie tried very hard to do as Jamie asked but the pains were too close together and the urge to push amazingly strong. "Jamie, you have to stop," she cried half sobbing, half grasping. "I have to push."
"No, you don't," Jamie told her. "You can't. Your water only broke half an hour ago."
"I know," Eddie shouted. "Either you stop, get out and catch this baby or it's going to be born on its head. I can't hold it anymore."
A quick glance at Eddie's side of the car told Jamie she was not kidding. He reached for the caution lights on the car and turned them for fifteen seconds before stepping on the break and putting his car in park. He grabbed his cell phone and dialed, "This is Jamie Reagan; I'm off duty, shield number 60528. I need bus forthwith on the corner of Fifth and 33rd street. My wife is in labor about to deliver. Put a rush on it Central, she's inches away."
The dispatch was heard by every officer, firefighter, and EMT in the area including the PC as his detail made it's way to the Brooklyn bridge. He called up to his driver, "Fifth and 33rd, that's my grandchild being born."
As Frank's detail headed for the scene, Jamie exited the car. Eddie began removing her maternity jeans and panties. Once she was free the urge to bear down and push became stronger than before.
Jamie opened the passenger side door, ignoring the angry shouts from the other drivers. "Eddie, turn sideways and try to push yourself backwards," he instructed as Eddie cried and horns honked. Eddie tried to do as he asked, "It hurts too much!" she sobbed using all her energy.
"Okay honey," Jamie soothed. "Take a deep breath and push yourself back really hard, okay. On three. One, two, three."
With Jamie's help, and sheer will power, Eddie managed to get herself positioned properly on the seat of the car. As Jamie continued to coach her breathing, Eddie bent her knees so Jamie could deliver the baby.
"The baby is crowning, honey," Jamie told her. "You have a push for me?"
Eddie sobbed, already so tired from her labor and the intensity of it. Jamie heard the warp of a police siren as Eddie cried and writhed in pain on the front seat of the car. "Need help, Jamie?" he heard as he knelt in front of his scared wife. "Yeah…she's crowning but the contractions are so close together."
Frank nodded, "Go support her back I'll take over here…"
Jamie ran around the side of the car and climbed into the front seat. He grabbed Eddie's shoulders holding her upright. "Okay, Eddie, the baby's head is here, you just have to push really hard. Come on! You can do it!"
Eddie gave a brief node and pushed hard with her next contraction, "Great job, Eddie!" Frank exclaimed as Jamie held her close and wiped her sweaty forehead with the back of his hand trying to offer any comfort her could. "I'm so proud of you. I love you so much."
Three pushes later Eddie had fallen back against Jamie's chest and a crowd of curious on lookers had gathered around the car. They could hear the ambulance's air horn as it fought through the stopped traffic.
On her next push Eddie managed to get the baby's head out, "Okay, Eddie, now the head is out. This next contraction is really important," Frank reminded her. "We have to get the shoulders all the way out. I want you to look at my face the entire time, okay. "Deep breath in and push, two, three, four…"
That was all it took before Eddie expelled the fourth healthy Reagan baby from her body. Frank cleared the newborn's nose and throat and was rewarded with a lusty, strong wail. One of the on lookers passed a clean white towel to the officer controlling traffic for the ambulances arrival, and he in turn gave it to Frank. Jamie changed places with a second officer and went around the passenger side of the car to meet his new baby. With tears falling from his eyes he took the swaddled newborn and laid it on Eddie's chest.
Eddie's tear eyes met Jamie's as she waited for Jamie to reveal the child's sex. He reached in and rubbed his forefinger against the baby's soft cheek. "She's a daughter," he whispered to Eddie was she cradled the baby to her breast. "A beautiful, perfect daughter."
Frank smiled down at his son and daughter-in-law who had just enriched his family with the birth of their precious baby girl. "Well, does she have a name?" Jamie checked his watch, 12:01 am on Christmas Day. He whispered in Eddie's ear and earned a smile and nod. "Noelle," Jamie replied emotion still thickening his voice. "Her name is Noelle."
Frank nodded his approval at her name and reached now to touch the baby's tiny kicking foot. "Merry Christmas, Noelle Reagan. Welcome to the family." With that he leaned down an bestowed a soft kiss on baby's cheek knowing once and for all Christmas was a season for miracles.