Six months have quickly gone by since Ella received the news. Every day after helping her parents and the work-staff with the chores, Ella would work on her surprise gift for her new sister or brother: a teddy bear. To make the teddy bear, she sewed together white, light brown, and light pink fabric and small black buttons. Ella also used small fabric scraps and bunches of dandelion fluff for the inside of the bear's head, arms, torso, and legs. In December, the teddy bear, along with the gifts for her mother and father, the work-staff, and her animal friends Ella made are ready. After the presents had been put under the tree, Ella waited for her new baby brother or baby sister to arrive by singing and dancing along to Christmas carols like "Jingle Bells", "The Twelve Days of Christmas", "Silent Night" and "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas"; helping the work-staff with the winter chores by bringing in firewood, feeding the animals in the stables, and preparing for the Christmas meal and baking treats with the cook; and helped her parents set up the nursery. After she finished her chores, Ella would spend time with her mother and father by making homemade decorations for the Christmas tree and reading her favorite stories.
One evening on the week before Christmas, Ella was reciting her favorite poem, "A Visit from Saint Nicholas", while helping Lady Eleanor make new decorations for the Christmas tree. Sir Charles was in his office writing letters and preparing for his next trip after the holidays. He was finishing his last letter when he heard Ella calling for him, "Papa! Papa, come quickly!" Sir Charles ran to the parlor and saw that Lady Eleanor was looking pale. Ella was wiping her mother's face with a cool washcloth after she helped her sit down. Ella had a worried look on her face when she saw her father come in. "I think the baby is coming," Lady Eleanor said in a whisper. Sir Charles called for Christopher, one of the servants, to quickly go into town for the doctor while he and Ella helped Lady Eleanor try to stand up. Christopher nodded while he hurriedly put on his hat and ran out the door. Ella could hear a "Hyah!" and the horse galloping. Please hurry, Christopher! Ella thought to herself as she and her father guided Lady Eleanor up the stairs to the bedchamber.
After laying her mother down on the bed, Ella heard two horses whinny. She ran over to the window and saw that Christopher has arrived back with another man wearing a black coat and hat. "Papa, Christopher's back with the doctor!" Ella told her father. Sir Charles started to head for the door when he stopped, turned to Ella, and said, "Stay with your mother until I get back upstairs." Ella nodded and rushed toward her mother's bed. Lady Eleanor groaned in pain and began to cry. Ella was scared. She never saw her mother in so much pain before. Ella climbed on the bed and dried her mother's tears with her handkerchief. "Have courage, Mama," she said in a shaky voice. Lady Eleanor looked up and smiled as she wiped her daughter's tears with her hand. "Don't cry, love. It'll be alright," she said. Ella hugged her mother and then placed her hand on her mother's stomach. She felt the baby kick and that made her smile. "I can't wait to meet you soon," Ella said to the baby. Sir Charles and the doctor walked into the room with another one of the servants, Annette. She beckoned Ella to come out of the room. Lady Eleanor and Sir Charles gave Ella one more kiss before she walked out.
Later that night after supper, Ella decided to go sit in her bedroom to read Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". Before she went upstairs, Ella asked Annette if she could make her a cup of hot milk. Annette nodded. Ella went up the stairs and on the way to her bedroom, she stopped to listen what was happening. Ella could hear her mother breathing and groaning in pain while her father spoke in a very calm voice to her. Nothing's happening, Ella thought. I hope the baby and Mama are alright. Ella sighed and went to her bedroom. She put on her nightgown, grabbed her book, and climbed in bed. Ella was on the fifth page when Annette came into the room with her cup of hot milk. "You've been awful quiet this evening, Miss Ella," she said. "Everything all right?" Ella nodded and set her book down on the dresser, took the cup, and drank the milk. She gave the cup back to Annette and thanked her. After Annette left the room, Ella heard her mother cry out and the doctor telling her to push. Ella's eyes began to well up with tears. Worried for her mother and the baby, Ella buried her face in her pillow and cried herself to sleep.
It was a long delivery and Ella was gently woken up by Sir Charles a few hours later. "Papa?" Ella asked, sleepily. She sat up in bed and gave her father a hug. Sir Charles gave her a kiss on the cheek. "My little princess…" "Is Mama alright?" Ella asked. "May I see her and the baby?" Sir Charles nodded. Ella took her father's hand and started to walk with him to the bedroom. "Oh, wait a minute, Papa," Ella said. She rushed back to her bedroom and grabbed her present for the baby. When Ella and Sir Charles came into the room, Lady Eleanor was propped up with pillows and was holding a little bundle. "Mama," Ella whispered. Lady Eleanor smiled and motioned Ella to come closer. Ella walked to the bed and hugged her mother. Lady Eleanor hugged back and whispered, "Say hello to your new baby sister." A sister! Ella thought. I have a sister! "Hello," Ella whispered happily. The baby opened her eyes. She was a precious little thing with a full head of brown hair like her father's and blue eyes like her mother and sister. "What should we name her?" asked Ella. "What do you think her name will be, love?" Lady Eleanor asked. Ella thought for a moment and she said, "Alyssa Rose." When the baby heard her name, she looked up at Ella. "She knows her name already," Sir Charles chuckled. Ella and Lady Eleanor also chuckled. "May I hold her?" Ella asked. "Oh yes," her mother replied. Lady Eleanor handed the baby to Ella after she climbed up. Baby Alyssa Rose looked at her sister. "Hi Lissie," Ella said. "I'm your big sister." Ella gave her sister a kiss and then presented her with the teddy bear. "I made this just for you." Lady Eleanor and Sir Charles looked at each other. Then, Ella began to sing her favorite lullaby, "Lavender's blue, dilly dilly. Lavender's green…"