*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter. They were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much*
CHRISTMAS EVE:
"Look at this beautiful tree," says my dad as we finish decorating the Christmas tree early on Christmas Eve morning. It's one of our family traditions. We don't decorate the Christmas tree until Christmas Eve morning as a family. It's been like this since we moved to New York because that's the only time we were ever really together as a family in December so it just stuck around all these years.
"It is really beautiful," says Natalia. "Can I put the angel on the top of the tree?" she asks.
"Sure," says Dean as I smile and rub my swollen stomach. He lifts her up and she places the beautiful angel on the top of the tree before he puts her down. "Let's see this baby with the lights on," he says as my dad draws the curtains making it as dark as it can get in the living room. Dean flicks on the lights and we ooh and aw at the beautiful lit tree. "How are you feeling?" asks Dean as he places his hand on my stomach.
"I'm okay," I say. "I'm still having contractions."
"It's going to be okay. I think Oliver may want to join the Christmas festivities," he says before he kisses the top of my head. "If you need anything please let me know and I'll get it for you. I just want you to take it easy today."
"But I have so much to do. I have to finish wrapping some of Natalia's presents, we have to bake some Christmas cookies and I have a dinner to plan for tomorrow," I say. "I have to go to the grocery store to get some food for dinner tomorrow."
"I'll go to the store for you. You just draw up a list and let me know what all you need for tomorrow and I'll get it for you. I don't want you walking around too much or doing too much. I need you to relax this could be the day the baby comes and I want you as relaxed as possible."
"Okay," I say, "I'll make you a list," I say as I get another contraction. "Sorry," I say as he rubs my back.
"How far apart are they right now?" he asks.
"They're getting closer. We're looking at 15 minutes apart right now," I say biting my lip.
"Okay would you say they're getting more painful the closer they get together?" I give him a look and he says, "Okay, I understand. Come on, you need to lay down and rest. I'll take care of everything else. I'll bake some Christmas cookies."
"You'll bake Christmas cookies?" I ask as he guides me over to the couch.
"Yes and I'll go to the store for you too and I will wrap up Natalia's Christmas gifts later on after we go to church."
"Okay and what about dinner tomorrow?"
"I'll cook it if I have to but I want you to get your mind focused on labor and get it cleared out. I only want you to think happy thoughts."
"There's about to be a baby come out of my vagina and you want me to think happy thoughts?" I ask.
"Okay, fair enough," he says as he helps me get comfortable on the couch. "I need you to just rest. I'll take care of everything else okay?"
"Okay," I say as he covers me up with a blanket.
"What would you like to watch?" he asks picking up the remote.
"Anything about Christmas, it's my favorite holiday," I say. "Remember I wanted to get married today?"
"That would have been a beautiful wedding," he says, "and I wish we could have but you're having a baby so we decided to wait till June."
"I know but it would have been so beautiful. It would have been red and white color scheme, pointsiettas everywhere, ornaments as center pieces, reindeer at the wedding and fake snow."
"You wouldn't have needed fake snow," he says as I see the snow falling outside the window. "We're going to have a white Christmas this year."
"Oh I love White Christmas," I say with a smile. "That's one of my favorite Christmas movies. I would love to have a white Christmas. It would be my first one in 29 years," I say.
"I know mine too," he says, "I'm not used to this cold weather yet," he says, "my blood is still used to that Florida weather."
"Ew," I say, "I couldn't imagine having a Christmas where I couldn't drink hot chocolate and couldn't wear a nice fur coat to a Christmas Eve mass. There's just something about Christmas and cold that I love," I say.
"I know, Baby," he says as he kisses the top of my head. "I need you to rest. I have the midwife's number ready just in case we need her today and I have the pool ready. I will fill it up when it's time."
"Okay," I say with a smile. "You're a great husband," I say.
"And you're an even better wife," he says with a smile. "I love you, Ana."
"I love you too," I say with a smile before he kisses my lips softly.
"Now get some rest," he says with a smile as his blue eyes look into my deep brown eyes. "I'm going to go take care of this Christmas stuff. If you need ANYTHING please get me and I'll be right here."
"Okay," I say with a smile before he kisses my lips once more before he makes his way to the kitchen.
DEAN's POINT OF VIEW:
Once I finally get Ana to relax and take it easy since she is showing early signs of labor, I go up to our bedroom and wrap up the rest of Natalia's Christmas presents. Our baby is going to have a good Christmas. She usually does and all she asked for was clothes. She takes after her mother in the fashion sense and Ana bought her three brand new pairs of UGG boots in three different colors so she can have a selection. I honestly can't wait for Oliver to get here. I am so outnumbered in this house and not to mention the fact that I don't like to go shopping and I just throw on what's comfortable. I'm not into all this girl stuff, Ana can have this with Natalia and I can take our son outside and teach him how to pee in the snow when he gets older, play trucks and cars with him. I want to toss the football with him and I want to take him to hockey games. I'm ready for my son to come into the world. I still have reservations that Oliver is my son but we'll find out soon enough. It won't be long now. I have been thinking about it. If he isn't my son I'm going to love him the same anyway. It's not going to matter to me. He will be my son regardless. I will raise him as Oliver Ambrose whether my seed created him or not. Stephen won't get the glory or the opportunity to be in his life if he would be the father or anyone else my wife could have been with.
After I finish wrapping her presents I take them downstairs and put them under the tree. It's been a while since she believed in Santa Claus. I'll never forget the Christmas she told me he didn't exist. My Christmas spirit was crushed. She was probably only 7 years old when she broke the news to me. I had always hoped she would believe a little longer. I never got to enjoy Christmas and never got to enjoy the myth of Santa Claus. I wanted to do it for her till she was at least 10 but some kid in her class ruined the secret. I was crushed. Once her presents are put out under the tree Natalia, Roderick and I go to the grocery store to pick up the things Ana needs for dinner tomorrow. Then when we get home I put everything away before Natalia and I attempt to make Christmas cookies. She does most of the work because unlike me she's made cookies thousands of times before and she knows what to do. I'm lost so she takes over the Christmas cookie making. We are on our final batch and I am taking it out of the oven as Ana appears in the doorway of the kitchen, "Dean," she says. "It's time." I drop the tray of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies at the news.
"What? Are you sure?" I ask.
"Yes," she says. "My contractions are at least 5 minutes apart and my water broke. I think Oliver is going to be here soon," she says holding onto her stomach. "He's coming, Dean."
In a panic I rush over to her and help her sit down. "What should I do? What do I do?" I ask in a panic.
"Dean, relax, call the mid-wife," she says.
"Right, the mid-wife," I say as I grab my phone from my pocket. My hands shake as I try to find her in my contacts. I manage to find her name and click on it. My voice shakes as she answers the phone and I speak to her. "Hi, Sarah, this is Dean Ambrose, Ana's fiancée she's in labor. Her water broke and we think it's time."
"Calm down, Dean, I'll be right there. I'll see what's going on okay?"
"Okay," I say.
"How close are her contractions?"
"5 minutes apart, she said her water broke, the baby is coming," I say in a panic. "Please hurry."
"I'm on my way," she says. "Go make her comfortable and I will check her out as soon as I get there."
"Okay," I say as I hang up the phone. "I'm supposed to get you comfortable and she's on her way." I help Ana up off the chair and help her up the stairs. "I never did this before."
"You don't really have to do much, Dean I will be doing most of the work. I need you to relax. Your negative anxious vibes are going to make me anxious. Just relax. It's going to be okay. I promise."
"Okay," I say as I take in a deep breath and let it out. I never saw a baby born before. I missed Natalia's birth so I am a little nervous. I get Ana comfortable in the bedroom, get her changed into something more comfortable as the mid-wife arrives. She checks Ana out and determines that her water did break and that she is in labor but only 6 cm dilated so we still have time. She has me working on breathing with her and I get her some ice to suck on and chew on while she's in labor. Sarah instructs me to start filling up the birthing pool for Ana. I fill it up with warm water and once it's filled Sarah checks her once more to see that she's about 8 ½ centimeters dilated. Oliver is coming and he's coming fast.
I help Ana strip down into just her bra and then help her get into the birthing pool. I continue to help her with her breathing as she cries through the pain. "All right, Ana," says Sarah. "It's almost time to push. Okay?"
"Okay," says Ana, "Dean, you're NEVER getting me pregnant again. I hope you know this."
"Whatever you want and whatever you say, Baby," I say as I rub her back.
"I mean it. This is it," she says before she screams through a contraction. "It hurts so bad."
"It's okay," I say rubbing her back. "You're doing okay. You're almost done. Just think happy thoughts," I say trying to encourage her but honestly I hate seeing her in all this pain. "It's going to be okay," I say.
"This is your fault you wanted to have another baby," she says, "you should be in all the pain."
"If I could take your pain away I would, Baby, but let's just breathe," I say as I run my hand through her long dark hair. "You can do this. I'm right here for you, Baby. You can hit me, punch me, squeeze me whatever you need to do."
"All right, Ana," says Sarah. "You're ready to go. Are you ready?"
"I'm just ready to get this baby out of me," she says. "Please make this go fast," she says.
"All I need you to do is push when I tell you to. Okay?"
"Okay," she says as I take her hand into mine. I kiss her hand softly.
"All right, give me a big push," she says. Ana squeezes my hand and screams as she gives Sarah a push. "Okay good," she says, "relax. Okay give me another push." Ana pushes again squeezing my hand.
"You're doing good, Baby," I say, "you can do this." I say encouraging her. "He's going to be here soon," I say.
"All right, Ana, give me another push," says Sarah. Ana gives a big push and Sarah tells her to stop as Ana lets out a painful cry. "I see his head," she says. "He's right there. You're crowning. Dad do you want to see?" she asks me.
"Yes," I say before I look to see her crowning. "Wow," I say. "He has a lot of hair."
"Shut up," says Ana, "eyes up here," she says.
"Sorry," I say before I move back up to her and hold her hand once again. "You're almost there, Baby," I say as I kiss her cheek.
"All right, Ana give me another big push," says Sarah. Ana gives another push and another push before his head is out. Sarah encourages her to give another push. Ana lets out a scream as she gives another push and Oliver is out. Ana picks him up from the water and holds him in her hands.
My eyes tear up as I look at our son. He is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. "He's so beautiful," I say as Sarah suctions out his mouth and nose and his little cries fill the room. He has a head full of dark brown hair like his mom and has her perfect little nose and his mouth is sculptured like hers. He is so beautiful.
"Want to cut his cord, Dad?" asks Sarah handing me the scissors.
"Yes," I say with a proud smile. She guides me on what to do and I cut his cord. He looks just like Ana I can't get over how much he looks like her. He's perfect just like she is.
Sarah takes him and weighs him and then measures him. "9lbs. even and 20 inches long."
"He's a big boy," I say as Sarah wraps him up in a blanket and puts a blue cap on him. "We did a good job, Baby," I say to Ana. "He is beautiful."
"He's so cute," she says, "I want to do it again."
"Do what again?" I ask as Sarah hands Oliver to me.
"Have another baby," she says, "every pain was worth it. He's worth it. I want to do it again but not 11 years later."
"Well," I say with a smile. "Let's just enjoy this one for a while before we talk about another baby."
"Okay," she says as Sarah tends to her as I take a moment to spend time alone with my son.
"Hey, Oliver," I say with a smile as I look down at him as he sleeps in my arms. "I'm your daddy and I love you so much. You have no idea how long I have been waiting for you to come into this world and you're one of the most perfect things I've seen along with your mom and your sister. You're perfect," I say as I kiss his head. He moves in my arms making me smile as he makes his little grunting noises. Tears fill my eyes as I look at him. I have done a lot of wrong in my life but if there is one thing I have done right it is making my children and marrying their mother. Everything feels so perfect. "I love you so much and I'm going to teach you so much. You're perfect," I say as I kiss his little cheek. "Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday," I say to him as I see that it's a little after midnight. He was born just before Christmas Eve ended."
After Sarah is done tending to Ana and she's cleaned up she gets into our bed and we sit in the bed as she holds Oliver in her arms as Roderick and Natalia come into the bedroom. "Hey," I say in a whisper to Natalia. "Come meet your little brother," I say with a smile. Natalia walks over to the bed and looks at Oliver. "What do you think?" I ask.
"He's cute," she says with a smile. "Hi, Oliver," she says as she touches his tiny hand.
"You two did another great job," says Roderick with a smile. "What's his name?"
"Well," says Ana with a smile. "Oliver Bennett Ambrose. At first we were going to name him Oliver Dean but I wanted him to have my maiden name in his name. I didn't want to hyphenate it because Natalia's name isn't hyphenated so we agreed on giving him Bennett as a middle name. I think it suits him well."
"I like it," he says with a smile. "He's a big boy."
"9lbs," I say with a proud smile.
"Wow," he says. "How are you doing, Dad?"
"Pretty good, I'm glad I was here this time."
"He was great, Daddy," says Ana. "He was encouraging me the whole time and he was so sweet."
"That's great," he says with a smile. "Can I hold him?"
"Sure," says Ana with a smile, "but first let's see if the big sister wants to hold him first. Natalia?"
"No," she says. "I don't want to hold him."
"Okay," says Ana as she hands him to her dad and he smiles down at his first grandson as he holds him in his arms. I couldn't be any prouder of Ana or myself. We did well with Natalia and did well with Oliver. I am the proudest father there is on Earth. I love both my children dearly and there is nothing I wouldn't do for them. They are my life. I have never been so proud of anything I have done in my life like I am of these two.
"Come here, Natalia?" I say as she climbs into the bed next to me.
"What, Dad?" she asks as I wrap my arm around her.
"I love you so much, Natalia. And just because you have a baby brother doesn't mean your mom and I love you any less. You're not going to be forgotten about. You're still our baby girl and you'll always be our baby girl. I love you," I say before I kiss the top of her head.
"I love you too," says Natalia.
"I love you, Nat," says Ana with a smile.
"I love you too, Mom, " she says with a smile. Roderick hands Oliver back to Ana and then takes a family picture of us together. It's our first Christmas together as a family and I love every minute of it. It's been an extra special Christmas this year; I couldn't have asked for a better way to start my Christmas morning than to have all my blessings in one room.
*A/N: What did you think of Dean's reaction to Ana going into labor? ARe you glad he finally got it together? What did you think of him questioning the paternity of Oliver at first but then calling himself the father? Do you think he will make Ana go through with the paternity test after all? What did you think of all the support Dean had for Ana as she gave birth? Was he good to her? What about Ana saying she didn't want more kids but after seeing Oliver changing her mind? What do you think of the name Oliver Bennett Ambrose? Please review and thank-you for reading.