100 Baby Challenge - Chapter 10 A Life for A Life

Today started off totally normal, except it wasn't normal at all.  Sure the waking up part was normal but that searing wave of nausea that ran through me just as I opened my eyes was not.  After I went racing to my bathroom to throw up what felt like all of my insides, I wiped my mouth and brushed my teeth.  I sat on my bed and all I could do was smile, it was that stupid goofy kind of smile that just can't help itself.  Last night, it was amazing, a whirlwind.  It feels like a dream, I just can't believe that I'm pregnant and with Alejandro's child.  He was amazing, gentle, kind and WILD.  Oh so wild, I hope every time is like that.  I could smell breakfast being made, I will never tire of waking to the smell of moms pancakes, except for right now as another wave of morning sickness hits me.  Ugh, if this is what all my mornings will be like while I'm pregnant, no thank you!!  This is awful.  Once I felt my stomach settle I put myself together and decided some breakfast was in order, oh and I have to tell mom the good news.

"The pancakes were delicious mom! As always you out did yourself."  "Thanks honey, how are you feeling today? Any thoughts on what you're going to do with your first full day as an adult?"  "Well I had thought about getting into the garden, I need to get those fruits and veggies tended to otherwise I'll have to start from scratch on new plants. I also think some time outside and sunshine would be good for me."  I could see my moms face fall for a split second, it was like she was disappointed in me, in my plans but at that moment I realized that I'd almost forgotten to share my good news with her, but before I could she had more questions for me.  "I noticed that you weren't at home last night when I got back from your sisters, where were you?"  "I actually wanted to talk to you about that, I went out last night to clear my head.  Things are getting pretty serious now that I'm an adult and everything in that book was so overwhelming, I needed some time to process and clear my thoughts. I went to Oasis Springs last night."  "Oasis Springs!?!?"  "What on earth would posses you to go there!?"  Mom sounded pretty pissed and I'm not sure why.  "What's wrong with Oasis Springs?  It's really nice there, anyways I don't want to talk to you about Oasis Springs, I have something else to tell you.  I met a man mom."  At this moms face turned from sheer panic to an almost giddy delight.  "I met a man, his name is Alejandro.  Mom, I'm pregnant."  I was smiling so hard I thought my cheeks might come off, mom about fell off her chair she was in disbelief.  She wrapped me up in her arms and squeezed me so tightly.  "Yvette, you do whatever you want today.  I'm so proud of you, I can't believe you are already expecting."  She let go of me, with a spring in her step she went to clean up from breakfast.

 Just as I was getting ready to get out into the garden Trixie called and said she was coming over.  When Trixie arrived I was in full gardening mode so I shared the good news with her and she was over the moon.  Trixie and I chatted and caught up on each others lives.  She told me about her job as a struggling chef and the boyfriend she had who just wouldn't commit.  I filled her in on graduation and she obviously had a lot of questions about my pregnancy.  I gave her some very non-committal answers that were just detailed enough to keep her interest satiated.  She had really came to see mom so she decided to head inside, she wanted to hear more and offered to cook up some lunch for the 3 of us.  Mom had been in a painting frenzy since she found out I was expecting, she finished 3 masterpieces this morning so I knew that's where she would be when Trixie walked in.  I was just finishing up watering the plants, it couldn't have been more than 10 minutes after Trixie walked into the house I heard a blood curdling scream.  It was Trixie, screaming, she was screaming for me.

I barreled into the house, took 3 steps and stopped frozen in my tracks.  "Trixie" I gasped, was sobbing over our mother.  Mom was lying, more like crumpled on the floor in front of her easel, her grey hair flowed around her face.  She looked peaceful and yet so pale, just then I noticed the Grim Reaper was in my living room.




My brain stopped, but my feet took me to the Grim and I just started pleading with him.  I don't even remember what I said, he refused my pleas and took my mother into the afterlife with him and in the spot where she died was an urn.  Trixie and I just held each other for what seemed like forever.  How would I contact all our siblings, what do I say?  I sent Trixie upstairs with some tea to calm her nerves, I told her she could stay as long as she needed.  Trixie lived with Samantha but Sam was a busy medical student and resident at the hospital so she was almost never home.

The next few days just melded together.  I moved moms urn to a different spot in the living room.  I had to scrap her last painting she was working on.  My days were filled with tears, I would cry at her urn, cry myself to sleep, wake up from a dream sobbing.  I was a basket case of emotions and all the while I was preparing myself to become a first time mother, a mother of many but still this was my first baby.  How was I going to do this without my mom?  I just don't know how I'm going to make it right now. 

I tried to spend as much time outside as possible but gardening didn't take my mind of missing my mom for long, then I'd go inside and try to find some inspiration to get my creative juices going but I couldn't sit and paint like mom used to.  I would get distracted and it would take me days to finish a painting.  Finally the day had arrived for me to have my little bundle of joy.  I hope my sadness doesn't impact how my baby is after it's here.  I want my child to know only happiness.  I know my mom had almost all her babies at home, I don't actually remember saying that she had any of us in a hospital.  I had already decided that I would have this baby at the hospital, too many things could go wrong and with having a baby so soon after my moms passing I didn't want to risk anything.  The labor pains started and Alejandro was away for soccer season, it was just me going to this hospital alone.  I wonder if it's a boy or girl, what will I name my baby?  All I know is that mom named us in alphabetical order and I want to do something unique too, I think I'll pick a random letter from the alphabet and have all my kids names start with that letter.

While I was waiting to go back to my room at the hospital I saw a dictionary lying on the table in front of me, it was weird to me that a dictionary would be here but I picked it up and opened it to a random page.  Whatever word was at the top, the first letter would be the first letter of all my children's names.  I landed on the word Persistent.  P, this would be the letter, owowow that contraction hurt.  I waddle up to the front desk and the young lady tells me it won't be long, we're just waiting on the doctor to arrive.

My body won't wait, it's time now I tell her.  The staff usher me back to a room and before the doctor arrives my baby starts to make its arrival into this world.  The doctor isn't here yet one nurse shouts, another says "just deliver the baby, it's not going to wait for the doctor."  I'm a little panicked and the nurse doesn't really seem confident in what she's doing but this baby is coming now and I don't have a choice.  Only hours after arriving at the hospital, the nurse lays a beautiful baby boy in my arms.  He smells new and is so perfect. He has the same complexion as his father but has my lips.  He's wonderful and has all his fingers and toes.






















I'm lost in a day dream when the doctor arrives with paperwork for me.  "Miss, miss!" He shouts.  "We need a decision on the baby's name, do you have one picked out yet?"  "Oh, um. yes.  I think so." I stammer with the words, "Paul, his name will be Paul."