After we had our fill of free food and drink, we went back to Mama’s house for a few more hours just in case we could catch the birth. But it got late, and Sophia needed to rest, so we went home. Around 8 a.m., Mama called saying Alessia had given birth to Breanna, Lex, and Arvin earlier that morning. I still hadn’t gotten used to the idea of being an uncle yet and wanted to meet them sooo bad. But Sophia was due at any moment, and I couldn’t risk her being alone or leaving the house. I wanted her to be comfortable in her own space because we were about to hike a trail we’d never been on before. But of course, Mama told me not to worry about them and to take care of Sophia. The babies weren’t going anywhere, and I could meet them anytime. I just had to remember to call her when we were heading to the hospital. Hearing about my new family members was a great start to my day. Sophia was still asleep, so I used the downtime to clean the house and make sure Sophia had nothing to worry about while birthing and nurturing our child.
She came downstairs just as I finished my breakfast, and I gave her the exciting news. I shouldn’t have been surprised when she told me I could go meet the babies if I really wanted to. She was always so accommodating and kind. But I declined. She and our baby were my only priority that day. I needed to stop dropping everything to run over there every time something happened, anyway. I had my own family now. Besides, Dad was probably there too, so Alessia was in good hands and had plenty of help.
Good thing I didn’t go because about an hour and a half later, the first contraction crippled Sophia! It came out of nowhere and scared me because I had never heard her (or anyone) yell like that before. I got myself together quickly and called Mama to tell her we were on our way to the hospital. I stripped off my PJs, hopped in the shower, and ran downstairs to find Sophia so we could go. However, she wasn’t dressed and didn’t seem to have any intention of going anywhere.
“This process takes time,” she said. “I don’t want to be at the hospital any longer than I need to be.”
That was not a sentiment I shared, but if she was comfortable waiting until the last second, I trusted her judgment because I was way out of my depth here.
She suggested we go back to our room and chill, so we laid on the bed real close, and I rubbed her belly, possibly for the last time. Sophia and I always had a close relationship, but ever since finding out she was pregnant, I felt even closer to her. I mean, she literally had a piece of me growing inside her! We couldn’t get much closer than that. I treasured those last few moments alone with her. No wonder she made us promise to always make time for each other.
“We still don’t have a name for her,” she said.
“I know. Are we starting off her life as bad parents?”
She giggled.
“We’re not bad. We’re just too indecisive.”
The contractions seemed to chill, so we continued throwing out names and trying them on. At some point she fell asleep, and I must have too, because I felt super disoriented when she shot up and screamed.
“NOW can we go to the hospital??” I asked.
“Yeah…yeah, let’s go.”
She stood up as best as she could while being in excruciating pain and attempted to get dressed, but another contraction stifled her, followed by another!
“I don’t think I can make it,” she said, groaning.
“What?? What do you mean? We can’t do this here!”
She tried breathing through the contractions in an attempt to ease the pain, but there was only so much she could do.
“Things happening really fast,” she said. “I can feel it! I don’t think I’ll make it to the hospital.”
No hospital?! That wasn’t part of the plan, and I was so tempted to call Mama and ask if she could come and help us. I wasn’t a doctor and knew diddly squat about delivering babies!
“But…what are we gonna do??”
When she found some relief, she said, “We’re gonna do it how our great-grandparents did it! Run some bath water for me, and get some towels. And grab some extra pillows too!”
“You’re gonna have the baby in the tub??”
“No, silly! I just want to bathe. And the water will help with the pain.”
“Oh.”
I dashed away and turned on the water and gathered the towels. That set of pillows we got as a wedding gift came in very handy, and I stacked them up on the bed to support her. I also grabbed the bassinet and put it close by.
When Sophia finished her bath, she sat atop the bed breathing through the contractions like an old pro. As a yoga professional, I knew very well the importance of strategic breathing and hoped it helped her to focus her attention away from the pain and on the task at hand. I joined her because she didn’t need me to be panicked and flustered. Since we were staying home, I put my PJs back on so I would be comfortable to do whatever we were about to do.
Sophia sat there breathing through contractions for what felt like an eternity. It was agonizing sitting there listening to her suffer, knowing I couldn’t do anything for her. How did women go through that multiple times?? Were they just gluttons for punishment?
Finally, she asked for help to undress because she felt like it was time to push. We got her out of her clothes, and she sat against the pillows. I thought her groans were terrible before, but I was not prepared for the screams that came out of her as she pushed. She wasn’t prepared either because she completely fell apart. I admired her strength thus far and couldn’t let her lose it. The baby needed her to keep it together, so I got on cheerleading duty immediately, telling her she could do this, and she was one of the strongest women I knew. I told her she was almost at the finish line and had come so far. She couldn’t stop now. I suggested thinking about the baby and what she wanted to say to her once she was out.
“I’m scared, Luca! I wish we were at the hospital!”
“I know. Me too. But you’re doing great! You reacted so quickly and knew exactly what to do. I was useless, but you gave me instructions even while you were in so much pain. You’re amazing!”
We went through a few rounds of pushes, and each time was more scary than the last. I kept thinking, if something happened to either of them, we were in trouble. I acted like I was brave to support her, but I had never been more afraid in my life. If the Watcher blessed us to get pregnant again, I’ll be sure we had a backup plan because I never wanted to be in that position ever again.
The baby crowned, so Sophia grabbed onto me to steady herself for one big, long final push. That one sounded more painful than all every previous screams combined, but she did it. She told me to grab the baby and pull her out. I delivered my own child!! The next day was my birthday, and there was no present I could receive that would make me happier than I was at that moment. I hoped Mama didn’t plan anything because I had everything I wanted right in that room, and fatherhood was the best gift.
