Anna || HS

Anna 2- CHAPTER 25

~ December 31st, 2017 to January 1st, 2018~

***A/N: This is a day after birth post. If that isn't your thing you will only miss one important little detail, that I will make sure to fill you in on at the top of the next chapter.

Harry- 23
Anna- 23
August- 14 Months Old
Robin- 🎀 Happy Birthday 🎀 to 1 Day Old 

The entire chapter is Anna POV:

~ December 31st, 2017: Morning ~

Twelve hours ago, I was swaying in the kitchen to my husband singing Fleetwood Mac. Right now, I am watching that man serenade the new girl in his life. One that, as expected, might take some of his adoration from me. Our second daughter.

Twelve hours ago, Robin wasn't here. Twelve hours ago, I would have told you that she wasn't coming for another week, if ever. Honestly, the last twelve hours were a blur. Start to finish, my entire labor process was right around eight hours. Half that time being spent at home, and half in the hospital.

I wanted to avoid a second c-section at all costs, which was no easy feat considering this not-so-little lady weighed two ounces shy of 9 lbs. at birth. Yeah, not getting that epidural absolutely sucked on more than one front. I remember the anesthesiologist rushing into my room just before 4 am, assuming we still had time, but I was being prepped to start pushing and all I could do was start laughing. Too Late, buddy. He looked between me and my husband (who he definitely recognized) and gave his sincere apologies for the wait.

It was what I expected. My body and I had a negotiation, some point after I knew the epidural wasn't happening. If things could keep going fast, I'd try my best to stay out of my own way. My body held up her end of the deal, and I tried my best to hold up mine.

Unfortunately, my overcooked baby had some other plans. After attempting to push laying down, Dr.Singh and her team got creative and decided to have me try to give birth standing up. Like a giraffe on the Serengeti. The gravity did help the process along, but there came a point when there were side discussions of a possible c-section. I know they didn't intend for me to hear, but they were standing close enough to drop my falling offspring, so it wasn't that hard to eavesdrop.

With each minute that passed, the likelihood of needing a c-section grew greater, until finally the doctor asked a nurse to begin preparations. With that, I doubled down, pleading with my body to do its damn job. After all, I held up my end if the deal, riding the fucking excruciating waves of a non-medicated birth as best could.

Harry, of course, was the perfect partner. I, of course, was a complete bitch for most of the time we spent in the hospital prior to the birth. He never wavered. His support the only constant, even when I literally slapped my hand over his mouth to shut him up, or told him to leave me alone and stop getting me pregnant. He knew then, and knows moving forward, that this is just the cost of me dealing with pain. I wish it wasn't, but it just is.

The next two pushes, I pushed into the pain with a new determination to meet our daughter. Ignoring pleas to slow down from Dr.Singh, I kept going, knowing that the alternative was a likely c-section. The pain so great that my legs nearly gave out and my body shook uncontrollably underneath my screaming.

Yes, screaming.

I became one of those women. I was unable to hold anything in. That "ring of fire" sensation completely overwhelming my ability to hold back or hold anything in. The last two pushes were the worst pain I've ever felt in my life. That was the moment that my body gave out and Harry and Kellen ended up holding me up through the last push, when our girl finally decided to join us.