"You're sure you'll be ok while I record the podcast?", Travis asked his 9 month pregnant fiance. "Yes Trav, for the last time, I won't give birth while you're downstairs unfortunately. I just want this thing out of me". Taylor groaned, feeling her sore back as she sat on the living room couch. "Don't worry baby. She'll be here before we know it", assured Travis, rubbing her shoulders. "That's what everybody keeps telling me, but they aren't the ones who have to push a watermelon out of their vagina", complained Taylor. "I know baby, you're doing so great. I'm so proud of you. What you're doing in there is harder work than what my teammates and I do on the field". Travis kissed her cheek softly
But Travis had a right to be worried because she was due in two days, and the baby could come at any moment. "Ok baby, but if you feel anything, anything at all, let me know", said Travis, seriously. "I promise", she said, feeling the baby do a flip inside her. Taylor took a sharp intake of breath. "Are you ok?", Travis asked nervously, sitting beside her on the couch. "Chill babe, the baby just kicked my ribs". Travis let out his breath.
Archer, Taylor's 4 year old son with Joe, came running downstairs, holding his tub of toddler legos and wearing his superman cape. "Wow buddy, whatcha doing?", asked Taylor, laughing as he skipped down the steps. "Can you play with me?", asked Archer.
As tired as Taylor felt, she couldn't ignore her son's adorable son's blue eyes. "What do you want to play bud?", asked Taylor. "Wegos!", the boy exclaimed. "Oh, that sounds fun, but the baby's making mommy not feel good today, so does watching Bluey sound better?", asked Taylor. She was a mom who loved seeing her kids interact with toys and the outdoors, not just screens, but when you're 9 months pregnant with an aching back, you've got to do what you've got to do. Archer nodded, sitting beside his mom and leaning into her side. "Be good for your mama Arch, love you Tay", said Travis, giving Taylor a quick peck on the lips before heading downstairs.
"Dats funny mama", Archer laughed, looking at his mom. Taylor honestly wasn't even paying attention to the show, but smiled, agreeing with her 4 year old that it was absolutely hilarious.
Taylor felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen, but she'd been having braxton hicks all day, so this wasn't anything new. She clicked on the next episode of Bluey, wanting more down time for herself.
"Buddy, wanna feel your baby sister kick?", asked Taylor in the middle of an episode. Archer nodded, placing his hand on her belly, Taylor adjusting his little hands so they were where the baby was being active. "Feel that?", Taylor asked him with a smile. Archer smiled, nodding. "She kicked me", he giggled. "You're so cute, you know that?", Taylor said to the boy, showering his head with kisses. He giggled.
"Mama, can I have a cookie?", asked Archer. Taylor was going to say no because it was too close to dinner but decided to just say yes because she was not in the mood to witness a toddler tantrum. Archer bounced off the couch, running to the kitchen. "Buddy, wait for me!", Taylor called, edging herself to the edge of the couch, leveraging herself up. She groaned, feeling more pain, but this time it lasted a bit longer. "This is so miserable", she thought, waking slowly with her swollen feet to the kitchen.
Taylor saw Archer push a kitchen chair to the counter so he could reach the cookie jar, which was fully stocked. Since Taylor was stuck around the house all day because she could go into labor at any moment, she decided to continue her hobby of cooking so she at least felt somewhat productive.
"Careful buddy", warned Taylor, seeing him reaching for the cookie jar.
It was a beautiful cookie jar, solid blue with little indented flower markings. It had belonged to Taylor's grandmother, Marjorie, so that brought even more value to it.
But Archer had knocked it over, making it roll to the side of the counter. Taylor tried to get there in time to stop it but it was too late. The glass jar crashed to the ground, shattering it everywhere. "No", Taylor said, tears filling her eyes. "Hormones", she thought. The loud bang scared Archer, so he began to cry too, looking sad. "It's ok buddy. You didn't mean to", she said, stepping away from the glass to pick him up from the chair. But on her way back, her foot hit a large piece of glass, cutting open her foot. 'Shit' she muttered.
Taylor set Archer down on the living room carpet; she was staying on the wood so she didn't stain it.
Travis was chatting with Jason on the New Heights Podcast about the Ravens defensive strategies when he heard a loud bang and crash upstairs. "One second Jase, I'll be right back", Travis said, taking his headphones off and running upstairs.
The sight he saw when he got upstairs was way different than the one he had left just an hour ago. Taylor was sitting at an island bar stool, trying to see her bloody foot but struggling with her big belly, tears running down her cheeks. Archer was picking through the pieces of broken glass while Taylor yelled at him to stop, trying to pick out a cookie from the rubble. He took it all in but quickly realized he needed to act quick, so he scooped Archer up quickly away from the glass, setting him down in the playroom and telling him to stay there for a bit.
He then rushed to Taylor's side. "Tay", he sympathized, seeing her this uncomfortable and in pain and crying. "Let me see baby, it's ok", he soothed, brushing the hair out of her face with his hand and kissing her forehead. "Oh, that looks painful", Travis said, squatting down to see her foot. "I think we should go to the hospital to make sure there's no more broken pieces of glass in it", realized Travis, looking up at Taylor for conformation but only finding her clutching the counters, taking deep breaths. His face quickly fell. "Have you been having contractions this whole time and not telling me?", he asked, prying one of her hands from the counter and letting her grip his hand instead. "Maybe. But that's not important. Archer just broke my grandma's cookie jar", she said, crying. While this was mostly from baby hormones, she loved that cookie jar because she had fond memories of her as a little girl getting cookies from there when she visited. "Oh, I'm sorry baby. I know how much that meant to you sweetheart", he sympathized, hugging her side, resting his head on hers. Taylor nodded, enjoying his scent when a horrendous contraction spiraled through her body, making her clench Travis tightly, grunting in pain. She moaned, leaning on Travis for support. "I've got you baby, breath", he said, holding her as sweat and pain shot through her.
Once it was over, Taylor shifted in the bar stool, muttering to Travis, "I need to go to the hospital". "I know baby, let's go", he agreed, going to get Archer and his already packed overnight bag for sleeping at Travis's mom's house for the next few days.
Travis returned to see Taylor standing with most of her weight on her good foot, leaning over the counter, clenching the granite with shut eyes, deep breathing and groaning. "Travis", she moaned in pain. "I'll be right back baby, I'm putting Archer in his carseat real quick".
Travis dashed back downstairs afterward, quickly informing Jason on why he had to go and making him promise to delete that part, turning the computer off, and then dashing upstairs in the matter of minutes. "Ready to do baby?", Travis asked Taylor. "What does it look like", she said, breathing through a contraction.
They dashed to the car, dropping Archer off at Donna's house, then going to the hospital.
Thanks for reading! I appreciate each end every one of you sm! Don't forget to comment or vote and pt.2 coming soon!<3
