I Hate California

forty nine

"Is Sage okay? How is she? Joe! How's Sage?" I frantically asked him over and over while I laid in the hospital bed.

Joe came over to my side and stroked the side of my cheek. The pain was unbearable and I just wanted it to be over with. The nurse told me I was six centimeters and my fears grew even more.

"She's okay, she's with our parents. She'll be okay" He assures me, but I shake my head.

"I want her here. I want her with me" I tell him. I didn't want Sage to be in the room while I give birth, but I needed her to be here.

"Babe, you need to breathe. Everything will be okay" Joe kisses my forehead.

"You sure? I'm sure our now seven year old hates me!" I yell out loud.

Another contraction passed by, making me moan and roll over to the side. The doctors asked me if I wanted an epidural, but I didn't have one with Sage, so I didn't want one during this birth.

"She'll be okay. We'll call her right over when the baby's born" He whispers into my ear. He continued to rub my arm as I groaned through the pain.

After about an hour, another nurse came into the room to check on me. The contractions were closer and closer by the minute. I wanted this baby to be out immediately. When I looked at the clock, it read 6 PM. There was no way I would be able to hold her in until tomorrow.

"You're almost there, you're at eight centimeters. We're going to prepare the room and supplies right now since it should be moving quickly now" She informs me with a smile.

Joe thanks the nurse as I'm unable to speak at the moment. I clenched my eyes closed, biting down on his hand.

"Babe!" He yells and I immediately let go of his hand.

"No, this is what you get for knocking me up" I scowl at him. He shakes his head, chuckling as he gives me a kiss.

I watched as people started to come in and out of the room. One was laying out tools that looked terrifying. Someone was checking out the lights above my bed and then one rolled in a cart where the baby would be placed in.

This was now starting to feel real. I really was going to have another child with Joe.

"Okay, Taylor! You're at ten centimeters, this baby is ready to come out!" The doctor states, removing the blanket that covered my legs.

I looked at Joe with frightened eyes and he held onto my hand tightly as he gave me another long kiss on the forehead.

They placed my legs up, spreading them apart and the lights turned on, shining straight down. There was another nurse beside me and she smiled at me as she rubbed my arm. She had been with me ever since I arrived, so I was very comfortable with her.

"When you feel the next contraction, I want you to push down as hard as you can" The doctor instructs as I felt her touching me.

I was already sweating and felt like I was already struggling to breathe, I didn't know how I would be able to do this.

Right as I felt the next contraction, I gasped, bending forward as I pushed, squeezing Joe and the nurse's hand. I whined as I threw my head back, feeling like I did absolutely nothing.

"You're doing so good, babe" Joe whispers into my ear.

After a couple rounds of pushing, I felt like this was going nowhere since I didn't feel her head coming out yet.