[✔️] My Angel ~ Jack Avery & Gabriela Gonzalez

~37~

"Alright, Gabriela, you're getting ready to have this baby, so we're gonna get you hooked up to an IV and some other things to check your heart rate and blood pressure and all of those good things to make sure the baby is ok, and then we'll have you change and use the bathroom, ok?" The doctor spoke calmly and soothingly, making the pregnant girl feel very comfortable. "Are you ready?"

Gabbie nodded with a smile. "Don't think I have a choice."

The nurses came in and basically put a whole bunch of needles in her arms. They tied up all the cords to one of those rolling hat-rack looking things. Slowly and carefully, Gabbie stood up and went to the bathroom to use an actual toilet one more time and change into the hospital gown.

Back on the bed, Gabbie continued to throw up from how much pain she was in. Squeezing her stomach, she hurled her guts out, emptying the orange juice and whatever she had eaten for dinner last night. Jack couldn't stand to see her in so much pain.

Gabbie hadn't originally planned on getting epidural, the drug that takes most of the pain away. However, she didn't plan on a natural birth either. 'Whatever happens, happens,' is what she had told herself. But in this moment, throwing up from her contractions, she couldn't stand the pain any longer. If I'm gonna get the epidural, now's the time.

"How are you feeling, Gabriela?" The nurse asked upon entering the part of the room.

"I really want epidural right now," she blurted out, holding her stomach. Jack looked concerned and jumped up to grab her hand.

"Is it too much for you?" The nurse questioned. Gabbie nodded with wide eyes. "Alright, we'll get an anesthesiologist to get it for you."

A few moments later, an anesthesiologist walked in to insert a large needle in her back. "Ok, Gabriela, I need to put in the needle during your contraction, and you can't move. Is that ok?"

Gabbie feverishly nodded. "As long as it takes the rest of the pain away."

"Alright, let's sit you up, and now lean over," the doctor said. Gabbie was squeezing Jack's arm with one hand and holding her stomach with the other. "Ok, you gotta bend over more."

"I'm trying," she replied, starting to get pissed off. It was very hard because her belly was in the way, plus she was in so much pain from the contractions.

"Gabriela, push over your back more."

"I AM PUSHING OVER MY BACK!" She yelled.  Jack's eyes widened but he smiled, trying not to laugh. Finally, the doctor got the needle in her back, so Gabbie could gently lean back again. It only took a few minutes to kick in, and she immediately felt better.

She decided to pull out her camera to record a little update, being as she had nothing better to do. "I have to vlog."

She pointed the camera towards Jack, and he smiled, saying, "Hey vlog!" Both Jack's mom and Gabbie's mom, as well as her sister laughed. Those were the only people important enough to be in the room.

"I have epidural so now I don't hate anyone," Gabbie smiled a weak yet genuine smile as she faced the camera back to herself. "Bro, I want the epidural...anytime."

"Alright I'm giving birth so....yeah, bye," she said with a laugh.

Gabriela felt so happy lying there. She was laughing, talking to everyone, taking selfies. She continuously held up a peace sign because she felt like she was on cloud 9. Every now and then, she had to add more medicine because she could still feel the pressure from the contractions.

Jack lied down on the little bed next to hers and immediately knocked out. What can he say, it was like 8 in the morning. Seeing her boyfriend fast asleep next to her made Gabbie want to sleep as well. She tried closing her eyes, but she couldn't really sleep. She began to feel a lot of pressure, so she called for the doctor. I have the epidural, why am I feeling this much pressure?

"I'm sorry, we probably shouldn't check you," the nurse told her. "If we check you too often, you could risk infection, which is obviously bad for the baby's health."

Gabbie nodded. The pressure started to get really bad so the doctor finally decided to check her, and what do you know, she was 9 centimeters dilated. Midwives rushed in and out of the large check up room, setting up everything they needed for the baby and everything for Gabbie.

"Gabriela, so here's the situation," a nurse told her. "We don't have any delivery rooms available at the moment."

"Wait, so I'm having this baby right here?"

"You are having the baby right here," the nurse confirmed. Gabbie sighed. Welp, there goes the privacy.

About 15 minutes later, everything was set up and ready for the baby girl to be born. The nurses walked in and with a smile said, "It's time."

Since Gabbie's legs were completely numb from the drugs, Jack held one of her legs and her mom held the other leg, and Gabbie began the pushing sequence. At 9:20, she began pushing for ten seconds during a contraction.

Laughing because of the epidural's effects, she pushed for 20 more minutes, and at 9:41, she finished her second-to-last push. "Gabriela, I think we're gonna have a baby on your next push!" The midwives announced. Jack kissed Gabbie's forehand and held her right hand while still holding her leg up.

"Alright Gabriela, last push," the midwife coaxed. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, oh we're done!"

At 9:43 AM on April 22, 2019, Lavender May Avery took her first breath of air on planet Earth.

Cries were immediately heard and tears ran down Gabbie's face from exhaustion. She set her head back in relief. "Gabriela, look down!"

Gabbie tilted her head to set her eyes on the most precious thing in the entire world: her very own daughter. From the first second, Gabriela burst into tears. Jack did as well, leaning down and kissing her. The midwives cleaned the baby up and rested her on her mother's chest right away. Gabbie wallowed in splendor at her little baby girl in her arms. Jack wrapped his arms around his girlfriend's shoulders and whispered in her ear, "You did it, beautiful. Our little baby Lavender."

The nurse took the baby from her arms to the counter next to her for Jack to cut the umbilical cord. The baby's Godfather, Zack, arrived to capture some of the cutest moments afterwards. The nurse set her down on the counter and put on her first diaper and slipped on a little lavender head wrap with a big bow on it. Jack was FaceTiming his dad, watching his baby girl get her first swaddle.

"Little Lavender," he said out loud, proud of himself and Gabriela. Lavender was back in Gabbie's arms in seconds, creating a momma-daughter bond. Zack took amazing pictures as Jack sat next to her bed and held their baby between them.

Jack held the swaddled baby in his arms, mimicking the weird faces she was making, like sticking her tongue out. He gently stroked her tiny arm, and looked back up at Gabbie. "You did so well, babe. I'm so proud of you."

Zack pointed the camera at the new mother and said, "You're hungry now?"

She immediately replied with a tired smirk, "Yeaaah."

And there it was. Gabriela and Jack had brought their baby daughter into the world successfully. The best day of their lives.