What I Never Knew I Deserved

Chapter 28

December 8, 2018

I'm now 35 weeks pregnant and I felt huge. Monday morning is my final doctor's appointment before my due date and I was slowly getting more and more nervous about having this baby. 

I was excited and extremely happy, but I was also extremely nervous. I just wanted to be a good mother.

Around 10 AM, I woke up and looked at the clock. I groaned as I got out of bed and threw on my white silk robe and headed to the kitchen to start some water for tea. I went to grab the tea kettle and noticed a familiar suitcase and gym bag sitting on the dining room table. I smiled widely and walked to the front door and opened it and saw Colby walking back towards the house with another gym bag and I smiled and rested my hands on my belly as he walked towards the house. "Hey!", he exclaimed as he got closer to me. He dropped the bag on the front porch and wrapped his arms around my upper body and pulled back enough to kiss me. "I was wanting to surprise you", he said. "Well, I got up earlier than I have been", I said back.

We weren't sure what it was, but I was worn out all the time since I hit 30 weeks. Normally, I wouldn't sleep in after 9 in the morning or be in bed before midnight, but lately, I've been in bed by 9 and awake between 10 and 11 AM. Colby and I walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. He put his right arm around me and I cuddled into him. "How have my girls been?", he asked. I smiled and intertwined our fingers on our right hands and he rested his left on my belly and my smile widened as I felt another kick. "We've been great. Just really exhausted", I said. "Have you talked to the doctor about it?" "I have an appointment on Monday". Colby stood up and held his hands out. "What?", I asked. "Let's go to bed. I've been travelling for hours and I just wanna be in bed with my beautiful girls", he said. I smiled and took his hands and stood up. "How do you know our baby will be beautiful?", I asked. He stopped walking and turned around and gently held my biceps and rubbed his hands up and down before grabbing my hands and smiling at me. "If she looks like you just a little bit... She'll be gorgeous and I'll be in trouble", he said as he chuckled. "I think overprotective dad is gonna look good on you", I said. He kissed me and we went upstairs.

When we got to the top of the stairs, I stopped dead in my tracks when we walked by the nursery. Colby turned around and walked over to me as I walked into the nursery and looked around. I turned around and looked at Colby with tears starting to form in my eyes. "Madi? What's wrong?", he asked. "Our baby is gonna be here in 5 weeks or less and we have NOTHING done! We don't have furniture bought or a stroller or changing table or -" "Hey, hey, it's OK.. The baby shower is next weekend, I'm sure we'll get some essentials and we can go shopping for furniture or whatever else we don't get... It'll be OK, babe, I promise", he said. I cried even harder and he wrapped his arms around me and held me close and I wrapped my hands around his waist. "Can we at least go find a crib after my doctor's appointment on Monday?", I asked. He chuckled and kissed my forehead. "Anything you want, babe", he said and kissed me.

Before we knew it, Monday morning was here and Colby and I got dressed and headed for the doctor's office. I was wearing a pair of white maternity skinny jeans and a black V neck T-Shirt and black converse sneakers. 

When we got to the doctor's office, Colby and I went inside and checked in and were taken back to an exam room. 

During our doctor's appointment, I found out that I have developed a condition called Intrahepatic Cholestasis of pregnancy. It means that my liver doesn't want to work properly during the pregnancy and the doctor suggested I get induced at 37 weeks, which meant we had 2 weeks to get the nursery done.

Over the next 2 weeks, I stayed on bed rest and Colby took those 2 weeks to get the nursery done and help out with the baby shower. We had everything we needed and by the time he got done and we were ready for our induction date, we had 4 days to just enjoy the quiet before we welcomed our beautiful baby girl into the world.

Before we knew it, it was time for us to go to the hospital. I put on a pair of leggings and one of Colby's hoodie's and a pair of sneakers and we headed to the hospital. We were quickly checked in and taken to a private room where I changed into a hospital gown and French braided my hair.

After Colby helped me into bed, He sat on my left side and took my left hand in his right and I smiled weakly at him. "I'm nervous, Cole", I said as I looked up at him. He sat closer to me and wrapped his right arm around me and kissed the side of my forehead. "I am too, babe... But we got this", he said. "You're going to be a fantastic mother". I smiled up at him and snuggled into him. "Thanks, Cole, but... I was talking about the induction", I said. He chuckled and kissed me again. 

When the doctor came in, he got up and shook hands with him and the doctor went over the process with us and we got started.

Around 2 PM, I was dilated to a 10 and it was time to start pushing. Colby stood on my right side and put his left arm around my shoulders and held my right hand in his.

After an hour and a half of pushing, our beautiful baby girl was born.

They got her cleaned up and took her to the nursery to get her first exam. Colby bent down and kissed the top of my head and then my lips and gently pressed his forehead to mine. "How are you feeling?", he asked. "Tired. A little sore. The epidural is starting to wear off", I said and smiled as I looked up at him.

A little bit later, they brought the baby in and Colby picked her up out of the bassinet and sat down beside me and handed her to me and wrapped his left arm around me. We were lost in our own little world when there was a knock at the door. "Come in", Colby said quietly. We both smiled widely when my parents and Colby's parents came walking into the room.

After a long day, a nurse came in and asked if we'd like her to take the baby to the nursery and we agreed so we could think of names.

The next morning, I woke up to hearing Colby talking to the baby, so I kept my eyes closed. "Ssshhh, calm down. We need to let mommy rest", he said. I heard some footsteps and then a door close. I opened my eyes and looked around and saw the baby back in her bassinet and Colby nowhere to be seen. 

I sat up and went to get up when Colby came walking back into the room. "Morning", he said and walked over to me and kissed me. "Morning", I said back. "I fed and changed her and calmed down before you woke up, did she get fussy?", he asked. "Nope", I said and smiled. He picked her up and handed her to me and I smiled down at her. "We still need a name", I said. "Yes, we do", he said and sat down beside me. "I can't believe we made something so perfect", he said as he looked down at our baby. I smiled up at him and started to cry. "Hey, what's wrong?", he asked. "I'm just so happy", I choked out. He chuckled and kissed my cheek and looked down at the precious baby in my arms. "What about Emma?", I asked. He smiled widely and nodded. "Emma Paige", he said.

A few days later, we were discharged. I dressed Emma in a little white long sleeve onesie with gold pants and a white beanie with a gold rose on it and put gold booties on her feet. I put her in the car seat while Colby packed our bags. I got her strapped in and Colby put it on the stroller attachment and we headed down to the car.

About a week later, Colby and I had pictures taken of Emma and we posted them to social media, along with pictures we took while in the hospital.

Colby posted the photos and captioned them: 'A week ago today, we quietly welcomed our baby girl, Emma Paige Lopez, into the world. Maddison and I have spent the last week enjoying quiet time with our little family. We couldn't be more excited and I couldn't be more in love. Madi is already a fantastic mother and I am in complete awe of how she handles motherhood. I love you, Maddison, and I thank God every single day for you and Emma'. I posted the same photos, but captioned it: 'Colby and I are completely head over heels in love with our sweet girl, Emma Paige. Colby's already an overprotective daddy and it's the cutest thing I've ever seen. I love you, Colby'.

Over the next few months, Colby and I enjoyed the time we got for Colby's paternity leave. I opened my very own physical therapy clinic and will be working closely with wrestlers from Colby's wrestling school when the grand opening happens. I couldn't wait to see where these next few years takes us. Maybe more babies and maybe Colby retires early to coach at his wrestling school? I didn't know and neither did he, but we were ready to take it as it comes.