Chapter XVI
"Push, Mattie! Push!" The nurse held her right upper leg as she watched the progress of the baby's crowning. "That's good."
Mattie lowered her chin down on the front of her blue hospital gown and pushed as hard as she was able, then rested back on her elbows and took several cleansing breaths. She'd put her hair up in a topknot when her contractions had started that morning to keep it out of her eyes, and it was still wet, with strands sticking to her forehead. She glanced up at Clay quickly as he rubbed her arm, and held her left upper leg to help her bend forward. She shivered uncontrollably with chills as the contractions flowed one upon the other.
"You're doing great, Mattie." She heard his deep, soothing voice close to her ear. She nodded, and panted before taking another deep breath and pushing again as the overwhelming contraction made the urge to push impossible to ignore.
"I can't do...any..more...I can't." Mattie shook her head in frustration as Clay wiped her wet brow. "Ohh...hh..hh." She bent forward again and pushed with all her strength because there was nothing else to do but that...push.
"Here's your baby," the doctor smiled, as the head appeared, then the baby slid out to its shoulders. Clay peered over to watch as she suctioned out the nose, then the baby slid the rest of the way out.
"It's a boy, Mattie!" He turned back to her, his dark eyes beaming.
Mattie took deep breaths and leaned back on the pillow, exhiliarated and more exhausted than she could have ever imagined.
"Oh, a sweet boy." She took calming breaths as she gazed up at her husband, then held out her arms as the doctor stood up and laid the baby on her stomach. "He's not crying." Mattie glanced worriedly at his precious little face as she and Clay rubbed his back.
"He's fine." the doctor assured her, and at that moment, their baby opened his eyes at them and let out a robust cry. "See," she laughed. "He's perectly healthy. Congratulations."
"Thank you...oh, Clay, he has your eyes," Mattie gazed at their son with amazement. "And your dark hair. He's beautiful." She looked up at Clay as tears trickled down her already damp cheeks, and saw that he had tears in his eyes as well, and he leaned down and kissed her softly.
"I love you, Mattie."
They looked in wonder at their tiny miracle, as she scooted him up on her chest, and he stopped his crying and fixed his eyes on his mother. Mattie thought that there couldn't possibly be a more perfect moment, and she couldn't have pulled her eyes away from his trusting gaze if she'd wanted to. She and Clay watched in amazement as their son seemed to blink and look from one to another as if he already knew them.
"All right. We need to measure and weigh him, and finish you up now, Mattie."
"All right, then I guess that's my cue to leave." Clay laughed, and as the nurse lifted their son off her chest, he kissed Mattie again. "I'll call the grandparents and see you back in the room."
"All right. I love you." Mattie allowed herself the luxury of closing her eyes as her breathing returned to normal, and she smiled as she heard their son bellowing his protests at being cleaned up at the baby station across the room.
"Baby Boy Adamore is twenty-one inches long, and seven pounds, ten ounces," the nurse declared. "Birth was at eight, twenty-three pm, September sixth, nineteen, seventy-one."
Clay beamed at her, and kissed her again.
"See you in a little while, eh?"
She nodded her head, and found that as exhausted as she was, she couldn't stop smiling. She was on a high that she never could have imagined. They had a baby, and although they would have been thrilled with either gender, it was a sweet little boy. After a few more minutes, the nurse left with their son, and the doctor finished up with her stitches, and she was wheeled back into her private room.
"I'm here."
Mattie opened her eyes as Clay returned, holding a vase filled with beautiful yellow roses and baby's breath, and she smiled at him as he set it on the nightstand next to the bed.
"They're beautiful, Clay. Thank you."
"You're beautiful, my love." He leaned down and kissed her, and sat on the side of the bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired, but definitely wound up. I don't think I'll sleep tonight at all." Mattie smiled at him, and reached up to run her hand along his bearded jaw. "The first sleepless night of many to come, so I hear."
"We'll manage just fine." Clay laughed. "Your mom and dad said to tell you that they're ecstatic and will be up next week. They're making flight arrangements now, and will stay to help out for two weeks as planned. My parents said the same, and they'll be up the week after your parents leave, so we're all covered."
"That's good." Despite her excitement, she closed her eyes, replaying the birth over in her head. She knew she would remember every minute of those long, arduous, but oh-so rewarding hours until her dying day.
There was a light tap on the door, and a nurse walked in carrying their baby, wrapped in a striped hospital blanket, and a blue knit cap on his little head. She handed him to Clay, and smiled at them both.
"This little guy is hungry," she laughed as she turned to Mattie. "We gave him some sugar water, but he looks like he wants to nurse. Give it a try, and I'll be back to check on you in about fifteen minutes." She closed the door behind her as she left them alone.
Mattie sighed contentedly and eyed her handsome husband as he held their son in his arms, peering down at him with such a look of wonder on his face that she fell in love with him all over again. A new chapter had begun. Their lives were changed forever...again.
"Yes, I think she was right." Clay reluctantly handed their baby to her as he began to whimper.
Mattie pulled her right knee up a little under the covers and held him on her leg, as Clay moved up closer to them. They were a family of three now.
"Clay, we're in agreement on his name, then?" Mattie stuck the knuckle of her little finger up to his tiny mouth and he latched on and seemed satisfied for a moment as he fixed his dark eyes on her. She smiled at her son and looked up at Clay, her eyes soft as he nodded, and they both looked down at their precious baby.
"Yes, Mattie, no doubts at all."
"Well then," Mattie's chin trembled, and Clay put his arm around her shoulder. She spoke softly as they gazed down at their son. "Welcome to the world, Henry Matthew Adamore. May your life be filled with joy, love, and above all, peace."