With what felt like her last ounce of strength, Tasha pushed with everything she had left. Bearing down she sprayed from between gritted teeth with her chin bedding down into her chest and really hoped she didn't poo herself. That would be mortifying, but before she could process that thought further, she heard a cry and suddenly a small, pink, bloody baby was being held aloft and thrust towards her.
“Momma say hello to your son.” Grinned the doctor as Tasha looked down in awe.
“A son? He's a boy? We have a baby boy,” she said between sobs. She looked between the baby curling into her embrace and her husband who was crying at them both.
“We sure do,” Jim told her as he kissed first her and then the baby, wiping tears off his face. “And he is beautiful, perfect, like his mommy.”
“Is he okay?” Tasha wondered why he’d cried so briefly and was now so quiet and still.
“He is absolutely fine. I think he's just happy and content lying with Mommy and Daddy,” said the nurse standing over them. “We're going to get him weighed and cleaned up a little and then he'll be right back.” She reached down for the baby. “Does he have a name?” she asked looking back towards Jim and Tasha.
Tasha looked up at Jim who replied to the nurse’s question, “Connor.”
“Really?” asked a shocked Tasha. “You said you hated the name Connor.”
“I did, but it kind of grew on me, like you.” He leaned in to kiss her on the lips, gently, lovingly.
“Hey, that's what got you two here in the first place,” teased Mitch making Tasha blush and Jim shrug.
“Then book us in again for about ten month’s time.” Jim’s huge grin made the other man laugh as the nurse reappeared with their baby, with Connor, Connor Maybury. He was wrapped in a blue blanket and wearing a blue woolly hat.
“Who wants this handsome young man then, all six pounds four ounces of him?” asked the nurse.
“You go first,” Tasha said to Jim who beamed with pride as he held his son for the first time.
“Hey, baby boy, how you doing?” he asked the little boy who was gazing up into his eyes before beginning to cry. “Oh, I see. I get that I'm not as pretty as Mommy, but you'd better get used to this face because it's with you forever buddy.”
“Let's get you all settled and then I believe you have lots of visitors.” Smiled the nurse. “Are you going to nurse him?” she asked Tasha who looked confused until the other woman's glance lowered to her breasts.
“Oh, yes. I’d like to,” she replied as Connor's cries began to get louder.
“He seems happy to know that, so maybe Daddy would like to go and share the news of his arrival while you two get yourselves sorted.”
Passing the baby over, Jim seemed reluctant to leave, but once Tasha was settled and comfortable, with their son safely wrapped in her embrace and suckling on her breast, he smiled and knew that no matter what he'd felt before this moment, this was complete and utter happiness.
“I'll go and tell everyone.” He kissed his wife then paused for a last look at them in the doorway. “Should I send everyone home, it's almost eleven o'clock at night?”
“If Philip and Lizzie are still here they should come and meet their new brother, before anyone else does,” Tasha replied.
“And that is why I love you, Mrs Maybury, and why our son is the luckiest boy in the world, because you're his mommy.”
The nurse grinned across at Tasha as Jim left. “Does he have a brother?”
With a smile Tasha nodded as she stroked her baby's dark hair down as he continued to feed. “He does, Uncle Bobby,” she told Connor. “Married, happily, sorry,” she said to the nurse now.
The nurse remained nearby and talked Tasha through feeding the baby, about timing him on each breast and changing sides, the importance of her own healthy eating and drinking to maintain a good supply of milk and just as she had moved Connor from the left side to the right and made herself look decent again the door burst open to reveal a still proudly grinning Jim, a subdued looking Philip and a squealing Lizzie. Lizzie's high-pitched squeal startled Connor briefly judging by his eyes shooting open, but only briefly and it didn't pause his feeding.
“Yes, you recognise that sound, don't you? That's Lizzie, she does that a lot.” Grinned Tasha as Lizzie enveloped them both in her arms.
“Wow Tash, he's so tiny. Can I hold him?”
“He didn't feel that tiny about twenty minutes ago, but he does look really small. You might just want to give him a minute before holding him. He drinks milk like Philip drinks Tequila slammers,” she joked making Philip smile at her.
“I'll have you know I am off Tequila. Well, Juan banned me after I was sick in his shoe last time.”
Jim frowned while Tasha laughed. “You best get back on it for our next night out. You might need to give me a few months though because I too am banned from drinking for a while longer, courtesy of Connor's drinking.”
“That's slightly gross.” Philip’s deep frown and slightly nauseated expression made the others laugh.
