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Chapter Thirty Four – March 16

“Her name’s Brooklyn Nichole. She was born at 8:43 p.m. Seven pounds, eight ounces. 21 inches long. She’s perfect.”

It was eight o’clock in the morning. Brooklyn was almost twelve hours old. Everyone had gone home. It was just Nick and I with our daughter in the hospital room.

I was still running on adrenaline. I stroked her face gently as I fed her. Nick hung up his cell phone.

“Who was that?”

“AJ and Rochelle. They got my picture.”

I laughed. Brooklyn was perfect from the top of her blonde head to the bottom of her tiny little toes. Nick came and sat on the bed with me.

“I can’t believe she’s here,” Nick whispered.

After the initial shock at brining a little life into the world had subsided, Nick and I took only one look at her before agreeing that she looked like a Brooklyn. Her features were so tiny and delicate…she just looked like a little bubbly bundle of love.

Nick kissed my cheek.

“Brooke and I already have something in common,” Nick said softly in my ear.

I smiled. “What?”

“We both love your boobs.”

I laughed quietly. “Nice one.”

I felt her attachment slack; she was falling asleep with a full tummy. Nick slid his hands under my own and took her from me.

“My little baby burrito,” he said, kissing her forehead. I stifled a yawn.

“You need to get some sleep,” Nick said softly. “While you still can.”

I knew he was right. I glanced over at him and soaked in the image of him holding

Brooke in his arms. When the crash came, it came quick.

“I love you, Nick,” I whispered.

“I love you too, sweetheart.”

-------------------------------------------

I was able to get three hours of sleep. Visitors started arriving at eleven. The first people through the door were my mom and Angel.

“There’s my niecey-poo,” Angel cooed. She scooped Brooke out of her bassinet.

“I still can’t believe she’s so pretty,” Angel said. “I mean half of her genes are from you,” she said, looking at Nick. Nick looked exhausted but happy. He just grinned.

“You can’t bring me down Angel. Can’t bring me down.”

After a few minutes Angel passed Brooke to my mom. My mom sat down in the rocker by the bed.

“I never thought I’d see the day,” she said softly, beginning to rock. She smiled over at Nick and I. “You did a good job.”

“Thank you,” I said, resting my head on Nick’s shoulder.

Angel and my mom stayed until lunchtime and then left, promising to return later that night. I fed Brooklyn and then had a little lunch myself. Nick had fallen fast asleep.

Around one o’clock I heard a tiny tap on the door. My face broke into a wide smile when I saw who my visitors were.

“Is this a good time?” Leighanne whispered. Baylee held onto Brian’s hand as all three walked in.

I nodded. “Of course it’s a good time. Nick’s just catching some sleep.”

Brian sat Baylee down on the bed. I pushed the pink blanket away from Brooklyn’s face.

“Ohhh,” Leighanne said.

“She’s so little!” Baylee said. He leaned over and touched her hand that had come loose from the swaddling cloth. All of the fingers on her right hand wrapped around one of his fingers for a few moments. Baylee scooted closer, smiling. After a few minute she dropped his finger and yawned.

“Want to hold her?” I asked Leigh. She nodded. I gently transferred her into Leighanne’s arms. She sank down into the rocker.

“Look at all that blonde hair,” Leighanne said, smoothing down her wayward locks.

Brian leaned over the back of the rocker and touched her cheek.

I felt Nick stretch out beside me. He opened a groggy eye. When he saw who was in the room, he sat up quickly.

“You guys came all the way down here?” he said with a yawn. Brian laughed.

“No, we’re figments of your imagination. Yes, we came down here.”

Nick rolled his eyes but smiled.

“How’d you do in delivery?” Brian asked him. Nick puffed out his chest proudly.

“I caught her and cut the umbilical cord.”

Brian smiled. “I’m impressed Nicky.”

“I can’t wait to have our own little girl,” Leighanne said. Baylee made a face, but didn’t say anything. I had a feeling that he would be fine once the baby actually arrived. Brian stared down at Brooklyn.

“I forgot how little these things are,” he said as Leighanne handed her to him. Brooklyn chose that moment to wake up. Her cries filled the room.

“I forgot how loud these little things are,” Brian said as he handed her to me. I checked her diaper and smiled at Nick.

“Remember what you said about needing diaper practice?”

Nick raised an eyebrow. “What? Oh no…”

Five minutes later Brian was giving him pointers on effectively changing the diaper. Both Nick and Brian had one hand clamped on their nose.

“I forgot how smelly these little things are,” Brian said as he handed Nick a baby wipe. Nick had to uncover his nose to take it; his face screwed up as if in agony.

“Oh sweet Jesus.”

Leighanne and I were trying our best not to laugh.

“Baylee peed right in Bri’s face when he did the first diaper change,” Leighanne said fondly. Baylee giggled.

“I think I’d take that at the moment,” Nick said. After another few seconds he let out a sigh.

“It’s done.”

Nick attempted to swaddle her back up, but failed miserably. Brian finally had to do a hands-on demonstration.

“They make a good team,” Leighanne said. “I’ll loan you Brian now if I can have Nick in July.”

We laughed. Nick scooped Brooklyn back up in his arms.

“All better, princess?” he said softly. Her little blue eyes stared up at him with pure contentment.

As Nick stood cooing, I heard a knock on our door. The visitor didn’t wait for a ‘Come in.’

It was Jane.

“I’m here to see my granddaughter,” she announced.

Brian, Leighanne and Baylee took that as their cue to leave. After hugs and kisses they left. Jane walked up to Nick.

“Her name’s Brooklyn?”

Nick nodded. “Brooklyn Nichole.”

“Can I hold her?”

Nick almost reluctantly passed Brooklyn into Jane’s arms. She stared down at her, rocking back and forth slowly. Finally, finally she smiled.

“She looks a lot like you, Nick,” she said quietly.

Nick smiled. “She’s got Livvy’s nose. We’ll have to wait and see about her eye color.”

Jane looked over at me. I couldn’t tell if it was good and bad.

“Congratulations,” she finally said. “She’s beautiful.”

I smiled. “Thank you.”

Jane stayed about a half hour. When Howie, Leigh, AJ and Rochelle showed up she made a quiet exit. Rochelle was the first one to scoop Brooklyn up from the bassinet.

“She’s so cute,” Rochelle said. AJ hovered over her shoulder.

Leigh held James up so he could see. He leaned down and made a kissy face next to her cheek. Howie laughed.

“That a boy. Such a stud.”

“Hey! That’s my daughter he’s trying to kiss!” Nick said, albeit with a smile.

“Who knows? They could end up married one day,” AJ teased. Nick made a face.

“She was just born. Don’t try to marry her off already! When are you having one?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the look of panic on AJ’s face.

After another twenty minutes, Brooklyn began to cry again.

“It’s feeding time,” I explained.

“Oh that’s okay, go right ahead,” AJ said. Rochelle jabbed him in the stomach.

“Ouch! Okay, okay.” AJ laughed. “Congratulations guys.”

“Congratulations,” Leigh said. James blew a big air kiss our way as they all left.

Nick crawled back up on the bed and watched Brooklyn eat. Both of us yawned at the same time.

“We better get used to lack of sleep,” Nick said softly.

There was a knock at the door.

“And visitors,” I said.

Our next visitors were Leslie and BJ. I finished feeding Brooklyn under a blanket as we visited. As soon as she was burped and content, I passed her to her aunts.

Leslie and BJ were still playing pass the baby when Bob walked into the room with a huge bouquet of balloons.

“I heard I have a granddaughter,” he said happily. He set the balloons on a table and swooped down to kiss my cheek. He pulled Nick into a big hug.

“Congratulations, son. Congrats, Liv.”

Nick smiled. “Thank you.”

Bob held out his arms and Leslie carefully settled Brooklyn down. I knew right away that she was going to have the Carter men wrapped around her finger. Her little eyes tried desperately to focus on each new face. She opened up her mouth wide and let out a little gurgley yawn.

“Would you look at that…” Bob chuckled.

BJ chose that moment to get teary. “Doesn’t she look like Aaron?”

Bob looked over at her. Usually he teared up whenever Aaron was mentioned, but he shook his head. Today was his oldest son’s day and I could tell nothing was going to ruin that.

“No, she looks a lot like Nick when he was born.”

“Everyone always said I’d make a beautiful girl,” Nick teased.

“You don’t have the legs,” Leslie said. Nick lifted his pant leg and whistled.

By eight o’clock I was glad when the announcement that visiting hours were over came through the PA system. Nick closed the door behind our last guest and put his forehead on the back of the door.

I began to feed Brooklyn as Nick drifted back over to us. He hadn’t combed his hair all day and his five o’clock shadow was quickly becoming a ten o’clock shadow. But he was happy, and I was happy.

We would be bringing Brooklyn home in twelve short hours.