Isn't She Lovely?

[acontrollist]

Labor was hard. Probably the longest, hardest process of Rachel's life. She'd opted to do it without medicine for various reasons and honestly considered going back on her word several times over the 20 hours it took Abbi to pass through her small body. But the hospital was nice, doing everything in it's power to keep her company, and Sam. Of course Sam hadn't ever left her side (even when she'd broken the skin on his arm with her nails during a contraction and called him all sorts of names). He'd walked laps with her, swam laps with her (yay Schronized Swim Team of WMHS), rubbed her back, sat in the shower with her, all these really intimate, close things that having an epidural would have prevented her from doing. Even through the pain, she'd been close to Sam, aware of what was happening and the minute they laid Abbi (bright red and pissed) on her belly, Rachel would have done it a million times over. Just for her.

Right on time and perfectly healthy, Abbi doesn't need to stay in the hospital very long. In fact, even though swabs were sent to the lab almost immediately after she was born, they still had yet to receive their DNA test results as they stepped into their new apartment (not that Rachel and Sam really care anymore. Abbi's an Evans, now. Officially). It's spacious, completely unpacked and baby proof, so Rachel's excited to be home. As soon as they enter the living room, she carries the half asleep newborn to the balcony door to show her the view of Central Park. "Look, Abbi! Isn't it pretty? As soon as you're old enough, I'm gonna take you over there for a little picnic..."

Comments

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

Sam thought Rachel was insane to give birth naturally without drugs, but it was her body so he had to respect her decision, even though it practically killed him seeing Rachel in pain. But it was all worth it to meet Abbi Grace Berry for the first time. Despite her scrunching up her tiny red face as she cried (she had quite the set of lungs on her), she was still the most beautiful little person he'd ever seen. And when she did open her eyes as he held her in his arms, a strange silence coming over her as she looked up at the big lipped man cradling her to his chest, he couldn't help but sees his eyes in hers. Maybe he was only seeing what he wanted to see. They still had to wait for the DNA test results, but whatever they were, he'd love Abbi as his own.

He can't wait to get his two favorite girls home so Rachel can relax and put her feet up after those exhausting hours in labor. He's so glad they made the move to the new apartment, it's exactly what they need and it feels even more like a new beginning for them. The three of them. He comes up behind Rachel, arms slipping around her waist, chin resting on her shoulder as smiles down at Abbi. "You've been amazing these past twenty fours, Rachel. You were so brave." He presses a kiss to her shoulder. "I'm so proud of you."

Abbi's last name is Evans~

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

Rachel sighs, leaning back into Sam's chest. "I'm not the one you should be proud of." Rachel tells him, nodding down at Abbi. She's been a perfect baby in the two days she's been on Earth. Rarely crying and nursing and falling asleep easily. Of course, Rachel's wary of if/when that will change, but for now she's content to take what she can get.

Abbi yawns and stretches, tucking her face into Rachel's chest and away from the sunlight. "I think someone's sleepy..."

Aw :)

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

"I'm proud of both of you." Sam gazes down at their perfect little angel. Of course, he's just as wary as she is since this could be the calm before the storm, but only time will tell.

"Oh my god, her first yawn." His mouth opens in wonder as he watches Abbi do the simplest of things that come across as amazing to him. "How does she make everything look so cute?" he wonders aloud. "She must have got that off you," he catches Rachel's eye with a smile.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

Rachel just laughs, turning to press a soft kiss to his lips. "It's an evolutionary advantage infants developed to keep their fathers from eating them in times of food shortages." She grins brightly before heading down the hallway to the nursery.

The room (http://cdn.freshome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/nursery-idea.jpg) is small, but Rachel spent weeks perfecting it. She wanted everything right for when she brought their baby girl home. "This is your room, Abbi..."

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

Her reply has him laughing into her neck before he follows her down the hall and into the nursery. Whilst he did help decorate the room, most of the credit should go to Rachel. Though he did help with the sketches when she asked him to draw the vision of what she wanted it to look like. The walls are decorated with cute little paintings done by Sam.

"Isn't it pretty, Abbi? I bet all the other babies are jealous."

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"They should be." Rachel nods. "I bet none of the other babies have such awesome Daddies that did paintings just for them."

Abbi's not really paying her parents any mind, shifting in her blankets and whimpering, tired and probably a little hungry to boot. "Oh, I know." Rachel bounces her a bit, dropping a kiss to her forehead. "It's been such a rough day. I bet you're sleepy."

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

He smiles when she refers to him as an awesome daddy even though they haven't got the DNA results yet. Even if turns out that they're not biologically related, he'll still be the best father figure he can possibly be to her.

"That's because daddy loves you very much." He ducks his head to give Abbi a kiss too before Rachel puts her down in her cot. "Sleep well, sweetie."

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

Even if Sam's not Abbi's biological father, he's already been more of a father than Bradley, who Rachel hasn't seen since the Romeo and Juliet run ended.

Rachel tucks her into the crib, giving her her pacifier and turning on the baby monitor before leaving the room to keep from making too much noise. "She'll be awake again in a half hour."

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

He's not going to ask how she knows how long Abbi will be asleep for. It's obviously some kind of mother's intuition and if she was right about knowing the sex of the baby before the doctor told them, she's probably right about everything else.

"Let's go to bed for a bit." He takes her hand in his and leads her to their bedroom, stripping down to his boxers and climbing into bed.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

She didn't feed her before she put her down, so she's just guessing that she won't be down for long is all. She nods and follow him into the bedroom, heading into the kitchen to take her pain meds and change into all her post-birth shit. She couldn't wait to get back to her regular underwear, honestly.

After a minute, though, she joins him in bed, yawning against his chest.

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

Sam yawns a little as well since he's had as much sleep as she has the past twenty-four hours, drawing her into his chest and stroking his hand through her hair. "I can't believe we have a baby in our apartment." It's kind of a scary thought, being responsible for another person in their lives who can't do anything for herself at the moment, but it's mostly exciting since they've been waiting nine months for this moment.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"You have a baby." She yawns, closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around his waist. "I have a baby and a toddler." She teases, pinching his side gently. "Get some sleep, Sam, she'll be okay."

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

"Hey..." He pretends to sound offended but he knows she's only teasing. And it's kind of true. He can be like a kid trapped in a man's abulous body sometimes. "I'm pretty sure that's my line," he says when she tells him to get some shuteye. His lips find hers, pressing a soft kiss to her mouth. "I love you... Have a nice nap."

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"I love you too, sweetheart." She smiles, tugging the covers up to her shoulders (which really makes them only reach about halfway to his chest), drifting off to sleep against him.

They actually get 45 minutes before the baby monitor crackles to life and Abbi starts to whimper.

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

Sam doesn't mind so much that the covers don't completely cover his chest since Rachel gives him enough body heat to keep him warm. She's like his own personal hot water bottle.

Abbi's whimper is quiet enough that she doesn't wake Rachel yet, who's probably fast asleep from exhaustion. Sam does stir awake though, looking at the clock to see how much time has passed. He wants Rachel to sleep some more since she deserves it, so he noiselessly gets out of bed to feed Abbi himself.

After warming up a bottle of milk, making sure to test it so it's at the right temperature, he goes into the nursery and scoops Abbi up from her cot and into his arms. "It's okay, daddy's here..." He rocks her a little. "You're a hungry little girl, aren't you? Here you go..." He puts the bottle to Abbi's mouth.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

Rachel's nursing, so it's a wonder they have bottles at all. But that's what happens when you have children with a neurotic, 5'2" female boyscout. There's a plan for every eventuality, namely, Sam being alone with Abbi.

She stretches in his arms, letting out an indignant little wail as the bottle gets closer, flailing a little until her hand catches Sam's thumb against the bottle. As soon as the bottle is in her mouth, she falls silent, eyes closed.

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

Always be prepared, that seems to be Rachel's motto. Since it's his first time feeding Abbi, he's admittedly nervous and tries to stay calm when she starts to fuss, rather than freak out and call for Rachel. As Abbi settles, he breathes easy again and takes a seat in the chair in the room, watching her suck onto the bottle.

"Good girl..."

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"She looks like you..." Rachel says from the doorway after a minute. The bottle warmer and Abbi's frustration had woken her up, but she'd left Sam to his own devices for a moment to see if he could handle it. He's having an easy time of it so far, it seems.

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

He almost wants to cry when she says that, but with happiness. It means she has the same inkling that all their worrying was for nothing, that the baby isn't Bradley's after all. "She looks like you too," he looks up at Rachel with a smile. "Come here," he beckons her over to him.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

Rachel's not sure what she feels. Really, she's afraid that maybe Abbi's resemblance to Sam is just wishful thinking on her part. But she doesn't say that, instead crossing the nursery to where Sam and Abbi are sitting.

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

He pats the arm of the chair for her to sit on. "Sorry I didn't wake you straight away. I thought you deserved to sleep a little longer." A drop of milk dribbles down Abbi's chin and Sam wipes at her face gently with a cloth.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"Well I woke when you got out of bed. Took my personal heater, and all that." She reaches over, brushing her knuckle against the soft skin of Abbi's cheek.

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

"Clearly I suck at being stealthy." When it seems like Abbi has been fed enough, he puts down the bottle and brings her closer to his chest. "Daddy's gonna sketch so many drawings of you because you're so pretty... and you won't move as much as mommy does," he adds with a teasing look at Rachel.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"Don't be so sure, Daddy. I'm gonna teach her the fine art of moving while you're not looking." Rachel teases. Abbi's just kinda staring at the both of them, trying to make out the blurry shapes that seem to be supplying the muffled sounds she's hearing. "And he's gonna have to catch you in between Mommy showing you off to everyone in New York City."

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

"I'm wondering how long it'll take until you dress her up in a headband..." Sam muses, nuzzling Rachel's cheek.