Mamma's Little Helper

by Donna and Ev

            Now well over nine months pregnant, Waneta didn't move very fast.
She still tried to do as much as she can, even though now it was up to Hudson to chase after the two lively little girls in the house. Mina, their adopted daughter was 3 1/2, and Tama was 17 months. Both were into everything! Waneta waddled to the linen closet to get a new dish towel for the kitchen to replace the one that she had used to clean up the mess they had made at lunch, but when she opened the door, the shelves were empty!

            "Oh, Mina, what are you helping with now?"  Waneta murmured and
sighed.  Tama was already down for her nap.  Mina was supposed to be playing outside with Hudson watching her, while he fed the animals.  She paused for a moment, just leaning against a doorway, gathering her strength for a moment, then walked out to the back garden.  "Hudson!  Mina!  Anyone know what happened to the towels?"

            Hudson looked up from the pig pen. "I asked Mina to get one for
the little runt lamb that I'm bottle feeding. Why?"

            Waneta gave a tired chuckle.  "Maybe you should have said just
one.  The whole linen closet is empty."   There was a bench near the garden. 
She sank heavily onto it.  "When you're done there, can you help me?  I'm sorry to be such a burden."

            Hudson cleared the fence of the pigsty with an easy bound and
went to her side. "It is not a burden to take care of you." he said, "You want me to rescue the linen?"

            "Could you, please?"  She sighed again and kissed him on the cheek.  The baby chose that moment to kick.  "Ow!  This one is almost strong
enough to crack my ribs.  Would you mind if I went to the camp?  I need to see if someone there might know what I can do to encourage this little one to come out before I explode."

            "I will take you there," Hudson said, helping her to her feet.
"Come. The horse is still hitched to the cart."

            Waneta let Hudson do all the work, getting her up.  She felt as
though her belly weighed as much as she did. This would be a much bigger baby than Tama was.  "Mina?  Where are you, honey?"  They peeked into the barn and there was the lamb, bedded down on a comfy soft bed of all the clean towels, sound asleep. Waneta and Hudson exchanged tired smiles.  "She means well," Waneta sighed.  "Where is she?"

            Hudson frowned. "Maybe she went into the house to get some more
milk," he said as he gently steered Waneta that way. They found the door
leading to the kitchen open, and the lamb's bottle lying on the floor. Mina had made quite a mess, but from the way the milk was smeared around on the floor, it looked as it she had tried to clean it up.

            "I hear water running," Hudson said.

            "She must have done this while I was just outside calling you. 
Fast work."  She sighed heavily and leaned against him, trying to keep the
tears of frustration from starting.  "I don't know how much longer I can keep up if I don't have this baby soon."

            It wasn't that far to the bathroom, but by the time they got
there, the damage was done. Mina was washing the milk soaked towel in the tub. There was water and soap suds everywhere!

            "I see you've been busy taking care of the lamb in the barn. 
That's very sweet of you."  Waneta smiled and went to the little girl.  It wasn't easy, but she knelt down and gave the little girl a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Would you like to come with me to the camp now?  You can play with some of your friends while I talk with someone there."

            Mina nodded solemnly. "I can stay behind and clean up," Hudson
offered. "And when Tama wakes up, I'll bring her out to the camp."

            Waneta laughed softly.  "I think I'll need you to put me in the
wagon.  I can't lift myself that high."

            "Of course," he chuckled. He wasn't concerned about her making
the short trip to the camp. The horse knew the way by heart! And once she was in the camp, there would be plenty of help.

            Waneta and Mina sang a song on their way to the camp.  It only
took a few minutes, then Mina was off to play with her friends and people were teasing Waneta as they helped her down from the wagon.  "Oh, thank you!"  She sighed and sat on a big rock.  Everything was exhausting to her now.

            Mika tsked at her, and then told her she was to go to her lodge
and rest for awhile. But as soon as Waneta stood up to do as she was told, the insides of her legs were suddenly drenched!

            "Mika!  My water broke!"  Her first thought was for Hudson.  He
needed to know!  "Somebody get Hudson!"

            Pacer immediately dashed to his own lodge and to where his horse
was tied.  He was already well on his way before anyone could say a word!

            Waneta felt a bit of a lessening of the pressure already, and the
first of the real contractions of her labor started.  She stood where she
was, unable to move or even think for the moment.

            "It's about time," came several voices through the fog in her
mind. The next thing she knew, she was being carefully guided (and half carried!) out of the camp and towards the birthing lodge.

            Waneta was a little nervous.  She wasn't really ready for this
today, but on the other hand, it would be good to have this baby.  She sank down on the floor of the birthing lodge with a moan.

            A mug filled with a soothing raspberry leaf tea was pressed into
her hands. "Drink," Mika ordered.

            Waneta smiled gratefully.  "Thank you.  I was coming here today
to see if you might know how to make this baby finally come. I didn't get the
chance to ask."

            "You look tired. Perhaps I should keep Mina and Tama for a few
days," the portly raccoon fae offered.

            "You have your own children.  I don't want to burden you even
more!"  Waneta drank the tea and paused as another contraction came and passed. "I think once I have this baby and get a little sleep, even one night, I
should have a lot more energy."

            "Sleep?" Mika chuckled. "What is that?"

            "I've almost forgotten.  It's been a long time,"  Waneta smiled. 
"I used to take a nap during the day when Tama did, but Mina makes so much more work."  She paused and smiled.  "She tries so hard to help me.  It's very sweet."

            "But she is three," Mika said with a knowing nod.

            Waneta winced as another contraction started, then took a deep
breath and calmed.  "She is a very good child.  I'm so glad we took her in." 
The baby suddenly kicked a painful spot under her ribs.  "Oooh!  This is a
kicker. I'll be so glad to have this one."

            "It is a big child," Mika said as she checked the position of it
by touch. "Somehow I think all of Wolf's babies will be."    

            "He is a big man."  Waneta stopped again as another contraction began.  This one seemed a bit longer and harder.  She stroked her belly and waited calmly for it to end.  "You think it will be long?"

            "No. Not too long," the fae midwife told her. "Your body has
probably been preparing for this for several days now."

            "That would explain why I've felt so tired.  It's been hard to do
anything these last few days.  All I want to do is rest.  And this is the
time of year for lambing and planting," she sighed.

            Mika patted her shoulder reassuringly. "It will be fine. Rest
while you can."

            "Thank you."  Waneta sighed and laid down.  "Oh.  I need to
change.  I can't do this in pants."  She started to chuckle, but that started a
contraction.  "I hope when Hudson comes, he brings my nightgown."

            Mika helped her undress, then covered her with a fur. Waneta
managed a short nap, but when she woke up two hours later, the contractions were strong and close together. "Hudson and Wolf are outside," Mika said, looking up from her beadwork. "I did not want them to wake you."

            "Thanks.  I feel better.  I needed that.  But I think this little
one is getting impatient."  She rubbed her hardening belly.  This was another
hard contraction. 

            "Yes. Soon. It will be soon," Mika agreed. She rose to her feet
and let in the two men, giving them stern looks as they walked past her.

            Hudson smiled as he ducked inside.  He had a gown for her and a
gentle hug and a kiss.  "Tama's being taken care of.  You don't need to worry about the girls for a while.  And everything is taken care of at home," he smiled.  "You have more help from the beginning this time, at least."

            "Yes," she said with a smile. "I have a feeling this won't be
easy though. It's a big baby."

            Wolf looked apologetic.  "The ladies have told me that my babies
are big.  I hope the size doesn't make things too hard for you.  I am here for you to yell at all you want."

            Waneta chuckled. "I might take you up on that later," she said
with a smile, sipping another cup of the special herb tea that was given to
laboring women to make things go smoother.

            "It seems you picked a good day to come here.  I was worried
about you."  Hudson held her hand gently.  "I am glad you are finally having the baby."

            "Me too," she said with a soft moan as another contraction took over her body. Mika placed her hand on Waneta's belly, nodding in approval.

            "Good. It will not take too long."

            "Good.  I want to be able to eat and breathe again,"  Waneta joked until the next contraction.  She continued when the contraction was over.  "It would be nice to be able to sleep once in a while without being kicked from the inside, too."

             The men agreed with her, even though they really had no idea what it felt like. The next few hours passed quickly. As Waneta predicted, pushing out a large baby would not be easy. But with the encouragement of Mika, Hudson and Wolf, she managed to do it!

             "Big baby girl.  Strong and healthy."  Mika smiled with approval.  "You need rest soon."  She gave the two men a meaningful glare and slipped out of the birthing lodge to let them get to know the new baby for a bit.

             Waneta was too tired to say much.  She just held the baby and smiled, marveling at the perfect little fingers and toes, the sweet, tiny face, and the big voice as she protested this rough treatment and the light and cold.

            Wolf looked in wonder at this new child of his.  When he touched one of the little hands, the baby gripped his finger and took hold of his heart at the same time.  "She is beautiful.  Do you have a name in mind for her?"

           While they looked down at the baby, a butterfly came in through an opening at the door flap.  It fluttered down and landed on the baby's head for a moment before flitting back out.  Waneta smiled.  "That is a sign.  Her name should be Kimimela.  That means butterfly."

           Hudson smiled and sat next to Waneta, sliding an arm around her and kissing her cheek.  Wolf kept smiling down at the baby.  "Hello, Kimi.  Welcome to our family."