Okay, baby, don't panic, but you are going to have to give birth here at home. There is no way we can make it to the hospital in this weather." Kris explained while sitting on the bed. "The doctor said he would coach me through everything and it will be fine."
Tao looked panicked. "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you or the baby." He stroked the younger's face to calm him down.
Tao didn't say anything, but he nodded his head.
"Baby, spread your legs. I need to see how far along you are."
Tao hestitantly opened them for Kris, gritting his teeth in pain.
"I told the doctor that you have been experiencing pain since 1 this afternoon and he said you will probably have the baby around 9 tonight."
Kris could see that the head was right there, but still was not showing. He had to leave the room again to contact the doctor.
Kris came back into the room 5 minutes later carrying a couple blankets. He lifted Tao's bottom half and place a blanket underneath. Then then moved to Tao's side and grabbed the boy's hand.
"This is it baby. Whenever you feel a contraction you need to push as hard as you can." Kris could tell Tao was already exhausted. He dabbed Tao's glistening forehead with one of the bed sheets. "Here. Drink this water." Kris lifted the glass to Tao's lips and then set it back on the bedside table when finished.
The older boy moved in between Tao's leg's still holding the boy's hand tightly.
"Okay." Tao said weakly before he started pushing.
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It was 8:45 and Tao was totally spent.
The head was halfway out and Kris knew only a couple more pushes and then they could hold their child.
Kris moved to sit beside Tao on the bed who was resting his eyes. "You are doing so well baby. Almost there." He dabbed Tao's face with the sheet again before making him take one last sip of water.
Tao suddenly groped Kris' hand; another contraction.
"Push, Tao. You can do it." Tao let out a loud scream.
Then there it was. Their baby. It fell into Kris' hands and immediately started crying. He smiled so brightly and then looked up at Tao who had collapsed against the pillows.
Kris lightly wrapped it in the extra blanket he had brought into the room.
"Tao, meet our daughter." It was their baby girl. Theirs. She was beautiful.
Both of them had watery eyes looking at the girl Tao was holding.
Kris moved to cut the umbilical cord.
And then just like that, it was over.
"Tao," Kris cooed gently in the boy's ear, "what's her name?"
"Meili." Tao replied.
"My family is so beautiful." Kris commented as he reached his finger out for his newborn daughter. She squeezed it tightly.
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An hour later, Kris left his sleeping family to update the doctor and call his family to let them know the news.
After making the calls, the one to his family consisting of constant happy screaming, he went to get the polaroid camera Tao and him had bought.
He brought it back to the bedroom and snapped a cute shot of his panda and baby girl sleeping.
Slowly the photo developed and Kris prepared a Sharpie to write on it with.
He wrote: Meili with her "mom"
Born December 27th
May we be a happy family forever
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Finally we meet Meili!!!