Helen Belden bent down to plant another seed potato in her garden.  It was May first and she was hoping to get most of the early plantings into the ground soon.  At nine months pregnant, she didn’t know how much of a garden would be planted this year.

On the edge of the garden, almost one-year-old Mart played in the playpen her husband Peter had dragged out from the house before he had left for work.  Mart had been playing quietly for the last half hour.

His older brother Brian was sitting quietly next to him, looking through his favorite storybooks. At almost three, he was already able to recognize many letters of the alphabet and was fascinated by the written word.  She wondered how she was going to keep up with his curiosity, especially with a new baby.

“Lord, how am I going to handle two children under the age of one?” she asked herself.  “Mart is just about ready to walk.”

She chuckled to herself.  Her two boys were as different as night and day.  Brian had dark, wavy hair like his father and Mart had almost white blond hair that was a mass of ringlets.  Where Brian was cautious, Mart was a daredevil. 

Mart had no fear.  One day a couple of months ago, she had been upstairs dusting the bedrooms when he had awoken from a nap.  She taken him out of his crib, set him on the floor in Brian’s room, and went to finish the dusting.  She had no sooner turned her back that Mart had crawled out the door.  A cry from Brian alerted her that Mart was no longer in the room.

She reached him seconds before he reached the stairs.  That evening Peter installed a baby gate at the top of the stairs.  Helen wondered if she would become prematurely grey from her younger son.

She glanced over at her two sons and smiled.  Mart had fallen asleep sitting up.  Brian was standing next to the playpen trying to figure out how to get into it.

“What are you doing, Brian?” she asked softly, so she wouldn’t wake up her younger son.

“Cover up Mart,” he said in a stage whisper.

She chuckled as she walked over, gently rolled Mart on his back and covered him up with his favorite blanket. As she stood up she felt a slight twinge in her stomach.  She wasn’t concerned.  She’d been having minor contractions on and off for the past few weeks. Her due date wasn’t until Mother’s Day.  Besides, she’d been a week late with both of the boys.

She stood up and stretched. Glancing up the hill, she sighed.  It had been several months since the Campbells had moved away. Campbells had been living in the Manor House almost as long as  Beldens had been living at Crabapple Farm.  Despite the difference in their social status, they had been friendly neighbors. 

Last winter George Campbell had suffered a minor stroke, and his wife Julie had always been rather frail.  Their children were all grown and had moved away.  Their careers would never bring them back to Sleepyside, so after much discussion and contemplation they had decided to sell the house and move closer to their children.

That left just the Beldens and James and Nell Frayne that lived along Glen Road.  There was a relatively new general store located farther down the road.  Helen tried to shop there as much as possible but she found the owner, Frank Lytell, a little bit too nosy and a little bit too opinionated for her taste.

Nell and James Frayne had become like a beloved aunt and uncle to Mart and Brian.  With Peter’s parents recently passed away and his brothers living in Idaho and Iowa, the boys enjoyed the attention the Fraynes paid to them.

Nell loved to watch the boys when Helen needed to go shopping or just take a break from them.  She always had a cookie jar full of cookies for Brian to taste.  Mart was transitioning from baby food to regular food.  He recently got hold of a peanut butter cookie and before Helen knew it he had eaten it.  She was amazed at how much food Mart ate.  At this rate he’d be eating them out of house and home.

Helen bent back down to continue planting the potatoes.  She had just finished a row when a stronger twinge occurred.  She straightened up, hoping that would offer some relief.  In the distance she heard a car turn into their driveway.  It sounded awfully loud.

Glancing at her watch she realized it was almost noon.  “I hope that’s not Peter,” she thought.  “That car sounds like something is wrong with it.  With the baby coming, the last thing we need is an unexpected car expense.”

She started to gather up her gardening tools as the car pulled up next to their house.

A smile broke across both Brian’s and her faces.  “This is a pleasant surprise,” she greeted as the older couple got out of their car.

Brian raced over to James as he got out of the car.  Always polite, Brian waited until James had closed the car door before greeting him.  “Hi, Mr. Frayne,” he said.  James ruffled Brian’s dark hair while he reached into his pocket with his other hand.  As he always did, James pulled out a piece of peppermint candy. 

Before he took the candy, Brian looked at his mother, asking permission with his eyes.

“Yes, you can have the candy.  It’s almost time for lunch so put it on the kitchen counter and you can have it for dessert,” his mother replied.

Meanwhile, Nell had made her way over to the playpen and was gazing down at Mart.  “You’d never know by looking into that sleeping face that he could be so active,” she said.

“Yes,” Helen started to reply but was interrupted by another contraction.  This one was even stronger than the last.

She stretched again to try and ease the pain. 

“Are you okay?” Nell asked. 

Helen laughed nervously.  “Nothing to worry about, it’s just a small contraction.  I’m not due for two weeks.”

Nell glanced at her husband.  Not having ever been pregnant, she didn’t know what to think.  He just shook his head. 

“So, what brings you over here today?” Helen politely asked.  She started to gather up her gardening supplies.  James stopped her.

“Let me help you,” he insisted. 

“Well, my mother always told me never to turn down help from a gentleman,” Helen replied.  “The tools can go in the shed and those sacks can be left there as well.  I’ll take care of them later.”

She went over to the playpen and bent down to pick up Mart.  Just as she tried to pick him up she had another contraction.  Again, this one was stronger than the last one.  She tried to set Mart back down gently but she couldn’t quite make it and he woke up.

“Darn,” she swore under her breath.  “Well, it looks like I just woke up Mart,” she said out loud.  “I hope that doesn’t mean he will be cranky all afternoon.”

Nell moved to the playpen and picked up the crying child.  “Shh,” she soothed.  “It’s all right.  My, you’re getting to be a big boy.”

“Why don’t you come in and have something to drink?” Helen suggested.  “I’ve got some fresh lemonade and iced tea.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Nell said.  “James, could you please bring in the playpen so Helen doesn’t have to?”

“Yes, Nell,” he replied.  If Helen didn’t know better she would have thought that James was whipped but she saw the twinkle in his eyes.  He thought the sun rose and set on his wife.  He would walk on hot coals or glass shards if his wife asked him to.

While Helen got the drinks ready, Nell put Mart in his high chair and found a toy to keep him entertained.  It appeared he was teething and so everything he took hold of ended up in his mouth.

James sat at the table next to Brian.  He was reading Dr. Seuss’s Hop on Pop to him.  James was impressed when it appeared that Brian could read half the book.  “He’s one smart lad,” he said.

Helen chuckled.  “He is rather smart but he’s not reading the book.  He has it memorized.  It’s his favorite book this month.”

“I read,” Brian said and he proceeded to recite the book.  When he got to Constantinople and Timbuktu he didn’t hesitate but pronounced the words correctly.

Nell and James were laughing and enjoying the antics of the two Belden boys.  They didn’t notice when Helen had another contraction, this time doubling over in pain.  Helen took several deep cleansing breaths and tried to put a smile on her face.

Nell wasn’t fooled.  “Helen Belden,” she snapped.  “Those aren’t just little contractions you are having.  How far apart are they?”

“I don’t know,” Helen replied through clenched teeth, hoping the contraction would end soon.  She tried to casually look at the clock.  Nell caught her in the act.

“You can’t fool me,” Nell insisted.  “You’ve been timing them since you came inside.”

Stubbornly, Helen didn’t say anything.  She just sat down and tried to sip her iced tea.

Nell wasn’t having any of that.  She stood up and went to the phone. 

“What are you doing?” Helen asked.

Nell glanced over her shoulder and looked at her friend.  “I’m calling your husband.  James and I are going to load you and those two boys into the car and drive you to the hospital.”

Before Helen could protest any further, Nell began dialing the bank number.  After a few seconds she said into the phone, “Hello, this is Nell Frayne.  Is Peter Belden available?” She paused to listen to the person on the other end of the line.  “No, I’m sorry, I need to speak to Mr. Belden.  It’s a private matter.” She paused again before she said.  “Well, okay. No message.”

“What?” Helen asked anxiously.  “Is he in a meeting?”

Nell hung up the phone then walked over to the chair where Helen kept the diaper bag.  Nell checked to make sure there were plenty of diapers, as well as a couple of changes of clothes for both boys.  She then went over to the refrigerator and took out several baby bottles that Helen had prepared. 

She paused for a minute, as if she was waiting for something.  Finally, she replied, “No, I think he’s pulling into the driveway right now.  You are going to go to the hospital with your husband and James and I are going to take the boys over to our house for the afternoon.  After they’ve had their naps and eaten dinner we will bring them back here so they can settle down and sleep in their own rooms.”

“Thank you so much,” Helen replied, relieved that she didn’t have to make any decisions.  “I had made arrangements for Caroline Lynch to watch the boys when I went into labor but she’s still having really bad morning sickness.  Her due date isn’t until August and she’s been sick through the first six months.”

The kitchen door opened and Peter Belden walked in, oblivious to what was happening.

“Let’s get moving,” Nell prompted.  “Peter, Helen is in labor.  She says she hasn’t timed her contractions but my guess is they are less than five minutes apart. James and I will take care of Brian and Mart for as long as you need us to.  You need to drive Helen to the hospital.”

For several seconds Peter just stared between Nell and Helen, not quite comprehending what he had just been told.  When it finally sunk in, he started to panic.

“Where’s your bag?” he asked his wife.  First, he walked into the living room, then back into the kitchen.  He started up the stairs but turned around after only going up a few steps.

“It’s by the door next to the diaper bag,” Helen said calmly.  She casually started to head up the stairs.

“Where are you going?” Peter asked, getting more agitated by the minute.

Helen matter-of-factly replied, “I’m going to change my clothes.  I can’t go to the hospital in clothes covered in dirt.”

Helen slowly made her way up the stairs to her bedroom.  She had to stop several times to breathe through a contraction.  “It’s a good thing Peter can’t see me,” she mumbled to herself, “or he’d be insisting on either carrying me up the stairs to get changed or down the stairs and out the door with me looking like a ragamuffin.”

Finally, she made her way to their bedroom.  Slowly, she pulled out a clean house dress.  She would have loved to have afforded herself the luxury of a bath, but when the next contraction was noticeably closer to the last one and much stronger she decided she’d forego that.

She had just finished putting on the clean dress and was fastening her shoes when she heard her husband yell, “How are you doing, Helen?  Do you need some help?”  He didn’t wait for her answer but made his way upstairs.

“I’m coming,” she said.  “I just need to find my pocketbook.” She stopped again for another contraction.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the door and down the stairs.  “You do not need your pocketbook.  It will just get lost in the shuffle.  The Fraynes have the boys.  They are going to take them back to their house for the afternoon.  They’ll feed them supper and bring them home to put them to bed if I’m not home by then.”

As they walked through the kitchen, she noticed the boys sitting quietly.  Mart had some Cheerios he was trying rather successfully to feed himself.  Brian was drinking a glass of milk, being very careful not to spill it. 

She gave a quick hug and kiss to each of the boys, admonishing them to be good for Mr. and Mrs. Frayne before her husband literally dragged her out of the house.  He opened the passenger door of their station wagon and helped her into the car before stowing her overnight bag in the back.

As they pulled out of the driveway, Helen had another contraction, this one longer and harder than the previous ones.  “Peter,” she said through clinched teeth, “I think you better step on it.  I want to push.”

Peter’s eyes widened as he turned onto Glen Road and headed toward Sleepyside.  He pressed the accelerator until the car reached 45 miles per hour, five miles under the speed limit. 

Helen glanced over at the speedometer as another contraction began.  “Faster,” she demanded.  “The speed limit is 50 miles per hour.”

“But…” he started to say.

“No buts,” she gritted out.  “If you don’t hurry, I’m going to have this baby in the car.”

Peter glanced over at his wife, saw the look in her eyes and pressed further down on the accelerator.  The trip that normally took ten minutes he did in just over five. 

He pulled up to the emergency room entrance, jumped out of the car, and ran into the emergency room. He raced to the front desk.

The receptionist looked up and asked, “Can I help you?”

“I’m having a baby,” he said.

“You’re having a baby?” she asked.

“No, I mean my wife is having a baby,” he clarified. He looked around, startled when he didn’t see her.  Then he rushed outside.  By then Helen had managed to get herself out of the car and started to waddle into the emergency room.  She doubled over in pain as another contraction began.

Peter rushed over and began to pick his wife up.

“What are you doing?” she asked.  “Put me down.  I’m capable of walking.”

The receptionist had followed him outside, pushing a wheelchair.  “Ma’am, would you like to sit down and we’ll get you checked in.”

Helen just nodded her head as she breathed through the contraction.  When it had finished she said. “Please hurry, I feel like I need to push.”

The receptionist wheeled Helen over to the desk and began processing her information.  Slowly, she began to take down the needed information.  It seemed to take forever to just get her name and address down.

Another contraction began and Helen insisted, “Either you get me to a room right now or I’m going to have this baby right in front of your desk.”

A nurse had been passing by and stopped.  “Helen, is that you?” the nurse asked.

Helen looked up.  “Jackie, could you please do something?  I’m about to deliver this baby.”

Jackie took a closer look at Helen and seeing the pinched look in her face said, “Cathy, we can get the rest of the information later.  Please call Dr. Ferris and tell him Mrs. Belden is in labor and he needs to come immediately.”

Jackie pushed Helen down the hall to the elevator.  “We’ll get you into a delivery room right away.” Peter followed behind like a puppy.

They took the elevator up to the second floor. As the nurse pushed Helen into the delivery room she stopped for a second and turned to Peter. “I’m sorry Mr. Belden,” she said.  “You will have to wait out here.  We’ll let you know when you can see your wife.”

Peter placed a quick kiss on his wife’s forehead and then turned to go to the waiting area where there was another expectant father pacing the floor.  Then he remembered he had left the car parked in front of the emergency room and went down to move it before it got towed.

He had just returned from the parking lot and had started to pace when Dr. Ferris came out.  The other expectant father rushed over to the doctor.  “How is she?” he asked.

Dr. Ferris shook his head in sympathy.  “I’m sorry, Mr. Morgan, your wife is doing well but it’s just not quite time for your baby to enter the world.”

Peter rushed over. “How’s Helen?” he asked. 

Dr. Ferris reached out to shake Peter’s hand.  “Congratulations, it’s a girl.”

“A girl?” Peter replied.  “Really? Helen will be so happy.  I know she loves Brian and Mart but she has wanted a girl to dress up in pink dresses with bows in her hair.  When can I see them?”

“Give us a few minutes to get your daughter cleaned up and you can go down to the nursery to peek in on her.  After that you can visit with Helen,” Dr. Ferris replied.

Jack Morgan stared incredulously at Peter Belden.  “It’s not fair,” he said petulantly.  “I’ve been here since midnight last night waiting and you come in here and within fifteen minutes you have a baby.”

Peter chuckled.  “Is this your first?  When our son, Brian, was born, Helen was in labor for almost 24 hours.  It was hard for me waiting, but it was much harder on my wife.”

Jack groaned.  “I hope it isn’t that long.”

Peter sat down in a chair and stared at the door to the nursery waiting for someone to come to tell him he could see his daughter.

When the nurse finally came to get him, he could barely stand it.  Sure, this was his third child, but it was his first daughter and one could never get tired of the birth of your own flesh and blood.

As he walked up to the nursery window, the nurse pointed to the bassinette in the front row.  Peter stared at the baby with her mop of curly blonde hair.  If he didn’t know better he would have sworn that it was Mart lying there, except the baby was wrapped up in a pink blanket.  After several minutes, he turned and asked the nurse if he could see his wife.  She pointed him to a room down the hall.

Peter gently knocked on the door as he pushed it open.  Helen was lying in her bed propped to a half sitting position.  She had a fresh hospital gown on and it looked like someone had tried to run a comb through her errant curls.  Her eyes were closed so he tiptoed over to the chair next to the bed and sat down.

Slowly she opened her eyes and began to smile.  “Did you see her?” she asked.  “Isn’t she beautiful? Ten fingers and ten toes.”

“Yes, she is.  Have you any ideas for a name?” he asked.  “I know in the past we’ve talked about naming her Alicia after your sister.”

“I know, but now I don’t know if that is such a good idea.  You know how pushy Alicia can be and I’m afraid she will try to make her into a carbon copy of herself,” she replied.  “I’ve been thinking, Alicia always liked the Peter Rabbit stories when we were growing up.  How about the name Beatrix?  It would be in Alicia’s honor but not so obvious.  We don’t even have to tell anyone about it.”

Peter said, “Whatever you want, I’m okay with.  We can call her Trixie.  That doesn’t sound so formal.”

“What about her middle name?” Helen asked, she paused for a minute and then suggested, “We could name her Beatrix Anne.  Then she would be named after Alicia and your mother.  It will give her two good role models.”

Peter nodded in agreement.

Just then the nurse came into the room with the baby in her arms.

“Welcome to the world, Trixie Belden,” he said as he bent over to kiss his daughter on the nose.  “I know your life will be filled with lots of adventures.”

 

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