forward dated to august 19

[mother_confessor]

Having a baby, it seemed, was long and thankless work. Kahlan hadn't exactly been prepared for the pain of labor but having endured other pain in her life, she endured that with as much grace as she could manage. Besides, in the end, she was rewarded with a beautiful daughter with dark hair and what looked to be big, dark eyes.

Richard had been there the entire time, even though Kahlan was certain she'd said some unspeakable things during the worst part of it, and she was finally feeling well enough to have visitors come in to see both her and the newborn.

"Well, little Cara, are you ready to receive an audience? Everyone's been waiting to see you."

Comments

[just_hormones]

Aphrodite's normally not that thrilled about babies. All they do is sleep and eat and poop, and generally she finds them loud, boring, and gross.

This, baby, though is different. Her mother has become very dear to Aphrodite, and on top of that, Kahlan has named the baby after her, which is totally bitchin'. Sure, it's her middle name, but that's fine with Aphrodite. She wouldn't really want someone else on the island who went by the same name. And she likes Cara; it's very pretty.

Once she's sent for, Aphrodite comes in a hurry, eager to see that both mother and baby are doing fine. She walks in and immediately lets out a coo, though hushed in case the baby's asleep.

[mother_confessor]

"Oh, Aphrodite," Kahlan said warmly, sitting up a little when she realized her friend was here. She had gotten a little bit of sleep with Cara dozing in her arms and now it was time to meet new people.

"I'm so glad you came. Would you like to see her?"

[just_hormones]

"Of course," Aphrodite gushes, moving to stand beside the bed so she could get a better look at the newborn. "Oh, she's so tiny and precious!"

[mother_confessor]

"Both of those things," Kahlan agreed, beaming at Aphrodite. "You may hold her, if you like? I think she'd be honored to meet her godmother, wouldn't you?" And this godmother had the distinct advantage of being an actual goddess.

[just_hormones]

"Her godmother would be honored as well," Aphrodite replies, beaming, and thinking she likes the sound of 'godmother' way better than 'grandmother'. "I would love to hold her."

[loveofmasters]

Opening the door quietly, Florence poked her head inside with a smile on her face. She'd heard that Kahlan was ready for visitors and she'd dearly wanted to see how her friend was doing. Her own pregnancy was progressing well and she was happy to her that her friend had delivered complication-free.

"How are we feeling today?" I had flowers and a couple of books and magazines in a bag for her if she wanted.

[mother_confessor]

"Very, very tired," Kahlan admitted easily enough. "But happy. I don't think I've ever seen Richard this happy in my life."

She was happy too, of course, but Richard had been through the roof at Cara's birth.

[loveofmasters]

"I imagine. I wonder if Jack's feet will even touch the ground, he's so happy now, I can't even imagine what's going to happen after the baby's here." That was a part of her life she couldn't imagine and wouldn't be able to until it happened. "I brought you some things to read if you want them."

[mother_confessor]

"Ecstatic. Richard's probably not going to sleep for a year and that's not just because Cara is crying," Kahlan said, laughing at the mental image.

"He just wants to look at her all the time. She is very beautiful, I can't blame him."

[truenamedseeker]

Richard knew that Kahlan wanted to see her friends, but Richard was feeling strangely selfish; it had been a long, hard job for Kahlan bringing Cara into the world, and now it was just the three of them. Silly as it was, he wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible.

"She looks like you," Richard declared, gently stroking a fingertip over Cara's little eyebrows. It was most likely untrue, as Cara was a newborn baby and currently looked very red and wrinkled and slightly grumpy, but Richard was looking at her through the fog of New Fatherhood.

[mother_confessor]

"A little. I think she will have dark eyes like yours," Kahlan decided, looking down into Cara's face and concentrating on her tiny features. It was difficult to tell exactly who she looked like right at the moment but Kahlan could see a little of both of them in her.

[truenamedseeker]

"Probably, I think it's the more common color to pass down," Richard admitted, even a part of him had been hoping for big blue eyes, just like Kahlan's. "But those eyebrows are Kahlan eyebrows. She might have my nose, it's kind of hard to tell." He chuckled and gently touched a fingertip the noses in question, first his own and then Cara's, very very gently. His daughter startled a little--a natural reflex, as he understood it--then inhaled and exhaled sleepily. "Of course it might just still be a little squished in. It did take her a while to decide to come out."

[mother_confessor]

"She's beautiful no matter which of us she looks like," Kahlan said, a soft, satisfied smile on her face. Nothing could be more beautiful than the daughter she and Richard had conceived out of love.

"I just can't wrap my head around the fact that she is finally here with us."

[teambatgirl]

"Helloooo," Steph says softly as she sticks her head through the door and smiles warmly. She'd stressed over what to bring, but now she comes in enough to wave flowers in one hand and a wrapped present in the other. Despite having actually given birth, her contact with newborns has been pretty limited, so, sure, maybe she's nervous and overcompensating a little. "Hey mama. How are you and itty bitty baby doing?"

[mother_confessor]

"Very tired but very happy," Kahlan said, managing a bright, if tired, smile for Stephanie. "It's difficult work, being born, and I think Cara's going to sleep for a little while."

Kahlan knew she should sleep while she had the chance but she was still just so enamored of the baby that it was hard.

[teambatgirl]

"Oh God, Kahlan, she's so beautiful." With a tiny perfect little face wrapped in her blanket, and Steph was smiling. She imagined this is what her own tiny child must have looked, and her heart ached as came down to sit beside them. "Congratulations on being born, tiny girl. And congrats to you too, mama. Flowers for you, little handmade present for the baby."

[mother_confessor]

"Stephanie, you shouldn't have!" Kahlan insisted. She was grateful for the present, of course, but the idea that someone would bring something especially for her and Cara was more than a little overwhelming.

"I didn't expect anything at all."

[bennet_beauty]

When she had heard news that Kahlan had successfully delivered her baby, Jane was beyond pleased and made her way to congratulate her with haste. She did not wish to interfere or to be terribly intrusive, and so, waited until it was Kahlan herself who gave permission. Only then did Jane quietly sneak her way in, a warm smile on her face. "Is this her, then? The lovely Cara?"

[mother_confessor]

"Oh yes, please come in?" Jane was one of the people that Kahlan wanted to see most because Jane could understand just how difficult birth and having a newborn was. Besides, she was one of her closest friends on the island.

"I just can't stop looking at her. It's silly, isn't it?"

[bennet_beauty]

"I do not think it is a silly thing at all," Jane said softly, taking a chair where she could be close without intruding. "She is your firstborn, after all. Of course you should love her so very much that you cannot take your eyes off of her. How is Richard dealing with it?"

[mother_confessor]

"He's over the moon," Kahlan said, unable to keep from smiling at that no matter how tired she was.

"He wants to help with everything. Not that I expected any less, of course, but it's very satisfying that he does."

[adealtooartful]

Dodger, for all that he aspired to be a gentleman, had never observed the formal etiquette revolving around hat wearing indoors. Still, there were certain times that he reflexively followed with tradition, and so it was that on entering the room to see the baby, he had his hat in his hands.

"Hullo," he said, almost nervously from the door.

[mother_confessor]

"Oh, please come in!" Kahlan had hoped Dodger would come to see her and the new baby and she was more than happy to see him there.

"I've missed you and there's someone new to meet besides."

[adealtooartful]

Dodger's face broke into a smile at her welcome, gad that he wasn't intruding. He stepped forward, looking down at the baby.

"Hullo m'lady," Dodger said, voice soft as he addressed the little one. "My name is Jack, but you can call me the Artful Dodger - that's what me friends call me, you see, and we're goin' to be good friends, you 'n I."

He looked up at Kahlan, his forehead pinched with worry. "You're alright, then?" Childbirth was a dangerous thing in Spitalfields.

[mother_confessor]

"I am. It's painful, of course, but everything seems to have come out just fine." Kahlan knew she had to rest for a few days and take it easy but other than that, childbirth seemed to not have any ill effects on her.

"I think she's going to be worth it, of course."