Rosie's first year

First night-Gabrielle

I have just given birth earlier today, our enemies are defeated and I feel nothing but Joy. I have three beautiful daughters, as I sit here and I nurse my beautiful baby, I am overjoyed, it's true I missed out on Ali and Rosie's first few years but if I had gotten them as babies they wouldn't be the wonderful girls they are now, or the amazing women they will be certain to grow into. The door opened with a creek, Zoe entered.

"I heard crying is everything alright." She said looking at me feeding her sister.

"Babies cry, Zoe." Xena said. "You should get some sleep she'll wake several more times, try to ignore it, you need your sleep."

"Okay Mom. Good night."

"That was sweet." I said

"Yeah."

"Xena, I love all three of our girls but I hope the Gods don't bless us with anymore children, three is plenty."

"I know but you never know, if they bless us with more children, we'll have cross that bridge when we come to it."

"We may need a bigger hut."

First smile-Zoe

It's been two months, and I'm getting really sick of not sleeping all the time.

"Zoe!"

"Yes, Kalidas."

"Were you paying attention to anything I was saying."

"No, teacher."

"I see, stand by your desk at attention until I tell you, you can sit down." I did. "Now we will be learning about Queen Melosa today….she was our Queen before, Queen Gabrielle, many of you aren't old enough to remember her, but she was a fine Queen. Now Melosa was born 40 Seasons ago in our Village…." She never did let me sit down, after that I went straight to the Dining hut. My family was there. Mom always had Rosie in a Sling around her chest so that she could take her anywhere and still do her duty as Queen, it was a common thing around the village, Even some of the guards if they'd just given birth used this method and took their children on guard duty with them, some not all, others took less dangerous duties while still contributing to the village. We still had the money Mom got from her cave, and she'd emptied out another one and brought it into the Amazon village, I'm not sure when but we got more weapons, and more wine, and more dinars, and armor, and defenses we put up around the village. Mom was determined to use her past to help the Amazons, they were her future. Ali was eating venison stew with gusto, and I sat down.

"Hi Everyone."

"Hello, Zoe." The twins said together. Terrius and Neoma were their own little people now, they giggled whenever they said things in unison which was all the time. I went to get some stew but it was empty.

"I'll go get some more…." Taryn said. She went up to get some more.

"Look who's awake." Mama said looking down at Rosie.

"Hey, Rosie." Ali sing-songed, then Rosie just smiled for a few seconds.

"Did you see that?" I asked.

"It was her first smile, and it was for you Ali." Mama said

Laughing -Ali

Rosie is four months old, and she's getting so big, I'm so glad to be a big sister, like Zoe. I asked Laria and she said a doll, or fabric toy. I asked aunt Cora to help me, and I made her a Dog. I brought it home.

"Mama!" She was in her room nursing the baby.

"I made her a fabric doll, Mama, it's a dog. See, Aunt Cora helped, but I did most of the work."

"That's great sweetheart." She finished nursing, and Mama put her in her cradle, and switched the leather string she kept on her wrists to show what breast to nurse from.

"Can I show it to her?"

"Go ahead."

I brought it up to her, and waved it in her face she giggled. "Mama she laughed."

"So she did, you go ahead and give her, her toy, baby."

First tooth-Xena

Rosie is having trouble cutting her first tooth, and she's miserable, I went to Laria's workshop and made a teething ring, but it doesn't seem to help. Because it Is winter, Zoe suggested Ice or snow. I cut some ice and put it in her hand, and she chewed on it, and it seemed to help, I gave her herbs and tea in a water skin and it seemed to soothe her. I really am at a loss, I didn't raise Solan, and I didn't have Ali or Zoe when they were this small, but at the same time I wouldn't trade these moments for anything.

Sleeps through the night-Zoe

I wake up the hut is silent, I walk through the house seeing Kallen and Nellie getting very cosy, by the fire. I check in Mom and Mama's room, She's just sleeping. Mom gets up.

"Mom?"

"It's less than an hour until dawn, little one, she slept through the night."

"Good I was tired of her crying all the time, it was hard to sleep."

"I know.

Crawling-Gabrielle

I am in a Council meeting, the Council of 18, is meeting, and Rosie is on a blanket on the floor in the corner with some toys Goddess she is getting so big.

"So we are agreed, We will meet with the leaders of New Village, and deal with this. Alexon will listen to us, he's married to a Member of our tribe who chose to leave the village, and his daughter chose to be an Amazon, Send Delia with the Amazon contingent, I'll go with Eponin, Delia, Ephiny, a few others. Now…." I looked over. "Rosie!" She looked Rosie was crawling toward her, and she crawled to her sat up and then cried. She picked her up. "Apparently she wanted my attention."

The Board laughed.

Waves Bye-Bye- Ali

I was upset, I had to go on a camping trip, overnight. It was only one night but I was scared I had never spent the night away from my family before. I was going with the other Amazons, Mom was coming, but my sisters and Mama were staying. I waved goodbye and Rosie waved good bye back. I smiled and she smiled back.

Eats finger foods- Xena

We started introducing finger foods to Rosie and she loved them, she was eating with gusto just like her Mama. We've already started to wean her, little by little.

Stands-Gabrielle

We are setting up a crib in the girls room there's barely enough room, Zoe said something about Bunk beds, where one bed is built on top of the other, like bunks on a ship, We may need to. We have limited room, we also may need to build a third sleeping room. I was putting some thing away in the room straightening up, when Rosie crawls into the room, she used the toy chest to stand up, then falls on her bottom begins to cry I pick her up and comfort her.

Steps- Ali.

We are having a picnic by the pond, my whole family, and I run off, Rosie stands up and chases me for a few steps before falling on her bottom and crying, I run back and hug her.

First Words-Artemis

I am being summoned, to the village, Xena and Gabrielle's hut I disappear and reappear in their house and everyone is staring at the baby, the baby speaks

"Dida."

"It's her first word." Gabrielle says with awe.

"I'm honored."

First Birthday-Zoe

It's been a few weeks since she said Dida, now she says Mama for both our Moms, Sissy for both me and Ali, Eat for food, down, up, and No. I didn't think babies learned to talk so quickly. Today is her first birthday we are in our hut, having nutbread, cake, and sloppy goat sandwiches. I can't believe she's one year's old today.