Four Weddings and a Couple of Births 02
08-30-14 Steerio's Last Twins
The most current filming of the reality series had ended, and Cheri was grateful not to be on camera all of the time anymore. If people thought that she was a "bridezilla," wait until they saw "momzilla." She was like bridezilla, but with more hormones and twice the anxiety.
Since Jane had her babies this way, the McCarthys had experience and referenced the midwife and the doula for their friends. Now, they were all present, to lend help wherever they could, but Cheri wasn't really open for much help at the moment. She had been walking around in a thin, practically see through short nightie, pacing around the birthing pool, waiting on Stevie to return with something that he was supposed to secure earlier.
In the nursery, Mason and Jake tried to keep the other children calm and happy. Cheri had said, "The Manny and the Househusband can stay with the kids," initially, causing a couple of sour looks from both and asked, "Oh, I'm sorry… Should I call you two something else?"
"Names work," Jake reminded her.
Mason offered, "I'm fine being referred to either!" He was trying to keep her upbeat, as it was obvious that she was tense. Jake was just ready for her to come forth with these babies so that their house could get some peace again… Or… Whatever. Five small children wasn't a recipe for peace; but Cheri's mood needed serious adjustment.
Cheri was frustrated and a little frantic. She loved being a mother. She hated giving birth. The first time was a breeze. She'd only bothered her bad knee a little bit and whenever she was done with the hard labor, she had this boy, this replica of the love she had lost, but more like a blend of what theyt had shared together - something that she thought at the moment she would never get back and something that she knew that she would always miss. She would look at this boy and she would see all of the beautiful things that went into making him, and try to forget all of the things that made it too hard for his father to want them.
It got worse last time. Her knee needed to be popped back into place afterwards and walking on it hurt for weeks. She could hardly sleep, couldn't take adequate pain pills because, breastfeeding and her whole entire trauma related obsession with having to be able to do so, and whenever she did sleep; the kids did not seem to agree on a sleep schedule that vibed together.
She hoped that maybe it would be better this time, because she would be standing in water instead of laying back with her legs up. But, just the thought of the pain and remembering how hard it had been when Sherwood and Sheva came, the hours it took and the sharp knee pain; she kept almost having panic attacks just anticipating it.
The modulation of hormones and required psychotropic medicine moderation, and the work it took to balance things without any harm to her unborn made for an unstable Cheri, ergo made for an unstable house. Childless Stacie and Jake sometimes dodged being at home to avoid it. Jane, Mason and Stevie understood a little better, especially factoring in Cheri's other uncontrollable characteristics.
Soothing candles were lit. Joe had anointed the room, Jane was going wherever needed, Stacie was staying near Cheri, just in case and Stevie was on his way.
Cheri was so annoyed that he had forgotten this. She reminded him multiple times to go pick it up and he kept pushing it off. (Which, if she thought about it was understandable, seeing as how he was up usually when she was to check on her, see to her, help her out and whatever else she needed.) Now, he was at Mercedes and Sam's house picking it up, and she was stressed that she was going to end up dropping this kid off in the pool (she laughed to herself at the intended pun) without him!
Stevie came running in with a CD lifted in his hand and she bounced up and down clapping her hands. Mason leaned in to Jake and asked, "Can you remind me again why this is a CD and not just uploaded online to a playlist or something?"
Jake said, "Mercedes makes CDs. She's not quite ready to learn new computer things yet. Takes her a while longer, because she can't read the prompts, so I think she's waiting for them to become completely obsolete before doing so."
"Doesn't… Jane help her with computer things, though?"
"Look, I'm just here to Manny." Mason snickered.
Cheri gave Stevie a hug and snatched it to go play it.
Jane looked over at the CD player when Mercedes' voice began singing a gospel song that she wasn't familiar with. "What is this, again?"
Stevie said, "A CD full of Mercedes covering black gospel songs, some featuring her church choir."
Cheri said, "She made it specially for me, because I said that her singing helps me feel better, because Stacie got me on that by calling her to get her to sing a song, whenever I got out and we were… recovering. So this way, we didn't have to do that and she didn't have to try to figure out a song on a call's notice. I have some others, but I requested a special one for this birthing. SO, she made this one specifically for when I want to call on God and have no words because my faith relationship is on and off, back and forth…" She waved her hands to get everyone to quiet down and just grooved to the music until it was time for her to get into the pool.
.
Stevie looked tired. He had been in the pool with her to give her all the support that she needed. Everyone that was there was so helpful. It wasn't nearly as hectic as it had seemed whenever she had the other twins. She mentioned that if they had kids in the future, she was doing this from now on and recommended that Stacie do it too, causing her sister-in-law to blush at even the thought of all of this. She wanted to have her husband, maybe Cheri, Mercedes and medical professionals there. A full room while she was vulnerable and exposed seemed excessive and improper.
This was a whole gathering, and it was less than last time, when every Evans, both Puckermans, and the Robinsons were all there, coming in and out, crowding the place, and Kurt calling Stacie every few minutes to ask if they were there yet, as at the time, she had been working at Magic Mirror and gotten very close and cool with him.
But, on this day, not only was it just Cheri and Stevie's "nearest and dearest," but in her home, where she was most comfortable, and this time, instead of being pushed aside and seemingly forgotten, Cheri reached out for Stacie and said, "Hey, Sis… Come meet them…" Stacie rushed to see the wet, shivering babies that the midwife and doula were handling while Stevie helped Cheri out of the pool.
Cheri was babbling, "We said that we were gonna alternate with "St" names and "Sh" names. We did Stefan and then Sherwood and Sheva, and so these should be back to "St," but… I am hoping that I never have another baby. Motherhood is my jam, but pregnancy gets harder every time. Cowboy barely bothered me. The first twins did. These twins were fighting like Jacob and Esau. I ought to name them Jacob and Esau."
"One of these has a vagina," Stevie said (instead of 'is a girl,' to avoid her complaining that a vagina didn't mean it was a girl).
"That one can be Jacob," she said, as he dried her off with his lips pursed. He helped her to bed and Stacie and Jake came in helping by carrying the newest twins.
Jake said, "Here's Jacob," as he gave them Charmaine, and Stevie just glared at him. Stacie chuckled and handed Sterling to his mother, as well.
Stevie climbed into bed and cradled up with the three of them, "Sooo… Where are we gonna stash all of these babies at bedtime?"
Cheri laughed, "Excuse me? You mean where will you sleep now?"
He furrowed his eyebrows, "I was joking, but you seem serious."
"Well, the twins aren't ready to go to their cribs, yet and these twins surely won't be."
"How can you put four babies in a bed and think that they won't accidentally smother each other?"
"I guess that we'll have to sleep in shifts," she said. He looked at her like he could tell that she wasn't joking and he did not approve. "I'm joking," she said. "I will just make sure not to sleep if they're asleep."
"That's unhealthy and exhausting. They have cribs."
"For later, when they're ready!"
"But… How more ready do they need to be? We have new ones, now. They'll have to be ready, now," he said.
"Look, with just two titties, I gotta feed four babies, and still have time for my moody two year old, because he now has four smaller humans to divide his time with us with. I am not getting up fifteen times in one night for five small children who are sprinkled all around the house."
"I mean… I can pull the cribs in here and have them by the bed, so the trip isn't far. Cowboy sleeps in his nursery fine. Maybe it might even be better not to have him stuck with them so if they do wake up, he won't be disturbed?"
"That sounds fine, but they're really going to probably just be in our bed, though."
He nodded, "Okay." This will be a nightly fight, if it has to be…
After he moved the twins' cribs into their bedroom, he said, "Everybody's trying to figure out what to put on their posts. Mason just put 'Jacob and Esau,' because we live in a world where that could realistically be their names." Cheri cackled as Stevie pulled out his phone to look at their current list.
"We have Shelly, Sharae, Charlotte, Cheyanne and Cheryl for the girl if she came out first, which she did. And for the boy we have Stark, Stokely, Stanthony? What?"
"Yeah, yeah - because I was watching all of those Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie interviews and I ship them."
"Isn't their little name Stackie, though?"
"That didn't sound like a decent name for a child."
"But… Stanthony did?"
"I like it."
"Naw."
"You only read 3. We had 5, didn't we?"
"Well, we have 4, because Stanthony - I refuse to do that to any child of mine. The last one is Starchild, which I also refuse, I must say. Did you switch these out while I was sleep or something?" She laughed. "Stanthony," he scoffed.
"I like Stokely," she said. "Stokely and I don't know… I don't like any of the girl names anymore. She just doesn't look like any of those, right?"
Stevie came forward and got back into the bed, "She looks like she might be a Charlotte."
"I think she looks more like, I don't know… A Charmaine?"
"That's cute. Anything is cuter than Jacob, for her."
"Sooo… Charmaine and Stokely?"
"Do those go together well?" She asked. "Charmaine and Stokely. Stokely and Charmaine. Charmaine and Stanthony…" He made a face. "Charmaine and Sterling? Was that one? I like it. Charmaine and Sterling…"
"That wasn't one, but it works."
"The next one can be Stanthony."
"Shut up!"
They both laughed, but she abruptly stopped, "But seriously, if your juggernaut sperm finds it way to creating another one, I'm calling him, her or them Stanthony. Let that be your motivation."
"To what? Kill my sperm?"
"Clip it or something!"
He flinched, "No. I don't think I will be doing that. I'll sooner not give you any of this, than do that."
She howled, "You'se a goddamned lie!"
He cackled as well, admitting, "I am currently setting up my calendar to see when I can hit it again and planning sitters and shit for that night."