November 2010
"Don't touch Honey." Rory tells her nine month old daughter as her chubby hand reaches for the cord of Rory's computer.
Gracie flashes Rory a smile as her hand continues its quest.
"Mackenzie Grace mommy said no." Rory tells her and picks up one of her toys. "Here you have your toys." She says setting it down in front of her.
"No." Gracie says having recently mastered the word. She pushes the toy away and goes for the cord again.
"No touching." Rory says again moving Gracie's hand away.
This causes the nine month old to pout from her spot where she was holding onto the coffee table to stand.
"I know life's tough." Rory says smiling at Gracie's dramatics as she lays her head on the table. "Mommy just needs to finish this and we can go for a walk. How does that sound?"
Gracie nods her head smiling and holds her arms up for Rory to pick her up. Rory sits her on her lap and finishes what she was working on.
"All done. Let's go. We need to change your diaper and put your shoes on."
"Hey Joyce." Rory says when she makes her way over to the swings with Gracie.
Rory and Joyce have gotten together a few times since their initial meeting at the park.
"Hi Jackson." Rory waves to the little boy.
"Hi Rory. Hey Gracie."
Rory puts Gracie in the swing next to Jackson.
"Where's Maddie?"
"She's spending some daddy/daughter time with Bill."
"That's nice."
Rory and Joyce push their kids in the swings while they talk. Gracie starts to get restless after twenty minutes so Rory heads home so she could put her down for a nap.
"Sweet dreams my love. I'll be here when you wake up." Rory tells Gracie who was on Rory's lap drinking her bottle. Her eyes heavy with sleep. When Gracie finishes her bottle Rory takes it and places it on the table. She carries Gracie to her room and lays her in her crib. Rory turns on the monitor and leaves the room to do some work.
"Mama." Gracie is heard over the monitor almost two and a half hours later.
"Hi sleeping beauty. Did you have a good nap?" Rory says to Gracie when she walks into her room.
"Mama." Gracie says holding her arms up.
Rory takes Gracie from her crib. Gracie rests her head on Rory's shoulder her chubby hand taking hold of some of Rory's hair.
"Are you ready for lunch Sweetie?"
"No." Gracie says burying her face into Rory's neck.
"Okay we'll wait a little longer." Rory says rubbing Gracie's back.
Lately when Gracie wakes up she wants to spend some cuddle time with Rory before she's ready to do anything. Rory is about to take a seat when there's a knock at the door.
"I wonder who that is?" Rory makes her way to answer the door. "Hey Steph." Rory says when she opens the door.
"Sorry to just drop by unexpected." Steph tells Rory giving her a hug and dropping a kiss on Gracie's forehead. "Hi beautiful." She says to Gracie.
Gracie buries her face into Rory's chest.
"She just woke up." Rory explains. "Do you want a drink?"
"No."
"Is everything okay? You seem stressed."
"I'm late." She blurts out.
"As in late late?"
"Yes."
"How do you feel about it?"
"I'm nervous. I have no idea how to take care of a baby."
"Neither did I when Gracie showed up in my life. At least you have nine months to plan. And you have Logan and I to help not to mention your husband."
"That's true." Steph says starting to calm down.
By this time Gracie was now ready to start the rest of her day. She lifts her head from Rory's shoulder and smiles at Steph. When Steph holds her arms out to Gracie she crawls onto her lap and gives Steph a kiss.
"Thank you Sweetie."
"You're amazing with Gracie and you will be with yours too." Rory assures. "Have you taken a test yet?"
"It's in my purse."
"Why don't you go take it and we'll wait here to see if Gracie is going to have a cousin." Rory tells Steph and takes Gracie from her.
Steph begrudgingly stands and makes her way to the bathroom.
"How about some lunch while we wait for Auntie Steph to finish?" Gracie claps her hands excitedly.
Rory heats up some homemade frozen baby food that Luke sent them home with the last time they were in Stars Hollow.
"I have three minutes." Steph says.
"Relax it's not the end of the world. Plus if it's a girl think of all the cute clothes you can buy for her." Rory says.
"I didn't think of that. And if it's a little boy I can buy him matching father son outfits." Steph says getting excited.
"Mo mo." Gracie says wanting more food.
"Sorry baby." Rory feeds her another spoonful of food.
"It's time to check." Steph says after checking her watch.
"Gracie wants a cousin." Rory calls to Steps as she walks out the room.
Rory finishes feeding Gracie while she waits for Steph to come back. As she hands Gracie her bottle she see Steph coming back into the room.
"Well?"
"How does Auntie Rory sound?"
"Congratulations Steph." Rory stands to give her friend a hug.
"Thanks." Steph says. "I'm going to head home. I want to plan how to tell Colin."
"Call if you need help."
Rory walks Steph out. Later in the day Rory takes Gracie out to the store to pick up a few things. When they return Logan is home.
"Dada." Gracie says reaching for him when she sees him.
"Hi baby." He picks her up placing a kiss on her plump cheek. "Hi Ace." He gives her a kiss looking at her suspiciously.
"You're home early." She's says stating the obvious.
"I was thinking we could take a walk before dinner."
"We can do that. I just need to put these away." Rory says referring to the bags in her hand.
"Let's go." Rory comes out with Gracie's stroller after putting he groceries away.
Logan puts Gracie in her stroller and the family exit the penthouse. Once outside Logan pushes the stroller and holds Rory's hand with the other.
"What did you two do today?"
"We went to the park and met up with Jackson and Joyce. We came back here for a nap and when she woke up Steph stopped by."
"What'd she want?"
"Oh she just wanted to talk."
"Oh." He says giving her a look.
"Why do you keep looking at me like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like you think I'm up to something."
"You're paranoid." He says giving her a kiss.
"Dada." Gracie calls interrupting them.
He smiles down at her and stops to pick her up when she holds her arms up. They continue walking while Logan holds Gracie and Rory pushes the stroller. They make their way back home and have dinner. Later that night after Gracie had been put to bed Rory decides to talk to Logan.
"Logan?" She calls from her spot on the sofa.
"Yeah Ace?"
"Is something wrong?"
"I'm fine."
"I can tell something is bothering you. Talk to me." Rory pushes.
"Why don't you talk to me about what I found in the trash when I got home."
"What the hell are you talking about? You want me to talk to you about the garbage?" Rory asks confused.
"I want you to tell me about the positive pregnancy test I found in the garbage." He says frustrated. "This is a good thing why be so secretive?" He asks moving to sit closer to her.
"Babe its not mine."
"Then who's...Steph." He says sounding slightly disappointed.
"Yes. She was nervous and needed someone to talk to."
"That's understandable."
"Logan are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I mean when I got over the shock of finding the test I was excited." He admits.
"I'm sorry." Rory says taking his hand. "We'll have another baby but now's not the time. Gracie is still so little and needs so much of our attention."
"I know." He says. "It'll be better to wait until she is older."
"I love you and I can't wait to have your baby." She tells him and give him a kiss.
"I love you too Babe." He moves them to lay down on the sofa with Rory on top of him.
That Friday Rory was called into her office for meetings. Logan took the day off to stay with Gracie.
"Give her a kiss for me when she wakes up." Rory tells Logan. This would be the first time she left Gracie to go to work since she started working from home.
"I will Ace. I love you." He assures giving her a kiss. "You need to leave or else you'll be late."
"I love you too. See you this afternoon." Rory says as she reluctantly leaves the penthouse.
Logan busies himself with work in the home office until Gracie woke.
"Mama." He hears Gracie calling shortly after 8:30.
"Good morning baby." He says happily when her enters her room.
"Mama." Gracie says again looking around for Rory. She was used to her being the one to get her in the morning since Logan is normally at work.
"Mommy had to go to work today. You get to spend the day with daddy." He tells her picking her up from her crib.
Gracie rest her head on his shoulder. Logan quickly changes her diaper and takes her out front. He gets her morning bottle ready and sits holding her while she drinks it.
When Gracie finishes her bottle she pulls herself so that she is facing Logan.
"Dada." Gracie says with a smile leaning forward to give him a kiss. "Hi." She smiles.
"Hi princess."
Gracie slides from his lap and crawls over to where some of her toys are sitting.
Logan and Gracie had a nice relaxing morning. They had breakfast together. She took a mid-morning nap and when she woke up Logan gave her a snack and they went to the park. Logan pushed Gracie in the swing and he went down the slide with her.
Since Gracie is able to eat some solid foods now Logan takes her out for lunch. Gracie sat like a big girl in the highchair. Logan orders mashed sweet potatoes for Gracie.
"Hey Ace." Logan's answers his phone.
"Hey where are you?"
"We went out for lunch."
"That's nice. How's she doing?"
"She's fine. She's having sweet potatoes and is sitting very nicely in the highchair."
"Thats good. I'm home our last meeting was canceled."
"Come have lunch with us."
"You two enjoy your daddy/daughter time. I'm going to do some wedding stuff while you're out."
"Alright. We'll see you when we get back."
While Rory had the apartment to herself she worked on a few details for the wedding. She was back in the office when she heard Gracie calling for her.
"Mama." Gracie calls looking for Rory.
"Gracie." Rory says when she enters the living room.
"Mama" Gracie reaches her arms out for Rory.
"I missed you baby." Rory takes Gracie into her arms. Gracie gives her a big kiss and then lays her head on Rory's shoulder.
"She should be ready for her nap. We went to the park before lunch."
"You had a busy day Honey." Rory rubs her hand up and down Gracie's back.
"Baba eas." Gracie asks.
"I'll get it for you princess." Logan tells Gracie.
Logan comes back with Gracie's bottle. She makes herself comfortable on Rory's lap and drinks it. She is sleeping before she even finishes her milk.
"You wore her out daddy." Rory tells Logan running her hand through Gracie's fine brunette hair.
"We had fun. She loves going down the slide."
While Gracie slept Logan and Rory went over some things for the wedding. They decided on a fall wedding and having it at the Dragonfly. Since Finn was Colin's best man Colin would be Logan's.
"I think Gracie will be walking before she turns one." Rory tells Logan.
"So do I. Today she would let go of whatever she was holding onto and balance by herself." Logan says.
"Yeah she's been doing that for a while." Rory nods. "I would love for her to be walking steadily by the wedding."
"She might be."
Over the monitor they hear Gracie moving in her crib. She lets out a cry and they wait to see if she is waking up. She does a few moans before settling down.
"Gracie is the flower girl. Do you know who else you want in the wedding party?"
"Well Steph, Lane, Honor and Paris." Rory list.
"I have Colin, Josh, Finn and Seth."
"Sounds good."
"Mama." They hear Gracie calling over the monitor.
"I'll be back." Rory goes to Gracie's room. "Hey sleepy girl did you have a good nap?" Rory says lifting Gracie from her crib. Gracie rests her head in Rory's shoulder.
"Hi sleeping beauty." Logan says to Gracie when Rory comes back to the living room with her.
Gracie shots him a sleepy smile. As Gracie finishes her cuddling with Rory she slides from her lap and goes to play. Rory and Logan join her on the floor and Gracie crawls back and forth between them handing them various toys.
"How about we work on your walking?" Logan says picking Gracie up and placing her to stand facing Rory. "Go to mommy."
Rory holds her arms out to Gracie encouraging her. Gracie stands balancing herself before easing down to her hands and knees to crawl to Rory.
"Come on silly girl you can do it." Rory says standing Gracie to face Logan.
"Come here baby." Logan says reaching out for her. Gracie reaches out and takes his hand walking carefully over to him. When she makes it all the way he turns her to Rory and she does the same thing.
After doing this a few times Gracie is more confident and when Rory turns her to Logan she successfully takes her first two steps on her own before falling to her butt.
"Good job Honey." Logan says scooping Gracie up quickly.
Gracie does this a few more times before she is tired of it. Rory gets her a snack while Logan changes her diaper.
