I love you a bushel and a peck
A bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck
A hug around the neck and a barrel and a heap
A barrel and a heap and I'm talkin' in my sleep
I hope you all enjoy this chapter and will review. A review allows the author to know what you actually think of the chapter, what certain parts stood out, what you liked and didn't like, and tells the author how to continue to write the story you like. Thanks so much for reading guys. You've been waiting for this.
The weather outside was what some would describe as perfect. There was a nice breeze to go along with the 81 degree day; the sun was bright, but clouds were present leaving your eyes relaxed instead of in a constant squinting strain. The breeze welcomed patrons walking around with colorful sandals, skirts, and pretty blouses dressed up with summer scarves. It definitely didn't feel like summer, rather it felt like a beautiful April day. Definitely late spring, early autumn type of weather. Either way, the people across North Carolina were please with the weather.
Olivia was wide awake staring outside the window on that very beautiful morning. She immediately wanted the blinds in the room opened and only wished she could have the windows open to feel the warm breeze. It wasn't possible though as it was against policy. She craved the fresh air that was outside and couldn't wait to inhale it. She'd be able to tomorrow if all went well.
The door to her left opened and Olivia smiled as her morning nurse came in smiling in her direction.
"Good morning Mrs. Grant" came her normal greeting. Lauren looked after her the night before and Olivia was grateful for the familiar face. "How's our favorite baby-hog doing this morning? Did the little guy eat yet? I heard he gave you two a hard time last night"
Olivia smiled at her genuine concern. She really did enjoy having her back this morning. "I think he was really gassy and had a stomach ache. He ate pretty well, but refused to burp, so he fussed a lot for sure. As for this morning, he ate on both sides and we got two good burps on each side. He's doing a lot better than last night for sure"
"Well, at least we know someone's blood pressure isn't as high this morning" she cracked a smile at Olivia, poking fun of her husband.
Fitzgerald Grant, her amazing husband had been a near embarrassment at times during their two day stays in the hospital so far. His actions started off as endearing, but soon turned a bit much.
When their baby boy came into the world, Fitz was by Olivia's side as she squeezed his hand as hard as she could manage. He watched his boys' head crown, the maneuvering of his shoulders, and finally him fully come into their world; all eight pounds, eleven ounces of him. Fitz couldn't control the tears slipping down his face, and didn't want to. This was such a monumental day in his life- the day his baby son was born. He kissed Olivia hard on the mouth, then softly. His emotions were all over the place, and he could tell that Olivia's were as well. He'd cut the umbilical cord and they suctioned out his tiny mouth and nose before he watched them lay the baby against his wife, and began coaxing his son to latch onto her breast. Fitz waited patiently, softy touching his little boy's fresh fingers as the nurse coached Olivia and steadied his head.
"That's my boy" Fitz cheered seeing his son firmly latch on, making Olivia laugh. Tears rolled down her face at the new bond already forming between herself and their son. "He's so perfect Livvie, and so tiny" He was in awe.
It was another ten minutes before the nurse instructed Olivia on breaking his grip and burping her newborn for the first time. Another twenty minutes after that, their boy was taken to get his first bath in the corner of the room and finger printed while Olivia delivered the remains and was checked over. Once he was cleaned and an ID bracelet was secured around his ankle, they took the baby to the nursery for quick test while Olivia was moved into the Mother-Baby Unit on the other side of the wing.
After helping Olivia get situated in bed, Fitz stepped out to let his family in the waiting area know that their son was born and both him and Olivia were doing great. When he first spotted his family, Fitz felt an overwhelming urge to hug his father. He didn't know why, but he assumed it came from an understanding he had of loving a son to carry his last name. He hugged his mother next, then Abby before showing them a few pictures he had snapped on his phone of his new son and Olivia. There were only about two pictures he showed them since most of them were of Olivia nursing.
They didn't make a fuss when he excused himself, anxious to get back to Olivia's new room. They both were pretty adamant about not having any visitors in their room until later that day, but that was when they thought they'd give birth during normal business hours. However, their little man had other plans, and although they were able to stay in the waiting room, visiting hours were over so the anxious grandparents and aunt had to wait until morning to meet the newest Grant. Regardless of anything, Olivia wanted to recover, freshen herself up and also have some alone time with just her husband and baby before anyone else visited. They definitely wanted Madison to be the first one to meet her little brother, and were okay with letting her come in with either her grandparents or Abby tomorrow. Fitz's parents were so excited that he was healthy and that Olivia was doing well that they didn't mind waiting till morning at all. Olivia and Fitz had gotten to the hospital just after one a.m. so they had been surprised that they had made the trip out to wait for the birth. They wanted to be there for moral support no matter what and would wait as long as it took to get a peek at their first grandson.
Olivia was on the phone with Harrison when he returned, filling him in on their new addition. She'd also sent a text to Quinn letting her know that the baby had come and that someone would be picking Madison up in the morning and that they'd see her later in the evening.
Fitz carried a fresh vase of flowers over to the window sill as well as the hospital bag on his right shoulder and set them down before walking over to Olivia.
"You did so great baby" he leaned on the bed next to her, careful not to lean on her too much and kissed her forehead.
"Thank you, we both did great. I couldn't have done it without you."
"You were a beast, Livvie. You gave me such a beautiful son."
"He's so perfect. I wish they'd hurry up. I know that it was a part of the birth plan and their policy, but I really hate that you haven't been able to hold him yet. I want him to meet his daddy" she gripped his hand tightly and brought it to her lips before resting it against her cheek.
"I know. I'm getting anxious for him to get back now. They're taking forever with him, it's like torture. Hey, you want me to order you some food now that you can eat? You should probably eat something soon before your next feeding, which by the way, you rocked."
"That was a surprise. I know each baby is different but he must take after his father in that department. Madison didn't catch on so easily."
"Like I said, that's my boy." He said chuckling and smoothing her wavy hair back. "You both did such a great job, I'm so proud of you"
He really was. They'd read horror stories of nursing gone bad and all the possible outcomes that were negative, but their boy had taken right to it, and Olivia did great as well. Fitz felt so blessed already. It was just a second later when the nurse walked in pushing the clear bassinette alongside her. "Alright dad, you ready to hold your boy? He's wide awake for you!"
Fitz just nodded his head and allowed her to bring the baby to him. He stayed in his spot by Olivia wanting to be as close to her as possible when he met his son. He didn't have a verbal reason as to why, it just seemed to feel right. When the tightly wrapped infant was placed in his arms, Fitz was all smiles at his wide-eyed son looking around. He brought him closer to his face and kissed his soft cheek.
"Hey buddy, I'm your daddy" he smiled at Olivia who wore a smile as bright as his was, unshed tears coating her eyes. "His eyes are like a blue-ish grey, look Livvie. But they could change right? That's what the book said?"
"Yea, they could change, but maybe this one is gonna take after his handsome daddy in that department." she shifted away from the two of them. Olivia pulled her hair into an elastic band, getting the loose waves out of her face. "Here, lay him down for a second" She could tell he hesitated, but listened to her anyway.
Fitz smiled as Olivia eased the swaddling blanket from around his tiny body. He really was so little. He was a over a pound bigger than Madison, but Fitz still saw him as being the most lovable, tiniest human being. First gesturing for him to bring over the bag, Olivia began digging through it and grabbed the small onesie that lay on top along with some tiny socks.
"You wanna do the honors daddy? Think he could use a change too" Her nose crinkled in the cute way that it did as she looked to her husband with hopeful eyes. She really did want him to change their little guys' first diaper. She figured he'd been changed in the nursery by one of the nurses, but wanted Fitz to really do the honors with their son.
"Yea of course, as long as you walk me through this. Come here big guy"
Slowly, and gently, he slid one large hand under his head, keeping his neck supported and the other under his back and bottom before bringing him to his chest. He reveled in the tiny weight on his chest, and instantly fell in love with carrying his son. He'd been holding him for all of 3 seconds, yet everything seemed so perfect to him. Nothing could stop him from leaning down to inhale his sweet, baby scent and he pushed a gentle kiss to his head. When Olivia was done laying the blanket flat on the bed in front of her, he laid him back down and started to unsnap his clothes.
"Just in case he's got your sense of humor, you should put the fresh diaper under him, and then work on un-strapping that one. But be quick cause he could start going at any second" she snickered as she watched him taking care of their son. Yes, it was only a diaper change, one that wasn't even complete, but Olivia was infatuated just watching them together. "Make sure you fold the top down under his umbilical cord."
"Yea" he was concentrating and looked completely adorable to Olivia. "I'm assuming they'll be getting him soon so he can get snipped. Don't worry buddy, I promise you'll thank me in the future" She smacked his arm playfully before rubbing a finger up and down the baby's leg. "Alright Livvie, you gotta help me on this one" Fitz said when it was time to dress him. They both worked together and successfully changed his clothes. It was a simple dark green and white striped onsie that read "Handsome like Daddy" on the front with two basketballs underneath the words.
"Was Madison this light?" he asked staring at his son's beautiful skin. He was much lighter than he expected him to be. He remembered looking at the picture of Madison after she was born and she hadn't looked that light-skinned, but maybe it was just the pictures.
"Light, but maybe not as light. I could tell what her complexion would be by looking at her ears."
"Really? Her ears?"
"Yea, it's …. I don't know where it came from but to know how dark a baby will get, you look at the tips of their ears."
"Well…" Fitz started before light fingering the sleeping baby's tiny ears. "They look the same color as the rest of his body to me" he started, chuckling, "But maybe he will be taking after his sister." The smile on his face was contagious and Olivia smiled just as brightly back at him. Fitz leaned forward and kissed her mouth quickly before turning his attention back to their son.
"He's so soft Livvie. I know his skin is really sensitive, I mean the book went on and on about it, but it's okay to kiss his face right? Did you do that with Mads?" It might have sounded stupid to some that he'd check before kissing his own son, but he wouldn't take any chances. This bundle of his was special indeed and would only be handled with the best care. Maybe he should wash his face first?
"Yes, his skin is sensitive, but he's all ours babe. If you don't smother his little face and lips with kisses, I know I will" Tears filled Olivia's eyes instantly, watching him do exactly what she'd said. His little fist came up towards his face and his eyes squinted at the sudden kisses. Olivia leaned over as far as she could to join in and give her little guy some smooches of her own.
"Alright," she let out a small groan sitting back up. She was tired. "I know it's late but I wonder if they'll bring in the paperwork tonight. I really want to fill out his birth certificate. I want to be able to officially have him named." Fitz nodded his head, agreeing before sitting on the bed and cradling the baby in front of them so they could both see him. Olivia smiled, and removed the tiny cap from his head and ran her hand gently over his dark head of hair. There weren't present curls yet, but his head was coated with dark waves matching his sister's hair at birth.
"Fitzgerald Elijah Grant" His chest grew with pride knowing he had a son to carry on his last name. A son with his Livvie, no less. Out of the blue, Fitz leaned over grabbed her chin and puller her close for an open mouth kiss. He knew they wouldn't be able to do anything really intimate for weeks, but he wouldn't be able to stop kissing her if he tried.
Olivia wasn't too surprised with the way her husband was kissing her. She knew he understood the kind of attention she wanted from him. She'd been giving him what he called "hungry eyes" the second she saw him hold their son. It was the sexiest thing she had ever seen and it was completely new to her. Olivia thought seeing Fitz with Madison made her heart race but this was different. She couldn't have imagined how seeing her man with their son could be such a turn on. Pecking his lips one more time, Olivia pulled away and reached for Elijah, pulling him up on her shoulder. His little breaths tickling her neck made her smile and kiss at his perfect lips. "I love both my guys"
From the moment they took Elijah back to be circumcised the next morning, Fitz had driven the staff crazy. He questioned the doctor about how long it would take, the pain that his boy would feel, if they could hold off another day, if he'd be brought back to them right away, would someone hold him and comfort him when he cried, and tons more. He'd seen how they were done and knew the babies usually weren't extremely catered to since they'd "forget the pain quickly" but he wanted more for his son. Fitz also wanted to go down and take pictures of his son, constantly asking the nurses to let him in the nursery "just one last time". Olivia didn't know of his constant bothering until Lauren informed her of the crush her fellow co-workers no longer had on Fitz Grant.
She'd referred to her husband as a "handful" and with the way he had acted the past few hours, Olivia could only agree.
"Lauren, if it isn't too much to ask, could you bring him in? He ate at about five-thirty, and I was exhausted so I let him go to the nursery. I'd love to have him back, especially before grumpy wakes up"
Winking at her patient, she quietly left the room, and made it back within five minutes pushing a sleeping Elijah into the room. "I'll change his diaper and dressing before I leave you to it"
When Nurse Lauren started to un-swaddle the baby, he began letting out tiny whimpers, his face creating the saddest pout Olivia had ever witnessed.
"Is it bad that, that might be my most favorite face he's made?" Olivia leaned over and cuddled next to his ear whispering comforting words, hoping to calm him.
"Nope, baby pouts are by far the best for moms, it's those guys who can't take them" she gestured to Fitz, who somehow didn't seem to be in such a deep sleep anymore.
Olivia frowned at the blood she saw on the gauze being removed from her boys diaper but listened as Lauren told her it wasn't much at all and not to worry. Olivia personally hated everything about the process her boy had to go through, but knew it had to be done. Even if she had doubts, her husband had thrown out a "non-negotiable" on her and she knew it would happen. The problem was that she knew exactly what it entailed just like Fitz, so he couldn't sugar coat anything. Olivia shook the thoughts from her head when the shrill cry pierced her ears, causing her husband to jerk awake muttering, "Lijah...buddy it's ok" he sat up rubbing his eyes, still muttering their sons name while waking himself up.
When Fitz looked up at the nurse in the room, he decided to freshen up first before acknowledging her. Stretching his limbs, he gave his wife shoulder a quick squeeze before going for the bathroom. While doing his business he could hear his son cries and it broke his heart. He returned minutes later looking more alert and went to wash his hands and brush his teeth before turning his attention to his family. Fitz first noticed that their nurse was gone and smiled when he saw his wife sitting up in bed with their son cradled on a boppy and feeding from her breast.
"Morning baby" he went to Olivia's side, kissing her awaiting lips that were turned upward towards him. He noticed that ever since she had given birth, his hands no longer went to his wife's middle when he kissed her, but automatically made their way to his son's soft head if he was near her- which he usually was. Once they broke apart, he leaned down to give his son just as much affection, kissing his cheek and head. "Morning handsome. You're doing so good eating buddy. Were the ladies nice to you this morning?" he talked softly by his ear, smirking at his wife when she bit nervously on her bottom lip. He'd definitely known his wife sent their boy to the nursery after feeding him earlier. He'd awakened several times the night before like clockwork just to check and be sure his son was still breathing, so when the same thing happened this morning, he quietly snuck out to see his son asleep with about eight other babies in the nursery. Of course he'd coerced a nurse into letting him give his son "early morning kisses" and she obliged as soon as the smirk was thrown her way.
He knew what worked with these nurses here, and would use it to his advantage as long as he could.
"I had to get some sleep babe." Olivia gave an excuse that she knew her husband didn't need. He wanted her to get as much rest as possible before going home, and would support any decision she made with their baby.
"I'm just messing with you baby, I think it's smart to use them while we can" he sifted through his overnight bag, pulling out a gray Nike shirt before throwing on a new pair of basketball shorts, declaring himself changed and ready for the day.
Olivia sat contently feeding her son while Fitz checked his phone, answering texts and emails.
"Mom said they just got up. They're gonna get some breakfast, and will be on the way to pick up Madison from Quinn. They should be here in an hour or so.
Olivia smiled and nodded before she surprisingly felt tears fill her eyes.
"Hey, what's wrong? Is he hurting you? Are you cramping?"
She shook her head and used the hand that wasn't cradling Elijah's head and swiped at the few tears that had escaped her eyes.
"I just want her to be okay with him. She's still so wishy-washy and whining about a sister. It'll break my heart if she's upset about actually seeing a brother."
"Livvie, don't worry about that. Madison is going to love him and even if she doesn't take to him right away, she's going to love him once he's home with us. This isn't something I want you to focus on, okay?"
Olivia nodded and tried to think positively. She was excited that Madison would soon meet her brother and The Grants their grandson.
"Livvie, Cyrus wants to know if he can come and visit before dinner?"
"That should be fine, but can we wait on the time? I don't know how long your parents are gonna be up here with Mads, and Abby and Quinn are definitely coming as well."
"True. I'll tell him we'll play it by ear. Might be better to wait to we're home."
Fitz waited patiently watching as Olivia placed the baby onto her lap, leaning him against her hand to burp him. His girl was a damn pro. He smiled at her when she caught him staring and immediately blushed.
In Fitz's mind, Olivia was even sexier as a mother and he shook his head for a second, not wanting to get into what seeing her breastfeed their son did to him.
"What do you want for breakfast, baby? Did you see what they have on the menu? Or I can get mom to bring you something up?"
"I didn't look at their breakfast menu. I need to eat something that won't upset his stomach after he's nursed. The lactation specialist said to be careful of a lot of different foods- spicy, lots of sauces, and even dairy." she'd gotten a small burp and lifted the infant to her face, kissing him softly "I don't want him to have a stomach ache."
Fitz turned his attention from Olivia and picked up their room phone and placed their breakfast order. He ordered what he wanted- the southwest omelet with homemade potatoes and juice- and for Olivia he read off what her finger pointed to on the menu- toast, two boiled eggs and turkey bacon. The woman on the other end let him know it would be to them within the half hour and Fitz thanked them before hanging up. He turned back to Olivia and told her to look up before he snapped a few pictures.
"Honey can you hand me the bag the nurse brought in, then take him and burp him. I need to go to the bathroom and try to freshen up just a little."
"Yea." Fitz's voice was a little unsure but he would do it regardless. He grabbed the bag and peeked inside wondering what she could want and was confused at the netted… something inside.
"What is this, Livvie?"
"Oh, this is the other side of having a baby they don't mention. The part where mesh panties are the sexiest things you'll see me in for a couple of days." She winked at him while carefully handing Elijah over. Olivia stilled for a moment and watched Fitz lift the baby to his shoulder before glancing back at her with a look of uncertainty.
"I need a few more lessons on holding him the other way on my lap like you did. Will he still burp fine on my shoulder?"
"Yea, he will. Give him a few good rubs too. Kind of circular but also like you're pushing the burp up. He should burp right away though. He seems to take after you in that way."
Fitz chuckled lightly and watched her slowly walk into the bathroom where she stayed nearly fifteen minutes. He wasn't sure if she was up for taking a quick shower, but when he heard the water start he figured that was a good sign and worked on getting his son to burp. When she was finished, she poked her head out and asked him to pass her duffel bag to her. He went to the door and passed her a few things before taking the bag back and sitting it in the corner of the room. She was out and dressed- looking completely refreshed and rejuvenated when their breakfast arrived. Knowing he couldn't do both, Fitz, with the help of Olivia, made sure Elijah was swaddled just right before lying him in the cot next to them. They enjoyed their breakfast together and watched tv, the both of them sending out texts at random letting people know that Elijah had arrived. They only shared his pictured with a few people and actually denied most requests of coming to visit the following day. It was only Sunday morning so they wouldn't be leaving until either late Monday or early Tuesday morning. They were both hoping to be released Monday but they knew it wasn't really up to them.
The second Fitz's phone went off, he knew exactly who it was and the smile on his face said it all.
Their girl was here.
He placed their used dishes back on the tray and moved it to the sink area near the door. Olivia reminded Fitz to grab the boppy pillow so it was close by for when Madison would hold the baby, and she smiled when their eyes connected at the soft knock on the door.
Fitz went to open the door and saw his mother with his father behind her holding Madison. He pulled Catherine in for a hug before letting her walk into the room. She was holding blue helium balloons along with a take-out bag from Panera Bread. Sitting the things down, she moved to the sink where she washed her hands immediately, then walked towards a smiling Olivia. Fitz gave his father a hug as well before taking Madison out of his arms and hugging her tightly.
"Hi Daddy!"
"Hi baby. How are you? Did you have fun at Ms. Quinn's house?"
Fitz was sure to talk to her for a second before rushing her into the room where Olivia and Elijah were visible. His parents had walked in and he could hear them softly talking.
Madison nodded her head at her father's questions, and leaned to the left, almost out of his arms, clearly stating she knew what she was here for. She wanted to see her mother and the baby.
"I wanna see Mommy."
"Alright, but you need to be very careful, okay? The baby is out of mommy's tummy, so it's a little sore and hurts, so be gentle, okay?"
She nodded, refusing to look in his direction and her face lit up when she saw Olivia sitting up and smiling brightly, her attention all on Madison. Fitz watched as his parents backed away from Olivia after kissing her cheek and allowed him space to come over with Madison. She hadn't noticed the small clear bassinette that held her brother in it because her focus was completely on her mother.
"Hi sweet girl, come here." Fitz sat her next to Olivia on the bed and watched as Madison leaned up on her knees to kiss her mother's lips before she laid her head on her chest.
"Your tummy is little now, mommy."
Olivia laughed as Madison spoke while softly poking at the small pouch that was still there.
"Yep, it shrank down since your brother came out of my tummy." Olivia treaded carefully, not wanting to rush her into anything, and waited for her to ask to see him.
"Where is he at?"
Fitz walked over and sat on the side of the bed before moving the bassinette closer and poking Madison in the stomach.
"Look Mads."
Turning from her mother, Madison moved onto Fitz's lap and got on her knees to peer over get a good look at the sleeping baby. Olivia and Fitz both were holding their breath as she took him in silently and they wondered what could have been going on in her mind. She reached down and touched his little nose before bringing her hand back just as quickly when she noticed his tiny mouth twitch. She moved herself back and with Fitz's help, climbed off his lap before running over to Jerry and forcing herself into his lap. She didn't speak a word and simply reached for the balloons and started pulling at them as if nothing new had transpired.
Fitz looked at Olivia and noticed the tears filling her eyes before she closed her eyes willing them not to fall. When her eyes opened, she sent Fitz a half smile before turning her attention towards her in-laws who looked on with empathy.
"Grammy, do you wanna hold your first grandson?" Olivia asked, wanting to change the mood of the room.
She nodded eagerly before Fitz stood up and lifted Elijah into his arms, giving him a few kisses the moment he had him near his face. Grabbing a receiving blanket, he walked around the bed towards his parents and waited for his mother to take the blanket and laid it across her chest before handing the baby over to her awaiting arms.
"Oh this little mister is just beautiful guys. You did good son." she spoke to Fitz and looked up at him to see his eyes filling with tears as he nodded his head. He was still a mess and wondered when this feeling of pride and joy would wear off or if it ever would. Surely he wouldn't be brought to tears every time someone mentioned his boy.
"Hey now, go wash your hands, then you can touch him!" Catherine admonished her husband and Olivia was grateful for it. She knew her mother in law was very cautious over things like that just as she was and appreciated the care she knew her little boy would receive from his grandmother.
When Jerry sat back down, eager to hold his grandson, Madison took that as her opportunity to be back in her mother's arms. While Fitz used his mother's phone to take pictures of them with Elijah, Madison climbed in the bed and cuddled closely to Olivia's side. Olivia smiled and leaned down to kiss her little girl's head and stroked her curls away from her face for a few moments.
"I missed you Toots."
"I missed you too, Mommy"
"Did you see your brother? What do you think about him?"
She shrugged her shoulders and Olivia looked up at Fitz willing him to look her way and seconds later- as if he had felt her silently calling him- he did and moved to sit next to them. Not wanting to force her to talk about it- fearing that it could make things worse- Fitz leaned forward and grabbed a hold of her hand to get her attention.
"When you got to Ms. Quinn's house, were you awake or were you asleep?"
"I woke up."
"Were you okay?"
She nodded her head, but the way she burrowed further into Olivia's side, they knew she wasn't okay. Usually Madison only went to stay the night at her grandparents or Abby's on short notice and she would be fine because she was so used to staying over. Even so, they didn't let it happen too often and always liked to make sure she was prepared to sleep someplace other than her own house. Taking her to Quinn's house while she was practically asleep wasn't the best solution but it was all they could do in the little time they had. Olivia's contractions had picked up so fast, and Fitz made the executive decision to not wait for someone to come to the house, but to drop her off and keep moving to the hospital. His decision was a good one because in just forty-five short minutes, Elijah made his appearance.
"Can you come home today with me?"
"No baby, me and Elijah have to stay here just a couple more days so the doctors can make sure we don't get sick at all, then daddy will bring us home."
Before Madison could respond, there was a knock on the door and their nurse walked in carrying a few things with her.
"Is that a shot? Do I have to get a shot?"
Madison's eyes were big thinking the needle she immediately spotted was for her.
"Hi little lady! Now this isn't for you, this is for your baby brother! Olivia she is gorgeous!"
Olivia had shown her a picture of the little girl earlier but the picture did no justice.
"Is this grandma and grandpa?"
"Yes it is." Catherine spoke for the both of them, handing the baby to the nurse when she moved closer to them.
"Alright, I just need to Mr. Grant here a little shot. It's gonna be in his thigh. Olivia, do you want to try and nurse him for a minute first before I do it, or hold him or I can lay him down and do it? It's up to you."
Thinking for a split second, Olivia looked at Fitz not wanting to say out loud that she preferred to nurse him, but not while his parents were in the room. Catherine would be fine in due time but for now it was still so new and until she could get her covert groove back, she preferred privacy. It wasn't the biggest deal and Fitz understood, but she knew he'd bring it up later when Abby eventually came up and Olivia wouldn't have a problem.
"Liv, we're gonna give you a second to get yourself situated and be back. You guys want anything from the cafeteria? Madison, you gonna come get a snack with us?"
Her frown said it all, and Catherine put her hands up in surrender and moved towards the door with Jerry behind her promising to return shortly. Olivia sat up a little more in bed, and lifted her arms as Fitz brought the boppy over and sat it on her lap. Once she was comfortable, the nurse laid Elijah down in Olivia's arms and she readjusted her tank top and bra before offering him her breast. It took a few seconds of him licking out his tongue, tasting the milk drops on his lips, before he was able to open up for a good latch and began nursing. Madison watched on from Fitz's arms and stared at the lady when she moved towards her tray of things. She washed her hands and went to check Olivia's blood pressure, before finally instructing her on breaking his latch.
"I've done it before with babies nursing but I've had some choke so I prefer not to do it that way unless the parents insist." She went on and explained which shot she was giving him before injecting the needle and securing it with a band-aid just as fast.
Madison smiled, internally happy that everything had gone well, until she heard cat- like cries come from her mother's arms. Leaning further out of Fitz's arms, she watched at Olivia tried to get him latched back on, but his screams increased and his little voice shook as tears rolled down his face.
"Daddy, she hurt him!" She moved until Fitz sat her down on the bed, and they watched her move closer to Elijah and reach for his head while shushing him.
"Be gentle baby" Olivia whispered, almost not wanting to interrupt this moment.
" 'Lijah, it's okay baby. Don't cry, shhhhh, shhhhhh" she patted his head, and stroked his face repeatedly, chanting until he began to quiet down. "It's okay, don't cry Lijah."
"Rub his back baby." Fitz sat next to her on the bed and encouraged her quietly to keep comforting hher baby brother.
Madison moved her hand to his back while Olivia cradled him more. She started off rubbing just up and down until Fitz's larger hand guided hers to move in soothing circles over his back. She continued the motion for another minute before Olivia had him latched onto her breast again and he was nursing quietly with his eyes closed. Seeing that he was perfectly fine now, Madison sat up and looked at Olivia, her bottom lip trembling as her eyes watered.
"Baby, what is it? It's okay, don't cry"
"I .. I don't want .. Lijah to get more shots, mommy"
"Oh baby I know you don't. Mommy doesn't like it either, but you know how shots make you not get sick and stay healthy? Well that's what they do for brother too. I know he didn't like them, but he's okay now."
"You know why he's okay?" Fitz chimed in. "Because you helped calm him down Mads. You're such a great big sister."
Olivia and Fitz smiled as Madison kept patting his back and her shushing stopped and both parents felt everything shift when their little girl looked up at Olivia, "Mommy, sing him the bedtime song."
Swallowing the emotional lump in her throat, Olivia's eyes found Fitz's. They had a morning song and a bedtime song and it was special for them. Madison asking Olivia to sing Elijah, to actually share the song was a big step.
"Why do birds suddenly appear, every time you are near? Just like me, they long to be, close to you. Why do stars fall down from the sky, every time you walk by? Just like me, they long to be, close to you."
Elijah had quieted down and his eyes drifted closed as the four of them say together for the first time as a family.
"He's sleeping mommy."
It's like she knew to whisper. Madison moved from her kneeling position and moved to sit on Olivia's lap.
"Here baby, sit right next to me, okay?"
Fitz eased Elijah out of Olivia's arms as she moved her legs together a little more and sat Madison right under her arm so she was snug. It wasn't until Fitz moved to lay him back into Liv's arms that Madison spoke up.
"Can I hold him?"
"Of course you can. Now he's really little so you've got to be very gentle and sit still, okay? I'm gonna help you hold him okay?"
Madison nodded and let her mom position her arms the correct way before she laid a blanket across her little body. Olivia brought her right arm around Madison's waist as Fitz laid the sleeping infant in her arms with Olivia providing the full support of his head and neck.
She sat there staring at her little brother and running her little fingers all over him.
"He's really little mommy"
"He is. He's so little. You were little like this too."
"I'm the biggest now."
"You are. You are the big sister."
"Am I a good big sister?"
"You are the bestest big sister ever. He's so lucky you're his sister."
"I love him mommy."
When her voice cracked, both Olivia and Fitz looked at her closely and saw her lip lightly tremble.
"Baby, what's wrong?"
"I don't wanna go home with Grammy and Grandpa. I wanna stay with Lijah and you."
"Mads you can stay up here with me and daddy and then he will take you back to Grammy's house okay?"
She nodded her head and leaned down to kiss Elijah not noticing the unsure look from Fitz.
"I don't wanna leave you guys by yourself"
His voice was a whisper but Olivia heard him.
"Is that okay? I figured once Abby comes she'll stay for a while and Quinn will be here too so I wouldn't be alone and you could spend some time with her."
Understanding where she was coming from, Fitz agreed and knew it would work out perfectly. Seeing his girls and son sitting so contently, Fitz grabbed his phone and snapped a few pictures- some of them candid, others telling them both to look his way.
When his parents came back in a few minutes later they were happy and relieved to see Madison holding Elijah and were glad things had settled by the time they'd gotten back. To say Madison was displeased with sharing her brother with her grandfather was an understatement. She pouted at the first mention of "sharing with grandpa" and the whole fifteen minutes Jerry held the newest Grant, Madison stood by his side, eyeing her brother. She was being protective of him, and it was adorable. It didn't take long for her to be positioned between her grandparents and with their assistance on both sides, her baby brother was back in her lap asleep. As far as she was concerned, after mommy, and daddy, she was in charge.
It was almost a full hour later that The Grants left and just after that, Abby showed up with Quinn.
"Hey, come on in." Fitz greeted opening the door wider so they could come in. "Liv's feeding him right now."
"Oh, should we wait outside?" Quinn started, but was interrupted by Olivia stopping her.
"You're fine Quinn. We're covered."
"Are you sure? I'm fine with it."
Abby hadn't paused at all and continued on into the room.
"Yep, have a seat. Thank you SO much for keeping her last night. It would've taken us so long to either way for someone to come over, or to drop her someplace else and get here on time."
"No problem at all, I told you I was ready when you needed me. How soon did he come after you got here?"
Olivia looked to Fitz, silently asking for his input.
"Hmm, he was here within forty-five minutes of us getting checked in."
"Wow, did you have an epidural or was it too late?"
"Well most hospitals make you decide before you reach five centimeters, then you can't get it but you can here up till nine centimeters. So I knew it was an option but honestly by the time we got checked in, there wasn't time. I think it was as I was about to fill out the paperwork and sign that the contractions really started hitting me and within like fifteen minutes he was here."
"That's crazy! What was that like, a natural birth?"
Olivia laughed watching Fitz grimace and stretch his fingers where there was noticeable bruising on his hand from her squeezing it through the contractions.
"It wasn't what I had planned to do and completely unexpected. It hurt like hell but he came so fast, it honestly was ok. I'm just glad to say I did it and survived."
"Wow. That's just incredible, Liv. I can't believe he's actually here."
Olivia smiled and nodded before glancing at Abby who was sitting at the small table in the room with Madison in her lap. They had all but forced her off the bed and set her up with some coloring sheets and crayon paints the nurse was kind enough to bring in. She wasn't thrilled with the idea of not sitting with her brother, but she was excited to make a picture that was promised to be hung in his bedroom. Abby hadn't spoken a word to Olivia but there weren't any words needed. Olivia knew exactly what Abby was thinking because she felt the same way.
It was the day after Madison was born that they sat together, just the two of them in the hospital room planning out the future of the little dark headed baby that lay on the bed asleep. Olivia had mentioning never experiencing giving birth again because she'd never have anyone that was worth possibly breaking her daughters heart and that she'd rather be alone to have that happen. Neither of them could ever picture Olivia married to an amazing man that loved and adored her little girl so much, with a brand new baby. It was overwhelming to the both of them, and Olivia knew that Abby couldn't wait to get her hands on him. They'd have their time later once everyone was gone. She was being good for now.
"Alright" Olivia started when Elijah had his fill and was no longer nursing. She kept him on the boppy while she fixed her tank top, and then brought him to her shoulder to burp him. "He definitely needs to burp, so if either of you wants to do that, you can hold him."
Olivia didn't need to ask twice, and Quinn was up washing her hands and taking the blanket that Fitz handed her before she carefully grabbed the baby boy out of Liv's arms and cradled him on her shoulder. His little body was scrunched up and Quinn smiled at his bum sticking out. She moved to patting his back softly before Olivia encouraged her to do it a little harder and second later he burped. He made little mewing noises before squirming around and settling in to the crook of her arm as she switched to cradle him.
"He is so gorgeous guys! What time did he come?"
"Two-nineteen this morning"
Fitz said proudly. He glanced at Abby and Madison who were engrossed in the coloring pages and he sent a look to Olivia wondering why Abby hadn't so much as peeked at Elijah or Olivia. Understanding, Olivia shook her head at him, letting him know that there wasn't anything to worry about and that she would explain later.
They talked about everything while Quinn cradled him. Olivia asked about her plans for the summer now that school was officially out. Quinn worked during the summer, but usually took the last two weeks of May off for vacation time she usually saved up. She'd be back at Apple Creek for the June session but was ready to enjoy her break.
"My whole immediate family is going to Cabo for the week."
"Wow, that's amazing! You're gonna have so much fun!"
"I know I can't wait! We leave on Tuesday! I swear I've been hitting the gym daily since last week so I won't feel like a glutton while I'm there" she said laughing lightly as to not wake the baby up.
"I feel you, I can't wait to see if I bounce back after this guy. I was pretty much back to my pre-pregnancy weight within three weeks once I had her."
"Yea, being a single parent does that to you. " Abby spoke up before turning to look at Olivia who stuck her tongue out at the redhead. "Fitz, is not gonna let you overdue anything. It won't be like last time, Liv. You might actually keep some weight on you, which wouldn't be a bad thing."
"Ugh, you would say that. Just wait till you get knocked up, I hope you crave cheeseburgers, pizza, cake- anything that's bad for you."
"Yea, yea you would. So I've been really good so far Quinn, but you've got maybe ten minutes tops with him before I stake my claim."
Olivia shook her head at the two of them and laughed softly. They weren't attached at the hip, but had become such great friends in the past year and enjoyed each other's company.
"Speaking of Cheeseburgers, babe….." Olivia said turning to look at Fitz. He was sitting on the cushioned chair with his head resting on the back of it, clearly tired.
"Yea?" his head tilted in her direction and he eyed her carefully.
"I kinda want one."
"Really? A cheeseburger?"
"Yep. I guess it really was him wanting hot dogs the past seven months. My little handsome weirdo."
"Where do you want one from? Are you gonna eat the lunch mom brought, or should I eat it?"
"Madison's lunch is in there, but she brought up some Broccoli-Cheddar soup for me and I'll eat that later unless you want it. I just need a cheeseburger in my life."
Fitz laughed at her dramatics and stood up and stretched before slipping his flip flops on and grabbing his wallet.
"Red Robin or Five Guys?"
"Hmmm, surprise me! But either place, bring me fries too, please."
"I want fries!" Madison spoke up.
"Then Red Robin it is." Fitz said to himself out loud, knowing Five Guys used peanut oil for their food. That was a place they still hadn't tried with Madison since they had peanuts in the restaurant at all times for people to munch on.
"Toots, why don't you ride with Daddy and get some special time with him, okay?"
She looked up from her drawing and thought about it for a second and glanced at her daddy.
Fitz looked over at Madison and started wiggling his eyebrows up and down, knowing she'd cave. That was their special sign meaning wherever they went, they'd get ice cream before coming back. Fitz was good about cleaning her up, so Madison didn't think her mom knew, but Fitz knew she had caught on to their secret. They could pry the little girl away from anything if ice cream was promised.
"Yes I wanna go!"
She scrambled off of Abby's lap and moved to give Elijah a soft kiss on his cheek before clambering on the bed to give Olivia an affectionate kiss on the mouth. She waved at Abby and Quinn before running into her Daddy's waiting arms and leaving out with him.
"Now that she has a brother I get a lousy wave goodbye?" Abby said, feeling offended at the nonchalant goodbye from her goddaughter.
"Don't read too much in it, she knows they're going to get ice cream so she's got that on a brain."
"Yea, yea, I know their little code but still."
Quinn shifted in her seat and grabbed her phone to see what time it was.
"Alright Liv, as much as I never want to put him down, I need to get going. I've got a lot to do before we leave so I need to stop stalling. He is beautiful and I'm so happy for you guys!"
She stood from the bed and handed him to Liv since Abby was at the sink washing her hands. She leaned down and hugged Olivia before giving Elijah a small kiss on the top of his head and told Abby she'd talk to her later before she left out.
When Abby moved away from the sink, she grabbed her large purse and pulled out a white t-shirt before stripping the shirt she had on, off and replacing it with the new one. Olivia laughed and moved over in the bed, waiting for Abby to join her.
"Laugh all you want, but you know I know the drill. I don't want a blanket over me, I want to feel his chubby body so I have a fresh shirt, straight from the dryer I'll have you know, so give me my godson, woman."
Olivia laughed and passed him over after kissing his face several times first.
Abby held Elijah against her chest and brought her lips to his downy hair as her eyes filled with tears. She leaned her head back on the pillow behind her before turning to look at Olivia whose face mirrored her own.
"He's gorgeous Liv. I love him so much."
She let out a laughing cry and nodded her head in agreement.
"He has that affect on people, I've noticed. I can't get enough of him."
They sat their silently for a few minutes together, Olivia's hand wrapped tightly around Abby's as they both thought about the last time they sat in a hospital room with a newborn. This time would be different. Abby wouldn't be there every day at lunch and dinner making sure Olivia got some rest and fed herself. There wouldn't be any sleepovers that were purely for Olivia to sleep through the night while Abby tended to the baby. There would be no more tearful nights hating the way her life had turned out and thoughts of regret filling Olivia's mind.
No, this time was only filled with joy and hope.
"Did Fitz cry?"
"Oh goodness did he ever! He was a mess and so was I."
"I can imagine, hell look at me. How was Shorty when she met him?"
"She ignored him at first. Just looked at him and went on about her business, making me cry."
"That little brat."
"Such a brat right?" Olivia agreed, lightly laughing. "So the nurse came in to give him a shot and I nursed him a little before to calm him and he screamed and cried and Madison flew off the deep end. She was mad at the nurse but then just focused on him and calming him down. She rubbed his back and told me to sing to him. It was amazing watching this need to protect him just bubble out of her. Because she seemed to want nothing to do with him, then immediately became his protector."
"That's my girl. She gets it from her mama."
"She would barely let Jerry hold him. It was hilarious to see her eyeing him and watching him cave and letting her hold him again. She already made certain she stayed here instead of leaving with them. Fitz is gonna drop her off sometime before you leave. He's adamant about not leaving us up here alone for some reason."
"Oh let him dote, he's a new daddy. It's cute."
"It really is. He's so sweet with him and wants to hold him all of the time but he's being very generous with visitors. He was giving the nurses a hard time all last night though. He's become famous here already."
"Sounds about right. That husband of yours is something else, Liv."
"He really is." She leaned her head on Abby's shoulder and rubbed a finger over Elijah's tiny leg. "I'd be so lost without him."
It was a few hours after Fitz had dropped a fussy Madison off at his parent's house with promises to see her tomorrow, and Abby had gone home as well that Fitz cleaned up their dinner plates and sat them on the sink counter. Once Abby left they hadn't had any more visitors and they were happy about that. They assured her she didn't have to leave so soon, but she let them know she had some things to do after checking on Scooter for the second time that day .They were both tired and wanting to rest as much as possible. Olivia enjoyed her burger and fries early and barely touched her soup for dinner before their boy was demanding to be fed. She started on one side, checking her messages while Fitz sat in the chair by her bed watching. She knew he was enamored with her nursing and wondered if there was a bit of jealousy in there as well.
"You know if you stare any harder, I'm gonna think I need to feed you" she said smirking in his direction as she began burping Elijah.
"Is that a promise Mrs. Grant?" he asked smiling at her.
"Nope." She said laughing at his brazenness.
"Don't be such a tease, Livvie."
"You really can't be serious about tasting my breast milk."
"I heard from several people that each woman is different in the way they taste, and we already know how much I love the taste of.."
"Stop it Fitzgerald. No bedtime talk in front of the munchkin."
"If we didn't have bedroom talk, he wouldn't be here."
"Yea, yea."
Olivia proceeded to nurse on the other side. "He's doing it again babe" she complained to Fitz.
Fitz held up one finger, signaling Olivia to give him one more second, finished sending his text, then moved to sit with her on the bed. He didn't need to ask what she was referring to once he took a look at his now sleeping son. They had their work cut out for them. Every feeding, he would eat on one side, and while being burped, he would conk out before eating on the other side. It wasn't a huge deal, but he was clearly not full and that only seemed to break him off the miniscule feeding schedule they were trying to set for him. They knew the first few days would be strictly on demand feeding and that a schedule was almost impossible but they knew it was no harm in trying.
Her nurse told her that a mothers' smell was so comforting to a baby that it often happened that way and they should expect him to fall asleep mid feeding. Olivia smiled at that but then frowned feeling just a bit discouraged after not having gone through that with Madison. She never slept through a feeding or half of one.
"Well why don't you pump from that side and I'll feed him." Fitz suggested. He was deemed an expert at waking his son up and keeping him alert. He'd done a good job of doing that throughout Olivia's pregnancy, always easily riling their boy up inside the womb.
"Try waking him now." She handed the baby over to his dad, and smiled at his little curled up body with his little poked out bum. She reached over to grab the pump that was plugged in at her bedside, and went to work. She was shocked the loud noise didn't wake her baby, but figured that professionals didn't get distracted, and her son was a professional sleeper if you asked her.
"He's gotta stop doing that. I want to nurse him and pump as little as possible for now."
Fitz nodded, knowing that those were his wishes before he focused his attention back on his son.
"Alright buddy, you gonna wake up for daddy? Let's try this." he talked to the baby, lying him down on a small receiving blanket in front of them. "So although the book clearly states you shouldn't wake a sleeping baby, it definitely gave some ways of waking them up."
"Yea, do the foot thing." Olivia and Abby had read up on that one and they were forced to use it on Madison often. Basically you'd gently rub your fingernail up and down the bottom of the babies' foot. They hated the sensation and would immediately start to squirm, and if you continued, they'd wake up, usually crying. They'd tried it on one another and realized that it wouldn't hurt him, but the ticklish sensation was actually just annoying enough to rile anyone up. Fitz could count the number of times Olivia had woke him up from a deep sleeping "trying things out" during her pregnancy.
Fitz started to rub at the boy's sock covered foot, knowing he had his wife beat in that category now. She'd insisted on getting her nails cut shorter than she'd ever had them, not wanting to take a chance on scratching Elijah.
First his foot immediately pushed against the sensation, then both his legs started moving before his small body squirmed. Taking it to the next level, Fitz rubbed both feet and seconds later a shrill cry was heard from the red faced baby.
Fitz snickered while Olivia looked on guiltily. "Alright, one last trick." Fitz reached across Olivia to grab a single wipe from the pack beside her and unsnapped the onsie he was wearing. Olivia was confused as to what he was doing until she watched him rub the wipe lightly over his belly, the cool cloth shocking her baby.
His cries immediately grew and his little body went stiff at the sudden coldness to his skin.
"What the hell Fitz! That's enough." she shot him an angry look, while she stopped the pump and got a fresh nipple and top to put on the bottle.
"Livvie calm down. It's alright buddy, I got ya. You awake now huh?" he lifted him to his face, peering at the scrunched up eyes and thin lips that his wife claimed belonged to him. He kissed those tiny lips before laying him down to snap his clothes back up and swaddled him back in the blanket before giving Olivia an innocent smile.
"Come on Livvie, you wanted me to wake him. This is the most alert he's been since he was born. Hand over the milk woman." She agreed, and complied, but still glared at him angrily.
"Don't do that shit again to my baby, Fitz."
"Yes ma'am" he chuckled and settled himself into the chair next to her bed. He was ecstatic to feed his son for the first time.
The first of many, he thought.
Thanks for reading guys. Hope this chapter specially lived up even a little to the expectations of meeting Elijah. The song Liv sings to him is the song my sister sang to her little boy Jacob as a baby so that was sort of honoring him. Hope you'll let me know what you think. This story will slowly be coming to an end… I'm thinking maybe 5-8 more chapters? I don't know- ideas pop in my head all the time and maybe I'll extend it but I feel their story is slowly coming to an end, but I'll keep you posted. Either way, I have another story that's five chapters in and I have one that I'm prepared to write once FS is completed. I appreciate you all for reading. There Is a reviewer that always asks how my week was and I always forget to answer. Thanks so much for asking- this week wasn't a good one but things are getting better. Hope your week was great.
Until next time.