* I have to apologize for how long it has taken me to update this story. Life gets in the way sometimes and I honestly had serious writer's block with this chapter, as well as for what was to come in the rest of this story. I'm slowly starting to put it together and hopefully the updates will begin to come at a better pace (fingers crossed). So here is this new chapter finally, thanks for sticking it out with me. Enjoy! *
The small whines, quickly turned into loud cries, and began to fill the bedroom as the infant made his needs known from his bassinet at the end of his parents' bed. Henry's cries soon turned into screams and Rafael took that as his cue to get up and retrieve his son, as he had done multiple times already since the night before had turned into the early morning. He was beginning to see what life with a newborn was going to be like for the time being.
"What's the matter, Henry?" Rafi spoke gently as he lifted his son into his arms.
"I'm sure that he just needs to be fed." Liv spoke up. She had woken up as soon as she had heard even the smallest sound from Henry, but she was exhausted and sore and had waited for Rafael to be able to bring the baby to her, so that she would not have to move from her comfortable spot in the bed.
Rafael came back to the bed and traded the baby with Olivia. "Well then I am no help to him."
"No I'm sorry to tell you you're not." Liv situated the baby. "Although, it would be great if we could share this duty."
"If I could I would." Rafael told her as he was interrupted by the sound of his daughter screaming from her bedroom, announcing that she was up and ready to play. "I can, however, take care of wild child and her brother, who I'm sure, has to be awake after hearing that screech."
Since Liv and Rafael had returned home with Henry, it had been somewhat organized chaos, most of the time not very organized. Noah and Raegan were behaving and so far not showing any sign of being too jealous of their new little brother, but the parents were realizing just how difficult it was to tend to their needs while having a newborn in the house. And when, only a week after surgery, Liv was still almost completely restricted with what she was allowed to do, Rafael was finding it hard to balance taking care of Raegan and Noah while helping Liv handle Henry.
But before the father could even step out of the bedroom, Raegan zoomed past him and was up on the bed in no time at all. She quickly crawled up to the top of the bed, sitting herself down next to her mama. Although she didn't seem jealous of Henry, Raegan had become very attached to her mother since the baby had been brought home, finding any excuse to be near her or to call for her when she needed to instead of Rafael, like she usually did.
As the baby finished feeding, Olivia situated him against her shoulder to burp him. "Good morning, missy."
"Mornin' Heny." Raegan ignored her mom and greeted her little brother by the name she was using for him, even if it wasn't quite correct. The little girl was much more infatuated with the baby than either parent had expected her to be, she was also incredibly gentle and caring towards him, a shock to Liv and Rafi. And she showed her care towards him, as she stroked his check softly while he was being burped, an action she was copying from seeing her parents do it.
"Did you come in just to see your brother? You think you can come in here and not say good morning to daddy?" Rafael reached for his daughter, rolling her over on the bed, and tickling her until he was sure the sound of her laughter could be heard by their next door neighbors.
"Daddy! Daddy!" Raegan screamed through her giggles.
Rafael stopped. "So where's my good morning hug then?"
Raegan stood up on the bed and practically jumped into her father's arms, hugging him tightly around his neck. "Mornin' daddy."
"That's much better." Rafael hugged her back, moving Raegan so that she was securely in his arms.
"I want cakes, daddy." Rae looked up at her dad after he had set her back down on the bed.
"Yeah! Pancakes, daddy." Noah had entered the room seemingly unnoticed until he added his input on what should be eaten for that morning's meal, knowing exactly what his little sister meant by her request. "I want them for breakfast, please."
Rafael chuckled at the enthusiasm of both of his kids. "Well I guess it's been decided then: Pancakes for breakfast this morning."
Noah took off from the bedroom, running down the stairs to the kitchen to help his dad make breakfast. Rafael pulled Raegan from where she sat on the bed and set her down on the floor, the little girl taking off after her older brother.
"Hey, Rafi." Liv grabbed her husband's arm as he walked to the door. "Why don't you take them out today? Go to the park or the children's museum; they need to get out of this house."
"You sure you'll be okay?" Rafael reached for Henry and took the infant, who was once again sleeping soundly, back to his bassinet.
Liv nodded. "Your mom asked if we could use anything and wanted to come see Henry, so she can come over and stay with us, while you go out with the kids. They need some time alone with at least one of their parents."
"Alright, I'll get them ready after breakfast then and we'll go." Rafael kissed Liv on his way out to go meet the kids in the kitchen for breakfast.
A few hours later, Olivia found herself sitting in the kitchen, watching as Rosa filled two mugs with fresh, steaming hot coffee; Rafael had left with the kids for a day in the park and a visit to their favorite ice cream shop. The aroma of the dark liquid filled the house and it made the mom realize just how in need of caffeine she was. The nights with Henry had been long with him getting up every couple of hours to eat and be changed; Liv and Rafael were still adjusting to having the newborn at home with them, so hours of sleep had been far and few in between.
"I'll trade you the cup of coffee for my grandson please." Rosa set a cup down in front of Olivia and reached for the baby in her arms, who woke up as he was shifted between people. "Good afternoon, Henry. Was that a nice nap?" The grandma continued to coo at her grandson as she took a seat next to Olivia at the kitchen table.
"Now if only he would sleep during the night like that." Liv quipped.
Rosa chuckled. "I'm afraid to tell you that you've got quite a while before you'll be getting a full night of sleep again, but this little guy is all worth it."
As the afternoon passed, Henry became increasingly fussy. Liv had noticed it the night before and a little in the morning, but it had only become worse as time passed. Rosa had offered to sit with him while Olivia tried to take a nap, only the grandma found herself unable to calm the infant, a task she thought she had mastered. It was rather unsettling, as up to that point the baby boy had been as content as any baby she had ever seen.
When the mom could no longer sleep over the screaming cries of her son, Liv got out of bed and made her way into the living room to check on Rosa and Henry, worried that he had yet to stop fussing. "Is everything okay?"
"I just can't seem to get him to calm down." Rosa studied the baby in her arms. "Olivia, does he look a little flushed to you?"
The mom took her son into her arms; he was still screaming and his small body was unusually warm against hers. "He's really warm too…"
The panic in the mom's voice was obvious to Rosa, so she tried her best to keep calm. "Where's your thermometer?"
"Uhh… It should be in the kids' bathroom upstairs." Liv rocked back forth trying both to settle Henry and herself.
Rosa returned having found what she needed and helped Liv to take Henry's temperature, the baby fighting against the unfamiliar object and both of the women hoping that it would be normal. Olivia remembered the warning from her doctor about babies developing a fever when they were under a month old and she wasn't wanting to find out what was behind that warning.
"Olivia did your pediatrician tell you what to do if he had a fever?" Rosa held the used thermometer in her hand, facing the numbers towards her as to not alarm the mother standing next to her.
That question wasn't what Olivia had hoped to hear. "I don't… I don't know…"
"Okay, I'm going to call the hospital and see if they can tell us what to do." Rosa left the room with her cell phone.
Liv stared down at the fussing baby. His hot body lay against hers, as she held him closer, trying to protect him even though her efforts were pointless. Henry squirmed and screamed in protest, but there was nothing she could do for him, she didn't know how to help her poor baby boy.
When Rosa returned she looked as defeated as Liv felt. "We've got to take him in, sweetie."
"Take him in where?" Liv asked.
"To the hospital. The nurse I spoke to said because he's so little we needed to bring him in right away."
Olivia let out a deep sigh, she felt her hands shaking as she held her ailing baby. "I need to call Rafi. He needs… he has to be there."
"I know he does, but let's go and call him when we get there, alright? They need to get Henry in as soon as possible, Olivia." Rosa put an arm around the scared mom and directed her towards the entryway.
Rosa took the baby from Liv. She put him in his car seat by the door, while Olivia threw on a coat, listening to her sons escalating screams and cries as he was strapped in. They walked out the front door, buckling Henry into the car and then Rosa helped Liv into the passenger seat. They drove in silence to the hospital, Rosa never letting go of her daughter-in-law's shaking hand.
* I mean nothing can be all fluff, all the time, right? Up next: What's wrong with poor little Henry? (And hopefully this update doesn't take near as long.) Leave me your reviews and let me know what you think; they are always appreciated! *