Hi everyone. Sorry I haven't updated lately but I've been swamped with work and our child. I do appreciate the reviews. :D
Awake, Helga turned her head to find her husband passed out by the window. She smiled adoringly at Arnold like she always did when they were at home. To watch him sleep filled her with a peace she never thought anyone can fill her with before. Soon she studied the room she was in as a strong desire to see her baby. Last she saw her she wasn't clean for obvious reasons, and she was crying from having to be pulled from her warm confines.
"Hey."
Helga loved the sound of his sleepy voice as she turned her head back to him. "Hey." How are you?"
Moving to sit up, Arnold stretched. "Shouldn't I be asking you that question?" Standing up, he went to pull a chair closer to the bed. "They have our daughter practically at the end of the maternity ward. It feels like a football yard away from getting the best possible look of her."
"Why didn't you ask to see her?"
"Because I want to see her up close with my wife." Planting a kiss on her lips, Arnold soaked that in as long as he could.
"Don't excite me too much here. I won't be able to have sex for quite some time." Warned lightly even as a nurse entered.
"Well look who is up finally. How's the new mommy doing?" The nurse asked pleasantly as she automatically went to check her temperature. "I know, I know, you can't answer me until I get this blasted thing out of your mouth." She quipped playfully as she pulled it out of her mouth. "Beautiful temp. Would you like to concur with me, Doctor?"
Glancing at the temperature, Arnold smiled down to Helga. "No fever so that is excellent news."
"Well I may be tired, but I am anxious to see our baby. When can we see her?" Helga wanted to hold her daughter so badly.
The nurse checked her bag next to her bed to make sure it was still fine. "Very soon. The babies seem to be on the same timer down there. When one wants to feed, they all want to feed. I'll call them as soon as I get to my station. Promise."
"Thanks, Sheila." Arnold said to her.
"So doc, will you be spending the night here?" Sheila wondered as she looked them both over.
"What do you think?"
Sheila laughed. "Oh, Helga he is a good husband here. After I gave birth, my husband couldn't wait to dash off to watch a game. I swear my man and sports. I'm surprised my baby wasn't born looking like a basketball."
"Wow."
"Yes, wow." Sheila echoed as she placed a gentle hand on Helga's arm. "I'll call them right now. I hope you both have a name picked out already."
"We have to see her before we decide." Helga almost dashed out of the room to get her daughter. This was torture having this small talk. She wanted to hold her baby now.
Seeming to understand the anxiousness of Helga, Sheila left the room as Arnold kissed her again. "You'll see her soon. If they forget I'm putting the request in myself."
She can't get excited right now. They told her it will be 7 to 8 weeks before she can have sex again. Two tortures for her right now is that strong desire to hold her daughter and the other one was right next to her. Watching him go to the other side of her, Helga became aggravated right now. Why in the fuck does she have such a sexy husband?
"You alright, Helga?"
"7 to 8 weeks of non-sex is all. I'm putting a blindfold on me when I watch you walk." Helga griped before relaxing again. "Sorry. I'm still hormonal."
"Honey there is nothing to apologize for. You are perfectly fine." Sitting down on another chair he reached up to take her hand.
Her body felt wound up right now. She was anxious just waiting to see their child. Glancing at the time she almost Arnold see about rushing things till another nurse came in with a huge smile on her face rolling in a bassinet. Moving her bed up slightly, Helga watched as the nurse lifted their baby up to come up to her.
"Alright sweetheart, here is your mommy and daddy." The nurse greeted in a happy tone of voice designed to speak to children with. "She is pretty hungry so why don't we try to feed her, but first you need to be prepared to received your child."
Helga decided to be patient even if she learned this from Sheena and Phoebe as she did as instructed. The very moment that her small form was felt she couldn't stop from smiling and giggling at the sensation of holding her. Bringing her gently against her, Helga couldn't stop staring at her. Hearing the nurse resume talking, Helga adjusted her in her arms to push aside the fabric of her gown to gently guide this tiny little being to her breast. The moment she latched on to begin feeding, Helga felt tears run down.
"You are a natural." The nurse boasted. "Right now I'll leave you both be so you can be acquainted with your daughter. I'll be back in plenty of time."
Waiting till she left, Arnold slid in next to Helga to lay on his side to watch his beautiful daughter feed. "How does this feel, Helga?"
"Wonderful. Simply perfect. Look at how beautiful she is." Helga couldn't stop staring at this tiny miracle. "You came out of me. It is so strange, but welcoming."
Loving his wife's awed description, Arnold moved up to kiss her cheek. "She looks a tiny you. I've seen pictures of you as a baby." Looking back at his daughter his smile disappeared. "Gerald's right."
Confused for now, Helga spotted how their daughter was full so dabbing her mouth, she then made sure to burp her as Arnold gently slid her gown back into place. Hearing a tiny sound, Helga brought her back down to just stare at her. "What is he right about?"
"Boys will be knocking on our door just to get a chance to go out with her." Moving her tiny cap a little away from her forehead, Arnold kissed her forehead. "You are just as beautiful as your mommy." He cooed.
Helga studied her face. "Josephine. She looks like a Josephine. What do you think?"
It was either that or Lily Beth. "What about a middle name? I personally love Josephine for her."
"There is so many variances for this name. Unsure of the middle name."
Studying his daughter as her eyes peered at the both of them, Arnold brushed his finger against her cheek very gently. "Josephine Geraldine Shortman."
Shaking her head, Helga was the one who came up with the name they agreed with so she wanted a compromise. "What is your mom's middle name? I came up with the first name. You come up with the middle."
He couldn't do that. As much as he wanted to take a parents name for their child, he decided on a different route. "Josephine October Shortman. We both had much happen in October and I just love the good luck in that, because if I hadn't met you, I would still be miserable, and we would end up falling madly in love." Kisses her temple. "I fall in love with you more and more each day. You have become my good luck charm."
Tearing up again, Helga wondered if this was the beginning of postpartum or just her being sappy with her husbands words. "Don't make me drown our baby with my tears." Grabbing him by his collar, she yanked him down for a slightly more deeper kiss even as their baby cooed. Both giggling, they turned their attention to Josephine. "Welcome to the world, Josephine October Shortman. You gave me some strange cravings."
"I refuse to serve peanut butter on top of pork chops again." Arnold told their daughter playfully even as Josephine began to yawn.
"Hello again. Are you both enjoying your daughter?" The nurse came in at least whispering now. "Did you both come up with a name?"
"Yes we have, Janine." Arnold told her. "Josephine October Shortman."
Pulling out her paperwork, Janine jotted their names down before asking for a proper spelling of her name. Once she had it, she approached the bed. "Sorry to do this, but we need to bring her back since I see she is a tired little girl."
Helga pouted. "I wish she can stay in here with me. I don't want to stop holding her."
"I know, but we don't want her sick since her body is still so sensitive. I understand very well about separation anxiety." The nurse said as she approached to take her.
Arnold watched Helga about to whimper again. "Sweetheart, we'll see her very soon again."
"I just want to keep holding her." Kissing their daughter, Helga swooned. "I already miss her."
"Same here. I promise it will be soon." Kissing his wife, he watched as she kissed her again.
"Alright then. I'll see you soon our sweet girl." Kissing her again, Helga let Arnold pick her up just to whimper again. He looked unbearably handsome holding Josephine in his arms. "I wish I had a camera to take a picture of that."
Smiling down at his wife, Arnold slowly brought her back over to the nurse. "Mommy and daddy will be right here. We love you." Watching her fall asleep in his arms now he didn't want to let her go. He understood completely where Helga was coming from. Handing her over gently, Arnold watched her as she soon was wheeled out of there. Hearing Helga whimper again, he went over there to hold his wife. He could already tell she was starting to go through postpartum.
"Can we get her back now?" She said as she choked a little from the tears.
"It should be a few hours before we see her again."
"I want to just hold her."
Keeping her in a loving embrace, Arnold kept soothing her.
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The next afternoon, her parents and his came in to visit her seeing how she was. Helga figured Arnold told them that she kept breaking down yesterday with how they were treating her with kid gloves. When the guys left to get something to drink, Helga looked between her mother and Stella.
"How soon did it hit you both? You know that depression thing." Helga might as well ask two seasoned people here. "Is it all horrible?"
Miriam played with Helga's hair. "It hit me pretty hard very quickly with Olga and then yourself. With Olga I almost hurt her. I don't know what went through my head, but I was close to ending it when your father came in. I'm so happy he came when he did. At the time we thought it was best to put me on anti-depressants, but they screwed with my dose making it harmful for Olga. When it came to you, I couldn't stop crying. I slept in your room because I didn't want to be separate from you. I know what made it worse was losing Olga from pneumonia and then I have this beautiful baby girl and I feared leaving you for two reasons. One was that whole separation anxiety thing and two I was afraid that the moment I left the room you would of disappeared. Thankfully you didn't."
"How did you get over it?" Helga inquired gently as she took her hand.
"Your father convinced me to go to sleep in our room. He assured me that you'll be fine. He said things will look clearer in the morning. I cried for a half hour after laying in my bed, and in the morning I ran into your room to find you staring up at me. I knew it right then and there that you'll be fine." Miriam brushed her finger against her knuckles softly.
Stella smiled. "Mines was mild. I do remember staring at Arnold. I do remember not able to leave his nursery just to use the bathroom or make food. I didn't want to be away from him for a single moment. Stuff happens to us because we held you both in our respective bodies. We are holding you for 9 months and then one day you are here. It is all your hormones that become out of balance. That chemical in your brain is here and there. I remember wanting to put Arnold back inside of me just so I can hold him there for longer." Snickering at the memory, she shook her head. "Miles caught me with a pillow under my shirt just because I didn't want him to be gone."
"Have you ever wanted another baby?" Miriam asked as she looked at the woman sitting across from her.
"I did, but after being busy at work and stuff it never entered. You and I both know Miriam that regardless how old we get they are still our babies even if they have a baby of their own." Bringing her finger up, Stella tapped Helga gently on the nose.
Just then the nurse came in with Josephine. "And this must be the grandparents." She cooed before averting her attention to Helga. "Time for her feeding."
Putting herself up again, Helga couldn't wait to hold her. "Yay." Waiting for the nurse to place her down in her arms, Helga immediately moved her gown aside to feed her. Feeling her latch on, she smiled at her cute wonder. "We'll tell you her name once everyone is in here."
"Is it just the grandparents?" The nurse asked out of concern.
"Yes. For now it is the grandparents before we formally introduce her to everyone else." Helga assured her.
"Oh Helga, I can see she'll have a healthy appetite just like you." Miriam repositioned herself to get a much better look as did Stella.
"Hey little sweetie. I'm grandma Stella and this is grandma Miriam on the other side of you. We have been dying to meet you."
Helga could only smile at them speaking to Josephine while she studied her. When she was done feeding, she quickly covered herself up before burping her. Catching some spit up, Helga resumed holding her as the guys finally walked back in. "Took you boys long enough." She chided playfully.
"Oh so this is our granddaughter then." Walking over, Bob looked at the tiny bundle in her arms. "Hey she looks like you, Helga." Glances over to Arnold he gave him a full smile. "Daddy might be finding young boys in your room."
Arnold's smile disappeared at hearing that. "Please don't say things like that to me. It is bad enough I have already thought about boys knocking down our doors just to date her."
"Yeah dad, no giving Arnold any heart attacks." Helga's eyes went to Arnold's. "Want to tell them the name of our daughter?"
"All right. Everyone meet Josephine October Shortman. As you guys know how special October is for us so hence her middle name." Arnold informed them with too much pride.
"Welcome to the family Josephine. I'm grandpa Miles."
"And I'm your grandpa Bob. Don't let the sound of my voice scare ya. I seem to scare most young kids with it." Bob mused lightly.
Taking Josephine's tiny hand, Helga kissed it. "Your grandaddy is just fooling with you. He only scares just for few seconds which is long enough to steal candy from the other kids."
Arnold chuckled. "Now I see who stole my candy from me when I was a young lad."
"Yep you better believe it, kid." Clicking his tongue, Bob tried to make it sound like he was shooting a gun from his pointer finger, but it was him making a clicking sound with his tongue.
"How soon can you take her home?" Stella went to stand next to Miles to look at the baby again.
"Well Josephine is a very healthy little girl. Everything is strong on her so they said as soon as she is ready to leave the hospital, Josephine can too." Arnold replied. "Good thing to since I'm sure Helga can't bare to part with her for day."
"Pssh. It is only natural not to want to be separated from your baby. I was a mess when I had to leave both Olga and then Helga in the hospital. The day I was able to I jumped for joy." Miriam informed him. "They were just worried because they seemed underweight but they were healthy."
Arnold watched Helga holding Josephine up until the nurse came back to her. With her family gone and they were alone, Arnold waited till she nodded off for him to roam around this hospital. He always ended up at the maternity ward just to look through the window. It was time to attach the baby seat in the car so stepping away from the ward he called up Gerald to come down with the seat. He bought two so one can go in his car and the other in hers. Everything else was already set up so when Josephine finally came home they will have late night feedings. What a great life they had.