Hic!
The baby's eyes snapped open, and the two older kids hanging over her started to giggle. The baby grimaced, not at all amused and far more confused by what had just happened. After all, it had been enough to stir her from her slumber.
Hic!
There it was again! She grumbled and tightened her little hands into fists, waving them up and down. Her brother and sister were still giggling about the whole thing, which only further irritated the baby.
Hic!
"Aw, Tam. Do you have the hiccups, little girl?"
The baby's frustration quelled to an extent as she was lifted up by her father. He was so sweet and so gentle…she adored and was completely fascinated by him.
"Daddy, it was so funny. She had a hiccup and it made her wake up!"
Tyson chuckled and glanced at his son. "Come on, buddy, that isn't funny!"
"Then how come you laughed?" Alan questioned, furrowing his brow.
Tyson tried to come up with an excuse, but he couldn't. "Okay fine, it's a little funny. But still, your poor baby sister is a little freaked out! You've gotta feel bad for her."
"I guess so," Alan murmured, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't get scared when I have the hiccups!"
"You did sometimes when you were a baby," Tyson replied. "It scared me and Mommy too."
"Why?" Vanessa chirped. "They're just hiccups!"
"Yeah, but we were nervous," Tyson sheepishly admitted, scratching his cheek. "You were the first child we had, so we didn't know what was normal and what wasn't."
"That's silly, Daddy!" Vanessa laughed.
"Yeah, it seems pretty silly now," Tyson agreed. "But not back then! We took everything really seriously. Now we know not to worry about something small like hiccups!"
Hic!
Tyson smiled sympathetically at the baby in his arms and continued, "But that doesn't mean I want Tam to have them, either." Raising the pitch of his voice, Tyson cooed to the little girl, "We have to try and get rid of those mean hiccups, don't we?"
"I know how to!" Alan cried, throwing his arm up. "We gotta scare her!"
"We're not going to scare her," Tyson sighed. "She's just a baby!"
"How else are you supposed to get rid of them?" Alan grumbled, tilting his head.
"I'll show you," Tyson chuckled. He held the baby against his chest and patted her back until she let out a small burp. He waited a minute, and when the baby didn't hiccup again, Tyson smirked and pulled her away, staring into her deep green eyes. "There! All gone!"
Tammy cooed happily, feeling much more content now that she was no longer hiccupping every few seconds.
"That's it?!" Alan cried. "Just a burp?!"
"Yep, that's all it takes," Tyson confirmed, nodding his head.
Alan scoffed and folded his arms. "That wasn't even a good one."
"Ew, that's gross," Vanessa complained, narrowing her eyes at her kid brother.
"So's your face," Alan fired back, sticking his tongue out.
"Daddy!" Vanessa whined, whipping her head around.
"Alan, that wasn't nice," Tyson scolded. "Apologize to your sister."
Alan blinked before glancing at Tammy. "Sorry your burp was lame."
Tyson nearly fell on his face. "You know I meant Vanessa!"
The boy snickered and finally turned to look at his elder sister. "Sorry."
Vanessa didn't seem totally placated, but since Alan had apologized, she couldn't really complain about it. Tyson, on the other hand, was perfectly satisfied and patted Alan atop his head. "Good boy."
He put Tammy back down on her pillow and turned his attention back to the battle he'd been watching on TV. Alan and Vanessa, on the other hand, exchanged looks with one another before glancing back down at their baby sister. She was smiling to herself and lolling her head from side-to-side.
"Tam's much happier now that she doesn't have the hiccups," Vanessa noted. "Daddy, you did a good job!"
Tyson looked towards Vanessa and chuckled. "Thanks!"
"How'd you know to do that?" Vanessa asked.
"Lots of experience," Tyson replied easily, casually stretching his arms up over his head.
"Cause me and Alan had hiccups when we were babies?" Vanessa questioned.
"Yep!"
Vanessa thought it over for a moment before continuing, "what about when you didn't know what to do? What'd you do?"
"Uh…"
"Did you try and scare us like Alan?"
"No! Of course not! I knew better than to scare babies."
"Did you call Gramps? She always knows what to do!"
"Nope."
Vanessa raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. "Did you just do nothing?"
Tyson sat in silence for a split second before bursting out in nervous laughter. "Okay, that's enough questions for now! Why don't we all sit nicely and watch this battle, huh? It's a really good one!"
Hic!
Alan and Vanessa looked down at Tammy. She was staring right back at them, her eyes set wide.
"Again?" Tyson groaned, observing the baby. In response, Tammy gurgled and frowned.
"Quit sucking in all the air!" Alan cried. Tyson and Vanessa both glanced at him, raising their eyebrows. "What? That's how you get hiccups!"
"Where'd you learn that?" Tyson questioned, tilting his head.
"Uncle Ray," Alan replied simply.
"Um…okay," Tyson sighed, picking Tammy back up. "Why do you keep doing that, huh? You know those hiccups are no fun!"
Tammy frowned before hiccupping again, whining immediately after and threatening to burst out into a screaming fit.
"It's alright!" Tyson quickly assured her, holding the baby against his chest and patting her back once again. She burped, and with that, her hiccups once again ceased. "There we go. Think you could stop taking in so much air, pumpkin?"
Tammy cooed softly. Tyson knew she probably didn't understand him, and definitely couldn't respond, but man did he wish she could!
"Let's try that," Tyson sighed, gently placing her back down. "You know, I'm really starting to see a lot of Mommy in you. It's cute, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me a little nervous…"
Tammy mumbled (incoherently, of course) and stuffed a fist in her mouth. Vanessa was watching her baby sister intently, and now, she was a bit less impressed by her father than she'd been before.
"Daddy, are you sure you fixed them this time?" Vanessa demanded.
Tyson seemed taken off guard by his older daughter's question. "Uh…I think so? I mean, I can't guarantee they won't come back-"
"Cause they already did?" Vanessa interrupted, tilting her head.
Tyson's cheeks flashed red. "Well, I can't really stop her from sucking in too much air…"
"Why?" Vanessa prodded.
"Because I can't," Tyson groaned, slowly growing tired of the interrogation. He felt like he was in a post-battle press conference!
"But how come?" Vanessa asked again. Alan was switching his brown eyes between his father and sister, grinning with devious enjoyment.
"I just can't," Tyson sighed noisily. "No more questions, alright? Let's pay attention to the TV instead! Seriously, this battle is really good."
Hic!
Tyson's eye twitched. He slowly turned his head towards Tammy, who all of a sudden didn't look too happy again. She was still and quiet, however, until Tyson began to look back at the TV.
Hic!
He choked in frustration as he covered his face with his hands. "Why? Why can't I just watch this battle?"
"Daddy, you didn't fix her right."
"I know, Vanessa."
"Should we call Gramps?"
"No, Vanessa."
"Can I teach Tammy how to burp better?"
"No, Alan."
