Chapter 72
Leonard opened his eyes when he felt someone shaking him. He turned to his side and saw Penny looking at him. "Leonard...wake up." she said.
"Huh!?" Leonard said, quickly sitting up from the chair. "What is it honey? What happened?" he asked while rubbing his eyes.
"Your son needs a new diaper." said Penny.
Leonard sighed. "You woke me up because of that?" he said as Sarah came out of the bathroom, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
"What's going on?" asked the young lady.
"Your brother needs a new diaper." said Penny.
Leonard stood up and took a deep breath. "Okay fine...come on...I'll teach you girls how to do it." he said.
"Not a chance…that's your job, not mine." said Sarah.
"Oh no young lady...you'll come here right now and learn this stuff." said Leonard.
"Why?" asked Sarah.
"Because you said you'll help me and your mom in taking care of your brother. That's why." he said.
"But I never said anything about changing diapers and yucky stuff!" said the young lady.
Leonard sighed. "You come here right now." he said with a stern expression.
Sarah surrendered. "Fine...but I'm not gonna touch anything." she said.
"Fine...now come closer so you guys know what to do when he needs a new diaper." said Leonard as William started crying for attention.
"Oh sweetie...relax...daddy's gonna change your diaper okay?" said Penny as they focus their attention on the young man.
Leonard then took their hospital bag and got everything they need – a new diaper, baby wipes, talcum powder and tissues. "Okay...ready?" he asked Penny and Sarah.
Penny took a deep breath and gave him a weak smile. "I guess." she said.
Leonard started undoing William's diaper. "Okay, you remove this sticky tape…" he said while gently lifting the baby's legs, revealing his dirty diaper.
"Ugh! That's nasty!" Penny said, surprised and a little grossed out.
"I'm never gonna have children...like ever" said Sarah, making the couple laugh as Leonard gently wiped the dirt off William's butt, putting the dirty tissues aside to throw away later.
"Okay...so you just wipe off and clean his butt…and you just wrap this up like this...and throw it away." he said, before taking the talcum powder, putting it around the baby's bottom. "Hey buddy...you have one cute tushy huh?" he said, trying to amuse his son. Even if William can't really see them yet, he can still hear things around him and the stimuli from his parents and sister is good for him, Leonard thought. "Wanna try?" he asked Penny.
Penny nodded and took the clean diaper, gently putting it under her son's butt. "Like this?" she asked Leonard.
"Yeah...and make sure it's not too tight or too lose...yeah, that's about right…" he said as he checked his wife's work.
Penny smiled. "Done! What do you think?" she asked the young lady.
"I think it's okay mom." said Sarah.
"Good...next time you'll do it on your own." said Leonard. "I've done it a thousand times with this young lady...especially when June got sick." he said.
Penny smiled at him. "Fine." she said as she gently picked up his son, kissing his cheek before cradling him in her arms. "Come here sweetie...mommy loves you so much." she said as William slightly moved, yawning and trying to stretch out his arms, making them laugh at how adorable the young man was.
"He's so amazing huh?" said Leonard, gently touching the baby's head.
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The next day, the nurse came in, carrying a plastic tub for William's first bath.
"Here's the baby tub you asked for Mrs. Hofstadter." said the nurse.
"Oh thanks...come on honey, we'll fill this up with some water so we can give your brother his first bath." he said to Sarah.
"How do we know how much hot water to put in dad?" asked Sarah as they fill the tub with water.
"If it hurts you, then it'll probably hurt him too." he said, laughing a bit while making sure the water is just the right temperature. "I think this is just right...honey come on." he called on Penny.
Penny came into the bathroom carrying the baby. "Hey sweetheart...we're gonna give you a bath okay...and when you're old enough, your sister and I are gonna take you to the beach...we'll build sand castles...swim in the ocean...maybe pick up some sea shells and stuff..." she said as she knelt down, carefully removing the baby's clothes.
Leonard and Sarah helped Penny, putting away the dirty clothes. "Okay honey, we don't have to dunk him in the water, we just use this washcloth to bathe him." he said as he took the baby from Penny.
Penny took the washcloth and dipped it in the lukewarm water, wringing it before carefully wiping it over the baby's arms and legs. William flinched, sensing the warm water on his skin. "Shhh...it's alright sweetie...you can eat after this and sleep...okay?" said Penny, seeing how adorable her son was.
"Wanna put some shampoo on his head?" Leonard asked his daughter.
Sarah nodded before taking the shampoo bottle, putting a small drop of shampoo on her hand before gently rubbing it on her brother's curly hair. "Good thing he has your hair dad." Sarah said, making Lenard laugh.
"Yeah...let's just hope that's the only thing your dad gave to your brother." said Penny, giving Leonard a naughty look.
"What do you mean mom?" asked Sarah, already having an idea of what Penny meant.
"Well...I certainly won't mind if your brother didn't inherit your dad's asthma...and his inability to process dairy products..." said Penny.
"What about dad's goofy shirts and nerd stuff?" said Sarah, making Penny laugh.
"Don't worry about it sweetheart...I'm gonna die first before I let your dad dress your brother with his goofy shirts and hoodies." said Penny.
"Okay fine...how about this, we'll let him choose what he likes? How about that?" he said.
"Keep it steady..." said Penny as she started rinsing her son off. "Okay, we're done...now hand me that towel so we could dry off your brother." she said as Sarah took the towel and handed it to her mother. "Come on sweetheart." Penny said as she took the baby from Leonard, wrapping him with the towel. William flinched and made a weak sound, feeling the warm embrace of his mother. "Shhh...you're alright sweetie." she said as she stood up, bringing the baby to the bassinet so she could dress him up.
Leonard cleaned up in the bathroom while Sarah followed Penny to help her with William.
Penny took some talcum powder and carefully put some on her son, making him sneeze. "Aww...I'm sorry sweetheart!" said Penny, pushing some talcum powder away from William's face. "Put this on his hands sweetie." she said, handing a couple of baby mittens to Sarah.
Sarah carefully put the mittens on her brother. "There you go baby brother...feels good huh?" she said while Penny continued dressing the baby.
"Good job sweetie...now let's get this handsome man fed so he can take a nap." Penny said as she picked up the baby in her arms before opening up her dress to feed the baby. "Here you go sweetheart...eat all you want...and when your diaper is full, your sister is gonna clean you up and change it." she said, smiling at Sarah.
"You've got to be kidding me?" Sarah said, frowning at Penny.
"I'm just joking sweetie." said Penny. "Now let me feed this young man so we could rest for a while." she said as William continued feeding, latching onto his mother to satisfy his hunger.
After feeding her son, Penny put him on the bassinet to let him sleep. William yawned and stretched his arms and legs before going to sleep. "Honey look at him...he's so handsome." Penny said to Leonard.
"Good thing he's as cute as me huh?" Leonard said as they looked fondly of the infant sleeping on the bassinet.
"I think you should take a rest dad." said Sarah.
"Why is that honey?" Leonard asked, curious about what his daughter said.
"Because you're imagining things." said the young lady, making Penny laugh.
Penny pulled Sarah close and kissed her cheek. "Good job sweetheart...we'll show him who's the boss." she said.
"Can't you see the resemblance? I mean look at him...it's like we're peas in a pod...right?" said Leonard.
Penny leaned over and whispered on Sarah's ear. "Let him have this round sweetheart..." she whispered, making Sarah smile.
"You're right dad...William really got your looks!" said Sarah, winking at her father.
Leonard sighed. "Fine...you guys win." he said as William suddenly moved, startled by the noise they were making. "I think we should be quiet, we don't want to wake him up." he said.
"You're right dad." said Sarah, touching William's hand gently to calm him down.
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The young family stayed at the hospital for another two days, getting themselves familiar in taking care of the young man.
"Thank god we're finally going home." said Sarah.
"Me too...I'm done sleeping on the chair or on that sofa..." said Leonard as he finished packing up their stuff while a nurse brought in a wheelchair for Penny.
"Is that really necessary?" Penny asked the nurse.
"I'm afraid so Mrs. Hofstadter...and it's hospital policy." the nurse said.
"Fine." said Penny as she sat on the wheelchair while carrying William in her arms.
The nurse wheeled Penny out of the room with Leonard and Sarah followed close. Almost everyone at the hospital congratulated the couple, finding William as cute as a button as he slept on his mother's arms.
"Oh my god look at him...he's so cute!" said one nurse as they gathered around Penny, looking over her son.
"He's so handsome...look, he even got your nose!" said another.
Sarah looked at her father. "I told you!" she said, smiling at her father.
"Okay I got it." said Leonard.
"Okay show is over guys...Mrs. Hofstadter needs to go home and rest." said the nurse before pushing the wheelchair.
"I'm gonna bring the car around honey." Leonard said as he walked ahead of them.
After making sure Penny and the baby are secure, Leonard got on the driver's seat and started the car, driving out of the hospital. "Everybody good back there?" he asked as they joined the traffic of cars on the road.
"We're good honey." Penny said before looking down on her son who was sleeping tight on the baby carrier.
Leonard smiled and turned his attention back on the road, knowing that their lives have taken a new turn and with that a new adventure awaits him and Penny as their children grow up.