Chapter 14
Over the next few weeks, John and Sherlock made several more shopping trips, and also went online shopping for more basics such as caps, blankets, and nappies. They got weekly emails with pictures of their daughter, and she was growing and changing so much each time. Sherlock carefully preserved each photo and entered it into the baby album. They'd be heading out to Baskerville again soon to see her. They spoke to Sally about starting the artwork in the baby's room, and she agreed to begin in another month.
Sherlock was anxious to start the baby care classes. They knew a few basics, of course, and had picked up some more pointers from being around Molly and her family; but it was next to nothing when faced with caring for their daughter every day. As with everything he did, Sherlock wanted to excel in baby care. He spent hours reading online, and would have bought half a dozen books, but John advised him to wait and at least ask Molly which she thought was most helpful. To John's surprise, Sherlock agreed. He thought Molly and Greg (yes, he had finally got his name sorted!) were doing an exceptional job of raising Emily and looked to them for advice. John was happy that someone so close to them was a role model - he also thought they were brilliant as parents. In addition, they were physically close to Baker Street, so a 'consulting' trip was easy enough, if need be.
Word that they were having a child spread quickly, and soon even members of the Met they had only met occasionally, asked how things were going. It seemed the whole world was waiting for news of their daughter. Mummy and Mrs. Hudson were now knitting baby things in pink and other pastel shades, and the little one would never want for warm clothes. Sherlock even tried his hand at knitting, after Mummy gave him some refresher lessons (she had taught both boys when they were younger and trapped inside during a dreadfully cold, rainy summer), and was halfway through a baby blanket in a rainbow of hues. He found it a soothing way to think while working on crime-solving at home, and John was pleased his sweetheart had found something new to occupy his ever-whirling brain. If it kept him out of the lab more often, that was a bonus. In addition, once the baby was here, Sherlock could keep busy with knitting sometimes when the baby was asleep - when he really couldn't be all the way down in 221C. He didn't want to rely on a monitor when he'd be involved in some chemistry experiment and then have to dash upstairs – it was too easy to forego proper hand-washing in favour of hurrying, or to leave something still "brewing" that really shouldn't be left on its own. John knew that Sherlock could easily get distracted sometimes, and if their daughter needed soothing, any experiments would soon be forgotten.
Greg and Molly showed up one afternoon and brought them a gift- it was a beautiful new pushchair/car seat combination, which would convert to a simple pushchair after the baby could sit up. It had a large area under the seat where they could store extra baby things, and – and this amused Sherlock and John no end - a cup holder on the handle. It was perfect for taking long walks in Regent's Park nearby, and they envisioned lots of happy times there, showing the sights and ducks to their little one. They immediately emailed Anthea so she could cross those items off her list. John suggested keeping the base in the entrance corridor of 221B, and Mrs. Hudson agreed.
Meanwhile, they had begun considering names - which soon became a nightmare of sorts. John should have known that Sherlock would love the most ridiculous names, some of which he had never heard - but they were getting nowhere fast. At this rate, the baby would be about three years old before she got a name at all. They agreed to each make a list of names they particularly liked over the next two weeks and then they would sit down and go over them - maybe they could get at least one name decided this way. John didn't have much faith in this method, but he was willing to try anything at this point. They each sat at their side of the desk and searched websites, occasionally stopping to place a name into a new folder on their laptops. They tried to make a game of it, and to defuse any tension – Sherlock certainly would not pick a name John loathed, after all - so perhaps they could make a decision – eventually!
Finally, after an extension on the date, they each had a list and sat down at the table. After each of them tossing out a few names the other deemed suitable, they settled on Catriona (John's list, 'pure, clear', besides being Scottish in origin) Hollis ('lives by the holly trees') Sheridan (a Holmes family surname, originally Irish, which meant either 'untamed' or 'elf' ) Holmes-Watson. She would be called "Sheri" for a nickname - well, probably, until she decided what she wanted to be called. It was rather a mouthful, but they were both pleased, and so the matter was settled. They used the combined surname on legal documents, otherwise going by their original ones to avoid confusion. They had settled on a third name, however, because they both loved it, and couldn't discard it.
The whole name should be sufficient for even Mummy to be pleased with it. Sherlock and John had a good chuckle about that, when they thought about it. When they rang her up to tell her, she was very vocal with her praise about the names, saying she had expected more of a problem. John just said that he forbade Sherlock from anything too outrageous or in old Anglo-Saxon, or any of a dozen other lists his husband may have drawn from. Violet hummed and said that John certainly knew how to deal with Sherlock, and then asked to speak to her youngest.
"Sherlock, dear, it's a perfectly lovely name! You have both done very well with this - I don't mind saying we were a bit afraid of what you might decide. How much longer is it now until the birth?" she asked.
"It should be about 12 weeks, more or less. Everything is going well. Did I tell you that John and I made recordings of our voices and my violin, and some other classical pieces, for her to listen to, every day? That way she will know our voices when she gets here, just as other babies learn their parents' voices from hearing them through the mother's body. She gets to hear us every day through special headphones, that the – erm - surrogate places on her abdomen," Sherlock told her.
"Oh, I think you may have mentioned it, but not in such detail. That is such a wonderful idea, love - she'll know you both and feel more comfortable, I am sure. What – erm - what about your father and I? Should we record our voices, too? Whatever you think is best, we'll gladly do," Violet replied, her tone just a bit wistful.
"I should think that just hearing you with us will be fine, Mummy - just as other grandparents do - she will know you are family, and that you love her. Babies are very good at picking up feelings," Sherlock said. "But if you really wanted to, we can easily make recordings of you and play them to her - would you like that? " he added, after John had not-so-subtly kicked him on the ankle.
"Oh, yes, please, dear, if it's not too much trouble – she is likely to be our only grandchild, after all. Unless, of course, you and John have another one," Violet answered.
"It's no trouble at all, we'll just pop over in the next few days and do it then, and send them over to the surrogate," Sherlock answered his mother with a grin, as he realised how happy that had made her. He kept the discussion of the possibilities of another child to himself for now - best see how they got on with just Sheri!
A/N not written for profit, no copyright infringement intended. All mistakes are mine. Please leave a review if you wish- enjoy!
~joan