Chapter Fifteen: The First Day of the Rest of Our Lives
Jenny and Lizzy spent two days in the hospital before being given a clean bill of health and getting discharged. Jenny couldn't have been happier to be going home. She missed the twins, she missed her bed and she missed normal food. She wasn't sure how the stuff that came from the hospital cafeteria could be classified as food or how a place that was solely focused on peoples' health could serve stuff that obviously had little to no health benefit.
Gibbs was happy to have his family all under one roof again. With all the running back and forth between his house and the hospital, he didn't know if he was coming or going half the time. He was doing his best to help out at home and spend time with his dad and the twins as well be there for Jenny and Lizzy at the hospital. He wanted his family all together again so he could take care of all of them.
Both Gibbs and Jenny felt every bump in the road on the drive home from the hospital. Gibbs drove with more caution than he ever had before and Jenny sat in the back next to Lizzy keeping her eyes on all the cars sharing the road with them. Both parents were willing to do anything to protect any of their children. It was almost 11:00 in the morning by the time Gibbs parked the car in the driveway. They saw Bailey and Josie's head peeking out of the front window and Jack standing behind them.
Gibbs got Lizzy out of the car then helped his wife out. He'd come back for the bags later. Jack opened the front door and the twins raced towards their parents.
"Yay, you're home!" Bailey cheered.
"Is the baby in there?" Josie asked looking into the car seat.
"She sure is," Jenny said patting Josie's head.
"Glad to have you guys home," Jack said as he opened the door for everybody.
"It's nice to be home," Jenny said inhaling the familiar scent of the house.
"Can I hold Lizzy now?" Josie asked bouncing up and down in front of Gibbs.
"You sure can, Sweet Pea," Gibbs said, "but you need to calm down first."
It took all Josie's willpower to calm herself and be still. She was thrilled to have her mommy and her baby sister home. She couldn't wait to help take care of her. "I'm calm now, Daddy," she said with a big smile.
Gibbs had Josie sit on the couch while he got Lizzy out of her car seat. With the baby cradled in one arm he put a pillow on Josie's lap to help her support the baby. He sat down next to the four year old and put Lizzy in her lap then helped her support the baby's head. Bailey climbed up on the couch next to Gibbs and watched closely. Everybody listened as Josie told Lizzy all about how nice Mommy and Daddy were, what her room was like and how good Grandpa's stories were.
Gibbs looked over at Bailey and saw him watching. "Do you want a turn, Buddy?" he asked.
Bailey shrugged his shoulders and glanced up at his daddy. "I don't wanna break her."
Gibbs smiled at his son as he wrapped an arm around him and hugged him. "You're not going to break her, Kiddo. I'll help you."
Bailey tried to smile at his dad. His eyes widened as the pillow and baby were shifted from Josie's lap to his. He sat as stiff as a statue and concentrated as hard as he could on not messing up.
"Relax Kiddo," Gibbs said. "You're doing great."
Lizzy gurgled happily as she took in her new surroundings. Jenny sat down on the other side of Bailey and watched as he held his baby sister. It took a little coaxing from Gibbs and Jenny but he finally started to relax and smile. When the baby started fussing, Jenny took her from Bailey. It was time to feed her again.
Gibbs and Jack got the twins busy helping them make lunch while Jenny took care of Lizzy. After the baby had been fed, burped and had a diaper change, she put her down in her crib to sleep. As much as she wanted to stay and watch over her, she went downstairs to eat lunch with the rest of her family. She carried the baby monitor around with her as if it was her lifeline, constantly checking to be sure it was turned on and the volume was turned up.
"She sleeping again?" Gibbs asked as he put some macaroni and cheese Josie's plate.
"Yep," Jenny said, making Bailey a hot dog. "I sure hope this thing works," she said indicating the baby monitor.
"It does," Gibbs said with a little chuckle. "Tony and Bailey were using them as walkie talkies when we were working on the nursery."
While they ate lunch, Bailey and Josie filled Jenny in on everything she'd missed out on while she was at the hospital. Jenny answered all their questions about how many shots she and Lizzy had to get, what they ate and where they slept. Gibbs sat back and listened as his family talked and laughed. It was wonderful to have everybody back together again and have the newest member of their family safe and sleeping soundly upstairs.
"Lizzy's been quiet for awhile," Jenny said as they finished up their lunch. She picked up the baby monitor and once again checked the settings. "Maybe I should go check on her. Do you think we should put her in her car seat, that way she can sleep down here with us?"
Gibbs smiled as he reached over and brushed his fingers over Jenny's hand. "She's fine," he said. "She's napping. It's only been a half an hour."
"Do we have to take a nap today, Daddy?" Bailey asked.
"Yes, you do," Gibbs said with a smile.
"We do?" Josie asked. "But, but, but why? We are not sleepy and Lizzy is here and we gotta take care of her."
"Mommy and Daddy will take real good care of Lizzy while you guys nap," Gibbs said. "She'll still be here when you wake up."
"I don't want to take a nap," Bailey complained. His cheerful, happy attitude was going downhill quickly. "You just got home and you were gone for a long, long time."
"I'm sorry, Son," Gibbs said. "Momma and Lizzy had to stay at the hospital for a couple days and I had to spend some time there with them too. Guess what, tomorrow's the weekend so we can all stay home for two whole days together."
"Do we have to go back to school on Monday?" Josie asked.
"Yep but only for a couple hours like you have been," Jenny answered.
"And Daddy has to go back to work?" Bailey asked.
"Daddy gets a little time off work to help Mommy out around the house," Gibbs explained.
Bailey's frown turned into an all out pout as tears gathered in his eyes. "I wanna stay home with you, Daddy," he complained.
"Somebody's tired," Jenny said.
Gibbs lifted Bailey out of his seat and sat him in his lap. "We'll have lots of time to spend together," he said, "I promise but you have to go to school so you can learn."
"I don't wanna learn anymore," Bailey said as he began to cry.
Gibbs rocked Bailey gently as he held him close to his chest. Everyone was tired and emotions were running high. It didn't help matters any that they were all cramped together in the house. Bailey cried himself to sleep in Gibbs' arms while the others finished up their meals.
After lunch Gibbs put the twins down for their nap and Jenny and Jack did a quick cleanup on the kitchen. Jack relaxed with a cup of coffee in the living room and Jenny checked on Lizzy and found her awake. She took the baby downstairs and sat down with Gibbs and Jack.
"Do you think we should pull the twins from school for a little while?" Gibbs asked. He was feeling a little guilty about sending them when everybody else was going to be home.
"I think they'll be okay," Jenny said gently bouncing the baby. "The social interaction is really good for them. I think they're just tired."
"I'm just worried they're gonna think we love Lizzy more than them or something," Gibbs said staring down at the infant in Jenny's arms. He reached out and touched her cheek with his finger as he smiled at her.
"I am too," Jenny said. She thought for a moment and got an idea. "Faith's taking them to the National Children's Museum on Tuesday. Why don't you ask if you can tag along?"
"That's a good idea," Gibbs said. He didn't mind chaperoning if it meant he got to do something special with the twins.
"We'll keep a close eye on them and if they still seem to be having trouble we'll pull them from daycare," Jenny said. "I can get them ready for Kindergarten. I just think the social aspect is really good for them."
"Sounds like a plan," Gibbs said. "I smell something smelly. Let me change her while you get ready to feed her again."
Gibbs changed Lizzy's diaper then gave her back to Jenny so she could eat again. He'd heard all babies do is eat, sleep and poop and he was beginning to realize there was some truth to that. Jack disappeared to the bathroom leaving Gibbs and Jenny alone on the couch with their daughter. Jenny burped the baby and knew she was ready to go back to sleep.
"Take you shirt off," she said.
"What?" Gibbs asked caught slightly off guard by her request. "Jen, my dad's just in the bathroom, besides, it's too soon for that." He loved teasing her.
"Not for that," Jenny said. "I get to bond with Lizzy every time I breastfeed her. I want you to bond with her as well."
"Oh, are you talking about that kangaroo pouch thing you were telling me about awhile ago?" Gibbs asked pulling his t-shirt over his head.
"Kangaroo care," Jenny corrected. "Abby gave me all kinds of articles on how beneficial it is for both the parent and the child."
"I thought you were trying to take advantage of me," Gibbs teased reaching out for their daughter.
If she hadn't had their daughter in her arms, Jenny would've smacked Gibbs. Instead she unwrapped Lizzy from her blanket and laid her against Gibbs' bare chest. Gibbs leaned towards Jenny and puckered his lips, wanting a kiss and Jenny obliged. "I love you, Daddy," she said.
"I love you, Mommy," Gibbs said back.
While the kids napped, the adults talked about what they did and didn't want in a new house. None of them wanted a pool with the little ones around. Safety measures could be taken but there was still the possibility of an accident and none of them wanted to have that worry in the back of their minds. They agreed they needed at least four bedrooms but wouldn't mind five.
Gibbs wanted a wood burning fireplace and room for his woodworking. Jenny wanted a large kitchen and a bathroom off the master bedroom and Jack wanted a yard with room for a garden and his own bathroom if it could be worked out. The kids' SpongeBob themed bathroom was fun but it would be nice to have a little space to himself. Jenny made a list of their wants as they talked.
They discussed neighborhoods they wouldn't mind living in and neighborhoods they wanted to stay far away from. The bank had preapproved them for a large sum of money and they talked about how much of that they actually wanted to spend. Gibbs' house and Jenny's brownstone would go on the market and Jack insisted on giving them large sum of the money he'd received from the sale of his house.
Between his house and the store he was sitting on more money than he knew what to do with. Some would be put away for his grandkids' futures, some for emergencies and the rest would just sit in the bank and accumulate a little interest. Jenny would email their list to the realtor they'd been working with and hope for quick results.
Josie was the first one up from her nap, not to anyone's surprise. She tiptoed down the stairs with one of her baby dolls and peeked around the corner into the living room. "Psst," she whispered to anyone who would listen.
"Come here, Sweetheart," Jenny said with a warm smile.
"Can I get up now?" Josie asked as she walked over to her mother.
"Yeah, climb up here with us, Babe," Jenny said patting the couch cushion next to her.
Josie climbed up next to Jenny and sat down in her lap. She stole a peek at her baby sister sleeping on Gibbs' chest while Jenny wrapped her arms around her and kissed her head. Even though she'd seen the twins at the hospital every day, it wasn't the same as being home cuddling with them and enjoying the little things she sometimes took for granted.
"Is Lizzy sleeping again?" Josie whispered.
"Yes she is," Jenny said. "She's taking a nap on Daddy's tummy."
"How come she sleeps so much? I want to play with her," Josie said.
"Babies need a lot of sleep," Jenny explained. "As she grows she'll sleep less and play more."
"Can I have a fruit roll up for snack?" Josie asked.
"I want you to choose a piece of fruit today," Jenny said. "All that sugar's not good for your teeth."
"A banana?" Josie asked.
"Sounds good," Jenny said. "Would you like some peanut butter to go with it?"
"Yes please," Josie said following Jenny into the kitchen.
Gibbs and Jack watched the girls disappear then smiled at each other. Jack was enjoying a little down time. Taking care of the kids while Gibbs and Jenny were at the hospital had been exhausting. The four year olds had a lot more energy than he did.
"I'm gonna go put Lizzy down in her crib and get Bailey up," Gibbs said rising from the couch.
"I think I'll sit right here and keep this chair warm," Jack said with a big grin.
"Thanks for all your help, Dad," Gibbs said. Jack had made the last couple days a lot easier.
"That's what I'm here for, Leroy," Jack said.
Gibbs gave a grateful nod then headed upstairs. He laid Lizzy down in her crib then went down the hall to the twins' room. Bailey was curled in a ball in the middle of his bed, sound asleep. Gibbs leaned over and kissed his temple then sat down next to him and rubbed his big hand over Bailey's small back. Bailey opened his eyes as Gibbs picked him and hugged him.
"Did you sleep good?" Gibbs asked.
"Yeah," Bailey said with a smile.
"Ready for a snack?" Gibbs asked heading for the stairs.
Bailey shook his head and cuddled into his daddy. He didn't want food. He wanted attention. It was always hard on him when his dad wasn't there. He felt like the stress and pressure of being the man of the house fell on his shoulders and he took that responsibility very seriously. He wrapped his arms around Gibbs' neck and his legs around Gibbs' waist and smiled when he got a kiss on the cheek. His parents were home again. Life was good.
Josie spent the afternoon carrying her baby doll around and mimicking everything the adults did with Lizzy. Both of the twins were curious about their new little sister. They watched intently and asked endless questions about everything. Gibbs, Jenny and Jack answered them patiently. Bailey stuck close to Daddy and Mommy, enjoying having them home again. Both twins played curiously with the bright, colorful baby toys and Josie even tried to sit in the car seat. When she realized she didn't fit very well she put her baby doll in instead.
Towards the middle of the afternoon Gibbs and Jack took the twins out to do some grocery shopping. They decided to stop by a nearby playground first so Jenny would have an opportunity to get some rest while Lizzy slept. She wouldn't admit it but Gibbs could see how tired she was. Noisy twins in a cramped house, breastfeeding the baby every couple hours and her hormones were all taking their toll on her.
Jenny finished another round of diaper changing, feeding and burping Lizzy then laid her down in her crib and she relaxed in bed. She wasn't intending on going to sleep but within a matter of minutes she was out. She didn't wake until an hour and a half later when she heard the baby fussing. She moaned as she stretched and got herself up then headed for the bathroom before getting Lizzy out of her crib. It was a little early to feed her so Jenny went to the nursery and grabbed a couple toys before heading downstairs to get comfortable on the couch.
With Lizzy cradled comfortably in one arm, Jenny showed her one of her rattles and shook it to make a little noise. The baby's mouth popped open and she started moving around excitedly which put a smile on Jenny's face. After the rattle she grabbed a large, soft, multicolored daisy and put it in front of Lizzy's face. Lizzy reached her hands towards the soft, fuzzy object and swatted excitedly at it. Jenny laughed as she watched her daughter's eyes grow wide and listened to her grunt and make other soft noises. While they were playing the doorbell rang.
"Who could that be?" Jenny asked in baby talk as she smiled at her child. She looked out the front window and saw Ducky's Morgan in the driveway. "I think that's your Uncle Ducky," she cooed as she headed for the door. "Yes it is." She opened the door and let Ducky in.
"I hope I'm not interrupting," Ducky said. "I wanted to bring you guys some dinner so you didn't have to worry about cooking tonight."
"Thank you Ducky," Jenny said still cooing at the baby. "That's so thoughtful." She followed him into the kitchen and waited while he put the pan of lasagna in oven then they sat together on the couch in the living room. Jenny let Ducky hold Lizzy and they both cooed at her and shook her rattle, watching as the stimulation excited her.
"How are you doing, my dear?" Ducky asked. "Are you getting enough rest and nourishment?"
"I'm tired," Jenny admitted. "The twins want attention and Lizzy needs attention. Breastfeeding is exhausting, especially in the middle of the night. I want to be able to do everything for my family, the cooking, the cleaning, taking care of the kids, taking care of Jethro but sometimes it's a challenge just to get up off the couch. What's wrong with me, Ducky?"
Ducky smiled lovingly at her. "It sounds like you're experiencing some postpartum depression which is perfectly normal. Give it a little time and your hormone levels will return to normal and you'll start feeling like your old self. Until then, you need to accept the help that's here and not feel guilty about not being able to do it all. You and Jethro are partners, you're supposed to help each other. Jethro enjoys taking care of his family just as much as you do, my dear. I can assure you, it's not an inconvenience."
"You're right, Ducky," Jenny said running her hand over Lizzy's soft hair. "I've been independent for so long it's hard to let someone take care of me. It's hard to accept help and not just do everything for myself."
"You two have had a lot thrown at you this year," Ducky said, "but if you just remember you're on the same team and to keep the lines of communication open, you'll be just fine. Now, what kind of schedule are you on?"
"Schedule?" Jenny asked. "What do you mean?"
Ducky smiled as he patted her shoulder. "You need to get everything on a schedule," he said, "especially the kids. Naps, feedings, baths, what time they get up and go to bed, everything. I can assure you, things will go much smoother."
"You mean there's a way to eliminate all the chaos around here?" Jenny asked jokingly.
"Eliminate, no," Ducky said, "but you can lessen it. Are you getting enough rest?"
"Probably not," Jenny said with a shrug. "I'm up every couple hours feeding the baby. I didn't sleep well at the hospital because I was worried about Bailey and Josie. I don't like being away from them. Plus, there's all this new stuff. I've never taken care a baby before, Ducky. What if I screw up?"
"I recommend pumping some breast milk so Jethro can help with middle of the night feedings and you will mess up," Ducky said with a laugh, "but you're a natural. You know what to do; you just have to trust your judgment. You have a lot of help. Don't be afraid to ask for it or accept it when it's offered."
"Thank you Ducky," Jenny said.
"Anytime," Ducky said with a wink as he smiled warmly at her. "Your hormone levels will even out and you'll start feeling better, especially as you find a new routine and settle in."
Lizzy started getting fussy and Jenny knew she was hungry again. Ducky told Jenny how long the lasagna needed to bake for then said goodbye. Jenny was in the middle of feeding Lizzy when Gibbs and Jack arrived home with the kids.
"Something smells good," Gibbs said as he leaned in to kiss Jenny then kissed Lizzy's head.
"Ducky brought lasagna over for dinner," Jenny said with a smile. "It should be done in about fifteen minutes."
"Is it dinner time for Lizzy?" Bailey asked taking a peek at his baby sister.
"Yes it is," Jenny said running her hand over Bailey's head. "It's almost dinner time for you too. Why don't you and Josie go wash up then help Daddy set the table?"
"I wanna give you a kiss first," Bailey said climbing up next to her. He kissed his mom and his baby sister then Josie had to do the same before the two scurried down the hall to wash up.
"You look like you're feeling a little better," Gibbs said sitting next to her and brushing her hair back behind her ear. "Did you get some rest?"
"Yes and I had a nice chat with Ducky," Jenny said as she leaned into Gibbs. "Did you two have fun with the twins?"
"Those two really know how to wear you out," Jack said with a laugh.
The twins came barreling back into the living room and jumped on Gibbs.
"We're ready, Daddy," Josie said.
"I'm ready too," Gibbs said. He leaned in and gave Jenny another kiss before getting up. "I love you," he said.
"I love you," Jenny said back.
After dinner and baths, Jenny laid down with the twins to read them a bedtime story. It had only been a couple days but she felt like she'd missed out on weeks of their lives. The three of them crammed themselves into Bailey's bed and Jenny wrapped her arms around each of them as she read. It didn't take much for the kids to talk her into reading another story and then another. Five books later, Jenny hugged them tight before tucking them into their own beds and kissing their heads. She told them she loved them then left them to go to sleep.
Jack was heading into his room as Jenny came out of the twins' room. "I'm gonna hit the rack early tonight," he said.
"You okay?" Jenny asked.
"Just tired," Jack said. "I think I'll read for a little while before I turn in."
"Thanks for all you've been doing around here, Jack," Jenny said giving him a hug. "We really couldn't have done this without you."
"You guys would do just fine," Jack said, "but I'm happy to help out." He kissed her cheek then headed into his room and Jenny continued down the hall to her room where Gibbs was entertaining Lizzy.
She sat down on the bed next to Gibbs and listened to the song he was singing their daughter. Lizzy watched intently, everything from Gibbs' mouth and tongue to his eyes and nose. She was captivated by her father's face. The two parents sat in bed making funny faces and silly noises just so they could watch their daughter's face light up. They took turns kissing her face, pretending to eat her hands and feet and blowing raspberries on her belly.
When Lizzy started to fuss Gibbs changed her diaper then passed her off to Jenny to feed her. Once she was fed, burped and sleeping both Gibbs and Jenny relaxed in bed. Jenny pulled out the breast pump and dumped the contents of the box into her lap.
"I need to figure out how to use this thing," she said pulling out the instructions.
"Does that mean I can start helping you feed her?" Gibbs asked picking up one of the pumps and putting it over his chest.
Jenny laughed as she watched him. "Only if it means I don't have to start helping with diaper duty," she teased. So far Gibbs had been changing diapers while Jenny got ready to feed. They hadn't really worked out a plan yet. Both were still getting the hang of things. Gibbs was trying to help however he could just to take some of the burden off and Jenny was just trying to keep up.
"Actually I'm just going to try to figure this thing out tomorrow," Jenny decided. "I'm tired. I want to sleep."
"Sounds like a plan," Gibbs said handing her the pump he'd been playing with. "If we don't sleep when Lizzy sleeps, we're never going to get any rest." He pulled Jenny close to his chest and held her tight, kissing her and stroking his hand slowly through her hair until she fell asleep.