Jennifer sat on the couch trying to get four month old Keegan to go to sleep. It was way beyond his naptime and she wanted to rest herself. She thought he'd fall asleep easily being overtired, but no, he was just in a grumpy, cranky mood.
"To the pool," Katie said over the screeches and yells of her baby brother as she walked out the door.
Jen continued to bounce Keegan in her arms, but his wails continued.
"Do you need help?" Kendall yelled entering the room with Jo by his side.
Jennifer shook her head.
"OK, well we're going out." And the two disappeared out the door.
"My Little Sweetie Pie, Mommy's tired."
Keegan answered her by spitting up on her shoulder. His screams, however, did not stop.
"Hello, Mrs. Knight," Alexa suddenly greeted. "Hope you don't mind me coming in. I knocked but I guess you didn't hear."
"It's fine. I'm sure Carlos has told you you're welcome to come and go as you please."
"What?" Alexa pointed to the baby. "Can't hear you."
"Sorry," Jennifer mouthed.
"Hey, Keeg," Alexa greeted the baby, "are you not happy? Why are you so unhappy?"
"He's—" Jennifer started but was interrupted by Carlos appearing at the top of the slide.
"I thought I heard you." He waved to Alexa and then proceeded to slide down his favorite swirly. He came out head first and ended up landing in a forward role. He tried standing up, but lost his balance, and fell over.
Suddenly the apartment fell silent except for one gleeful sound.
Keegan was laughing.
"Oh, you think that's funny, don't you?" Carlos successfully got this feet. "Seeing Carlos almost kill himself is such a delight for you." He pretended to trip over his feet garnering a few giggles from the baby. "Oh, that's real funny? I bet you'd be laughing up a storm if I ended up breaking a bone!"
"Do you know what that was?" Jennifer asked with a smile on her tired face. "His first laugh. That's your first laugh, Keegie." She tickled the baby earning smaller laughs. "You think Carlos is funny, don't you? Is Carlos funny?"
"Funny looking," Alexa muttered with a sly smile.
"What?"
"Oh nothing."
Carlos took Keegan from Jennifer and bounced him around the room. The sleepy boy slowly laid his head on his Hispanic brother's shoulder and faded away.
Jennifer gasped.
"What?" Carlos glanced at Keegan and then back at Jennifer.
"He's asleep!" She came over and kissed Carlos on the cheek. "Thank you so much! I've been trying for the past hour."
Jennifer slowly and carefully took the baby from Carlos.
"We're gonna go to the pool or something," Alexa reached for Carlos's hand, "and let you two nap."
"Yes, thank you."
.O.
We're back to Keegan screaming again.
"Bob, bake hib stob!" Katie shouted through a cold she had developed in the last few days.
"I'm trying, honey. I've given him the teething ring, an ice cold carrot, the numbing medication, and nothing's working." Jennifer walked over to her daughter lying on the orange couch. "How are you feeling?" She put a hand on Katie's forehead.
"I'd be feeling bedder if he would stob screabig!"
"Katie, he's teething."
"Well, do subthig aboud id!"
"I'm trying! You're not making things easier."
"I'b sorry I'b sick." Katie rolled her eyes.
"Hey!" Mitch knocked on the door as he opened it. He and Jen had been seeing more of each other these past few months and now they had…
"Our date!" Jennifer smacked her forehead with the hand that wasn't holding crying Keegan.
"What's wrong with this little guy?" Mitch took his son from his mother.
"Teething."
"Poor guy. Do you have a teething ring? You know you're supposed to keep them in the freezer and then give them to the baby to soothe his pain."
It took everything in Jennifer to not roll her eyes.
"I've raised two kids already; I think I know what I'm doing." She pulled a blue ring out of the freezer. "He won't take it."
Mitch grabbed the ring and held it in Keegan's mouth. Keegan began sucking, chewing, and then took hold of the ring himself. With tears still in his eyes he looked up at his dad and smiled.
"I give up!" Jennifer threw her hands in the air.
"Hey, I'm sure you do the best you can, but he just needed his father." He kissed Jen on the forehead. "I got reservations at Chez Fancee. You can be ready in an hour?"
"Bu—" she protested.
"I cad watch Keegad," Katie piped up.
"No, you're sick."
"Bud, I cad still…"
"I don't want to risk getting him sick."
"Bud—"
"No buts."
"But—"
"No buts with you, either, Mister!"
"Where are your sons?"
"My sons? Oh, Kendall and the boys?"
"Rehearsig wid Gustavo," Katie replied.
"I can't leave Keegan with Katie and we can't take him with us to the restaurant," Jennifer admitted.
"Hey, hey," He put an arm around Jennifer. "We don't need a fancy restaurant to make a good date. We can order Chinese and spend the evening watching a movie with the kids."
"You don't mind?"
"Of course not. Keegan's my son and I love spending time with Katie."
Katie rolled her eyes but on the inside she relished in the fact that Mitch loved her like a daughter.
Just little milestones in Keegan's life and Jen and Mitch's relationship.
Got a new chapter out. Rejoice! :p
In Big Time Cartoon after the guys jump out of the dumpster with their decade clothes on I think Kendall is wearing two different shoes (I also wonder if they are wearing vintage underwear or going commando…remember, the reason they couldn't take their video game suits off was because they weren't wearing underwear).