Hi! Anyone still there? Okay, so it's been a really long time since I updated this story. Sorry. Truth? I had a mind block and basically convinced myself that writing it was a waste of time. BUT, I have since changed my mind. I'm in the process of writing a novel and I realized that the more I practice writing, the better. So, I'm back, and I plan to post at least three chapters this week. Stay tuned for the end of this chapter too, because I'm starting a new fic as well, and I need your help! Thanks for joining me on this little escapade!
Henry was a week old, but it felt like he'd been a part of the Castle family forever. Both Kate and Rick were exhausted and sleep-deprived beyond belief, but parenthood suited them, and there wasn't a day they didn't wonder how they got so lucky.
Kate had taken three months maternity leave, and Castle had scaled back his publicity events and meetings, so the two of them spent nearly every minute together with their baby boy, who was already changing so much. Each day, he figured out a new facial expression, and for a skinny baby at birth, he was already starting to gain weight and fill out his newborn clothes.
He was a relatively easy baby, but he wanted to be held above anything else. He rarely cried, but if someone tried to put him down, he would scream and scream and SCREAM. However, the lovestruck parents were happy to oblige, and most hours of the day, Henry laid snug in their arms.
Today was Henry's first doctor's appointment, which would also be the Castle's first time outside as a family of three. The new parents were looking forward to escaping the loft for a few hours, and shaking off some of the cabin fever they'd accumulated being stuck in the loft.
Henry had been up crying most of the night, so both parents were fast asleep in their bed. Castle was on his stomach with one arm swung lazily over Kate's waist, who was curled up on her side clutching a pacifier in one hand and resting her other hand protectively on the baby in the bassinet beside her.
Henry began to whimper, and Kate immediately twitched at the sound. She sat up and rubbed her bleary eyes, scanning the room for the clock. It was 5:45 AM, which meant that Henry had barely been asleep for an hour.
"Shhh, Hen, I'm coming baby," she whispered to her son. "You need your sleep, little man! Why are you fighting it?" She pulled the baby into her arms and sidestepped her way out of the dark room. She thought about feeding him in the bed, but she wanted at least one parent to be somewhat rested, so she made her way to the study. Castle had gotten a lazy boy a couple months ago for his video games, and it was quickly turning into one of her favorite places to feed the baby.
Henry was starting to squeak and root for her breast through the thin cotton of the v-neck she had on, so she cradled him to one arm and slipped off the shirt. She settled into the chair, and waited for her son to latch on.
He quickly started to suck, and she felt his body relax as he settled in. They stayed that way until finally, they both fell back asleep snuggled up in the chair, with the whispers of sunrise falling over the room.
An hour later, Castle woke up and rolled over, seeking the warmth of his wife, but to his disappointment, finding the bed empty. He scrubbed a hand through his hair, and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he walked to the bathroom. He brushed his teeth and slipped on a t-shirt, and walked to the kitchen, in search of his family. Finding the room empty, he started the coffee, and cracked some eggs to scramble. He grabbed the baby monitor from the table, and clicked through the screens, looking for Kate and Henry.
He'd insisted on getting one of the fanciest baby monitors, which Kate had initially resisted, until he showed her that it could not only let them see and speak to the baby, but measure Henry's temperature and breathing as well, when he was in his crib. They'd set up three cameras throughout the loft: one in the nursery, one in their bedroom, and one in the study. Once Henry was no longer sleeping in their room, they planned to move the camera to the playroom.
Castle found his wife on the third screen, asleep with their baby on her lap. He watched their chests rise and fall with each breath, and content, returned the monitor to its charging station. He finished making breakfast, grabbed the newspaper from the doorway where their doorman had dropped it, and set the table.
Finally, he walked to the study and kissed his wife on the cheek, whispering sweet nothings in her ear as she slowly woke up. She stretched her arm over her head and flashed a sleepy smile in his direction, reaching up to pull him in for a deeper kiss.
The two rose as one, and Castle took the baby from Kate's arms. They ate their breakfast slowly, and read through the newspaper together, discussing the current events as usual. Afterwards, they got dressed, (Castle in bermuda shorts and a polo, Kate in a maxi skirt and loose tank top, and Henry in a blue striped onesie), and packed the diaper bag.
"For someone so small," Castle remarked, "Henry sure has a lot of stuff." It was true, the diaper bag was stuffed full of blankets, outfit changes, pacifiers, toys, wipes, and of course, diapers.
When they were all packed, Castle grabbed the stroller from the coat closet and Kate placed Henry in his car seat. They rode the elevator down to the underground garage, and loaded up the Range Rover with all their stuff. Kate clicked Henry into place in the middle seat, and climbed into the front seat next to Castle. She wiggled her fingers in his lap until he laced their hands together, and they drove to the doctor's office with the Black Key's playing in the background.
When they arrived, Kate started to feel nervous. Their baby, though growing at a steady rate, was still extremely skinny, and she was concerned that he wasn't gaining enough weight. Plus, there was still the issue of the constant crying unless he was held, and while that didn't bother the new parents, what if it bothered the doctor?
Castle sensed her anxiety, and pulled her tight against him. They walked arm in arm through the parking lot, as Rick cradled the car seat with his elbow. She signed them in, and they grabbed seats in the "well child" area. Kate watched a child with a coughing fit for a few moments, and made a mental note to sanitize everything when they got home.
The nurse called them back, and recorded all of Henry's vitals, reassuring Beckett that everything was as it should be. She left them with a few papers to fill out, and went to get the doctor.
Dr. Lily Andrews was one of the best in New York. She was consistently placed on lists of top doctors, and came well-recommended from Kate's OB-GYN. They'd met her twice before: once at a consult meeting a few months earlier, and once at the hospital when she came to check on newborn Henry.
She entered a few minutes later with a swift knock on the door, and entered with a huge smile. "Hi Castles!" She exclaimed, pausing to shake both Kate and Rick's hands. "How's little Henry doing?"
"Great," Kate smiled. "He is an awesome baby; we're so in love with him already." Rick nodded in agreement, and cradled Henry on his lap.
"I'm glad to hear that," Dr. Andrews said with a laugh. "It's always a bad sign when parents don't like their baby," she winked. "He looks great; he's growing just as he should be, and his stats are perfect. He's a skinny little dude- his height is reaching the 90th percentile, but his weight is clocking in at 30%. I know that sounds like a big difference, but it's completely normal, and looking at both of you, he seems to be taking after his parents."
"I don't know about me, but Kate is definitely a skinny beanpole," Castle joked, to which Kate rolled her eyes and thumped his ear.
"A beanpole, Castle? Really? There's gotta be better names you can call me," she winked at her husband, who swallowed roughly in response.
Kate laughed, and turned back to the doctor. "Does he need any shots?"
"Yes, unfortunately your smiley baby is gonna be hating me in about five minutes. He needs a quick hepatitis booster, so it shouldn't bee too bad, but don't be concerned if he's a little more lethargic than usual today; it's just the vaccine working its way through his system. Do you guys have any other questions before I go get Cindy to do the shot?"
"Should we be concerned if he cries every single time he's not being held?" Kate asked.
"No, that's completely normal. At this age, it's best if the infants set the pace. If they want to sleep, let them sleep. If they want to eat, let them. And if he wants to be held all the time, then cuddle him all day long. All babies need is a whole lot of TLC."
"Okay, good, I just wanted to make sure we weren't ruining him," Kate laughed in reply. The doctor shook their hands again, and the nurse came in to administer the shot.
Kate held Henry in her lap as Cindy wiped his thigh clean with an alcohol wipe. Poor Henry had no idea what was coming; he was laughing and smiling at his dad's funny faces. But once Beckett held his leg still, he began to whimper. The nurse expertly stabbed the shot into his leg, and took it out before he could fall apart. But as she withdrew the needle, Henry dissolved into tears. Kate pulled him close to her chest and rubbed his back, but he kept screaming. The nurse went to pat his back, but he cried even harder.
Castle checked them out at the front desk, and Kate walked to the car, bouncing the baby and rocking him back and forth. Finally, he settled down, but of course, the second she placed him in his car seat, he started crying again. She cursed quietly under her breath, and jumped when she felt a hand at her waist. Castle leaned in and took Henry from her arms.
"Hey, Kate, why don't we go straight to the restaurant for lunch? It's not that far of a walk, and we can bring the stroller," Castle said while cradling the tiny baby against his shoulder.
Kate agreed, and grabbed the stroller from the trunk of the car. She loaded up the car seat and diaper bag, and the two of them crossed the street to walk along next to the greenbelt on the other side.
Holding hands, Rick and Kate strolled to the restaurant, stopping every so often to readjust the baby and talk to a random bystander. They reveled in the moment: the cool summer air, their babbling baby boy, the smiles of pedestrians, and the easy conversation, and for the hundredth that day, wondered how they ever got so lucky.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I don't know if it was my best work, so feel free to critique :) As always, favorites, follows, and reviews are much appreciated! I apologize for any errors, in advance.
I mentioned at the beginning of this chapter that I'm starting a new story. I suddenly got an itch to write older Caskett babies, so I'll be writing a fic that takes place about six years after Honey, Let Me Sing You a Song, and includes more Castle children! It's going to be about the Castle's taking an extended vacation, and my question for you is, where should they go? I'm picturing it lasting between two to four weeks, and so far, I've come up with Disney World, a cruise, a beach house, and a ski trip. Does anyone have any ideas? Which setting would you prefer it to take place at? Let me know what you think, and I'll have that story started by the end of the week.
Thanks again for reading, and have an awesome day!