Chapter 46

Mrs. Hoyt was quiet for a moment and then answered, "Well the gown is here if the two of you should decide to use it. Now I also made a few things for the baby as well. It's all well and good to have family items, but you should have new things for the baby too. This may look like just another homemade bear, but he has dried lavender and chamomile flowers inside and they will help little Riley to sleep. You just leave him in the corner of his crib and he will do the rest."

"Thanks mom! That sounds like it will come in very handy. There are nights I could use something like that. I don't suppose you could make an adult version?!"

"Of course I can, but I doubt you need it in bear form. How about a small decorative pillow to put on your nightstand?"

"That would be perfect," Woody told her. "What else did you make?"

"I made a bunch of these cotton diaper covers because I figured that here in the city you probably only have those awful plastic disposable kinds. At least with these covers, they won't look as bad."

Jordan looked at the odd little contraptions wondering if she would be able to figure out how to put them on, but then she remembered Evelyn was staying to help out with the baby and maybe she could watch her so she wouldn't look as if she didn't have a clue, which she actually didn't.

"Thank you Evelyn, these are very pretty."

"You are very welcome, my dear, and last but not least, I have a special coming home outfit if you don't already have one picked out."

The parents to be looked at each other a moment and then Jordan said, "We didn't really have anything extra special planned, just a little yellow sleeper with a duck on the front of it."

"Oh that will work out perfectly then! I made a sweater, hat, booties, and blanket set for him in mint green and lavender. They should go just fine with the yellow sleeper."

"A blanket and sweater in July, mom?!" Woody questioned.

"Yes," she insisted. "You always want to dress a baby one layer warmer than yourself and blanket is as much to keep the sun off of him as it is to keep him warm. I made everything very light weight and 100% cotton so it breathes."

"It sounds like you've thought of everything Evelyn. I will be sure to find room for this in my hospital bag," Jordan told her, running her hand over the fine workmanship on the tiny sweater she was holding.

"Anything that you don't have room for, I am sure Woody and I can bring with us."

"Of course we can Jordie," Woody agreed.

The next day was her due date and both Evelyn and Woody were shocked when she came into the kitchen for breakfast dressed for work.

"Where do you think you are going?!" her husband demanded.

"Woody, I feel fine and just because the doctor has picked this date on the calendar doesn't meat it is the day Riley will be born. I don't feel any different today than I did yesterday so I don't see any reason why I shouldn't go in to work."

Support for her argument came from an unexpected source, "Jordan is right Woody. Not one of the five of you children showed up on your due dates. You were a day early…"

Evelyn paused only a moment to grin at Jordan when she muttered, "It figures," before going on to say, "Marla was three days early, Teresa and Daphne were two and four days late respectively, Kim was over a week late."

"So, there's no reason I shouldn't go to work today!" Jordan insisted. "Women are in labor for hours after their water breaks, so even if it starts at work I'll have plenty of time to call you to meet me at the hospital. I'll even put my bag in the car so I will have it with me."

"Alright," he sighed. "Having the bag with you is a good idea, but I will take it out to the car for you."

To be continued…