24th December 2014
At five months old, it was going to be the octuplets' first christmas, and thankfully Tom would be at home so they could spend it together as a family. Sam was having an early run in the home gym at 7am, when Tom entered - dressed in only his boxers - the large open and airy room with a distressed Ellie balanced on his hip. As soon as the infant in a pink baby grow with her brown wavy hair sticking up in all directions saw her mother, she reached her arms out towards her so Sam had to step off the treadmill and take the girl into her own arms as she caught her breath back.
"She didn't like waking up without any sign of you." Tom said sleepily as he ran his hand through his hair.
"Why are you so dependent on me eh?" Sam sighed as she bounced the infant on her hip to calm her down. "Daddy can give you everything that I can." She added.
"Sorry to disturb your morning run." Tom apologised.
"No worries. I was going to stop soon anyway; I feel a bit off." Sam admitted.
"Oh trust you to get ill on christmas." Tom moaned.
"And trust you to think that's the end of the world, you big kid." Sam retorted.
7pm
Sam and Tom were sitting in the living room on the sofa feeding Summer and Megan their only solid meal all day - mashed up banana mixed with milk. They were the last to be fed, as the other six had already been put to sleep upstairs.
"Can you keep an eye on Megan for a minute please?" Sam asked as she held the pot of mush towards her husband, and Megan's eyes followed the pot as she reached out for it.
"Yeah sure. You alright?" Tom asked as he took the pot. He watched as Sam placed a hand on her lower abdomen as she stood up.
"Fine. I'll be back in a minute." Sam replied before she left the room and went into the small family bathroom under the staircase. She didn't feel well at all as she sat down on the toilet, but as she leant forward in an attempt to relieve her discomfort, she realised the cause of it - there was bright red blood in her grey pyjama bottoms.
She hadn't had a period in over 12 months because the octuplets had been conceived on their wedding night, and of all days, it had returned on Christmas Eve. She cleaned herself up as best as she could, and then put a small wad of toilet tissue between her legs, before she flushed the toilet, washed her hands and quickly but quietly made her way upstairs.
Tom had been waiting for Sam to return for five minutes as he fed both babies their evening supper whilst the white lights on the christmas tree besides him slowly light up, and then darkened to make the room feel warmer. There were plenty of presents under the tree that had over flowed onto the rug. Most of which were for the octuplets from their parents, and some from Fletch. But Tom had added Sam's presents and hidden them at the back, and Sam had hidden Tom's presents at the side of the pile.
Finally he heard her slowly come down stairs, but she didn't enter the living room. He heard her go into the kitchen, and then he heard the creasing of foil followed by two pops as it appeared she was taking tablets. A few moments later, she reappeared wearing different, darker pyjama bottoms and a dark blue hoodie that covered her bum and she forced a smile as she slowly sat back down on the sofa and then took Megan's pot of food back.
"Are you alright?" Tom asked concernedly.
"Fine." Sam muttered as she took Megan back in her lap and began feeding the confused girl once again.
"Have you got an upset stomach? You said you weren't feeling well earlier and you were in the toilet a while." He said softly As he knew that if she was ill, she'd be ashamed to admit it.
"I'm fine. I just... I've started my period again, so what we were planning for tomorrow night... We'll have to leave it." Sam replied awkwardly.
"Oh right, don't worry about tomorrow then, we'll have more time with this lot... Have you got a stomach ache?" Tom asked kindly.
"Ive taken ibuprofen." Sam replied clinically but Tom saw right through her. She watched as Tom reached behind him whilst juggling Leah in his arms, and he pulled a wrapped present from under the tree.
"It's from the kids, go on. Have an early present." He smiled.
"No thanks. I'll wait until tomorrow." Sam replied.
"Sam, either you open it, or I'll open it for you." Tom ordered so she reluctantly took the present and opened it to find a hot water bottle with a cream coloured knitted cover of blue and pink hearts, and in the middle, it said 'Mummy'. "It was intended for when you get cold at night, but I suppose now it'll help even more." Tom smiled as he got up, sat Leah next to her mum and then headed to the kitchen to full it up.
"Thank you." Sam said gratefully.
"Don't thank me. I told you, it's from the kids. You want a hot chocolate before we go to bed too?" He queried.
"No thanks. Otherwise I'll be up all night weeing." Sam joked halfheartedly, and a few minutes later, Tom returned with her hot water bottle. "Thanks." She smiled as she took it and hugged it against her abdomen.
"Right, are you two filled up and ready for bed?" Tom smiled as he picked up Megan and Summer and balanced them on his hips. "We'd best get you up to bed otherwise Santa won't come."
"Are we really going to make them believe in Santa?" Sam huffed.
"Yeah, course we are. I was never told about him and I hated it, so I want our lot to know." Tom stated.
"What do you mean you were never told about Santa?"
"Come on, I'll tell you in bed." Tom said softly and he sympathised for his wife as he watched her grimace whilst she stood up. Slowly, she began to make her way upstairs so Tom used his elbow to switch the lights off, before he headed back upstairs.
It was Charlie, Jonny and Aaron's turn to sleep in Sam and Tom's bed that night, so the other babies were asleep, and Sam and Tom were in bed with the three boys in between them.
"So why weren't you told about Santa?" Sam queried as she gently stroked Aaron's soft, light brown hair.
"Well, y'know I was put in care, that was when I was 3 or 4. Then I went to an emergency adoption family because mum had died and dad was in trouble with the police, but they didn't know if my dad would be arrested so I was with a family temporarily. Then when my dad was arrested and sentenced a couple of weeks later, they moved me into a children's care home, and... Well I just never really picked it up I suppose. Everyone else in the home was older than me, and they all knew that Santa didn't exist." Tom explained quietly.
"How did your mum..." Sam trailed off curiously, but she stopped in case it upset him.
"I can't really remember to be honest... They told me she'd had an accident, and bled to death but I don't know what kind of accident... But I've always assumed it was a car accident." Tom admitted.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. Anyway, c'mon it's Christmas Eve you need to get some sleep, because I have got plenty of games and activities planned for tomorrow." Tom ordered as he got a little comfier under the duvet, checked that his sons were well away from being under the duvet, and then switched the light off.
"Night night." Sam whispered as she hugged the hot water bottle against her abdomen.
"Goodnight." Tom replied softly, before the family fell into a deep sleep.
25th December 2014
Sam awoke to a dull ache in her lower abdomen, but she felt far better than the previous night. Thankfully, her children had slept through the night as usual, and she smiled to herself as she realised that in a few years, her children would not sleep all night because they would be too excited about Santa delivering presents.
"Merry Christmas!" Tom smiled as he entered the bedroom with a tray, and he pressed play on his iPhone to began playing 'All I want for christmas is you.'
"Merry christmas." Sam repeated as she slowly sat up and leant against the bed headboard. She had Charlie, Jonny and Aaron still besides her in the bed but they were fast asleep. Tom placed the tray on Sam's lap before knelt down on the carpet besides her because his sons were on the bed and he didn't want to disturb them. There were two glasses of orange juice, and two plates of French cinnamon toast made with brioche and dusted with icing sugar to make it sweet. "Mm, this smells lovely." Sam smiled as she picked up a slice and took a small bite of it.
"That's because it was made with love." Tom joked halfheartedly. "You feeling alright this morning?" He queried as he took the hot water bottle off of the tray that he had refilled, and then tucked it in the duvet against her stomach.
"Bit sore, but I'll have some more ibuprofen after I've eaten, and I'll be fine." Sam replied.
"Right well I think we should finish eating, then take a shower together. And once I've dressed the children into something festive, we can take them down to open presents." Tom smiled.
"A shower? Together?" Sam moaned.
"Oi, we showered together after your c section and you were bleeding a lot more then so don't go all shy on me now. I'll give you a few minutes in there first by yourself." Tom stated kindly.
"Fine." Sam rolled her eyes, but she had to admit, she looked forward to the intimate encounter. "I'm still worried about the 'festive gear' that you've got for the kids to wear." Sam admitted as she hadn't been allowed to see what he had bought for them.
"Trust me, they'll look adorable." Tom smiled. They soon finished their breakfast, and then they put the sleepy boys back in their cot before they went into the ensuite bathroom to have a shower together.
"Leave the door open, just in case they wake up." Sam ordered as she opened the bathroom door.
"Alright. I'll grab two towels from the airing cupboard for us if you want to hop in." Tom offered as he left the room and Sam nodded before she stripped from her pyjamas, put her used pad in the small bathroom bin and jumped in the shower. After a few minutes, her husband joined her in the shower and he wrapped his arms around her as they stood under the stream of warm water. Tom washed his hair, before he lovingly washed and conditioned Sam's for her, and they both lathered up in shower gel before rinsing off together.
They were enjoying each other's company under the stream of water, when they began to hear little hiccups, followed by crying. Sam went to dart from the shower but Tom blocked her exit.
"Sam, Ellie's got to get used to being without you for a little while." Tom said softly yet sternly.
"But-"
"No, c'mon just leave her and see if she settles." Tom said as he wrapped his arms around her back and eyed up her body. As the crying escalated, both Sam and Tom noticed the droplets of white liquid forming around Sam's nipples before they dropped into the shower basin, and she knew she was leaking becuase of her baby's distressing cries.
"Tom, I can't leave her." Sam mumbled as she tried to escape but Tom was still in her way.
"She needs to learn. What's she going to be like when you return to work?"
"Tom... Please..." Sam begged as she looked up without tilting her head and gave her husband sad puppy dog eyes.
"Go on then." Tom sighed and Sam literally leapt out of the shower without even bothering drying herself as she jogged into the bedroom, quickly undressed Ellie and took her nappy off, and then got back into the shower with Ellie against her chest. "She's already got you wrapped around her little finger." Tom stated as he shook his head in disbelief that The Sam Kent was being so maternal.
"Tom, she's a baby who can't talk or do anything by herself. You and I are the only people in the entire world that she trusts, I can't just let her cry by herself. She was probably worried that we wouldn't come back." Sam said quietly as she bounced Ellie on her hip.
"Yes and I understand that, but what makes me laugh, is that Ellie is the only one who's like this, Bella is a little bit clingy, but the others are fine." Tom stated as he brushed his thumb against the little girl's cheek.
"Well they're all developing at different rates, I'm sure the others are going to go through a clingy period as well." Sam stated as she held Ellie tightly against her skin, and then cupped some water and let it trickle over her head.
"Just to make it clear, this is not a regular occurrence. Mummy and daddy shower together, it's not mummy, daddy and Ellie's shower time, just ours." Tom said sternly to Ellie who just giggled before she looked up at her mother. "Great, I can already tell she's not going to listen to me when she's older." Tom concluded and Sam couldn't help but smile.
"Do you blame her?" Sam joked.
"Trust me, I shall get my revenge when she's older. I'll embarrass her in front of her boyfriends, I'll call her my little princess until she's taller than me. Which will hopefully be never." Tom stated.
"Mm. She likes the shower."
"Were you even listening to me?" Tom moaned.
"Nope." Sam smiled. "Seriously look, she loves it." Sam stated as the little girl giggled because the water on her back was tickling her.
"I've already said, showering with her is not going to be a regular occurrence." Tom said sternly.
"We'll see." Sam smirked.
"Right, you ready?" Tom shouted. Sam was sitting impatiently in the living room in a festive jumper, leggings and thick socks on the carpet, waiting for Tom to unveil what he had dressed his children in for Christmas Day.
"I've been ready for half an hour Tom." Sam complained.
"Right, cue the music." Tom ordered. Sam rolled her eyes before she pressed play on Tom's phone where he had set up a christmas playlist. "And here comes Mr and Mr Claus." Tom announced as he entered the warm living room with Aaron and Leah dressed up in red costumes with everything from santa's belt and little black booties to Mrs Claus' little red fleecy dress with thick white tights underneath to keep her warm. Tom carried the pair in and sat them on the three seater sofa so that they were propped up, as they had planned to keep them there so they were safe.
"God, what has daddy done to you?!" Sam laughed as she shuffled along the carpet and sat directly in front of them.
"And before you ask, there wasn't any favouritism, these costumes were given to the oldest female and male." Tom stated. "Right, you three stay here, I'll go and get the next two." Tom smiled before he ran up the stairs. A few minutes later, he returned. "Here is Jonny the snowman, and Charlie the gingerbread man!" Tom announced as he entered and Sam cupped her hands over her mouth in shock as he brought Jonny who was in a fluffy white baby grow with the scarf and black hat and Charlie who was in a light brown coloured baby grow with gum drop buttons and a matching little beanie hat.
"Tom!" Sam laughed.
"What?! Oh c'mon, this is cute!" Tom protested as he sat the two on the sofa besides their siblings.
"Yeah but it's borderline child cruelty." Sam laughed.
"You wait and see what I've done to Ellie." Tom joked.
"Tom." Sam warned sternly.
"Don't worry, it's nothing sinister." Tom smirked but before Sam could continue, he quickly ran back upstairs. Sam sat watching her children occupy themselves by playing with their costumes, when Tom came back down. "Right, Summer the stocking, Megan the christmas pudding and Bella the reindeer!" Tom announced cheerily as he came down with the three girls in his arms facing outwards so Sam could see their happy faces.
"And what have you done with Ellie?" Sam questioned as he put those three on the sofa in a row, leaving a little gap on the end for the eighth child.
"Ah, I've saved the best for last." Tom stated before he disappeared upstairs.
"I bet he's wrapped her up in wrapping paper." Sam said quietly to her children as she tried to listen to what he was doing up there. After a few more minutes, she heard him creep down the stairs.
"Right, say hello, to Ellie the elf." Tom smiled as he came in with Ellie who had red and white striped tights on, with a green felt button up coat and a matching green hat. Sam burst out into a giggle as Tom placed her on the end of the sofa next to her siblings. "Well they've certainly cheered you up." Tom said smugly.
"Who said I needed cheering up?" Sam raised an eyebrow.
"Me, because you were rather grumpy yesterday." Tom replied as he sat in front of Sam on the carpet.
"Well, that's becuase I didn't feel right." Sam protested weakly.
"And now we know why so we can forget about it." Tom concluded. "Right, I think you should open your presents first."
"Why?" Sam queried, though she wasn't actually aware that she had presents because she had told Tom not to go spending loads of money on her.
"Because then if I've got any seriously wrong presents, you'll have forgotten them by lunchtime." Tom remarked cheekily.
"Oh, will I now?" Sam laughed.
Sam had opened her presents that were from Tom (and he had said from their children as well) and she had received a thick onesie, a new christmas jumper, a couple of new buttoned shirts which made breastfeeding easy, a new handbag big enough to contain bottles and nappies, a photo album of the octuplets since birth including many photos from NICU, and grey cardigan style, three button ugg boots that Tom had gotten for her to wear indoors to keep her feet warm.
Tom had received a few CDs that he had indiscreetly hinted at, along with a few jumpers, a new watch, a photo mug of him cuddling his three sons, a bottle of his - or rather Sam's - favourite cologne, a new wallet and a gift bag of his favourite chocolates.
And of course, the children had gotten plenty of gifts too. Fletch and given Sam and Tom a £50 voucher to spend on toys that they hadn't already gotten so they had new toys, new clothes, new blankets and many other things. The floor was plastered with wrapping paper, but the sofa where the eight children were sitting each with a new soft toy, was cleared because Sam had been worried about them becoming lost under the wrapping paper.
"Thank you." Sam and Tom both said as they gave each other a warm hug, before they pulled away.
"Listen, I know you're probably going to say you don't mind missing out, but I really want you to go out on New Year's Eve." Sam stated. "Go out with Fletch, Zoe and that lot and get as hammered as you want because you've barely even touched alcohol since the babies have been born, let alone been to a pub. I want you to go out and have a good time, because I'll be just fine with these lot."
"Well, I'm not gonna turn down an offer like that!" Tom laughed. "Nah, but seriously, you sure? I honestly don't mind."
"Yeah, I want you to go out, enjoy yourself." Sam ordered.
"Well then, thank you mummy." Tom smiled before he leant in and gave her a passionate kiss on the lips for several moments. "We should probably start clearing up this wrapping paper because your kids made quite a mess." Tom stated.
"Oh, my kids are they?"
"Well, only when they're being pain in the backsides." Tom concluded.
"Right that's it you-" Sam launched forward and playfully got on top of him with her MMA skills, but he quickly used his strength as an advantage and turned her over so he was on top of her amongst the mountain of wrapping paper.
"I..." Tom began to sing a long note as he stared into his wife's eyes. "Don't want a lot for christmas... There is just nine things I need..." He smiled. "I can't help but care about the presents, underneath the Christmas tree... I just want you for my own. More than you could ever know. Make my wish come true. All I want for christmas, is, youuuuuuu!" Tom sung before he began giving her a kiss again.
"Ma-ma." They heard and immediately they broke apart and twisted their heads to the row of children on the sofa. As they scanned the row, seven of the children were still playing with their toys, but one of them was looking directly at her parents.
"Ellie?" Sam laughed out of both disbelief and pure joy that she had said such a thing.
"Ma... Mmmma." She babbled as she clapped her little hands together infrequently. Tom climbed off of Sam and helped her to sit up.
"Good girl Ellie!" Sam squealed as she picked the little girl up. "Who's mama?" Sam queried and the little girl raised her chubby finger to point nervously at the woman in front of her. it was obviously a coincidence as she wasn't old enough to associate Sam with that word yet. "Yeah, well done Ellie." Sam beamed as she pulled the little girl into a hug with her chin tucked on her mother's shoulder.
Thanks for reading! Will the new year be as enjoyable for the family as christmas? Or will the loud celebrations be too much for some of them? Please review :)