Chapter 58- The First Week

A/N: Again, sorry about it being so long since the last update. It was a very dramatic Christmas. I am starting a new job this week, so I don't know when I am going to get to post again, but I have a lot more to write on this story. I hope that you can stick with me!

Suddenly, before Barney and Robin knew, it had been a week since their daughter was born. The whole week had been a blur. Sleeping was a thing of the past, and besides James and Tom and the kids, they saw no one. They were in their own little world where day was night and night was day.

The two of them had once talked about how they thought Marshall and Lily were being over dramatic after Marvin's birth. There was no way they could have been that tired. But as they've discovered in the last week, they were.

Life became midnight feedings, daytime naps, and a little Netflix and DVR catchup thrown in while feeding and burping.

Robin found it funny how naturally they both took to the parenting role. Barney changed diapers without complaint, while she spent very little time without Brianna in her arms.

The thing that surprised her the most is how her body had changed. Sure, Lily had once made a comment comparing a certain female body part to Rocky Balboa's face, but she never expected it to be worse. If the bed rest, labor, and delivery weren't enough to make her not want to go through everything again, the week after sure was. It was the never spoken about fact by women. The after effects of birth, and she would certainly keep that secret.

She also never expected to want to be back in bed either, but Brianna had finally fallen asleep on Barney's chest, and there was nowhere else she would rather be.

"You remember right after Marvin was born?" Robin mumbles, dazed but not able to fall asleep.

"Not that much," Barney says with as little breath as possible. He wanted her to at least sleep until the morning. "We had a lot of our own stuff going on."

"I always thought they were crazy. They couldn't have been that tired. I never thought it was like this." She lets her eyes close at that.

"It is though. I haven't got this little sleep since..." He stops, looking at Brianna on his chest, and he realizes it will never be okay to say what he was thinking in front of her. All that matters is her and Robin anymore. "Nope. Never mind."

"Really?" She opens her eyes and lifts her head to look him directly in the eyes. "You are finally self-censoring?"

"It just doesn't seem right to say anymore," he says with a shrug.

"Awwww," she says sweetly, a little happy for the change. "I'm so happy she's asleep."

"It would be nicer if she wasn't asleep on my chest," he groans softly.

"Yeah, but she's so cute there!" she teases.

"I just want to sleep, Scherbatsky."

"And I don't?"

"Sorry," he apologizes. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. Still hurts like a bitch," she groans as she adjusts her position on the bed.

"You're super awesome. You know that?" She rolls her eyes once again at his complement. "No, seriously. You've done so much."

"Thanks. But getting back to my point, like, we are up talking at four am."

"So?" he shrugs. "We always used to talk at four am."

"No, we used to be having sex at four am," she corrects, "Not trying to sleep with an infant in our bed."

"We could change that," he winks suggestively.

"It's been one week and you are already bothering me for sex," she says, shaking her head. "You lasted six months, and now you can't go another month and a half?"

"You reminded me just how awesome it was!" he exclaims as quietly as possible. "And it was even more awesome! Who knew you could move like that when you were that big?"

"Hell yeah!" she agrees as they high five. "Seriously though," she says, trying to steer the conversation back to the original topic. "I think we should call Lily and Marshall and apologize about giving them so much trouble about the 8 or higher rule. We haven't even made the attempt to call them in a week."

"Yeah. That was stupid of us," he agrees.

"How did we not know?"

"I don't think I would have even gotten it last week," he answers.

"We need to call them," she says, climbing out of bed to get her phone. "And Ted too."

"Robin?" Barney asks as she looks through her contacts for Lily's number.

"Hmmm?" she mumbles, her head down in her phone.

"It's still 4 am," he reminds her.

"Oh crap," she mumbles. "I'll call them in the morning. When is it morning again?"

"I don't know. Want to catch up on something before we fall asleep?"

"Sure. Just not American Horror Story. That gave me some crazy ass dreams the last time we watched. That is not a show for when it's dark out. Especially since that one guy kinda looked like you."

"So one of Ted's BBC documentaries so we fall asleep quick?" he asks, clicking the TV on and shielding Bri's eyes.

"Yep," she agrees quickly.

"Hey, Lil."

"Hey!" Lily exclaims enthusiastically after she realizes who is on the other end of the phone. "It's Robin! Marshall!" she hollers elsewhere. "They are still alive. That's five bucks."

"You're still betting on us?" Robin asks, disappointed. She thought that they had given that up.

"Of course," Lily confesses, entirely nonchalant. "We were wondering how you were holding up, but we didn't want to call. Sleep is a precious thing, and we didn't want to interrupt. Oh and so is bonding with the baby. But let's face it…"

"Sleep is more important?" Robin asks, interrupting.

"Yep. So how are you doing?"

"Just fine, I think. You?"

"Great."

"Hey Lil, I...uh... actually called to say something else," Robin confesses.

"Oh? Do you need something?" Lily questions, and if Robin didn't know any better, she would think that Lily is somehow prying.

"No. Barney and I were talking early this morning, and we just want to apologize-"

"For not calling this week?" Lily quickly guesses, hiccuping in the process. It makes her question just what Lily is up to.

"No, um, actually, you remember when Marvin was born and you decided to invoke the 8 or higher rule?" Robin asks.

"Yeah?"

"Well Barney and I wanted to apologize."

Lily starts laughing hysterically, and a confused look spreads across Robin's face. Nothing she said should have invoked that reaction. "Marshall! Get in here!" Lily yells over an obviously covered phone. "Say that again so Marshall can hear."

"Barney and I wanted to apologize?" Robin questions, still not sure what Lily is talking about.

"Hi Robin!" Marshall replies, giddy with excitement. "You're right baby, that's hilarious!"

"Why are you laughing?" Robin questions with an air of impatience.

"Ted called about 10 minutes ago to say the same thing!" Lily's said with a laugh.

"Really?" Robin groans, somehow not surprised.

"Yeah. I guess you all finally understand why we did that," Lily replies.

"How did you even put up with us?" Robin asks, starting to laugh. The more she thinks about the whole idea, the funnier it gets.

"Good question, but welcome to the club. Officially. You're real parents now."

"Thanks. By the way, you want to come over and visit?" Robin asks.

"We'd love to!" Lily answers excitedly. "Just let us know when."

"Will do. Bye."

"Bye."

"So what did she say?" Barney asks, having come back to the bedroom from the nursery in the middle of the conversation.

"They laughed," Robin answers with a smirk.

"Huh?" he asks, confused.

"Apparently Ted called this morning and said the same thing and they find it hilarious that we are finally getting it."

"Of course," he groans, because he knows it's just like Lily and Marshall to do such a thing.

"Oh, and they were betting on us again," she adds.

"You know, I think maybe we should start betting on them," he suggests. Maybe then they would know how it feels.

"That might not be a bad idea," she ponders. "Is she asleep?"

"I hope so."

"Awesome. I'm going back to bed to take a nap before she wakes up again."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll join you," he says.

"Yes, as long as we sleep," she teases, knowing full well that they will both be asleep in minutes.

"Hey! Drink some Red Bull!" he answers, almost offended, following her as she walks to the bedroom.

"You know I can't because of Bri. I have to watch my intake of that stuff."

"Sorry. I wish you could. It's awesome."

"It's not that great anyway," she says as she pulls the covers down, climbing into bed.

He gasps loudly, feigning shock.

"Not that great?! It's the second best liquid on the planet behind scotch. It was invented…"

"Can we just lie down? I really don't need the history lesson right now."

"Fine," he concedes and joins her in bed.

"But maybe you can tell me later when she's awake?" she offers, as she settles down and closes her eyes.

"Yeah. That would be nice," he says, right before drifting into sleep.

3/6/15

Hello all. It's official, I'm a mother. Brianna was born last Friday at 4:37 pm. She was 21 inches long and 8 pounds 3 ounces.

I'm sure like most new parents, I've forgotten what is night and what is day, but there is one thing I've learned. I've learned that miracles can happen. I never believed in them. Any of my friends would tell you how much I fought the idea of miracles over the years. But watching my daughter, it changed things for me. She's nothing shorter than a miracle. When my friend suggested it for a middle name, I looked at her and realized that nothing could really be more fitting.

As for when I return to work, I have no idea, but I will be back. It took me a long time to realize that I could have a family and have career, but now that I know that, I feel so fulfilled, and I couldn't imagine anything else.