'Don't push me!'

'I'm not pushing you!'

'Yes you are, I can feel you pushin' me!'

'No push!'

'Guys no fighting!'

Alexis winced a little a the bright sharp sounds of children's voices; then again, that was probably because she'd been in desperate need of a nap since it had been her turn to be on night-watch for Petra and she'd been fussy from all the over-excitement of so many sounds and smells and new people holding her during the course of Canadian Thanksgiving. Friday night had been a blur of food and people and fun, but now on Saturday afternoon it felt like she'd barely closed her eyes when the young voices were jolting her awake.

Still she sighed deeply, turned over towards the source of the noise, and wasn't surprised to see Tessi there with Nessa, Max, Heddie and Nate near the bassinet where Petra was snoring like an angel. Yep, she was most definitely Shane's little girl Alexis thought with a laugh - the baby was barely four weeks old and she sounded like her papa already, the noise like the light buzzing of mosquitoes every time she breathed in her sleep.

'Hey guys,' she greeted them in a sleep blurred voice. 'Whatcha doing in here?'

Tessi looked over at Alexis, then at her young charges. 'Now see what you've done, you woke Alexis up! Now we'll get in trouble for being loud.'

'We not loud!' Heddie protested in a stage whisper, and came over to try and butter up Alexis with the same technique that worked on her daddy. Climbing onto the bed, she scooted close, wrapped her little arms around her shoulders. 'We not loud, right 'Lessis? We good little pee-pills.'

'Yes you are, and I don't mind you being in here, but I'm not sure if Petra would like it. She was up late for snack time last night and she couldn't get back to sleep.'

'She haffin' nappy time?' Nate asked with his big dark eyes shining. 'You haffin' nappy time too?'

'I was, but if you guys like we can all cuddle together,' Alexis offered, trying to sort out a solution where her little visitors could stay and she could still keep her post-partum ass cozily tucked into bed. Going out on a limb she tried a favourite of RJ and Jojo's. 'If you like, we can have story time.'

It did the trick, as all the young eyes went wide with delight. They bobbed their heads, and clambered into the cozy queen sized bed, tunneling under the fluffy duvet like eager little gophers and popping up on either side of Alexis.

'I baby, I 'los-sis!' Nate insisted, tucking himself into Alexis' left side and holding her shirt with a death grip so that no one would be able to move him. 'Hid-dee odder side!'

'Okay Misser Nate,' Heddie agreed, repeating the process on the other side. She wiggled her little butt, making Alexis laugh. 'There, all suh-nug-ah-lee.'

'Tessi, we should go get a book since the little guys are all tucked in,' Nessa told her friend.

'Okay, why don't you and Max Power go do that? I'm going to keep an eye on the baby.'

Alexis had to snicker - as Max and Nessa went to find a story, Tessi stood right by the bassinet to watch over Petra. She was so cute and little. 'Alexis, was I that small when I was her age?'

'You were a little bigger, sweetie, because you were over eight pounds when you were born.'

'Mami says I was a bowling ball,' Tessi giggled.

'Yep, and we called Leo and Trini Porky and Jello because Trini was all legs, kicking away and Leo was the bigger twin.'

'I big boy too,' Nate said, hooking his index finger into his mouth and looking up at Alexis. 'I big boy Less?'

'You sure were indeed, and now you're a great big boy.' Alexis planted a smacking kiss on the top of his head, then gave one to Heddie. 'And you're a a big girl too.'

'Yea!'

'Found it!' With a triumphant stage whisper, Max and Nessa returned with Max proudly waving his copy of The Adventures of Jordie and Jelly. 'Can Petra come and read this one too?'

'She's still resting, sweetie,' Alexis said, causing Nessa to peek into the bassinet.

'No, she's awake!'

'Is she?'

Automatically, Heddie shifted away so Alexis could rise to check on her daughter; sure enough the little girl was wide awake and looking around. 'Hey there beautiful,' she cooed, and Nessa and Tessi gasped.

'Oh, Alexis, she is smiling!' Tessi clapped softly. 'Oh, so cute! She is so smart!'

'She sure is,' Nessa agreed, reaching out a delicate hand to pat Petra's tummy before Alexis picked her up. 'She is a good baby.'

'She is a great baby, she is Petra!' Max declared regally, then looked over. 'Nate, Heddie, we gotta make room so Alexis can sit up with Petra and we can all read the story.'

'How Less read and hold Pet-ah-ra?' Heddie inquired, already moving to sit beside her buddy.

'Tessi is gonna read the story,' Max decided, passing his big sister the book. 'Here, you do it so Alexis can make sure Petra gets to join in.'

'You ready for a story, sweetie pie? Your friends are excited for story time, and I don't know this book,' Alexis told Petra as she moved back to the bed and settled herself in. She leaned back against the mountain of pillows she still loved to sleep with, cradling the baby so she could see everyone around her. 'There we are, all good to go.'

'Is everyone else ready?' Always adept at being little mother hen, Tessi knelt on the bed and held up the book so she was showing off the pictures while she read. 'The Adventures of Jordie and Jelly, by Alex Court. Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Jordan and she had the best friend ever, a teddy named Jelly...'