Karen was asleep when Leland got back to the hospital with Jennifer and the boys. Dr. Richard was in the room.
"Can I ask you a question," Jennifer asked, "How did mom have a baby without knowing she was pregnant?"
Dr. Richard smiled at her intelligent question.
"Well, your mother is a little underweight," he explained, "So the weight gain of just 10 pounds in 40 weeks wasn't enough to signal pregnancy. She also went through a lot of stress. She attributed the weight gain to the stress. In addition, she never stopped bleeding once a month."
"Does she get a boo-boo every month," Max asked.
Leland chuckled.
"No buddy," he said, "Girls bleed when they don't get pregnant starting when they're teenagers so that their body can make room for a new baby one day."
"Do you bleed," Max asked Jennifer.
"Not yet," Jennifer said, "But I'll probably start soon."
"Oh," Max said
Jennifer turned her attention to Leland now.
"Dad," Jennifer said, "It's my fault mom was stressed. I was the one that was kidnapped and-"
Leland held up a hand.
"That is not your fault honey," he said, "That is the fault of the bastard that took you."
"Is Caroline going to be okay," Jennifer asked.
"She's full term and healthy," Leland said, "She's going to be just fine and so is your mom."
At exactly 8 o'clock Adrian and Trudy knocked on the door. Leland smiled as he saw Trudy and Adrian come in. Adrian's arms were full.
"We got something for the baby and for Karen and for Jennifer and for the boys and for you," Trudy said.
"YAY! You got us presents," Max cheered.
Karen woke up.
"Hey," she smiled tiredly, "It's so nice to see you guys."
"Thanks," Trudy grinned, "How are you feeling?"
"Great. Caroline was born after 30 seconds of pushing. There was little to no pain."
She motioned to the gifts that Adrian just put down.
"What's that," she asked.
"We got gifts," Trudy explained.
She pulled out the gift for Caroline. It was a complete care set.
"For Max," Trudy said, "We got him a baseball and a glove."
"COOL!"
Baby Caroline woke up and started to cry. Adrian picked her up and bounced her gently on his hip. She calmed down.
"You're good with babies," Leland said.
"Thanks Leland," Adrian grinned widely.
"Could I hold her," Trudy asked.
"Sure," Karen said.
Adrian gently passed the baby to Trudy. Trudy sang her a lullaby as she looked at her with wide eyes.
"She likes you," Karen said.
"I like her too," Trudy said.
She paused
"What's it like to be a mom," she asked Karen.
"It's incredible," Karen replied, "The first thing I said when I had Jennifer was, 'How is it possible to love someone so much that you just met'."
Trudy smiled and handed Caroline to Karen.
"Mommy, I wanna hold her," Max said.
"Okay buddy," Karen replied, "Scoot up on the bed by me."
"Oh, that reminds me," Adrian said, "Jared, we got you and your mom and dad gifts too."
"Awesome," Jared said.
"We got you a Wii Nintendo system," Trudy explained.
"WOW," Jared's eyes lit up.
He had wanted a Wii for awhile.
"That was very generous of you guys," Leland said.
They gave Leland and Karen their gifts. Karen got a charm bracelet with two girl charms and two boy charms on it and Leland got a leather jacket.
"What are you going to do for baby stuff," Trudy asked after awhile.
"We're gonna have to go get the things we need," Leland said.
"If you want," Trudy offered, "Adrian and I would be happy to watch Jennifer, Jared and Max while you shop."
"That would be great," Leland said, "Actually Monk, maybe you can come with me while Trudy watches the kids."
"Sure," Adrian said.
"When is mommy and baby Caroline going to come home," Max asked.
"They'll be home in a few days," Jennifer said, "Mom has to rest and they keep the baby for a few days too to make sure she's healthy."
"Visiting hours are up," Dr. Richard said gently, "You guys can come back tomorrow."
They all hugged Karen goodbye and kissed baby Caroline.
"I love you all," Karen said.
"Love you too," they all replied.
When they arrived at the Stottlemeyer household Monk and Leland said goodbye to the kids and they went shopping. Leland gave Trudy clear instructions on what to do if Jennifer had a panic attack and any number of other scenarios. Trudy assured Leland that she knew what to do.
Adrian suggested they first stop at the clothing store.
"Hello. My name is Michelle," a woman said, "Can I help you?"
"My wife just had a baby," Leland explained, "So my friend and I are shopping for the things that are needed for her."
Michelle congratulated Leland and directed them on where to go. They got eight onesies, all pink. They went with eight kimono-style shirts with a mix of snaps and envelope folds at the shoulders. Adrian picked out eight footie pants. They also got eight one-piece pajamas. They got three rompers and three dress up outfits. They also got three sweaters and three jackets.
They got 7 socks and 7 booties. They got three newborn hats. They got several no-scratch mittens. Next they got two wearable blankets for the winter. They got a fleece suit for the winter. They got both light and heavy blankets for the stroller.
"Finally," Adrian said, "We need gentle laundry detergent."
He grabbed a few of them. Leland and Adrian paid for the items and then went to the nursery store. Leland picked out a bassinet and a crib. They got a firm, flat mattress that fit snugly in the crib. Adrian picked out four fitted crib sheets. He also picked out a glider.
"Do you need a baby monitor," Adrian asked Leland.
"Absolutely," Leland replied, "We use one for Jennifer… in case she has nightmares or panic attacks but we need one for Caroline too.
Adrian grabbed a baby monitor for Leland. They got a changing table. They got a toy basket complete with toys. They got two white noise machines. One was for Caroline and the other was for Jennifer to calm her down and help her sleep. They ended up getting a Diaper Genie. Finally, they got a swaddle. After paying for that it was time to head to the diaper section. They got three large boxes of disposable newborn size diapers. Three large boxes of unscented baby wipes came next. They bought two large tubes of diaper cream and a diaper bag.
They then moved onto the bathing section. They picked out a baby bathtub, baby shampoo and body wash. They got four hooded baby towels, soft washcloths and baby lotion.
Karen and Leland knew they were going to do a combination of nursing and formula for Caroline as they'd done for Jennifer, Jared and Max. Leland got ten bottles and nipples five four ounces and five eight ounces. Monk found a bottle brush and a dishwasher basket for the small items. Leland picked up formula and a breast pump along with Milk storage bags, Nursing pads and nipple cream. They got a highchair. Leland got eight bibs and eight burp cloths. He got a baby feeding pillow, a bottle warmer and a bottle sterilizer.
Then they went to the baby health section. They got a baby nail file and a baby thermometer. Adrian found the first aid kit and cradle cap brush. Leland picked up six pacifiers.
Finally, they got baby gear. Adrian found an infant car seat. Leland picked out a stroller, a baby carrier, a baby swing and a bouncer as well as a play mat.
"Well, it looks like we have everything," Adrian said.
Once they got back to Leland's house Adrian and Trudy helped Leland set it up. The boys were asleep, and Jennifer was talking on the phone with her friend Julie.
"How was Jennifer," Leland asked.
Trudy sighed.
"She had some emotional moments," she said, "What she went through really took a toll on her. Right now, she's on the phone with her friend, Julie."
"Julie's a very nice girl," Leland said.
Jennifer came out into the room.
"Dad," Jennifer asked, "Can I invite Julie and Jenny over tomorrow to watch a movie?"
"Sure honey. That would be great."
Leland paused.
"Listen," he said, "Would you two mind staying with the boys for like one more hour? I want to take Jennifer out to dinner."