Happy 2018! I know it's been the new year for over a week, but this is the first story I've posted in 2018! So...enjoy!
Aiden and Michelle: 5 and a half years old
Elizabeth: 3 months old
Baby Hiccups
Hic!
The baby's eyes snapped open, and the two older kids hanging over her started to giggle. The baby grimaced, not at all amused and far more confused by what had just happened. After all, it had been enough to stir her from her slumber.
Hic!
There it was again! She grumbled and tightened her little hands into fists, waving them up and down. Her brother and sister were still giggling about the whole thing, which only further irritated the baby.
Hic!
"Aw, Lizzie. Do you have the hiccups, little girl?"
The baby's frustration quelled to an extent as she was lifted up by her father. He was so sweet and so gentle…she adored and was completely fascinated by him.
"Daddy, it was so funny. She had a hiccup and it made her wake up!"
Ash chuckled and glanced at his son. "Come on, buddy, that isn't funny!"
"Then how come you laughed?" Aiden questioned, furrowing his brow.
Ash tried to come up with an excuse, but he couldn't. "Okay fine, it's a little funny. But still, your poor baby sister is a little freaked out! You've gotta feel bad for her."
"I guess so," Aiden murmured, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't get scared when I have the hiccups!"
"You did sometimes when you were a baby," Ash replied. "It scared me and Mommy too."
"Why?" Michelle chirped. "They're just hiccups!"
"Yeah, but we were nervous," Ash sheepishly admitted, scratching his cheek. "You were the first babies we had, so we didn't know what was normal and what wasn't."
"That's silly, Daddy!" Michelle laughed.
"Yeah, it seems pretty silly now," Ash agreed. "But not back then! We took everything really seriously. Now we know not to worry about something small like hiccups!"
Hic!
Ash smiled sympathetically at the baby in his arms and continued, "But that doesn't mean I want Lizzie to have them, either." Raising the pitch of his voice, Ash cooed to the little girl, "We have to try and get rid of those mean hiccups, don't we?"
"I know how to!" Aiden cried, throwing his arm up. "We gotta scare her!"
"We're not going to scare her," Ash sighed. "She's just a baby!"
"How else are you supposed to get rid of them?" Aiden grumbled, tilting his head.
"I'll show you," Ash chuckled. He held the baby against his chest and patted her back until she let out a small burp. He waited a minute, and when the baby didn't hiccup again, Ash smirked and pulled her away, staring into her deep green eyes. "There! All gone!"
Elizabeth cooed happily, feeling much more content now that she was no longer hiccupping every few seconds.
"That's it?!" Aiden cried. "Just a burp?!"
"Yep, that's all it takes," Ash confirmed, nodding his head.
Aiden scoffed and folded his arms. "That wasn't even a good one."
"Ew, that's gross," Michelle complained, narrowing her eyes at her brother.
"So's your face," Aiden fired back, sticking his tongue out.
"Daddy!" Michelle whined, whipping her head around.
"Aiden, that wasn't nice," Ash scolded. "Apologize to your sister."
Aiden blinked before glancing at Elizabeth. "Sorry your burp was lame."
Ash nearly fell on his face. "You know I meant Michelle!"
The boy snickered and finally turned to look at his twin. "Sorry."
Michelle didn't seem totally placated, but since Aiden had apologized, she couldn't really complain about it. Ash, on the other hand, was perfectly satisfied and patted Aiden atop his head. "Good boy."
He put Elizabeth back down on her pillow and turned his attention back to the battle he'd been watching on TV. Aiden and Michelle, on the other hand, exchanged looks with one another before glancing back down at their baby sister. She was smiling to herself and lolling her head from side-to-side.
"Lizzie's much happier now that she doesn't have the hiccups," Michelle noted. "Daddy, you did a good job!"
Ash looked towards Michelle and chuckled. "Thanks!"
"How'd you know to do that?" Michelle asked.
"Lots of experience," Ash replied easily, casually stretching his arms up over his head.
"Cause me and Aiden had hiccups when we were babies?" Michelle questioned.
"Yep!"
Michelle thought it over for a moment before continuing, "what about when you didn't know what to do? What'd you do?"
"Uh…"
"Did you try and scare us like Aiden?"
"No! Of course not! I knew better than to scare babies."
"Did you call Grammy? She always knows what to do!"
"No, I didn't call Grammy."
Michelle raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. "Did you just do nothing?"
Ash sat in silence for a split second before bursting out in nervous laughter. "Okay, that's enough questions for now! Why don't we all sit nicely and watch this battle, huh? It's a really good one!"
Hic!
Aiden and Michelle looked down at Elizabeth. She was staring right back at them, her eyes set wide.
"Again?" Ash groaned, observing the baby. In response, Elizabeth gurgled and frowned.
"Quit sucking in all the air!" Aiden cried. Ash and Michelle both glanced at him, raising their eyebrows. "What? That's how you get hiccups!"
"Where'd you learn that?" Ash questioned, tilting his head.
"Brock," Aiden replied simply.
"Um…okay," Ash sighed, picking Elizabeth back up. "Why do you keep doing that, huh? You know those hiccups are no fun!"
Elizabeth frowned before hiccupping again, whining immediately after and threatening to burst out into a screaming fit.
"It's alright!" Ash quickly assured her, holding the baby against his chest and patting her back once again. She burped, and with that, her hiccups once again ceased. "There we go. Think you could stop taking in so much air, pumpkin?"
Elizabeth cooed softly. Ash knew she probably didn't understand him, and definitely couldn't respond, but man did he wish she could!
"Let's try that," Ash sighed, gently placing her back down. "You know, I'm really starting to see a lot of Mommy in you. It's cute, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me a little nervous…"
Elizabeth mumbled (incoherently, of course) and stuffed a fist in her mouth. Michelle was watching her baby sister intently, and now, she was a bit less impressed by her father than she'd been before.
"Daddy, are you sure you fixed them this time?" Michelle demanded.
Ash seemed taken off guard by his older daughter's question. "Uh…I think so? I mean, I can't guarantee they won't come back-"
"Cause they already did?" Michelle interrupted, tilting her head.
Ash's cheeks flashed red. "Well, I can't really stop her from sucking in too much air…"
"Why?" Michelle prodded.
"Because I can't," Ash groaned, slowly growing tired of the interrogation. He felt like he was in a post-battle press conference!
"But how come?" Michelle asked again. Aiden was switching his brown eyes between his father and sister, grinning with devious enjoyment.
"I just can't," Ash sighed noisily. "No more questions, alright? Let's pay attention to the TV instead! Seriously, this battle is really good."
Hic!
Ash's eye twitched. He slowly turned his head towards Elizabeth, who all of a sudden didn't look too happy again. She was still and quiet, however, until Ash began to look back at the TV.
Hic!
He choked in frustration as he covered his face with his hands. "Why? Why can't I just watch this battle?"
"Daddy, you didn't fix her right."
"I know, Michelle."
"Should we call Grammy?"
"No, Michelle."
"Can I teach Elizabeth how to burp better?"
"No, Aiden."
Aiden and Michelle may be young, but they can see right through their father! Ash is right; they're just as tough as the press, if not tougher ;)
