Hope for All- chapter 54
The family continued to enjoy the twins being home, passing them back and forth until it was time for their feedings. Samantha and Jonathan both offered to try and change their diapers, while Mona started dinner. Tony and Angela brought them upstairs to their nursery. Angela placed down Matthew on the changing table and helped Samantha change him.
"There you go little guy! All changed! That wasn't so bad!" said Samantha as she picked him back up.
"Alright Anna is up next!" said Tony as he placed her down and helped Jonathan. He needed more help but soon got the hang of it.
"Great job Jonathan! You're hired!" laughed Tony.
"How about you two see how Mother is doing with dinner? Make sure it's not already burnt!" laughed Angela.
"Actually… would you mind if I helped you?" asked Samantha.
"Sure sweetheart! Only if you want to" said Angela.
"I think I'll pass… I'll check on Grandma!" said Jonathan as he ran out of the nursery.
"I don't blame him… I'd be running for the hills too!" laughed Tony.
"Alright… I think we should set up in the bed. I don't think I'm ready to try the rocker yet" said Angela as they walked into the bedroom. By now, both babies started to cry. Angela got settled on the bed trying to replicate the hospital setup. She took Matthew first from Samantha and latched him, followed soon after with Anna.
"Does it hurt? It seems like it would hurt!" said Samantha as she watched the process.
"When they don't latch correctly, it really hurts. When they… well Matthew is really upset or hungry, then it can hurt at first until he slows down and gets a good rhythm. Otherwise it's not so bad and gets much easier as they get older" she said.
"I think I'm going to go check on dinner… make sure Mona isn't burning down my kitchen! I'll be back up to burp them" said Tony.
"It's okay Dad! I can do it!" said Samantha as Tony nodded his head and headed downstairs. Angela finished nursing and handed Anna to Samantha. She showed her how to support the baby's head and sit her up to burp. After about five minutes, Anna gave her a burp.
"Good job Anna! You did it!" squealed Samantha. Matthew was being stubborn and refusing to burp.
"Since you seem to have the magic Micelli touch, how about we switch?" asked Angela as she handed Matthew to Samantha and took back Anna.
"Alright Matthew… don't go breaking my streak now! I'm one for one… I better be two for two!" laughed Samantha. Soon, he let out a small burp.
"Yes! Two for two!" said Samantha as she helped put Matthew back into position.
"So I need to go back for my one week check up at my doctor. Would you want to come with me if I can get us both an appointment? You can have your check up and discuss birth control options. I know these two are cute but I don't think you're ready for an actual baby yet…" said Angela.
"Yes if you could that would be good. Like we talked about, I'm not ready for sex but when the time comes I'd like to be knowledgeable about my options. I'm definitely not ready to be anything other than a big sister right now!" she said.
"Well that's very good to know! Your father just took a big sigh of relief and he doesn't even know why! Anyway, I'll make us appointments. And besides… you're the best big sister these two could ever ask for!" said Angela. Just then, Tony came back up with two bottles, Jonathan coming in behind him.
"Well I think dinner is almost ready and hasn't been burned yet! I made their bottles so we can feed them before we feed ourselves!" laughed Tony. Angela finished nursing them and handed Anna to Samantha to burp.
"Can I try burping Matthew?" asks Jonathan.
"Of course you can. Tony, set him up on the bed next to me" said Angela as Tony showed Jonathan how to sit and burp him. Both babies eventually burped and took to their bottles.
"I think I'm out of a job! These two are pros!" said Tony.
"They are doing great! I think I'll take this time to shower since they are in very capable hands right now" said Angela as she grabbed some clothes and headed into the bathroom. She turned on the hot water as she started to undress.
She stopped momentarily in the mirror and observed her body. She had forgotten how pregnant her body would still look the next few weeks and even months postpartum. She could feel the self-hatred coming on and had to shake her head to stop the negative body shaming thoughts from taking hold.
"Alright Angela… just like pregnancy was temporary, so will this stage. You'll be back to your old self in no time! And Tony finds you attractive no matter what…" she said to herself on repeat as she got into the shower. The hot water felt amazing as she enjoyed her first shower at home. It had only been two days but it felt like a lifetime. She spent a few extra minutes under the hot water until she started to hear crying coming from the other room. She quickly shut off the water and got out to dry off and get changed. She didn't have to guess which baby was crying as she already knew Matthew's cry, especially when he was still hungry.
"What's the matter Matthew?" she said as she threw her wet hair up in a messy bun and came out of the bathroom.
"I think he's still hungry. Maybe we should go up to two ounces and see how he does on that" said Tony.
"I'll try feeding him again and then we can try another one ounce if he doesn't settle. Is Anna okay?" asked Angela as she took Matthew from Tony.
"She's good! Look at the way she looks at you! Like she's trying to really figure things out!" said Samantha.
"She's such a good girl so far! She's really getting the hang of feeding too! She was Baby B… for all the worry she caused us even up until she was born, she's been a piece of cake since then aren't you my little Anna banana!" gushed Tony.
"Don't jinx us Tony! Matthew has been the more demanding one right now though…" said Angela as she latched him again.
"Alright everyone let's head downstairs and set the table! Dining room for our first night home as a family of seven!" said Tony as he took Anna and headed downstairs with Samantha and Jonathan.
"Well it's just me and you! Is that what you wanted all along? I have a feeling you're going to be just like your big brother and be attached to me for at least the first few years… then you are going to be your daddy's shadow! He's going to teach the both of you every sport you can imagine! You are all going to have such a great time one day!" she said.
Soon Matthew was content and asleep in her arms. She brought him to the nursery and pulled out a baby carrier from the closet. She was able to open it up and adjust it so she could put Matthew into it. She was able to get him situated as he slept soundly against her chest. She headed downstairs and joined the family in the dining room just as they were finishing setting the table.
"Look how tiny he looks in there!" said Jonathan as Angela sat down at the table.
"He looks pretty comfy in there too!" laughed Mona.
"It's supposed to mimic being back in the womb and hearing my heartbeat comforts them. This is the twin one so I can put Anna in too while we eat" said Angela.
"I can hold her while we eat" said Tony.
"Tony you're going to need both hands. I'll take her for now and then after we eat maybe we can all sit outside for a bit since it's still pretty warm out" she said. Tony reluctantly handed Anna over to Angela and helped her get her situated in the carrier. Anna fussed for a bit but was soon snuggled in and fast asleep.
"Alright let's eat!" said Mona as she helped plate everyone's food. It took some maneuvering, but Angela was able to eat her dinner. After they all finished eating, Samantha and Jonathan offered to clean up. Mona was already late for a date, so she headed back to her apartment. Tony made Samantha and Jonathan finish up their homework before they could get in their last baby cuddles for the night.
"You still up for sitting outside for a few minutes? It would be good for them to get some fresh air" said Tony.
"Sure but I need to take this thing off. It's great for them, but after a while it gets so hot!" she laughed. Tony helped her take the twins out, each one wrapping one of the babies in a blanket and headed outside. They headed over to the swing underneath the big oak tree. Tony helped Angela sit on the swing and then sat down next to her.
"So what do the two of you think of the place so far? You haven't gotten the official grand tour, but you've definitely hit the highlights!" laughed Tony.
"I think they are happy so far! We will see how they sleep tonight! What time is your class tomorrow?" asked Angela.
"I'm not going to class Angela! You guys just got home! I'll call and let them know I'll be in next week" said Tony.
"Tony… you've got one class tomorrow and one on Tuesday, plus both of them on Friday. You already missed one class Friday. You can't afford to miss more, especially if later on I need you. I'll be fine for a few hours Tony, I promise" she said.
"Will there ever be a time in our marriage where I'll get a say?" he chuckled.
"Once in a while down the line… and if memory serves me well, while we weren't married then, the night these two were conceived you definitely had a say…" she said with a laugh.
"Thank goodness or they wouldn't be here! You two can thank me later for not being able to resist your sexy mother any longer!" laughed Tony.
"I can't believe how much they have already changed since they were born! I see more of Jonathan in Anna and Samantha in Matthew" said Angela.
"I can see that too but Anna is still your mini me and I think Matty is a chip off the ole block!" said Tony with pride.
"We definitely have one of each that's for sure! Not sure who's personalities they have yet! Anna seems to be the laid back one so far. Matthew seems to be a little more demanding but that could change tomorrow! I can't wait to see who they grow up to be!" she said as she snuggled Matthew closer to her body.
"Two amazing kids if they take after their beautiful mommy" said Tony as he leaned over and kissed Angela. Just then, Samantha and Jonathan came out of the house.
"We finished our homework!" said Jonathan excitedly.
"Angela, we should have had a baby years ago… look what it's doing to these two! Making them do homework!" laughed Tony as Angela just shook her head.
"Can you imagine if we had gotten together when you first moved in? I can't even imagine how that would have worked out!" laughed Angela.
"I'm just happy you didn't fire Dad the first couple of years after all of the times he screwed up! You must have loved each other on some level to not send us packing!" laughed Samantha.
"Eh oh, oh eh! I did not screw up! I just chose to do somethings in an unconventional manner that may or may not have resulted in another boss giving me a pink slip…" said Tony.
"Yeah like when you painted the Jag red!" said Samantha.
"Or told me the fun stories that got me to steal the hubcap!" said Jonathan.
"Or when you tried to clean the chimney to save money…" said Angela.
"Alright, alright already! I get it! So you admit you had ulterior motives in keeping me around after me messing up apparently so often…" said Tony.
"Aside from being a mostly positive influence on Jonathan, doing a great job cleaning this house, making me take time and realize that work wasn't everything… you looked good in your jeans…" she said with a smirk.
"Well you looked hot in your pink bathrobe!" he said with a laugh.
"Enough you two before I lose my dinner! Okay hand one of them over!" said Samantha.
"Yeah beat it you two!" said Jonathan with a laugh until he was met with two glares from Tony and Angela. They stood up as Samantha and Jonathan sat on the swing, Matthew being handed to Jonathan and Anna to Samantha.
"This is a photo opportunity! Let me go get my camera!" said Tony as he ran back into the house. He came back out with his camera and a new roll of film. The family stopped counting how many photos he took as their faces grew sore from smiling. Soon, it started to get dark out as the sun began to set. They all walked back inside as Samantha and Jonathan headed upstairs to bed. Tony and Angela decided to stay downstairs for a while and watch some television before the next feeding.
"Anything you want to watch Angela?" asked Tony.
"No… anything that will keep me awake will work! I'm starting to get sleepy!" said Angela.
"Why don't you rest then? I've got them!" he said. Angela agreed and handed Matthew to Tony. She started to head upstairs when Matthew started to cry. The crying startled Anna awake, so now both babies were screaming.
"Well so much for that!" laughed Angela as she turned back around and came to sit back down. She grabbed Matthew from Tony and tried to settle him with a pacifier. He settled for a few moments until he started crying again.
"You shouldn't be hungry it's only been two hours since you last ate, unless you're starting to cluster feed" said Angela.
"Maybe we should make another bottle?" asked Tony.
"No I've got to build up my supply. I'm hoping my milk comes in soon. Let's try down here and see if I can nurse on the sofa" she said as she tried to position herself up against the pillows. It took her a while to get into a comfortable position but once she did, she latched Matthew and then Anna.
"Are you sure you're going to be okay tomorrow by yourself?" asked Tony.
"Yes Tony. Worst case scenario, I feed them one at a time. I'm hoping we can get in a feeding before you go to class and hopefully stretch it out until you get back but if not I will make it work" she said.
"Yes you will… you're in the driver's seat Angela… I'm just along for the ride!" chuckled Tony.
"Okay backseat driver… go make them a two ounce bottle. Let's try that and see, although I have a feeling Matthew just likes to nurse like Jonathan did…" said Angela as Tony went into the kitchen and started making bottles. He came out just as Angela was finishing nursing, handing Matthew to him to burp. After being burp, both babies drank their bottles, finishing off all two ounces. Soon they were both content and sleeping.
"I think we should all turn in for the night. Try to get as much sleep as we can until their next feeding" said Angela.
"I'll be up in just a second. Hand me Anna and you go get ready for bed" said Tony as she agreed and handed him Anna as she walked up the stairs.
"Okay you two! Time for our nightly chat! Today was a big day coming home! You guys did great! Now it's time to sleep. I think you will really love your bassinets. You'll be right next to mommy and daddy, just like at the hospital. I hope you two can sleep for the next few hours and give us some time to sleep! Alright, let's hopefully get you two changed and ready for bed" said Tony as he stood up and carried them to their bedroom.