First mate's log:
March 12, 1974
Mr. Howell told me and Mary Ann that he was offered a chance to invest in the Blenford Island development project. He was tempted but he decided against it for a few reasons. One is that Mrs. Howell has never liked the baroness. For another, he feels competitive with the baroness and he'd rather focus on our island, not necessarily developing it more but seeing it succeed. And he talked to the Professor about it, and he respects the Professor's research, "despite that little 'sinking island' miscalculation."
The Professor is unable to publish his findings in The Blenford Bugle, but he is distributing them in Hawaiian newspapers and on the mainland. He knows he's risking his career, but this is important to him. Ginger and their sons 100% support him of course. But, yeah, the Baroness could make things rough for Ginger at the TV studio.
That might be why Ginger has offered the Bradys a tour of the studio, like she thinks her days are numbered there. She wants the Brady kids to enjoy it as much as her own kids have on their visits. (Yes, Mary Ann and I can go sometime, but we'll probably wait until the baby is old enough to appreciate it, if Ginger's still at the studio in a couple years.)
Carol Brady's diary:
March 13, 1974
Mike is away on Blenford for a couple of days, so I have no one but you to discuss the call I just had with my brother. The Baroness of Blenford wants to develop her island further, so Mike is meeting with her and local officials to discuss the matter. He'll offer his insights as an architect but also hear what they have to say.
Jack called after dinner and I answered in my bedroom, so I know none of the kids eavesdropped. (Unlike that whole "elopement" fiasco.) Jack told me that his work is sending him to South America for a few months. Pauline is going with him, but there are no local English-language schools. Oliver is only eight and it'd be too big a change for him.
However, Jack's solution involves uprooting Oliver anyway. He wants Oliver to stay with us! I know, I've been thinking for awhile now about what it would be like to have another child. Not that this would be a permanent addition, but it would be nice to have a little boy around, now that Bobby's practically a teenager. On the other hand, it would be a new responsibility, and sometimes I feel like Mike, Alice, and I have our hands full as it is.
I don't want to just call Mike up and tell him. I need to discuss this with him in person when he gets back on Friday. I can't confide in anyone, even in Alice, because Mike has to be the first one to know. I have no idea what he'll say, or how the children will feel about it, because it's been the six of them for so long. Even before Mike and I got married, they were the only kids on this island, and I think that's one reason why they're such a close-knit bunch.
Yes, Greg's brothers are still understandably angry at him, but Spring Break is coming up, and hopefully things will get better then. In fact, Ginger has invited the family to tour the BITV studio a week from Saturday. Mike isn't sure if he can make it, depending on if there are follow-up meetings. But, yes, he would be on Blenford then anyway, so it's still possible. The kids are excited of course, and I can wait a few days to bring up their cousin's possible arrival.
No, I didn't promise Jack that Oliver could stay here, but I did give him a maybe. I'll call back and let him know after I talk to Mike.
March 14, 1974
Mary Ann had a check-up today and she and the baby are doing well. She's got about three and a half months to go now. We've started seriously discussing baby names. We could of course name the baby after someone we know. But we know so many people! And we don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. Yeah, we'll probably have more kids later, but not that many! And of course we don't know if it'll be a boy or a girl, so we have to have two lists.
The doctor said it's definitely not twins, which is good, not just because of names, but because it's going to be hard enough being new parents to one baby. Ginger and the Professor sort of have triplets, but at least their sons were done with diapers and spitting up and all that stuff we've got coming up.
March 15, 1974
As soon as Mike got back, I told him we're going to have an addition to our family. I know, I know, but I thought it was funny. You should've seen the look of shock on his face. He asked when and I said maybe next week. He looked like he was going to faint.
I led him into his den where we could talk more privately. I definitely didn't want the kids or even Alice to overhear anything until we had this settled. Obviously, I'll tell them soon but I still need to work out the details with Jack and Pauline. And first I needed to find out what Mike thought and felt.
I apologized for teasing him and explained about Jack's opportunity and why they can't take Oliver. Once he processed that, he immediately said sure. We can afford to take in another child and we can also provide him with the love and attention he needs. Yes, it'll be a little more work for Alice, but I'll try to pitch in here and there. (And despite what some people think, I do help with the cooking and housework, not to mention doing the larger grocery runs to Blenford.)
I'll call Jack and Pauline tomorrow and find out how soon Oliver might arrive. Yes, I've only seen my nephew once, at our wedding, five and a half years ago, when he was a toddler. He'll be as big as the Hinkley boys now, hard to imagine. I hope our kids, especially the boys, are kind to him. He's an only child and he's not used to siblings. We'll be putting him in Peter and Bobby's room, since there's more room in there with Greg in the attic.
March 16, 1974
Peter told me that his mom is pregnant! I know, it's not impossible, since she's not even forty yet, but it's still a surprise, to me and to him and his brothers and sisters. After all, Mr. and Mrs. Brady have been married for over five years and this is the first time (as far as I know) that she's gotten pregnant. I wonder when she's due. Obviously, it'll be months after Mary Ann, but still, our babies can grow up together. That thought makes me happy.
I haven't told Mary Ann yet, because even Peter isn't supposed to know yet. Bobby and Cindy, who of course can never keep a secret, overheard their mom telling their dad that there's going to be a new addition to the family. They're both old enough to know where babies come from, so they figured out that she wasn't talking about the stork or something like that. They told the other kids and Alice obviously, and, yeah, Peter told me. I'll try not to blurt it out to Mary Ann, since I'm sure Mr. and Mrs. Brady will want to tell us when they're ready.
March 17, 1974
Oh my goodness, Alice and the kids thought I'm pregnant! It turns out that Bobby and Cindy overheard me teasing Mike a couple days ago and understandably jumped to that conclusion. Instead of talking to me, or Mike, about it, they immediately went and told their siblings and Alice what they thought.
The seven of them kept doing and saying odd things around me, but I had no idea why. Finally, I just point blank asked Alice what was going on. She said that she understood that I might not want to say anything to anybody but my husband this early on, but the kids found out I'm going to have a baby. She and the kids were thrilled by the way, so if Mike and I ever do have a baby, it's good to know that the family won't think I'm too old or resent the change in the family dynamic.
In a funny sort of way, it did make it easier to introduce the idea of Oliver. First I had to sit everybody down and explain that, no, I'm not going to have a baby. They were disappointed of course, but then Bobby and Cindy asked about what they overheard. So I told them that their cousin will be staying with us for a few months. They're happy about that, although not as much as they were about the baby.
I talked to Jack and Pauline, and Oliver himself, yesterday. He'll be arriving the day after tomorrow! He'll fly to Honolulu and then to Blenford, where Mike and I will meet him. (Yes, Jack would've cancelled Oliver's flights if I had to tell them no.) Oliver is a very brave little boy to fly without his parents, but he sounded very level-headed when he was on the phone.
And, yes, I was planning to tell the family, of course, but I just hadn't found the right moment yet. I mean, I wouldn't have just waited until Oliver showed up at the front door. Now that everyone knows, we're doing what we can to prepare for his stay, like setting up the boys' room for three again.