Hope for All- chapter 64
After Isabelle and Paul's visit, things finally calmed down around the house. Jonathan continued to recover at home and by the end of the following week, he was begging to go back to school. Samantha started dating a new guy, which took up more of her time, but she was still around to help with the babies whenever she was needed.
Tony and Angela managed to get into some sort of a routine with the babies by their one month appointment. They still were up often during the night but had figured out a way to tag team as much as possible and allow for Angela to get more sleep during the day. By the day of the twin's one month appointment, they had managed to switch off and were semi-rested by morning.
"Good morning sweetheart! Was I dreaming or did we get a four hour block of sleep last night?" asked Tony with a yawn.
"Unless I was dreaming too, they gave us from eleven to three! Progress! Now if they could have fallen back to sleep right after instead of being up for the next three hours… but beggars can't be choosers I suppose! At least they are still sleeping now. Maybe one of us can get a shower in" said Angela.
"I can't believe they are a month old today! They've gotten so big, even Anna banana is getting a little chub! They are just so cute!" he gushed.
"I think once everyone is off to work and school, I'm going to try and go shopping for their Halloween costumes, plus we are running low on diapers and wipes" said Angela.
"Are you sure? I can go after their appointments this afternoon" he said.
"No I think I'd like to try and get out. It's been two weeks since I've even left the house and I'm starting to get a bit stir crazy! The weather is still nice so I'd like to capitalize on it while we can. Soon it's going to be too cold to take them out and then I'm going to be inside until I go back to work" she said as Anna started to stir. They both got out of bed but Anna settled herself and was back asleep, giving them smiles in her sleep.
"Angela! You see that? She's smiling! I wonder what's she's dreaming about…" he said.
"It's probably gas Tony! But it's still absolutely adorable! I wonder if they do dream…" she said.
"Why don't you go shower Angela and I'll start getting ready. Hopefully these guys sleep a bit longer" he said.
"Okay Tony… a shower sounds good right now" she said as she stood up and headed into the bathroom. She turned on the hot water and took off her clothes. She turned and looked in the mirror. She was able to objectively see that her body was getting back to it's old self, slowly. Between breastfeeding, sleep deprivation and usually forgetting to eat at least one meal a day, she was getting her body back, minus her bust size. She refused to get on the scale as her emotions still felt all over the place. She was happy though she could finally sit down and not be in pain, so progress was progress. She was able to take a long shower and get herself ready before coming out of the bathroom.
"They are still sleeping?" she whispered to Tony.
"I know! I keep checking on them to make sure they are okay! It's already close to their next feeding!" whispered Tony.
"I'm convinced Matthew knows exactly when I'm in a deep sleep or relaxing because it's exactly when he decides to test out his lungs!" chuckled Angela.
"Alright I'm going to go fix breakfast and get the kids off to school. If you need me let me know" he said as he gave her a quick kiss and headed downstairs. Angela went into the nursery and grabbed some diapers and clothes for the babies before heading back into the bedroom. She decided to relax and read one of the baby books on infant development. She was just about through the first paragraph when Matthew started to stir.
"Perfect timing little one! Although you missed my shower by about fifteen minutes!" she laughed as she picked him up. She put him down on the bed and changed his diaper. She wanted to wait until Anna woke up, which didn't take too long as she was awake a few minutes later. After a quick diaper change, both babies were latched and feeding contently.
"Okay you two! First solo outing for us today! It would be greatly appreciated by your mommy if you didn't have a blowout! I've only got two hands okay? It was hard enough when it was all seven of us a few weeks ago! Anyway, we are going to go pick up some more diapers and wipes since you two seem to go through what feels like a pack a day of each! That's okay though… it means you are growing and getting bigger! We get to pick out your Halloween costumes too! How we managed to get everyone on board with the theme for both Halloween and the photo shoot tomorrow is beyond me but I'm not complaining!" she chuckled.
After about a half an hour, the babies were burped and changed into their outfits for the day. Angela grabbed the carrier and placed them inside as she headed downstairs. Tony had made her a plate for breakfast as she sat down at the table.
"Alright Angela I have to go. I'll be back by two and then we can head to their check up appointment. Good luck today going out by yourself!" he said as he kissed all three of them goodbye.
Angela was able to finish her breakfast and get the babies into their coats. She grabbed their diaper bag, her purse and car keys before heading out the door. She put each baby into their car seats and got into the driver's seat. She realized that she couldn't remember the last time she drove anywhere, knowing that it had to have been over four months ago.
"Let's hope I remember how to drive!" she laughed as she pulled out of the driveway. About fifteen minutes later, she was pulling into the parking lot of the baby store. She decided to take out the stroller but soon realized she had left it at home.
"Well there goes plan A! Thankfully I still have the carrier! Let's see about getting you both in there" she said as she tried to maneuver them into the carrier. It was much harder to do with their coats on so she took them off and put a blanket over them once they were settled in.
"Okay plan B is working out well! Let's see about getting a cart…" she said as she walked into the store. A worker saw her coming and gave her a cart, helping her put the diaper bags and purse into the cart. She thanked him as she started to head into the store.
"Okay you two! Let's see about the essentials first and then go from there!" she said as she headed for the diapers. She picked up two big boxes of diapers and about eight packages of wipes. She moved on to the Halloween costumes. She hoped they had what she was looking for and thankfully they had them in their sizes so she grabbed what she needed.
"Okay let's see about getting you two outfits for the photo shoot tomorrow! I said cranberry and white as colors but let's see… oh look they have a beautiful cranberry dress for you Anna! With a matching headband! This is adorable! What are the chances there's a matching boy's outfit? Oh look! Matching pants and a white dress shirt with a bow tie! Perfect! Let's see about shoes" she said as she found two pairs of shoes.
"Okay you both are set! Now Mommy just needs to get a dress! Hopefully after your appointment today I can sneak away and see about getting something. Why do I think finding something for you two is going to be much easy than finding something for me?" she laughed. Just then, Matthew started to stir.
"Oh Matthew what's wrong? Please don't let it be a blowout!" she pleaded as she checked him. Thankfully from what she could tell it wasn't but he did need to be changed. She was able to keep the cart outside the bathroom and took the diaper bag inside.
"Alright! Your first diaper change in a public bathroom! A milestone I could have lived without for a few months!" she chuckled. She took out a blanket she had in the diaper bag and put it over the changing table. She was able to take out Matthew and place him down. He screamed through the entire diaper change but settled down once he was changed and had a pacifier. She decided to change Anna since they were already there. She managed to stay quiet during the change. Soon, they were both back in the carrier, wide awake but content.
"Well that wasn't so bad! I'm going to need a second shower and a nap because I'm sweaty and exhausted but we survived! Let's go finish our shopping…" she said as she headed out. She was able to pick up some more essentials before taking one more look at the clothing. They had already been invited to Brooklyn for Thanksgiving so she decided to look for an outfit for them. She was able to find matching outfits for them as well as some cute accessories.
"I never thought I'd say this but I'm shopped out! I think it's time we checked out and headed home! Mommy is definitely going to need to nap while you guys do this afternoon before your appointments!" she chuckled.
She found the cashier line and got in line. The other customers commented on how adorable the twins were, asking her how old they were, their names and all sorts of other information. Finally, she got to the cashier, who proceeded to ask her all the same questions again.
"They are just too cute! I see you have your hands full so I'll have one of the guys help you out to the car!" she said as she helped Angela pack the bags into the cart.
"Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!" said Angela as she paid and headed out the door. The sales associate who helped her couldn't have been more than seventeen or eighteen but was very nice and helpful. Other than being called ma'am, it was a very pleasant experience.
"Okay let's get you two settled! I know you are both ready to eat soon, but I'm hoping you can make it home first! A feeding in the car all by myself is not something I'd like to try!" she said as she placed them into their car seats. She made sure they had their pacifiers before getting into driver's seat. She managed to get within five minutes of the house before both babies started screaming their hungry cries.
"Okay let's get inside! Daddy can get the stuff out of the car when he gets home!" she said as she got out and picked up Anna, followed by Matthew. She managed to open the front door and get inside to set them up for a feeding. Both babies fed for almost an hour before they were content and asleep once again. She transferred them into their portable bassinets. She was absolutely exhausted and decided to try and nap on the sofa. She was able to get in an hour nap before Anna stirred. She was able to settle her back to sleep and got an extra half an hour sleep before both babies were crying.
"Alright you two! Lets put you in the stroller while I make myself a sandwich! Maybe we can do some tummy time too! You both are getting so strong already!" she said as she placed them into the stroller and headed into the kitchen. She was pleasantly surprised when she opened the fridge to a plate covered in aluminum foil with a post it note with her name and love hearts on it.
"Oh your daddy knows me too well!" she said with a smile. She took out the plate and grabbed the pitcher of lemonade, pouring herself a glass. She sat down, eating and drinking with one hand and rocking the stroller back and forth with the other. By the time she was done with her lunch, both babies were asleep.
For the next two hours, the twins alternated between sleeping, eating and lastly doing some tummy time. Tony walked through the door as they were lying on a blanket on the floor.
"Hi my little angels! Were you good for Mommy today?" he asked as he got down on the floor next to them. He picked up some of the toys and held it for them to see.
"We all survived! They were very good, even with an impromptu diaper change and forgetting the stroller at home!" laughed Angela.
"Wow! Sounds like you all had a big day! Next solo outing is with Daddy okay? Give Mommy a break! Does that sound like a plan my Anna banana?" he asked as he rubbed her back. She seemed to respond to him with some cooing noises.
"I think she agrees! How about you Matty boy!? You wanna spend some male bonding time with your old man? Look at him Angela! He's really holding his head up more! He's really getting some good momentum there too! He's gonna be rolling over in no time!" he said as he watched Matthew lift up his head and start to lean to one side.
"He is quite strong that's for sure! She's getting there too! She held her head up for about five seconds before you walked in!" said Angela.
"Alright you two! We need to get you ready for your one month appointment! Tony, could you repack the diaper bags? They were just fed and changed so they should be fine" she said.
"Sure! But I need some cuddles! Come here Anna banana! I've missed you guys!" he said as he picked her up, making funny faces at her as he rocked her in his arms.
"How about you get some cuddles in and I'll pack the bags!" she laughed as she picked up Matthew and handed him to Tony, knowing if they were going to get out the door on time, she would need to be the one to get things ready.
"Okay!" he said as he turned his attention to Matthew. She took a minute to watch him interact with the twins, her heart melting, falling in love with him all over again. She could have stood there all day but she knew she had to get what she needed to done. Soon, the babies were packed up and they were on the way to the pediatrician.
Once they arrived, they were taken straight away into the wellness room. The babies were weighed and measured. Matthew weighed eight pounds six ounces and was twenty-one inches long. Anna weighed seven pounds twelve ounces and was twenty inches even.
"Look how big they got! You guys really are growing so big!" said Tony as he took back Anna from the nurse. Just then the doctor came in to do his exam.
"Hi everyone! How is everything?" he asked as he reviewed the charts.
"Everything is pretty good! They are slowly giving us longer stretches of sleep at night, in between cluster feedings. They are doing well with tummy time although neither of them likes it for more than a few minutes!" said Angela.
"Good! Even having them lie on your stomach when you are reclined back counts as tummy time and is usually better received by newborns. That's good about the sleeping but don't get used to it. They are probably going to hit their first sleep regression now that they have hit four weeks. Remember, it's only temporary and they will get back to sleeping longer stretches. How often are they eating?" asked the doctor as he took Matthew from Angela and started his exam.
"Usually every two to three hours but sometimes we can stretch it out to almost four. At night though it could be as soon as every two hours" she said as Matthew started to cry.
"Do they use a pacifier?" he asked as he finished up his exam and handed him to Angela.
"You mean other than Angela?" chuckled Tony.
"Yes they do and they both usually take it to sleep. Is that okay?" asked Angela.
"Yes that's good. It's good to start them on self soothing even at this young age. There's research out there that supports pacifiers helping reduce the risk of SIDS" he said as he took Anna from Tony.
"That's good to know. Is there anything else we can do to prevent it?" asked Angela as she held Matthew even closer to her, Tony coming over and putting his arm around her back. It took everything she had not to burst out crying.
"Just make sure you both, especially Angela, are as well rested as possible. Falling asleep while holding a newborn is one of the greatest risks. Other than that, just keep doing what you are doing! They look like they are doing very well- both gained weight and are hitting their milestones! I'd like to give them one of their vaccines today so it will be one less one next month" he said as he handed Anna to Tony and walked out of the room. He came back in a few moments later with the nurse to administer the shots.
"This will most certainly impact the both of you much more than them! They might run a slight fever tonight. If it's above 101F call the after hours number here. Most likely they will be clingy for the next twenty-four hours or so and probably wanting to feed more often. Do you have any questions?" he asked as he prepared the shots.
"No questions" said Angela as the nurse took Matthew from her and placed him on the exam table. She next took Anna from Tony as the doctor administered the shots. Both babies let out ear piercing screams as Angela and Tony picked them both up to comfort them.
"Good job you two! And both of you too!" he laughed as he looked at Angela and Tony. He headed out of the room as the nurse scheduled the follow up two month appointment.
"I had no idea they were getting a shot today! I would have prepared myself!" said Tony as he was bouncing Matthew to try and sooth him.
"Me either! Here let's try the pacifiers" she said as he handed one to Tony. Soon both babies had quieted down. They were able to change them back into their clothes and pack them into their car seats. The babies started crying from the moment the car started until they pulled into the driveway, despite Angela's attempts to sooth them.
"Okay we are home! Let's get you set up to feed" said Angela as she walked through the door with Matthew. Tony was right behind her with Anna. Samantha and Jonathan were watching television when they got home.
"How'd they do?" asked Samantha as she made space for Angela. She was able to get situated and latched Matthew, followed by Anna, finally silencing the crying.
"Good! They both gained weight and are hitting their milestones! They got their first shots today and took them like champs! I almost cried and passed out but they did great!" said Tony.
"So assuming they settle after their feeding, I need to go get a dress for the photo shoot tomorrow. Tony, Jonathan and the twins are good but Samantha did you want to find something else? I know you weren't too happy with what you already had…" said Angela.
"Sure! Bloomingdale's?" asked Samantha, looking forward to the shopping trip.
"Of course! I'm so far out of the loop I don't even know if there's a sale!" she chuckled.
"Alright, we will leave after they finish feeding" she said. Both babies fed on and off for the next hour until they finally settled. Angela and Samantha headed out, leaving Tony and Jonathan with the twins.
"Alright everyone! I need to get dinner started! It won't take too long but I could use your help Jonathan!" said Tony as he put the twins in the stroller.
"Sure Tony! I'll watch them while you cook!" said Jonathan as he sat next to the stroller. Tony headed into the kitchen and started making a lasagna. The twins started to whimper about ten minutes later.
"Hey, hey! What's wrong? How about we go for a walk around the house?" he asked as he started pushing them around the living room. Matthew settled in but Anna continued to cry.
"Aren't you the calm one Anna?" he chuckled as he carefully picked her up, putting back in the pacifier. She was content in his arms as he continued pushing the stroller. When Matthew looked sound asleep, he stopped and sat back down on the sofa.
"You are wide awake Anna banana! What gives? I thought those shots made you sleepy! I guess not! How about we see what's on television? If Sam were here, MTV would be on! Not sure that's good for babies! How about we see about some cartoons?" he asked as he found an episode of Looney Toons. They sat cuddling on the sofa for the next fifteen minutes until Tony was done and joined them. Everyone enjoyed relaxing for the next half an hour until Matthew woke up screaming.
"Hey Matty boy what's wrong? You just ate an hour ago so you shouldn't be hungry. You're not wet so you don't need to be changed either. How about we go for a bit of a walk around?" he asked as he picked him up and walked him around. Nothing seemed to be soothing him; after a few minutes, Anna started crying too.
"Tony what should I do? She won't stop crying!" said Jonathan who was getting increasingly flustered as the screaming intensified.
"Your guess is as good as mine! C'mon guys it's okay! Mommy will be home soon! Assuming your sister and mommy don't get lost in a sale they didn't know about!" laughed Tony as he continued walking around. After another twenty minutes of nonstop crying, Tony decided to take them for a drive, packing them in the car, Jonathan hanging back to check on dinner.
After driving for another twenty minutes, the twins finally settled. He drove around for another ten minutes before heading home. He sat in the car for a few minutes before getting out as both babies started crying again. Samantha and Angela arrived as Tony was getting Anna out of the car.
"Everything okay Tony?" she asked as she handed Samantha the bags and took a crying Anna from Tony.
"Aside from them both crying about seventy-five percent of the time, everything is fine! I tried to get them to settle in the car but that lasted about five minutes" said Tony as he went around and got Matthew out.
"I have a feeling we have a long night ahead of us!" she said as she took Matthew from Tony. Both babies settled in Angela's arms, falling fast asleep.
"C'mon everyone! Dinner should be ready soon! I'm guessing you guys found something…" said Tony as he eyed the multiple bags in Samantha's hands as they headed into the house.
"Yes! We both got something for tomorrow! And Angela got some new tops while I got some new stuff for school! Thanks Angela!" she said as she gave her a hug, making sure she didn't squash the twins in the process.
"You're welcome sweetheart! I also got Jonathan some clothes and a few things for you too Tony…" she said as she sat down on the sofa.
"Angela! I didn't need anything… what did you get?" he asked, his tone changing when he opened up the shopping bag and pulled out a few new shirts and pants.
"Oh I forgot! The stuff I bought earlier today needs to come in from the car! I ran out of hands!" she laughed.
"Not a problem! I'll go grab them and then check on dinner. We should be ready to eat in about a half an hour" he said as he went to get the bags. By the time he got back inside, both babies were crying. Samantha and Jonathan were walking them around as Angela came out of the side bathroom.
"And so we have begun the 'I only want Mommy time'…" said Tony as he shook his head, knowing Angela would be in constant demand for the next few days. He knew she'd need some rest so he would need to figure out a way to keep them calm and quiet at least for some of the night.
"They just need to get over the shots and they will be okay again…" she said as she sat down and took Matthew to get changed. Samantha took Anna to be changed and soon they were feeding again. Dinner was ready but the twins refused to stop feeding, so Angela sent them in to eat.
"Alright you two! Mommy is going to need to eat and sleep at some point so she doesn't look like a zombie in the photos tomorrow! So try and go easy on the rest of the family okay?" she asked as both babies drifted off to sleep.