Thank you so much for the awesome reviews! I'm glad Pumpkin didn't disappoint anyone. ;)

And thank you to MelissaMargaret for making this pretty.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or these characters.

Carlisle POV

If possible, my over-protectiveness had increased twice over in the short hour since Pumpkin's birth. Now I had to take care of my wife and my son and make sure they stayed healthy and happy. Thankfully, my gracious wife seemed too blissed out to care.

"Feel okay?" I asked Esme, rubbing her shoulder and kissing her cheek.

She closed her eyes and grinned. "I'm perfect, Carlisle. So perfect."

"Tired?"

"Hmm…yeah, that too. But mostly perfect."

"Good to know," I said with a chuckle. "So when should we go find the family?"

I didn't want to interrupt our quiet time together, but I was ready to introduce Edward to the family, especially the kids. I couldn't wait to see their reaction.

"We can if you want," Esme said softly. "I really want to see my babies, though."

"Well then we'll see if they're here yet."

"I can go check," Charlotte offered. "They can't be that hard to find."

Esme and I both laughed.

"I hope they haven't been kicked out yet," Esme said, still giggling. "I don't think our connections will help us with that rowdy bunch."

"I'll catch them in time," Charlotte said confidently. "Who do you want me to bring back to the room?"

Esme and I decided all the women could come in for a few minutes before we brought the kids in. It was our way of making up for none of them being allowed in the room for the delivery.

Charlotte left the room, and I closed my eyes and pulled Esme closer as we enjoyed our last few quiet minutes alone with our Pumpkin. He was still sleeping and his soft, quick breathing was almost surreal to hear. I was in awe of our miracle. He was really here – no longer living in and being protected by Esme. Instead of feeling him kick through her skin, we could actually touch his little feet.

And I had plans to study those feet along with his ten little toes as soon as he was warm.

A few minutes later, there was a soft knock at the door. I opened my eyes and turned to look at Esme. She was smiling, and I couldn't help but smile too.

"I found them," Charlotte announced as she entered the room. "And they're about to run me over."

"Well, dear, you'll understand when your grandchild arrives. And you've already met my grandbaby," Carmen huffed, nearly pushing Charlotte aside in her rush to get to us.

"I promise we're not going anywhere," Esme said, and I could tell she was trying not to laugh. Carmen, Kate, and Chelsea all seemed to be in a hurry to get to us as if we had been hiding the baby away for weeks instead of him being just an hour old.

"Wait," Kate said suddenly. "We have to settle the bet before we get a good look at the little sweetheart. I still say girl."

Carmen nodded. "Yes, girl. Rose told me on the way that she thinks it's a girl too."

"I think it's a little boy," Chelsea said with a smile. "Alec and Garrett agree with me."

I rolled my eyes. Alec and Garrett had remained neutral until now, but their votes still didn't change the majority. Too bad most of our family had been wrong.

"Do you want to tell them or should I?" I asked Esme, and she shrugged.

"Go for it."

I nodded and leaned over to kiss Pumpkin's head and breathe in his clean baby scent.

"Well, ladies…" I paused dramatically, but my aunt looked like she wanted to slap me, so I had to continue. "I'd like to introduce you to Edward Anthony Cullen, and he is definitely a boy."

All three of them squealed, and Esme and I automatically covered the baby's ears. He didn't stir though which was a good thing considering how loud our house always was.

"Can we have a closer look?" Chelsea asked hopefully.

"Of course," Esme said as she motioned for them to come closer. "And you can hold him later, but he has to warm up first."

One at a time, they knelt down beside the bed to get a good look at Pumpkin's sleeping face. They oohed, ahhed, and stroked his soft cheek until they were all satisfied with their initial meeting.

We told them all his measurements and gave a short summary of the delivery. The whole morning was a blur, though. An unbelievably easy blur. Even Esme who experienced all the pain told them the delivery was a piece of cake. I was so happy she was able to have the positive experience she'd wanted and was feeling so well.

"We should probably go so you can bring the kids in," Kate said as she gave Esme a careful hug. "Congratulations. He's so beautiful." After releasing Esme, she stepped back to give Chelsea a turn and came over to hug me.

"Thank you," I said, patting her back. "Come back in a little while and you can hold him."

"I'll hold you to that," she said with a wink and then quietly left the room.

Chelsea hugged and congratulated me next before following Kate out of the room, leaving only Carmen with us.

"Thank you for making me another beautiful grandbaby," Carmen said, tears appearing in her eyes. "For a while, I wasn't sure what God had planned for you, but I see now. Baby Edward is a true little miracle."

Esme started sniffling, and I gently skimmed my nose over the side of her cheek, not worrying too much about her being emotional. I was prepared for the unavoidable mood swings and tears caused by her raging hormones. There was no way my support would stop now that the pregnancy was over.

"Anyway," Carmen continued, smiling in an attempted to end our emotional moment. "I know you must be hungry, so I have plates for you both. I can't stand the thoughts of you eating hospital food, so we've been cooking this morning – pasta with chicken, some fruit salad, and lemonade. Sound good?"

Esme's stomach growled loudly in response, making me laugh as I gently rubbed the blanket over her abdomen. "I think that answers your question. My stomach agrees with hers."

Carmen nodded. "Good. E is supposed to be watching the food, but he might be doing something more important right now." Her smile changed, becoming sly as if she had a secret.

"What are you hiding?" I asked, arching my brow.

"Nothing at all," she defended quickly. A little too quickly to escape my suspicion. "There is a surprise waiting for you, though. You'll see if you come with me to the waiting room."

I turned to look at Esme. "Should we trust her?"

She shrugged one shoulder so she wouldn't disturb the baby. "Probably not. But since I want my babies and some food, I think we're going to have to. I haven't seen them in hours, and I haven't eaten in…longer than that."

Carmen huffed and laughed at the same time, probably because we were talking like she wasn't in the room, but I knew she wouldn't take offence. We did give her a new grandchild after all.

"So you'll be okay while I go get them?" I hated the thoughts of leaving Esme's side, let alone leaving the room.

"We'll be just fine," she said, smiling as she leaned forward to kiss me. "Pumpkin is a sleepy boy. Going from Mommy's belly to the outside world is very exhausting."

I smiled and reached over to rest my hand on Pumpkin's head. He looked so peaceful sleeping on Esme's chest, and if I wasn't careful, I knew I would spend hours just staring at him and my gorgeous wife together. They were the near perfect picture, but there were three important pieces missing.

After leaning down and kissing Pumpkin's forehead, I slipped off the bed and went to stand by Carmen.

"I'll be back with children and food," I promised Esme as I followed Carmen out into the hallway.

I wasn't completely sure where the waiting room was since I never worked on this floor, so Carmen linked her arm with mine and led me. She talked the whole time about baby Edward, from his name to his size and also about Esme. She was almost as proud of Esme as I was, but I knew she couldn't fully understand the amazing strength my wife possessed without seeing it firsthand. The experience continued to awe me.

Carmen slowed her pace even though I assumed we were close to the waiting area, and when she stopped walking and talking, I knew something really was going on.

"Is everything all right?" I asked hesitantly, and to my relief, she nodded.

"Yes, dear. Everything's fine. I just feel I should…" She paused and seemed to think before continuing. "Warn isn't the right word at all. Maybe alert is better."

"You need to alert me about something I'm about to see in the waiting area?"

She nodded. "But just go with it, okay? That's what we've all been doing, and everything seems fine."

"Carmen, now I'm worried," I admitted, reaching up to rub my forehead.

"Oh, don't be worried," she scoffed and patted my arm. "You'll see what I mean as soon as we walk in the room. Let's not keep Esme waiting."

She started walking again and with her arm through mine, I had no choice but to follow. I was still worried and confused thanks to all of her cryptic statements, but I trusted her. Or at least, I was pretty sure I did.

"Remember – no over-reacting," she reminded me as we stepped into an open area at the end of the hall.

My eyes widened a bit, seeing our family fill the small space. Chelsea and Alec were sitting on one of the small couches with Jasper in the middle of both of their laps. Kate and Garrett were taking up another couch, and the other kids were playing in the floor and going back and forth sitting in all the chairs. In a word, it was chaos, but an organized version of chaos.

To top it all off, everyone was wearing matching t-shirts. Somehow, I hadn't noticed them before, but they were certainly hard to miss. Each one was black and had different color names, similar to our Valentine's Day shirts. There were two 'Aunt's, two 'Uncle's, three 'Cousin's, two 'Brother's, and one 'Nana.'

The only ones missing were 'Pops' and 'Sister,' but after another glance around the room, I spotted Eleazar standing by the window. That by itself didn't make me freeze and gasp. The fact that he was looking out the window with a little girl in his arms caused that reaction.

He was holding my little girl. My Rosalie.

"All morning," Carmen whispered, squeezing my arm before letting go. I forced myself to turn to her, and she nodded. "Just go with it, remember?"

There were unshed tears in her eyes, and I suspected there would be some in my eyes too once the shock wore off.

With a wink, she pushed me toward them, and I quietly walked closer.

Rosalie had her arms wrapped tightly around Eleazar's neck with her head resting against his, and he was twisting back and forth slowly as he pointed out different things on the busy city street below. The gentle voice he used with her made me smile. My Uncle E was a nurturing man and always had been, and I knew he was a big influence on my parenting style. So seeing him finally holding his little princess was incredible. I wasn't sure how many amazing moments we could fit into one day.

"Hi, guys," I said softly as I stood beside them.

Eleazar turned toward me and laughed as Rosalie squealed.

"Daddy, daddy, you here at the hopsickle! It's scary here, but it's okay a'cause Pops holds me. See, Daddy? Nobody can give me a owwie. Pops is too big. And we's looking at cars drivin' in the rain. Lots of rain, Daddy, but it's okay a'cause Pops carried me in the hopsickle under a dark buildin'. Is Pumpkin outta Mommy's belly yet? Pops said you knows."

"Slow down, baby girl," I said with a chuckle. "You're talking just a little bit too fast. Who gave you too much sugar today?" I reached over to tickle her, and she giggled loudly, attracting everyone's attention.

"We had cinnamon rolls with extra icing and sprinkles for breakfast," Eleazar explained, laughing softly. "Rosalie especially enjoyed them, didn't you, princess?"

She nodded and squeezed Eleazar's neck before reaching for me. I hated to take her away from him, especially because they seemed to be getting along so well. But since everyone was looking at me, I felt the need to make an official announcement and I wanted my kids with me for it. I'd focus on this new relationship between Rosalie and her Pops as soon as the kids met their new brother.

I held my arms to meet hers, and after Eleazar kissed her cheek, she came to me. I gave her a kiss and walked to the middle of the room so everyone could see and hear me clearly.

As soon as Emmett stopped playing long enough to look up, he spotted me and ran over to hug my legs.

"Hi, Daddy!" he said happily. "Where's Mommy and baby Pumpkin?"

I squatted so I could give him a real hug and a kiss. "Mommy and baby Pumpkin are in another room, but we're about to go see them, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy. Can I go play?"

"No, bud. We're about to go really soon, so stay right here with me."

He begrudgingly agreed, and I placed Rosalie beside him as I turned to open my arms for Jasper.

Chelsea helped my scared boy down for the couch, and he ran over to me, burying his face in my neck as soon as he reached me. The whole day had been traumatic for him, and the hospital was still an uncomfortable place in his mind. I completely understood his hesitance and fear as well as his need to be with someone. I had a feeling he hadn't left Alec or Chelsea's lap for any long length of time since Esme and I left.

"You okay, buddy?" I asked as I kissed his head.

"Mmhmm," he murmured with a small nod. "Daddy, where my Mommy?"

"Your Mommy is with baby Pumpkin in another room, and we're about to go see them."

"I wanna see dem," he replied as he lifted his head. "I want my Mommy."

I kissed his forehead and smiled. "I know you do, buddy. We'll go in just a minute, but I have one more thing to do." I cleared my throat to get everyone's attention, and the room surprisingly went silent as everyone focused on me.

"The women are keeping all baby information a secret," Eleazar said, explaining the strange phenomenon of silence. "We're ready to know about the little one now."

I laughed and pulled the kids closer. "Okay, okay. Well, Esme and I are proud to announce that Pumpkin is…a healthy baby boy. Edward Anthony Cullen was born at ten fifty-two this morning."

The room erupted with cheers, laugher, and a few random claps from some of the kids. I couldn't help but laugh and smile as we celebrated together, but my top priority was making sure the kids understood.

I turned Rosalie and Emmett toward me so I could see their faces. "So did you hear that, guys? You have a new little brother."

Rosalie wrinkled her nose. "Brother? Like J and Em's my brothers?"

I nodded. "Exactly like that. And now you have a baby brother. His name is Edward, but you can still call him Pumpkin." Esme and I couldn't stop using the nickname, giving me the feeling that Edward would be stuck with it for a while.

"Pumpkin's a blue baby?" Rosalie asked, wrinkling her nose even more. "But I wants a pink baby to wear hair bows and pretty dresses like me. Daddy, get me one, okay?"

"No, I want this one," Emmett insisted. "A brother can play cars, right Daddy?"

"He might like to play cars with you eventually," I agreed.

Rosalie crossed her arms and pouted, obviously not very happy with me. Biologically, it was my fault that Pumpkin was a boy, but I was simply overjoyed that we had a healthy baby. I had a feeling that once Rosalie saw the baby, she wouldn't care either.

"What do you think, Jasper?" I asked, brushing the hair off his forehead.

He shrugged. "I like brodders," he whispered before hiding his face again.

He didn't offer any other response, but I knew getting to Esme was his main priority now. And since everyone was now informed, I could make that happen.

I stood, keeping Jasper in my arms, and reached down for Rosalie's hand. This wasn't what she wanted, though, and she quickly found her way into my arms as well. Emmett was left without a hand to hold, but I hoped he could manage to walk down the hallway beside me.

After letting everyone know that I was taking the kids, we set off down the hallway. Emmett skipped happily beside me, waving and smiling at all of the nurses we passed. At four years old, he was the biggest flirt. The nurses were getting a kick out of it, though, and Em ate up their attention.

When we made it to Esme's room, I had Emmett knock on the door, and as soon as the kids heard Esme's voice, they were all ready to be in the room. Rosalie and Jasper's hesitance seemed to melt away after knowing they were about to see their mommy.

I managed to push the door open with my full arms, but not fast enough for Esme's liking.

"Where are my babies?" she called. "I thought they were coming to see me."

"We're tryin,' Mommy," Emmett announced. "Daddy's too slow, and I wanna meet my brother."

I finally herded them into the room and found Esme giggling at us, but I just shrugged. With this many kids and my amazing wife out of commission for a while, we were bound to be slow and disorganized. I was proud of myself for simply walking down a hallway with the kids.

Emmett smiled as soon as he saw Esme and rushed over to stand beside the bed. I couldn't help him up, but Charlotte quickly lifted him to sit on the edge of the bed before slipping out of the room, I assumed to give us some privacy.

"Mommy, is that Pumpkin?" Emmett asked as he leaned over to try to get a good look at the baby.

Esme scooted over slightly, gesturing for me to sit beside her, and then adjusted Edward so Emmett could see him better. "It sure is, monkey," she said with a smile. "This is your new brother, Edward. Can you say 'hi'?"

I sat down by her legs just in time to see Emmett's eyes widen as he leaned over to get a good look.

"Hi, Pumpkin," he attempted to whisper. "I'm Emmett and I'm the…big brother?" He looked up at Esme, and she sniffled as she nodded, confirming his question.

Slowly, Emmett reached toward Edward's head, his eyes on Esme's face as if to see if she would stop him. To his surprise, she took his hand and placed it on top of the cap keeping Edward's head warm. Em giggled and softly patted his brother's head. "I like him. We can keep him."

Esme and I both started laughing, but really, I was thankful that Emmett had had such a positive reaction. If he always wanted to keep his brother, we'd be okay.

"What about my other babies?" Esme asked once our laughter died down. "Do you want to meet Pumpkin?" Jasper and Rosalie had watched the whole interaction without moving, but that was the only encouragement Rosalie needed.

"I wanna see, Mommy," Rosalie said as she leaned toward Esme. I released her from my lap, and she crawled over, setting herself in Esme's arms in between her brothers.

Rosalie looked at Pumpkin, studying his face carefully, and then looked over at me. "Daddy, this hat's pink. Why a blue baby wear that?"

"Nuh uh, Rosie," Emmett said as he shook his head. "It's a blue hat because Pumpkin is a boy. Daddy said so."

Rosalie scowled and pointed to the hat. "No, Em, look. That's pink."

I knew – and it seemed Emmett knew as well – that she was trying to somehow make Pumpkin into a girl, but I was just glad she wasn't completely rejecting the baby.

"Okay, guys," I said quickly, not wanting them to fight about the insignificant hat. "The baby girls and baby boys at the hospital wear the same hats so they're pink and blue," I explained. "They all get one to keep them nice and warm."

Emmett nodded proudly, and Rosalie frowned before nodding and turning back to the baby.

Esme looked over at me with a confused expression, and I smiled and shook my head, letting her know that I'd explain later. Right now, she didn't need to know that Rosalie was upset about not getting a sister.

"Mommy, can I hold this blue baby?" Rosalie asked.

"You can in a little while," Esme said, reaching up to run her fingers through Rosalie's hair. "We have to wait for him to get nice and warm and then he won't have to lie on me anymore, and you can hold him as much as you want."

Rosalie smiled and nodded. "Okay, Mommy. I think I like this blue baby. I be a helper girl with him, okay?"

"Of course you can be a helper girl. Pumpkin loves his sister so much."

Rosalie's smile grew, and she leaned over to give Esme a kiss, only to surprise us by then giving Pumpkin one on the top of his head. She was gentle without being prompted, and I was sure she would be an excellent big sister.

"What about me?" Emmett wondered. "Does Pumpkin love me too?"

"Of course he does," Esme assured him, leaning over to kiss his forehead. "Baby Edward loves you and Rosalie and Jasper." She turned to look over at us, and her permanent smile softened as she looked at Jasper.

Jasper was the only one who hadn't had a closer look at the baby, but I could tell he was nervous. As much as he wanted his mommy, the whole situation was out of the norm and not comfortable for him.

Esme seemed to pick up on this too, and she reached out for him. "Come see Mommy, sweet boy. I missed you so much."

Jasper scrambled out of my lap and moved toward her, and I somehow pulled Rosalie and Emmett out of the way before he threw his arms around Esme's neck. He narrowly missed the baby in his haste, but we didn't say anything since no harm was done. Jasper needed this.

"It's okay, baby. It's okay," Esme murmured as she hugged him as close as possible. "You're here with me now."

As she comforted him, the tension seemed to melt off him, and as they had their moment, I attempted to distract Rosalie and Emmett. They were more interested in looking at the baby, which was definitely good, but I wanted Jasper and Esme to have a few minutes together. He was struggling the most and needed the time.

After a few quiet minutes, Jasper lifted his head from the crook of Esme's neck and smiled at her.

"Now that's what I want to see," Esme said with a soft laugh. "My happy boy. Are you ready to meet Pumpkin too? I think he's excited about meeting his other big brother."

Jasper nodded and turned to look at the baby. He tilted his head as he looked, as if deep in thought, and I chuckled softly at his reaction.

"Babies are interesting, huh, buddy?" I asked him, and he nodded.

"He all winkly and liddle and sleepin' on Mommy," he informed us. "When he wake up?"

"I'm sure he'll wake up this afternoon," Esme told him. "Maybe when you're holding him later."

Jasper grinned and nodded, obviously excited about getting to hold the baby. I sighed in relief, finally allowing myself to relax now that all the kids had accepted baby Edward. I wasn't naïve enough to think that it would always be this easy, but if the first meeting was any indication, the kids would love their brother very much even if he took Esme's attention…and wasn't a girl.

"Okay, guys," I said, trying to get their attention. "Let's go find Nana and Pops so Mommy and I can eat some lunch."

"Daddy, I want lunch," Emmett whined. "Can I eat yours?"

I raised an eyebrow. "You haven't eaten lunch yet?"

He shook his head. "No, I didn't get any. Please?"

"Me either," Rosalie added, and Jasper shook his head too.

"Why didn't Nana feed you guys…?" I trailed off as someone knocked on the door.

"Sorry to eavesdrop," Eleazar whispered as he entered the room. "But I promise we're going to feed them now so you can eat your lunch in peace. Oh, and hi, Ezzie."

Esme giggled and waved at him. "Hi, E. Come meet your new grandson."

He smiled as he crossed the room, setting a bag on the small table before bending down to kiss Esme's head. "Let's see the handsome little guy."

I placed Rosalie and Emmett on the floor and went to help Esme shift so Eleazar could get a better view of the baby without getting an eye-full of his daughter-in-law.

"He surely is a beautiful baby," he said, smiling as he lifted the cap to see Pumpkin's peach fuzz hair. "And his hair is so light! He'll be a looker, just you wait. I'll have to fight all the girls off for him."

"I'm sure Edward will appreciate that," I said, chuckling.

Eleazar nodded. "Of course he will. So…Edward Anthony, huh? I understand the Edward, but how did you decide on Anthony?"

"Honestly, we just played around with names," Esme answered with a small shrug. "We knew we would want to use Edward, and then we had to find something that fit. Since Edward is Carlisle's middle name, we went off of my middle name and came up with Anthony."

"Well, I think it's perfect," he said as he reached over to rub Edward's back and kissed Esme's temple. "We're so thankful that all of our prayers for you were answered. Now it's time for all the fun."

"Actually," I interrupted with a grin, "I think it's time for lunch first." The adrenaline had worn off, making me realize how hungry I actually was, and plus, I didn't want to think of all the future "fun" we would be having just yet. The prospect of having four children under the age of five was a scary one.

Eleazar turned to look at the bag he had left on the table. "I hope Menny packed enough for you to eat, but if not, I'll be sure to bring you some leftovers. Make sure Ezzie eats, all right, son?" He gave me a pointed look, and I nodded. "She needs her strength."

Esme tried to hold in her laughter over his concern, but I was on the same page as my uncle. My self-appointed job of the day was to make sure Esme ate, napped, and didn't want for anything. She did all the hard work this morning, and now it was my turn.

"Good," he said with a nod. "And we'll feed the troops as soon as I can round them up."

"Are you ready to go with Pops?" Esme asked Jasper softly. He hadn't moved from his spot next to her, and I doubted he wanted to. Honestly, I wasn't sure if any of the kids were ready to leave us, but they couldn't go without eating.

"Yeah, come on, buddy," Eleazar encouraged, holding his arms out for him. "We'll go get something good to eat with everyone and come right back."

Jasper didn't look entirely convinced, but after a few kisses and hugs from Esme and me, he let Eleazar take him. Once I pulled Rosalie and Emmett away from the rocking chair they were fighting over, they also received hugs and kisses. Emmett then followed Eleazar to the door, but Rosalie wasn't willing to do her own walking.

"Pops," she called from her position on my lap. "Get me, please?" She raised her arms, and I looked over at Esme to see her eyes widen as she gasped.

Eleazar chuckled and turned back so he could come over and lift her to his other side. "I can't forget my princess, can I? Are we good now?"

She rested her head on his shoulder as she nodded, and after some waves and goodbyes, the room was quiet again.

"What…was…that?" Esme asked in awe.

"That was the surprise Carmen was teasing us about." I smiled and shrugged. "Apparently, Rosalie and Pops had a breakthrough this morning."

She scoffed. "Breakthrough? That was amazing. And so fast. What else have we missed today? Because now I feel like I've already missed out on so much of their lives." Tears filled her eyes suddenly as her emotions were probably spinning out of control.

"Oh, sweetheart," I soothed, settling myself by her side once more. "I'm sure we didn't miss much in six hours. Rose's new relationship with Pops is…unexpected, but it could have happened any time when you were grocery shopping or when we were out at dinner. She needed someone this morning, and I'm glad she picked him."

Esme sniffled and leaned her head against me. "I guess you're right, but I wish I could have seen it. And I feel guilty that we weren't there when she was anxious. Jasper, too."

"Well, we were kind of busy," I said as I leaned over to kiss Pumpkin's head, breathing in his scent again. I just couldn't get over how amazing the newborn smell was.

"Very busy," she agreed. "And now I'm very hungry, and something smells delicious."

I hummed as I stood and brought the rolling table over to the bed. I positioned it so it was at the perfect height for us to eat comfortably and began unloading everything from the bag. The delicious smell was much stronger once I had the plates out and unwrapped, and by the time everything was set up and I was sitting again, we were ready to dig in.

Nothing was said as we inhaled the delicious chicken and pasta Carmen had made. It was as if she knew exactly what we would want to eat and sent plenty. Neither of us cleaned our plate, but we still had our fill.

"I love Carmen," Esme sighed as she took the last slip of her lemonade. "I love her, I love her, I love her."

"Mmhmm," I murmured as I let my eyes close. With my hunger sated, I was ready for a nap, but I was still too keyed up to fall asleep. I was too aware of any movement made by either Esme or Pumpkin and constantly felt the need to check on them.

"When do you think he'll be warm?" Esme asked, breaking the silence.

I opened my eyes and sat up so I'd have a better view. The permanent smile on my face grew as I watched Esme cradle our still sleeping son in her arms. The way she looked at him was so tender and loving, and I was beyond blessed to be able to call them mine.

"Are you uncomfortable?" I asked, wondering if that was why she was asking. "Do you want to move the bed or go sit in the rocking chair? Just let me know, and I'll help you."

She looked up at me and smiled. "No, I'm fine. I just wondered. He seems so peaceful, but if he's squirming when he wakes up, I don't want him to get cold or anything like that."

"When do you think he'll wake up?"

"Hopefully soon," she said wistfully. "I want to see his pretty eyes again, but I don't blame him for sleeping. I'm tired too."

"You could take a nap, sweetheart," I suggested. "But I can't guarantee someone won't be waking you soon. It's a busy place around here."

She nodded before I thoughtful look appeared on her face. "A power nap might be okay," she decided. "Can I lie on you?"

Without a word, I placed our used plates, napkins, and cutlery back in the bag and moved the table out of the way. Esme watched me with an amused expression as I finished my task, and after slightly lowering the head of the bed, I returned to my spot.

I turned and placed my hand on her cheek as I kissed her lips gently. "You never have to ask something like that," I whispered. "You can lie with me always. In fact, I'd prefer it that way."

She smiled as she nodded, and I placed my arm around her and pulled her to my side.

"Are you feeling okay? Any pain?"

"I'm sore," she said softly, snuggling closer. "But it's not too bad right now. I think I might want to walk around later, though."

I nodded even though she couldn't see me since her eyes were closed. "We can do that. Sleep now, okay? I love you."

"Love you too," she mumbled as she let out a deep breath.

The bed was very small and my position wasn't the best, but I had no desire to move. I placed one of my hands on Pumpkin so I could feel every breath he took along with hearing his little grunts and sighs, and Esme's breathing slowed as she joined him in sleep. She might have even been drooling on my shirt, and yet it was still perfect.

Unfortunately, our quiet perfection was interrupted a few minutes later when Charlotte came into the room.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I need to check his temp again just to be sure. And I have a surprise for you."

I wasn't sure if I was ready for another surprise today, but she didn't give me a choice as she handed me a digital camera. As she did her job, I turned the camera on and went to the pictures. I scrolled through them and almost couldn't believe what I was seeing. Somehow, Charlotte had managed to take pictures of the kids meeting Edward. I had been too involved to even notice her, and I was so glad that she decided to do this. The pictures captured the moments perfectly, showing the awe on their faces as they met their brother as well as their relief at finally seeing their mommy again.

"Charlotte, this is perfect," I said softly. "Esme is going to love this."

"I thought she would," she said with a smile. "She didn't notice me either, so it will surprise her too. It was no trouble at all. And…baby Edward is still perfect. Just keep the blanket over him for a couple more hours, and then we'll get him a shirt so he can be bundled up and passed around."

I almost didn't like the idea of not having both Esme and Edward in my arms at all times, but I knew the family wanted a chance to hold the newest member. I also couldn't deny wanting to sit in the rocking chair with my son and really get to know him. I hadn't had a chance for a one-on-one chat since this morning when he was still in the womb, so we were overdue.

"Thank you again, Charlotte," I said as she started to leave the room.

"You're welcome, Carlisle, but thank you for the chance. Peter and I will both be back later, okay?"

I nodded, and she left us on our own once more.

Esme's power nap lasted a bit longer than we anticipated because she was actually left alone instead of being poked and prodded by various nurses. She only woke when Pumpkin did, and he surprised me by not even crying. I was under the assumption that babies cried when they were hungry, but I had a lot to learn. Edward simply squirmed as he rooted around to find his next meal.

The second feeding went as smoothly as the first, but this time, Esme and I were able to talk quietly to him the whole time as he ate. His eyes remained closed for the most part, but when he would open them periodically to look up at us, my heart felt like it was almost too full. He was perfect and he was ours, and one look at him erased all of the pain we had felt through the years of not being able to conceive. Baby Edward was worth all of that and more.

After nursing on both sides and having his diaper changed, Edward slept again. I didn't have false hope about this amount of sleep continuing at home. I had read too many website comments to assume something like that, but we made sure to appreciate the peace while we could.

Time seemed to fly by as we lounged in bed together. Kim only came by once to check on Esme and make sure everything was fine. Because of how smoothly Esme's labor went, the recovery was expected to go smoothly as well. Her only complaint was still being tired, and Kim promised that we would be left alone tonight.

Since Pumpkin wanted to spend his day sleeping, we didn't have much to do other than just watch him. That was fine with us, but the urge to do something was still there. Finally, Esme had to go to the bathroom, giving her an excuse to get out of bed. It also gave me an excuse to hold the baby technically before he was supposed to leave his spot on Esme's chest.

I was torn, though. Part of me wanted to help Esme to the bathroom, but another part of me wanted to hold my son for the first time. Esme rolled her eyes at my concern for her and gave me no choice as she transferred the baby to my chest.

The feeling was…perfect, like so many other things today. Even through my t-shirt, his little body felt so warm and fragile. Logically, I knew I wouldn't break him, but the thought lingered in the back of my mind. He was small and vulnerable, and I was overwhelmed with wanting to protect and love him for the rest of his life.

Esme returned from the bathroom too soon, but I didn't immediately hand Pumpkin over. She giggled but didn't pressure me, and when I finally did pass him back to her, I felt a sense of loss. I couldn't even imagine how she left him to go to the bathroom when I didn't want to lose direct contact with him.

"It's indescribable, isn't it?" Esme asked softly.

I nodded. "It's no more or less than what I feel for Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper, but it's…different at the same time."

"You've known him his whole life – from his very first breath. You've never had that exact connection before," she reminded me. "It's okay that it's different."

I leaned over and let my lips slowly meet hers. "Thank you," I breathed against her. "For everything."

"Thank you for everything," she countered, smiling as we kissed again.

My face hurt from smiling so much, but I couldn't stop, and Esme couldn't either.

Our smiles continued to grow when I showed her the pictures Charlotte had taken. As we looked through them together, we discovered that Charlotte had also managed to capture some of the first few moments after Edward was born. The pictures were completely tasteful and mainly focused on our faces which were full of every happy emotion I could name.

The whole day still felt like a dream. I assumed reality would set in eventually, but I was content to live in our dream world.

A small dose of reality came when the family returned. The hospital room was filled to capacity, and I still wondered if complaints were being filed against us.

After receiving the go-ahead from Charlotte, we were able to dress Pumpkin in his hospital t-shirt and swaddle him in a blanket. He wasn't too excited about leaving the warmth of his mother at first, but as soon as someone else was holding him, he calmed and continued sleeping. The adults each took a turn holding the baby until he was finally passed back to me. I longed to hold him for the rest of the day, but instead, I sat on the couch and helped each of the kids hold him.

Gradually, the family headed home. Garrett and Alec left with Corin, Riley, and Jane first, and Eleazar and Kate were next. The room quieted significantly once they left but not to the point where Esme could nap again. I was worried about her lack of sleep, but it was obvious that she was happy to have our family members here.

The kids were easily entertained for a while with the TV and the new baby. Emmett and Jasper lay on the bed with Esme as they watched cartoons together, and Rosalie stayed close to me since I had Pumpkin in my arms. The longer she was around him, the more her acceptance grew. She wasn't one-hundred-percent okay with him being a boy, but she was getting there. She loved holding him and kissing his face, so none of us were too worried. The rest would come in time – for all of the kids.

By late afternoon, we were all restless. We loved having the kids with us, but we also had to admit that the hospital wasn't the best environment for them. Carmen and Chelsea took them home only after I promised to be there to tuck them in before they went to bed. It was emotional for Esme to be apart from them again, and I understood. The one thing I wanted now was for all of us to be home together again.

With the family gone, the room was quiet and peaceful with just the three of us. Esme nursed Pumpkin as she composed herself from the emotional goodbye, and by the time he was finished and asleep, she was back to smiling and laughing with me. She was restless, though, so once Pumpkin had a clean diaper, I all-too-willingly volunteered to spend some time with my son while she took a walk with Charlotte.

Esme immediately agreed and put her robe on before linking arms with Charlotte. They waved to me as they left, and then I was alone with Pumpkin. My son.

Holding a newborn was a skill I hadn't quite mastered, but I was pretty sure I was doing okay. His head was always supported as well as the rest of his body, and I kept my movements slow and steady so I wouldn't wake him. Once we were both comfortable in the rocking chair, I closed my eyes, enjoying the moment. Then it was time to get reacquainted with my Pumpkin.

"Happy birthday, buddy," I whispered, placing a kiss on his forehead. "It's been a long day for you already, huh? But now you're here, and Mommy and I are so happy to see you and hold you. The rest of the family is happy too."

He sighed and pursed his lips in response which made me chuckle.

"Yeah, I know they're loud and crazy, but you'll get used to them soon. We all love you so much, Pumpkin. We've been waiting a long time for you, but you were worth the wait. So worth it."

I stopped for a second and blinked quickly, not wanting to get too emotional. I hadn't expected this to be such a big moment.

"Anyway," I continued, adjusting my arm slightly as I cleared my throat, "thank you for going so easy on Mommy today. But I know you're tired like she is, so we'll talk more later. Enjoy your nap, son. I love you so much."

He made another gurgling noise as I kissed his cheek and his forehead. His whole face was begging for kisses as were his hands. I kissed those too and studied his tiny fingers. Seeing how tiny and perfect they were was amazing, and I double checked to make sure all ten of them were present and accounted for.

Even more amazing than his hands were his feet. After carefully unwrapping him, I held both of them in one palm, running my thumb over his toes. These were the same feet that nudged my hands everyday through Esme's skin. They were amazing and perfect, but I had yet to find anything about baby Edward that wasn't perfect.

Once my inspection was complete, I wrapped the blanket more securely around him and rocked slowly as I hummed a random tune.

Based on the dimming light coming through the window, evening was approaching which would lead to our first night with Pumpkin. I was way past tired and bordering on exhausted, but I was ready to help Esme with anything she needed. If that meant not getting any sleep, then I wouldn't sleep.

My beautiful wife had worked hard this morning, and now it was my turn. I hadn't been with her to help when Emmett was born, but I was here now, and I wanted to do anything and everything for her and Edward.

The only downside was being away from Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper. I hoped we wouldn't have to stay in the hospital very long since Esme and Edward were both doing so well, but I couldn't be sure yet.

I knew everything would sink in once we were home, and I was ready for it. Our family needed to be together to discover our new normal. It wouldn't be easy, but I was sure we'd find a way.

A/N: I'm so sorry about the long wait, but school attacked this month and I was buried in tests and homework. You guys are the best for being so patient with me.

Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long.

Reviewers will receive teasers, as always. =)