Hope for All- chapter 52
Angela was able to get about two hours of sleep before she was woken up by two crying babies and a slightly less composed Tony. She wiped the sleep out of her eyes and sat up on the bed, motioning Tony to hand her one of the babies.
"I tried to keep them quiet so you could sleep but I think they are both hungry again! Matty hasn't slept at all so he's definitely overtired too" said Tony.
"It's okay Tony. Have they been changed yet?" she asked as she tried to settled Matthew.
"He has but Anna hasn't. I'll do that now" he said as he picked her up to change her diaper.
"Okay I'll start feeding him" she said as she latched him. Angela could tell he was hungry and very tired as soon his eyes began to close. She gently stroked his head, enjoying the one on one time.
"Alright little girl you are changed! How about a quick feed?" he said as he handed Anna to Angela. Surprising everyone, Anna latched correctly the first time. They spent about twenty minutes feeding. Matthew fell into a deep sleep and was easily put down but now Anna was wide awake.
"Well so much for them being on the same sleep/wake schedule! Here I'll take her and you get some more sleep" said Tony with a yawn.
"Tony I'm okay. You need some sleep. I'll be fine… just hand me the television remote" said said.
"Are you sure Angela?" he said with another yawn.
"Yes Tony. Just push her bassinet over to the side of the bed in case she falls asleep. Also move him close to me too in case he wakes up" she said as she tucked Anna closer to her chest.
"Okay… please wake me for their next feeding or if you need anything" he said as he laid down on the makeshift pullout bed. Within a few minutes, he was snoring.
"Well let's hope Daddy's snoring doesn't wake your brother! Or keep you awake for too long either!" she whispered. She was able to find an old movie to watch on television as she spoke lovingly to Anna. Within the next half an hour, Anna was lulled to sleep. Angela tried to maneuver to place her in the bassinet but the angle and distance were too great of a challenge. She tried to get herself off the bed but while holding Anna and still recovering from their birth, she couldn't move. She decided to finish watching the movie before trying to wake up Tony to help.
"Tony… Tony…" she whispered as to not wake either baby. Tony only responded with louder snoring. She tried again and again to wake him, to no avail.
"Tony!" she finally said in a louder voice. Matthew started to stir so she stopped calling his name and instead rocking the bassinet until he settled. Frustration and exhaustion were winning out right now so she did the only thing she could; she found the tissue box next to her bed and threw it at him, finally waking him as the box hit him directly on the head.
"Ouch! What was that?" he said, still half asleep.
"I'm sorry Tony but I've been calling your name for the last five minutes. I can't move her into her bassinet because I'm stuck here in bed. I need to get up to use the bathroom and I need you to take her" she said as Tony sat up and stumbled over to the bed. He gently picked up Anna and put her down in the bassinet and then helped up Angela. Tony sat on the bed and watched the babies sleep. By the time Angela came out of the bathroom, Tony was asleep on the bed.
"Oh Tony…" she whispered with a laugh, too tired to be angry at him. She was able to get in on the other side of the bed, not before checking on both babies. Angela snuggled into Tony's side as much as she could and soon they were asleep.
The next morning came early as they started their days on the twins' schedules. They were both able to get a couple of hours of broken sleep during the night, leaving them both tired but still on an adrenaline rush from the birth.
"Okay you two! Are you both ready for a day of visitors? I have a feeling your big brother and sister are currently scarfing down their breakfast and driving your grandma nuts to get back over here to see you two! And can you blame them? If they didn't allow me to stay with you guys, I would have slept in the parking lot!" he laughed as he and Angela finished changing them after their last feeding.
"You're probably right Tony. I think they will be here followed by Mrs. Rossini! She won't be able to put them down for a second!" she said as they each picked up one of the twins.
"Oh your poor cheeks! You're gonna have red lipstick all over your faces!" he chuckled as he rocked Anna in his arms. Just then, a nurse came in to take the twins for another round of check ups.
"Can we come with them? I don't want them to be alone!" said Tony.
"They will be back shortly. They will be in good hands I promise! I'll bring back the bottles of formula so after their next feed they can have the formula too" said the nurse as she wheeled the babies out of the room.
"They will be fine Tony! I think I'm going to shower. Can you help me bring my stuff into the bathroom?" she asked as she headed into the bathroom. Tony helped her get undressed and into the shower. It felt unbelievably good to stand under the hot water. Having to take warm showers for the last nine months wasn't exactly enjoyable for her as she preferred the water very hot. She ended up turning the water on as hot as she could stand it and stood under there for at least five minutes.
When she got out of the bathroom, Tony was finishing getting dressed himself. He decided to go to the cafeteria and bring them back some breakfast before the babies got back and the visitors started coming. They were able to finish their breakfast by the time the nurse came back into the room with Matthew.
"Hi my little love! Mommy missed you! Where's Anna?" she said as panic started to creep into her voice.
"They needed to run an extra test or two on her since the umbilical cord was around her neck at birth. Just standard procedure and protocol. Both are in good health!" said the nurse as she handed Angela the baby. A few moments later, another nurse brought in Anna and handed her to Tony.
"Hi there my little Anna banana! Look at you acing all your tests already! That's my girl!" said Tony as the baby looked up at him.
"Alright I'd like for you to do a weighted feed so we can see how much they are getting from each feeding. Your milk hasn't come in yet so don't expect it to be a lot of growth" she said as she helped Angela latch them. After a twenty minute feeding, they each had a very small growth but enough that the nurse was happy. Angela, on the other hand, was disappointed.
"Alright let's try some formula. We will start with one ounce and see how they do" said the nurse as she prepared the bottles before heading out. Tony took Matthew and Angela took Anna as they were each handed a bottle. Anna took to the bottle right away, while Matthew fought it.
"C'mon little guy! It's going to help you grow big and strong! Angela… what am I doing wrong?" he asked as he tried in vain to get the baby to take the bottle.
"Here how about we switch?" she said as she passed Anna to Tony and took Matthew. Initially, she didn't have much luck getting him to take the bottle but after a few moments, he started to drink.
"He's a boob man for sure! How he fought that bottle! At least they are both drinking now" he said. Just then, Mona, Samantha and Jonathan came in carrying flowers, balloons and some gifts for the babies. They also brought some food and snacks for them.
"Good morning everyone! Did my newest grandchildren sleep at all or did they party all night long?" asked Mona.
"Morning everyone! We all slept a few hours!" said Angela as she finished burping Matthew. She handed him to Mona along with a burp cloth. Tony handed Anna to a not so patiently waiting Samantha.
"This one here isn't a fan of the bottle but she took to it like a champ!" said Tony as he stood next to Mona and grabbed one of Matthew's hands.
"Neither was Angela. She wanting nothing to do with the bottle for the first six months or so. Looks like he's taking after his mother despite looking just like his father…" said Mona.
"Speaking of their father… Tony why don't you go home and shower, maybe get a little rest and come back later" said Angela.
"Maybe later on… I would like to see Mrs. Rossini… try and protect their cheeks!" he laughed.
"Yes you definitely have to protect their cheeks! Mine hurt for a week after our last visit!" said Jonathan as Samantha handed Anna to him. As if mentioning her name conjured her presence, Mrs. Rossini and Joey walked into the room carrying more flowers, balloons and a full cooler packed with Italian food.
"Congratulations you two! Oh my goodness let me see those two angels! One of each! How precious are they? I could eat them up! And those cheeks!" she said as the family tried to stifle their laughter. She came over and hugged both Angela and Tony.
"Congrats Tony and Angela! You did good Tony!" laughed Joey.
"Alright Mona… pass that baby over!" said Mrs. Rossini as Mona handed a sleeping Matthew over.
"Just try and leave his cheeks intact…" said Mona sarcastically.
"Oh Tony! He looks just like you with a hint of Samantha! Maybe even a bit of Jonathan too but he's most definitely your son! Look at all that hair!" she said.
"He's definitely a Micelli!" said Tony with overwhelming pride.
"And where is that little angel! I need cuddles from her!" she said as she handed Matthew back to Tony. She came over and took Anna from Samantha.
"Oh my goodness! Look at this doll! Oh she's the spitting image of you Angela! You each have your own mini me! Oh she's so tiny! All of my grandkids came out at almost nine pounds so this little one just fits in the palm of your hand!" she gushed.
"She's tiny but mighty!" said Angela as she gazed lovingly at Anna.
The Rossini's stayed for about an hour before heading back to Brooklyn. She showed Tony all the food she had prepared for them. They both thanked her and invited her to the house for dinner in a few weeks once they settled in at home. The family stayed for another hour before they started to get ready to leave.
"Alright you two! How about we head home for a bit and then come back with dinner for everyone?" asked Mona.
"Tony I really think you should head home and get some rest. You can take the kids home and Mother can stay until you get back" said Angela.
"I'm fine Angela. I'll stop home later tonight or even tomorrow morning. Then we will all be home Monday" said Tony as he took Anna back from Jonathan. Samantha handed Matthew back to Angela as they all said their goodbyes.
"We will see you all later" said Mona as they headed out the door.
"I think these guys are going to be due for a diaper change and a feeding soon. Afterwards, I think you should rest again Angela" he said as they both began to change the twins. Soon they got them fed again and were both back asleep in Tony and Angela's arms. Angela was able to convince Tony to rest for a bit while the babies slept. He was able to get in about an hour nap when Wendy and Isabelle came by for a visit.
"Congratulations! I see the father has had it rough… good thing he's resting up!" laughed Wendy as they hugged Angela, giving her their gifts for the twins.
"Lay off him Wendy! I told him to rest! How are you both doing?" asked Angela.
"I think the more important question is how are you doing Angela? How's the recovery? Everyone checking out healthy?" asked Isabelle as she switched into doctor mode.
"I'm a bit sore but otherwise good. The babies are healthy too. Anna gave us a scare- the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck but they were able to free it. Those first few moments until she cried were some of the scariest of my life but then she cried and all was okay" said Angela as she wiped some fallen tears.
"I remember when Jenny was born. She was having trouble breathing and they rushed her away before either Herb or I could see her. Thankfully after about an hour they brought her back to us. Absolutely the scariest moment of my life" said Wendy.
"Alright let's see these babies!" said Isabelle, trying to change the subject, as she took Anna from Angela. Wendy took Matthew from the bassinet, both of them gently swaying as they held the babies.
"I think I'll let you all have your visit. I'm going to swing home and grab a quick shower. Do you need anything?" asked Tony.
"No sweetheart I'm good. I love you!" she said as he leaned over to kiss her before he kissed both babies goodbye.
"I'm glad he's getting out of here for a little bit. He's been so good since they were born but he needs to make sure he's taking care of himself…" said Angela.
"The same goes for you! You're the one that just gave birth to twins!" laughed Wendy.
"Oh Angela… she's just precious! She looks just like you!" gushed Isabelle.
"And this one is a clone of his Daddy! It figures… when I'm finally on the market, your Daddy is taken!" chuckled Wendy.
"He was taken long before they got married Wendy! Practically since the day he walked through her front door!" laughed Isabelle.
"So how have you been Wendy? Have you made any headway with the divorce?" asked Angela.
"Ha! One date with that divorce attorney and I never heard from him again! Lost a second date and a lawyer! I finally found a killer lawyer. She has taken down CEOs and other hotshot clients, getting the wives loads of money! I'm gonna hit him where it hurts!" said Wendy.
"Well I see you've moved into the anger stage of grieving your marriage… poor Herb probably has no idea what's coming… on second thought he was married to you so he probably does!" said Isabelle.
"Anyway… so Isabelle.. how's married life? These babies give you any ideas? Hint, hint…" said Wendy with a smirk. Angela's eyes got wide as she tried to subtly get Wendy to change the subject.
"Well… actually we have been trying for a baby for about a year now but haven't been successful. Angela, I know Paul talked to Tony about it at the Labor Day fireworks. We've been talking and I think we are at the point of contacting a clinic. We were waiting until you had the twins to ask but would you be able to give us the contact information for the clinic you started with?" asked Isabelle.
"Of course I can. I'm so sorry you are going through this… I wanted to reach out but I wasn't sure it was my place or if it would make it harder" said Angela as she wiped away tears.
"It's okay Angela. I know you didn't end up doing a lot of the procedures but I figure I will be asking you about how it all goes" she said as she kept looking down lovingly at Anna who was content to sleep in her arms.
"Of course! Anything you want to ask, I'm here for you… for you both…" said Angela. They continued their visit, passing the babies back and forth until it was time for them to leave. They handed the babies back to Angela as they headed out the door. Just then, the babies both started to stir, tiny cries starting between each baby.
"Alright you two! Daddy should be back soon but you both need to be changed and fed. This is going to be the first one just the three of us so go easy on me!" she chuckled.
She was able to maneuver to the edge of the bed with the twins in each arm and place them on the bed to be changed. She was able to change Anna and then moved onto Matthew. She sat back down on the bed and arranged the pillows as she picked up Matthew and latched him. She picked up Anna next and tried a few times before she latched as well.
"Hey you two! We did it! Our first solo feeding! Look at us doing this just us! Your daddy will be so proud!" she said as Tony walked in the room carrying a dozen pink roses.
"What am I proud of? Wait? Are they feeding already? Did anyone help you with them?" he asked as he came to sit next to her on the bed.
"Nope! We did it ourselves didn't we?" she said as she looked down at the twins and then back up at Tony.
"Angela that's great! Okay you two… no more hitting milestones without me! I was gone less than two hours and look at you already! That's it Angela… I'm not leaving again until you all are ready to go home!" he said.
"Alright Tony! At least you got in a shower. Once they are done feeding, I think I might try and nap for a little bit until the family comes back" she said.
"Absolutely! We've got missed time to make up for! Need to catch up on everything from the last two hours!" he said as he took Matthew from Angela to burp. They were able to finish their feedings and get them settled before Angela handed Anna to Tony so she could rest. She soon fell asleep, leaving Tony alone on the chair with the babies both wide awake.
"Hey! You're both awake! So what did you think of your first visitors today? And not to mention, it's been almost exactly twenty four hours since you were born! Happy one day birthday! I'd get you a cake but you can't eat it yet! I have a feeling I'm going to blink and you both are going to heading off to college! I can't wait to see who you both are going to turn out to be! What an adventure it's going to be!" he said quietly to them as he kissed them each, pulling them a bit closer.