Hope for All- chapter 65
Angela was able to pass the twins off to Tony long enough to eat a reheated dinner. The family decided to watch a movie together while the twins slept in the stroller. Tony made homemade popcorn as they sat down to watch the movie. A half an hour into the movie, both babies started to cry. After unsuccessfully trying for fifteen minutes to get them settled, Angela and Tony decided to take them upstairs so Jonathan and Samantha could finish watching the movie.
"Alright you two! Let's get you changed and maybe an early bedtime!" said Tony over the screaming.
"I hope they let us sleep tonight, even if it's broken sleep- I'll take anything over not looking like the walking dead in our photos! At least the appointment isn't until eleven" said Angela as she started to change Matthew. They finished getting them changed into their pajamas and started their feeding.
"I was thinking of making some hot chocolate. Would you like a cup sweetheart?" asked Tony.
"Sure! Maybe some cookies too?" she asked as she adjusted herself to get comfortable.
"Alright I'll be right back" he said as he headed downstairs. He offered the kids some hot chocolate, which they both readily agreed to. After about ten minutes, he brought them their drinks and put their drinks and cookies on a tray.
"Thanks Tony! Here's Matthew for burping" she said as she handed him to Tony and began burping Anna. After both being burped, they continued to feed for the next twenty minutes. Once they were done and burped again, they each took one of the babies to cuddle as they drank their semi-hot drinks.
"So what are the chances they fall asleep soon and sleep for at least three hours?" asked Tony as he make silly faces at a wide awake Anna.
"About the same chance as pigs flying!" she chuckled as she readjusted Matthew in her arms.
"Alright you two! We have our photo shoot tomorrow and we all need to be rested! I know you guys are probably a little off from that shot today so sleep might not be in the agenda but at least let us tag team and give Mommy a break!" laughed Tony.
"Speaking of breaks, I think one of us should try and get some sleep. You want the first shift or should I take it?" she asked.
"You try and sleep for a bit since they are settled. Hopefully I can get them down soon" he said as he took Matthew. Angela kissed them all goodnight and rolled over to try and sleep. She was fast asleep after only a few minutes.
"Okay! Mommy is asleep! Let's see about finding something on television…" he said as he maneuvered to pick up the remote. He was able to find an episode of The Three Stooges on; he had to whisper as to not wake up Angela but he enjoyed educating the twins on the comedy legends. Anna seemed to enjoy it enough to fall asleep; however, Matthew was not having it and started to cry.
"Oh Matty boy what's wrong? Please don't wake up your Mommy!" he pleaded to the newborn. He was able to place Anna down in her bassinet and walk him around the room. He remembered a trick he had read in one of the magazines on infant care and thought he would try it. He went into the hamper and picked up one of Angela's dirty shirts and stuck his arms through the sleeves. He took Matthew and cuddled him in close to his body, putting back in the pacifier. To Tony's surprise, Matthew settled down quickly and was soon asleep.
"Wow! It actually worked! Who knew? I guess you just love your mommy!" he said as he placed him in his bassinet. He came back over to their bed and collapsed into the pillows. He was too tired to do anything but just roll over and fall asleep.
By morning, the babies had woken up every two hours almost on the dot to be fed. By seven, both Tony and Angela had gotten no more than a two hour stretch of sleep all night.
"Morning Tony… I feel like I've been hit by a bus… are you wearing my shirt?" she asked as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, looking at him with a confused expression.
"Morning Angela… yeah… I couldn't get Matthew to settle during the night. I read somewhere that if the father wears something with the mother's smell on it, they can trick the baby into thinking it's the mother. I thought it was a bunch of baloney until I was desperate!" he laughed.
"Wow… well I'm glad it worked!" she laughed as she got up to use the bathroom. Both babies started crying as Tony got up.
"What are the chances after your feeding you could settle for a while with your big brother and sister while we get a little bit more sleep?" he asked them as they started to cry louder.
"That's what I thought!" he chuckled as he picked up Matthew, followed by Anna and walked them around the room. He could feel why Anna was crying; the back of her pajamas was soaked.
"Oh no little girl! No wonder you are crying! C'mon let's get you changed!" he said as he put both babies down on the bed. Matthew settled with his pacifier as Tony began to change Anna; Angela came around and started to change Matthew.
"No wonder your are all wet! Anna banana… Daddy must have been half asleep changing you the last time because this diaper was on backwards!" chuckled Tony.
"Well at least she has a diaper on! I remember once I was so exhausted with Jonathan I completely forgot to put the diaper on him! What a mess in the morning!" she laughed as she finished changing him. She picked him up and brought him into the nursery to get clothes for the babies before heading back into the bedroom. They were changed and nursing as Tony cleaned up the bassinet.
"We still have a few more hours until we have to be at the studio. How about I see if the kids can take these two for a bit so we can sleep" he said. Angela nodded in agreement, too tired to voice anything more as she handed the babies to Tony. He headed out into the hallway and knocked on the kids' doors.
"Hey Dad! Uh oh… didn't sleep so well did you…" she said as she looked at a very tired Tony. Just then, Jonathan came out of his room.
"Not exactly… they were just fed. I was hoping you guys could take them while Angela and I get a little more sleep" he said with a yawn.
"Sure Tony!" said Jonathan as he walked with Sam and Tony downstairs. Tony handed them each one of the twins as he headed back upstairs. Angela was already asleep as Tony set his alarm and cuddled into her, falling fast asleep.
Two hours later, Tony and Angela were up and showered. They headed downstairs and relieved Samantha and Jonathan so they could shower and get ready. Tony made them a quick breakfast as they settled in the kitchen. Once they finished, they headed into the living room as Samantha and Jonathan came downstairs dressed for the photo shoot.
"Wow! You two clean up well! Jonathan you look very handsome! Samantha… you look beautiful!" said Tony as he walked around the room with Matthew.
"Oh Samantha! That dress looks even better on you now than it did yesterday! The off the shoulder style is just gorgeous on you! We need to keep that in mind for your wedding" said Angela as Tony stopped mid walk, his face turning red.
"Wedding? Wedding! Why are we talking about her wedding?" he practically shouted.
"Relax Tony! It was just an observation! She's not getting married anytime soon!" said Angela as she rubbed Anna's back.
"Yeah Dad! Relax okay!" laughed Samantha as Tony took a deep breath and resumed walking around the room.
"Alright everyone! We have an hour until we have to leave. I'm hoping to do my hair and makeup, then one last feeding for them before getting them changed. Let's get them upstairs so we can start getting ready" she said as she and Tony headed upstairs. Tony took both babies as Angela went in to do her hair and makeup. She was able to finish before sitting down and feeding the babies. Tony was able to jump in the shower and get ready by the time she was done feeding them.
"Alright let's get them changed" said Angela as she and Tony took them into the nursery.
"These outfits are adorable!" said Tony as he started to change Matthew. Angela started on Anna and soon they were dressed.
"Angela that dress! She is the cutest little peanut! And look at him with his little bow tie! I could just eat them up!" gushed Tony as she handed both babies to him.
"I have to say… I don't think there's ever been a cuter set of twins! I know I'm biased but…" she said as she put on bibs in case they spit up.
"Biased or not you are right! Okay go get changed and I'll head downstairs" he said as Angela went back into the bedroom to get herself changed. She was able to pull on her dress and get it fastened in the back. She checked herself in the mirror; her makeup still looked good as did her hair. She sprayed some more hairspray in it for good measure. She took a quick look at herself in the full length mirror. She surprised herself by not hating what she saw- her bust size was definitely her best attribute at the moment. The dress also accentuated her curves; she was choosing to ignore the fact that she still looked about four months pregnant as she took one final glance and headed downstairs.
"Mom you look beautiful!" said Jonathan as Angela came down the stairs.
"Yes Angela! It looks better now than it did yesterday!" said Samantha as she was walking Anna around the room.
"Absolutely stunning!" said Tony as he got closer to her for a kiss. "Too bad we still don't have clearance yet because I would enjoy taking that dress off you immensely…" he whispered to him, causing her face to blush.
"Okay everyone! The diaper bags are packed and everyone is changed! Has Mother come over yet?" asked Angela as Mona walked through the back door.
"Speak of the devil…" said Tony.
"Wow Mother! You look beautiful and you kept to the color scheme! I'm impressed!" said Angela as she looked over at Mona. Her dress was the chosen cranberry color and quite conservative in the front. However, when she turned around, a very low cut back was revealed.
"Way to go Mona!" chuckled Tony as he tried not to make eye contact with Angela.
"Mother! That back! Don't you dare turn around in any photos!" she scolded.
"Oh Angela relax! All business in the front… and if the photographer is lucky… a party in the back…" snickered Mona.
"Eww gross Mother! Enough already let's get out of here before I make an orphan out of myself…" she said as she grabbed Anna from Samantha. They were able to grab the stroller and diaper bags as they all headed out the door. The studio was twenty minutes away; surprisingly the twins fell asleep quickly. They arrived right at their scheduled time and headed inside.
"Hi! We are here for our reservations. The name is Micelli" said Angela.
"Good morning! Yes I see your reservation! Family photos as well as newborn shots. Any preference for which ones you'd like to do first?" asked the receptionist.
"I would say family ones first and then we can try the newborn ones" said Angela.
"Okay! Sounds good! Please follow me into the studio to get set up. The photographer will be in soon" she said as she escorted them into the studio.
"Welcome to our studio! My name is Ryan and I will be your photographer! Let's get everyone set up over here" he said as he pointed to a small sofa with a solid navy blue backdrop. Angela and Tony picked up the twins from the stroller and walked over with the family.
"Okay let's have Mom sit right here, Dad sit next to her here… Grandma in the middle behind the sofa…" he started as Mona interrupted.
"Watch it bub! I'm her sister…" she said as she pointed to Angela. All four of them just rolled their eyes.
"Sister Mona… just do as he says please…" said Angela as she placed Anna on her lap, arranging both of their dresses. She also fixed Tony's tie and Matthew's bow tie.
"Okay! You two on either side of your… aunt" he said as he moved Jonathan to one side and Samantha to the other side. He took a step back and smiled.
"Perfect! Okay let's get some shots! Keep on smiling! The hardest part will be trying to get the babies to look this way so it's important you all keep looking this way" he said.
He was able to get a bunch of family photos. Tony and Angela wanted to get photos of all seven of them, then the six of them, ones of just the women, of just the men and finally ones of just the kids. Both Angela and Tony couldn't help but tear up when all four of their kids posed for photos.
"Alright! That was the easy part! Now let's get ready for the newborn shots!" said Ryan. He was able to place the pillows on the floor to position them for the photos. Angela was able to place Anna down and fixed her outfit; however, when Tony tried to place Matthew down, he started to cry.
"Hey Matty boy it's okay! You've done so well! Now it's your chance to get your photos in!" said Tony as he tried to calm him down. He continued to cry as Angela came over and picked him up.
"Tony can you get the pacifier?" she asked as she bounced him to try and settle him down. Tony grabbed one and put it in his mouth, calming him down. After a few moments, Angela placed him backdown. She waited until the photographer was set up and the family started making silly faces to get the babies to look over at the camera before she pulled out the pacifier. He was able to get in a few shots before Matthew started to cry again. She placed the pacifier back in and continued to repeat the process until he got all the shots he needed of both of them. They moved on to individual shots, starting with Anna.
"She could be a model! Look at how relaxed she is! If only she could smile!" gushed Tony as he continued to make silly faces. He was able to finish her shoot and moved onto Matthew.
"This one is going to make you work for it I'm afraid!" said Angela as Matthew started to fuss. She laid him down and put the pacifier back until he was calm. She removed it quickly again so he could get in a few photos before he began screaming.
"Did you get any of him alone? I'm not sure we are going to get anymore right now…" said Angela as she picked him back up and tried to calm him down, which only intensified his cries.
"I think we are good! I should have the proofs ready in about a week. You can pay the receptionist on the way out. Thank you!" he said as he started getting ready for another photo shoot. They all headed out as Tony paid at the counter.
"Thank you all! I'm hoping he got some good ones of everyone!" said Angela as she placed Matthew back in the stroller with Anna, covering them up with a blanket.
"I'm starving! Can we go get something to eat?" asked Jonathan in a whiny voice.
"Yes all this posing and looking gorgeous has made me hungry!" said Mona.
"Alright already! There's a restaurant right over there we can go to… how does that sound?" asked Tony as everyone was in agreement. They walked over and headed into the restaurant. As they waited for a table, Angela and Samantha took the babies into the restroom to change their diapers as the rest of them waited. Angela quickly changed Matthew followed by Anna as they headed back to join the rest of the family at the table.
"All changed and still clean!" laughed Angela as she put the stroller by the table and took a seat. She placed a light blanket over most of the stroller and started gently pushing it back and forth until both babies were asleep.
"I'm in the mood for a burger!" said Jonathan.
"That sounds good Jonathan! I think I'll try one too!" said Tony as he closed his menu.
"That Cobb salad sounds good! I missed having so many of the salad dressings while pregnant!" she laughed.
"I think I want to try one of the wraps! They make sweet potato fries! I've never heard of those before!" said Samantha. The waitress came over and took their orders, gushing over how cute the twins were sleeping. Soon their drinks came out, followed by their meals not too long afterwards. They were about half way through their meal when the twins started to stir.
"It's okay! Okay you don't need to be changed and no blowouts! What's wrong?" asked Angela as she tried to soothe them. Their cries only intensified.
"Alright you two! You're upset you're missing out on lunch!" chuckled Tony as he went over and picked up Anna. She settled once he put back in her pacifier and cuddled into his chest. Angela picked up Matthew, settling him long enough to finish her salad, but soon he was testing out his lungs once more.
"There's nothing wrong with his lungs!" laughed Mona.
"I have a feeling even though it's early, he's ready to be fed! There's no way I can feed them both right now. I guess I will try just him and hope she can wait a bit" said Angela.
"You're going to feed them here?" asked Tony, having no idea how this was going to work and more than a little nerved up about the prospect of Angela being exposed in public.
"It's that or he screams until the check comes! It's too cold out today to nurse in the car. I'll cover us up as much as I can" she said as she grabbed a large blanket and arranged Matthew. It took a few tries and positions, but soon he was feeding.
"Another milestone in the books!" said Tony as he leaned over and kissed her on the lips.
"So there's a music store a few doors down. Can we head over there?" asked Samantha.
"Sure. Once we are done here we will meet you at the car" said Tony as Samantha and Jonathan got up to head out. Mona stood up and started walking too.
"Where are you going?" asked Angela.
"To see about some music of course! And to see some of the fine gentleman purchasing said music… I need to put this dress to some more good use…" she said as she headed off.
"And then it was four… since we are going to be here for a bit, do you want some coffee or dessert?" asked Tony.
"Maybe some tea… I'll skip dessert I think. Still need to work on losing the baby weight…" she said as she lifted the blanket to check on Matthew.
"Eh oh, oh eh! You worry about that later on! They are only a month old! And not for nothing… you look absolutely gorgeous Angela. How about we split a dessert? I see a triple chocolate cake with our names on it!" said Tony.
"If you say so… okay chocolate cake it is! Here can you take him to burp while I start feeding Anna?" she asked as she unlatched him and handed Matthew to Tony, taking Anna to start feeding.
"Let's get a good burp out of you Matty boy and hope you don't spend the next ten minutes screaming to go back to Mommy!" he chuckled as he started burping him. The waitress came and took their dessert order. Matthew was able to be burped and settle while Angela fed Anna.
"Look at us! We are actually doing this as a family of seven! Well family of four at the moment who haven't ditched us!" he chuckled.
"We are aren't we! I remember it was at least three or four months before I ventured out with Jonathan. Michael wasn't exactly hands on with parenting so even when he was there I was by myself. It's refreshing to have an actual equal partner" she said.
"You will always have me by your side Angela… always…" he said as he leaned over for a kiss.