Chapter Eight
Sawyer checked to make sure Darla was safely snug in her carrier. He slipped two fingers under the harness and decided for the third time in five minutes that she was perfectly secure. “Are you almost ready? I don’t want to be late for her first pediatrician appointment,” he called out.
Darla scrunched up her face at his slightly elevated voice, but she didn’t cry, Dolly didn’t bark, and Bones maintained his sentinel position on the arm of the sofa instead of running from the room.
Whew! They were making progress. Their life had become chaotic, to say the least, since bringing Darla home from the hospital three days earlier, but Sawyer had never been happier.
“Hey,” Royce said as he rushed into the living room.
“No one cried or barked. I think we’ve managed a full twenty-four hours of relative peace without our littlest love reacting to Dolly’s bark or setting it off.
” Royce’s hair was still damp from his quick shower, and his sweatshirt was on backward.
One sock was navy blue, and the other was black.
The smudges of exhaustion under his eyes were a hue somewhere between the two and matched the set under Sawyer’s eyes.
Parenting wasn’t for the weak. “And we won’t be late.
The doctor’s office is only fifteen minutes away, and our appointment isn’t for another hour. ”
“But there’s going to be paperwork to complete,” Sawyer said.
Royce shook his head. “I already completed the patient intake forms.”
“When?”
“About two o’clock this morning, when Lil Pumpkin didn’t want to go back to bed after her bottle.
You’d crashed in the recliner, so I let you sleep.
The doctor’s office had sent a text with a link to their patient portal.
I uploaded photos of my driver’s license and insurance card, and I scanned our custody agreement for their records.
Oh, and I set up her MyChart account too.
The usernames and passwords for both are in our shared iPhone notes. ”
Sawyer stared at his husband as if seeing him for the first time. “Wow, I’m impressed.”
“See,” Royce said. “I’ve got everything under control.”
Sawyer wiggled his index finger in Royce’s direction. “Your sweatshirt is on backward, and your socks don’t match.”
Royce stopped mid-stride and looked down at his torso.
“Huh. Well, I have most things under control.” He pulled his arms free and repositioned his sweatshirt.
Then he looked down at his feet. “These are close enough. No one will notice once I have shoes on.” That was true enough.
Royce sat down beside him and reached for his shoes under the coffee table, where Darla’s car seat carrier rested.
“She’s sure sleeping well now. I think she’s getting her days and nights mixed up. ”
“That’s what the bags under our eyes say.”
“No joke. Gave myself a fright when I looked in the mirror to shave this morning. I might have to use those under-eye thingies you keep in the refrigerator when we get home,” Royce said.
“Oh yeah. I forgot about those. They have caffeine and vitamin C in them to brighten the skin under your eyes.”
Royce snorted. “Sounds more like an adult Fruit Roll-Up than a beauty product.”
Sawyer grimaced at the thought of trying to chew one of those things. Hard pass. “So, four or five under each eye should do the trick, right?”
“We might look more human and less zombie-like,” Royce replied.
“I’ve been researching ways to help newborns develop healthy circadian rhythms so we can try to get Lil Miss on a better sleep schedule. I figured I’d run it by Dr. Edwards first. Maybe all newborns sleep during the day and stay awake at night. Could be she figures this out for herself.”
“I’d rather get there sooner than later,” Royce said. “We expected broken sleep, but I still imagined us having some semblance of a normal routine. Can you imagine trying to go to work like this? Yikes.”
“No, I can’t.”
They were fortunate enough to have paid paternity leave for six weeks, and they both had weeks of accumulated sick pay and supplemental insurance that would kick in afterward.
They’d been smart with their money and could enjoy three months off without financial worries.
Other dads weren’t as lucky and had to return to work right away.
Sawyer vowed not to take their blessings for granted, but that didn’t mean he wanted to keep Dracula’s hours either.
Royce ran his hand over Bones’ sleek back, but the cat didn’t tear his eyes away from Darla.
Their big boy always positioned himself where he could watch over her without getting too close.
They figured it was only a matter of time before he took up guard duties immediately next to the baby.
Dolly was more circumspect and a little jealous of the newest addition, but they were certain she’d come around too.
Royce scooped the dog up from the floor to cradle her against his chest and kissed the top of her head.
He ran a finger over the pink hair bow that declared Dolly was a big sister. “This is new.”
“Evangeline bought it for her, and I put it on while you were sleeping this morning.”
“Cute.” Royce gave her one last kiss and set her on the sofa next to Bones. “Notice how neither of us is sleeping at the same time? I miss waking up next to you.”
Sawyer leaned over and kissed him, his mouth lingering against warm lips. “It’s only temporary.” Darla made one of her cute little noises, pulling their attention to her. “And she’s worth it.” Sawyer checked his watch. “Let’s load ’em up.”
Royce stood up and lifted the carrier. “I’ve got Darla. You get the diaper bag.” Sawyer reached for the large, dove-gray bag off the coffee table, but Royce stopped him. “That thing looks more like a mobile nursery. Surely, we don’t need half the stuff you packed in there.”
“You never know what’s going to happen when you’re out and about with a baby,” Sawyer replied. “You need to be prepared for anything.”
“Babe, we’re coming right back. We’re only going to be gone for ninety minutes, two hours tops.”
“And in that time, Darla could spit up her formula and blow out a diaper. I put extra clothes in there for her. Plenty of diapers and wipes, plus butt cream in case she gets a rash. I have her little premixed formula bottles and nipples in case the appointment runs into Darla’s next feeding time.
Oh, and I put snacks in there in case our blood sugar gets low since we’re not eating on normal schedules. ”
“I’m not even sure when I ate last,” Royce said.
“See.” Sawyer tapped his temples. “I’m prepared for anything.”
“Fine,” Royce said, “but be sure to use your knees when lifting that hefty bag. We should probably invest in those weightlifting belts to stabilize our cores and support our spines.”
A door on the far side of the waiting room opened, and a nurse dressed in Scooby-Doo scrubs stepped through it. She looked down at the tablet in her hand and said, “For Darla.”
“That’s us, kid,” Royce said to their still-sleeping daughter. The chatter and activity in the busy pediatrician’s office hadn’t fazed her one bit. He stood up, and a rogue cashew nut fell to the floor.
Sawyer shook his head and picked it up off the carpet, dropping it in the trash can at the front of the room.
Royce had eaten two single-serve packets of nuts and one of the apple cinnamon oatmeal bars.
Then he’d gotten thirsty and downed a bottle and a half of water, all in the twenty minutes they’d had to wait to be seen.
Sawyer made a mental note to pack more snacks and drinks next time.
“Hi, I’m Lily.” The nurse smiled down at Darla. “She’s so precious.”
Lily fussed and cooed as she took some measurements. Their daughter only opened her eyes when the nurse removed her clothes to put her on the scale. She fussed in protest at the handling and lack of warmth.
“You can redress her now,” Lily told them. “Her outfit is so cute.”
“Thank you,” Sawyer said.
They usually put her in comfy sleepers, but Sawyer dressed her in one of the adorable outfits they received at their baby shower.
Tara and Candi had bought the ivory corduroy pants, long-sleeved onesie, and knitted sweater that Darla wore.
The outfit came with a matching stretchy headband with a daisy affixed on top.
The colors looked amazing with her brown skin and black hair.
“You’re welcome,” Lily said. “Dr. Edwards won’t be long.”
Sawyer worked to redress her quickly, and Darla went right back to sleep once she was snug in her three-piece outfit.
“Have you ever seen a baby more beautiful than ours?” Royce asked.
“No, but I bet every parent feels the same way.”
Royce slipped his arm around Sawyer’s lower back and said, “True, but we’re right.”
The exam room door swung open. Dr. Edwards entered the room and smiled down at the sleeping baby. “Good morning, dads. How’s Miss Darla Grace doing?”
“Great,” Sawyer said. “She’s taking her bottles like a champ now.”
“How many ounces is she drinking?” Dr. Edwards asked as she began her examination.
“Two and a half most feedings, but she’s steadily climbing toward three,” Sawyer replied.
“Plenty of wet diapers?”
“Oh yeah,” Royce said. “Poops too.”