Bailey
Today is my ‘baby shower.’ When Rowan came over five weeks early, the whole family decided to wait to have the shower until she was home.
I was too tired to try and entertain and be present for everyone in the weeks following her birth, and I thought it would be fun if she was here for her baby shower. How many kids can say that?
Rowan got to meet all her aunties and uncles in the days following me meeting her for the first time.
Those six weeks in the NICU really showed me how much my chosen family has fully embraced me.
They were always there. Bringing snacks or water whenever I’m pumping, holding her tiny little hand, talking to her and telling her how loved she is.
Rowan and I are lucky to have the family we do.
I’m in the room putting on the new dress I bought a couple weeks ago.
I had to exchange the one I got the day after Aiden kissed me because it did not flatter my postpartum body.
This dress is the perfect shade of pastel pink.
It has wide straps and a scoop neck line that shows just a bit of cleavage.
The waistline is just under my breasts and the chiffon skirt flows down to just above my knee.
It’s beautiful, and it was made for breast feeding mothers, there is a hidden zipper under the breasts that help with pulling the girls out to nurse or pump whenever you need.
Once I’m dressed, I head downstairs where our family and friends have begun gathering.
Today is simply a day to get to know Rowan.
Everyone here has already met her and will be spending lots of time with her throughout her life.
We have set some guidelines, to keep her safe from harmful germs. Her little lungs have come a long way, but she is still growing and getting stronger each day, so keeping her healthy is very important.
She will be passed around between our friends, but there isn’t a single person here that I don’t trust with my daughter’s life, and I know that all of them will keep her as safe as they can.
I step off the stairs and Aiden comes over and gives me a soft kiss before saying, “You look beautiful, Blue.”
“You don’t look so bad yourself Bear.” I tell him. He’s wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a pink long sleeved button down that matches my dress, his sleeves rolled up to just below his elbow. His forearm porn game is on point today.
I head to say hi to everyone else, while I search for my baby.
Momma volunteered to get her ready for the day, and I let her.
We only have a few more weeks before classes start and I’m excited to get into a routine with classes, but I’m also freaking out because Momma won’t be at my beck and call all night long anymore.
She’s been so helpful in the past week and a half since Rowan came home.
Aiden and I have been switching off feeds throughout the night, so that we can both try and get some sleep, and Momma has taken Rowan from us after dinner each night and tells us to get a couple hours of sleep.
It’s been so helpful, but once school starts again, we won’t have that.
I’m going to end up calling her once a day with some sort of question or just to vent. I can see it now.
I find my daughter in the living room snuggled up to her Uncle Bash, with Luca on his knees on the couch next to them peering down at her. “What do you think of your new friend, Little Man?” I ask picking Luca up and sitting him on my lap.
“Bee Bee, I wub her.” He looks up at me, “She your baby?”
“She is. You guys are going to be best friends aren’t you?” I ask him.
“I be her fwiend. I pwomise.” He tells me. Luca’s vocabulary has grown a lot in the last year. He’s almost two and a half, and I swear he’s smarter than any kid I know. I guess it probably helps that he hangs out with adults most of the time, and we usually talk to him like he’s one of us.
“Thanks, my guy. I knew I could count on you.” I boop him on the nose and he giggles before hopping off my lap, running into the kitchen for what I’m sure is his millionth snack today.
“She is so beautiful, Bee.” Bash tears his gaze away from Rowan to look at me, “How are you feeling now that she’s home?”
“Honestly, other than being tired, I feel great. Obviously, I’m exhausted but I love her so much that it makes it all worth it.” I gaze down at my girl snuggled up in Sebastian’s arms as I speak.
“I know that feeling all too well. Don’t blink, Bee. It all goes too fast,” He says wistfully, “How has she been since you’ve been home?”
“So good, but you know all this. We chat all the time.” I laugh at him.
Because Bash had to spend the summer in Alpine he has checked in everyday asking for pictures and checking to make sure we are all doing okay.
The man may be the world’s biggest grump, but he has a huge heart, and deeply cares about his people.
I feel so lucky to be considered one of his people.
He really is an amazing friend, “Tell me how you are, we always talk about me and this one right here.”
“My life is so boring right now. It’s work, Luca, and coming down the mountain to visit you guys wherever I can. That’s it. I don’t have time for anything else really. I’m excited we only have a few more weeks before all of you will be up there with me. I miss you guys.”
“Don’t go getting all sappy on me, Bash. It’s unbecoming of a grump like yourself,” I tease.
“Shut the fuck up, Bee,” He chuckles and rolls his eyes at me.
“We miss you too.” I tell him. The subject changes, and we talk for a bit before Rowan starts to fuss indicating that she might be hungry. He hands her to me and I grab a cover up so I can nurse her in the living room. People come up and talk to me while she eats and I chat with them all.
Aiden comes into the living room with a plate of snacks and sets it on the table next to me.
I munch on it while Rowan eats. When she’s done I hand her to Aiden for him to burp her while I put myself back together.
We have gotten really good at working together with feeds when we are both awake.
I know that it really should be considered the bare minimum for a dad to help with their kids at any stage, but it’s not the norm in our society today.
Aiden has been such an amazing partner in all of this that sometimes I forget that Rowan isn’t biologically his.
I forget that our relationship started because I thought he was offended when people assumed the baby growing in my belly was his.
Aiden is everything I have ever wanted in a partner and more.
I will forever be grateful that he chose me. .
Sitting on the porch swing on the back porch talking to the people I love most in the world a while later, Luca is running around kicking a soccer ball with Pop, I just think about how this truly was the perfect day.
“Hey Bee,” Momma pokes her head into Aiden and I’s room later that night, “I’ve come to steal Little Bear for a little grandma time. Aiden asked me to send you out to the back yard.” I give her a questioning look and she just shrugs before stealing my baby from me.
“She just finished eating, and she needs a diaper change.” I tell her before heading toward the back yard. I have no idea what this man might be up to.
When I step through the back door I look around trying to figure out where the heck Aiden might be, when my eyes catch on the trampoline.
There are lights on the inside. when did he have time to do that?
My heart begins to race as I take a step toward the trampoline.
Aiden’s head pops out of the gap in the net, “What are you doing in there?” I giggle.
“Come in and see.” Is all he responds before his head disappears again.
I climb into the trampoline and am amazed at how he’s transformed it.
It’s like when we were kids and would bring all our pillows and blankets out here, but so much better.
He has strung string lights around the edges of the net to light up the space, padded the floor of the trampoline with blue and green fluffy pillows, and added a bunch of blue and green blankets.
“What’s all of this?” I ask when I’ve finished taking in the space.
Bear pats the space next to him, and I crawl over to him and snuggle into his chest. Once I’ve gotten comfortable, he says, “I thought we could recreate our trampoline sleepovers. We can’t sleep out here all night, we have a daughter to take care of, but Momma and Pop are going to take care of Ro for a few hours. “
“That’s sweet.” I say, once again, feeling grateful for the family that we have. A family that is so willing to help whenever we need it. “So, what are you most excited about with the upcoming school year?”
“Getting to spend all of my free time with you and Little Bear, graduation, Charlotte joining us at Alpine.” He says running hand up and down my back, “What about you?”
“Watching Rowan grow, change, and develop over the next year, graduation and getting a job, I’m excited for our group to finally feel complete with Charly being there with us finally.
I’m excited for us to grow as a couple, and see what the future holds there.
” I peek up at him and give him a soft kiss on his lips.
“Anything you want to accomplish or do before the school year starts?” He asks me, and I sit there in silence for a minute while I think about my answer.