Babies #2... and more?

The morning after Ryan's birth Elizabeth started to think about the next step in her challenge. "I love getting to spend quality time with you", Elizabeth said to Ryan as she was playing with him, "But I need to think about your brothers and sisters." Elizabeth started thinking ahead and decided that it was time to get pregnant again. 

 

Elizabeth went to see Victoria after she fed and played with Ryan. As the taxi pulled up to Victoria's house she sprinted out of her front door to greet Elizabeth. "OH! He is so so so cute!" She said while reaching for Ryan. "Hello wittle Wyan! I am your Aunt Victoria", she said in her "Baby Voice".  Elizabeth laughed at Victoria as she was handed Ryan back to her. "He really is adorable!" Victoria said while leaning against her car. "Of course he is", Elizabeth said. "So what is your next step from here?" Victoria questioned. Elizabeth could tell that Victoria was hinting at "If she wanted more children", but she did not want to bring up the challenge just yet. "I was thinking about watching that new show, that we talked about last week, with my best buddy", Elizabeth decided to change the subject. "Well you, girly, are in luck because I recorded that episode. I was busy on Sunday so I thought ahead", Victoria said as she walked inside.

 Elizabeth and Victoria were halfway through the episode when Elizabeth started to think. "Maybe I should tell her about me wanting more children, I mean, she is my best friend. When should I tell her about the 100 Baby Challenge? Should I tell her about it before Daniel? Or should it be the other way around?" Elizabeth decided to wait until she was pregnant to tell her about her wanting more children. She would not tell her about the 100 Baby Challenge though.

 

That night Elizabeth decided to bring up that she wanted to Try for Baby again. "Um. Daniel?" Elizabeth asked setting down her fork. "Yes", Daniel said staring at his food deciding where to start at. "I wanted to ask you if maybe tonight we could Try for B..... Elizabeth was interrupted by her cell phone ringing. Daniel looked at her while she answered her phone, but after five or so seconds of watching her fiddle with her phone he turned his attention back to his plate. "Hello?" Elizabeth asked into her phone. She did not recognize the number that was showing on the screen. "Hi. *burp* is... is this Elizlibeth?" The person asked stumbling over Elizabeth's name. It was obvious to Elizabeth that the person on the other line was overly intoxicated. But against her better judgment she answered them,"Yes it is. May I ask who this is calling?" "You know who it is b****h. You go acting all high and mighty using proper words like 'May' and 'Hello'. I fed you and gave you shelter for at least *urp* seventeen years you s**t, going off and marrying your 'boyfriend'. You got knocked up didn't you. DIDN'T YOU!" Elizabeth knew who it was. She did not want to listen to another word. It was her father. She had listened to his voice yell rude obscenities at her for as long as she could remember. She had no clue how he had gotten her number, but she decided to put the phone on speaker. She put the phone on the table just in time to hear, "Did you here me? Or are you stupid? You always were stupid. You and your dumb a*s mother are just alike." At this point Daniel had put down his fork and was staring in awe at Elizabeth's phone. On the other line Elizabeth could hear her parents arguing. She could pick out her mother's voice and her father's yelling. She hung up then and went through her phone and blocked that number. Elizabeth felt numb. She hadn't been yelled at since she was packing her stuff that last night at her parent's house. She sat there frozen until she realized Daniel was trying to talk to her. His voice leaked into Elizabeth's mind like a radio who's volume was being turned up. Elizabeth turned to Daniel. "Are you alright?" Daniel asked looking at Elizabeth concerned. Elizabeth took a moment to answer. She looked at Daniel. She looked at his hair, which was a similar- if not identical- shade of brown as hers. She looked at his eyes, which were a soft green- they were almost the same shade of green as the leaves on a tulip. She had spent two years with him before she moved in with him. She curled up in his arms almost every night when she was sixteen and seventeen. She cried herself to sleep in his arms. She loved him, and he made  everything better. The numbness cleared and she smiled, "Yes, they can not get to me. I am away from them, and I am with you." Elizabeth got up then and kissed Daniel on the top of his head. 

 

As if it was not clear enough to Elizabeth that there was no chance to Try for Baby tonight; Daniel got called into the hospital for an emergency. He had just gotten promotion after promotion after promotion and he was now a Surgeon. So he couldn't skip work and he had to go help out. So on top of Elizabeth not getting her wish of conceiving tonight; she would also have to fall asleep without the security and warmth of Daniel's arms. Elizabeth called out to Daniel from the kitchen before he left, "Come home as soon as possible. I need you tonight." Daniel left without responding. Elizabeth hoped that he heard her.

It was clear to Elizabeth that Daniel had not heard her before he left. As soon as he got home he took off his uniform, crawled into bed, and fell asleep in seconds. Elizabeth had lied earlier. She was not alright. Since Daniel left what her dad had said to her had just been replaying over and over in her head. After Daniel fell asleep she just sat there. Frozen with a smile on her face. She had smiled at Daniel when he came in and now she couldn't take it off. It was just stuck there. 

 So she got out of bed and walked over to Ryan's crib. He was peacefully sleeping and every now and then he would "coo". Elizabeth smiled for real then, leaned over, and gently kissed Ryan on the head. She may have been hurt by her parents, but she was a good mother to her son. And he made her happy. 

 

 Only seconds after she kissed him Ryan opened his eyes. He had beautiful, almost misty, grey-blue eyes. He looked up at Elizabeth through sleepy eyes, giggled, and fell back to sleep. Elizabeth walked over to her bed then and began to think about herself when she was a baby like Ryan. She had no idea how her parents could have hurt her when she was so little and helpless. She began to think about what would happen if anyone were to ever hurt Ryan. She then got in bed and silently cried herself to sleep.

Elizabeth got no sleep. She tossed and turned all night having dreams from her years where she had been abused. It did not help her that when she woke up Daniel had already left for work. Elizabeth decided to do everything she could to keep herself from thinking. So she woke up Ryan, who was fully rested but he was still sleeping, she got Ryan dressed, fed him, and then brought him outside. She set him in a stroller and started to paint. The whole time she was painting she kept thinking, "Paint. Paint. Paint. Paint.", She sang it over and over in her head. But it did not work and she started to cry.

It seemed to work, though, to garden. She did not think of her parents the whole time. She even sang while she worked and every now and then she would stop and "coo'' to Ryan. And when she was done she tended to Ryan again. She changed his diaper, fed him, snuggled him, and then she put him down for a nap. Before she knew it Daniel was home and they ate dinner. After dinner Daniel and Elizabeth were sitting on the couch talking about their days. Elizabeth told Daniel that she had painted earlier and then that she had tended to her garden. She did not tell him about her crying the night before or earlier that day. She did not want to worry him. "I had a good day. It was slow and there were no emergencies." Daniel said looking at the t.v., which was on. Elizabeth was glad that it had been a slow day. That means that Daniel had not used a lot of his energy up. "Well, then that means that you aren't tired?" Elizabeth asked, even though she knew the answer. She was being sneaky. "Nope, why?" Daniel asked turning off the t.v. But he knew what she was getting at so he smiled and grabbed Elizabeth's hand. And together they walked up to their room.

A hour later the sweet melody of a lullaby played over the bed. Elizabeth smiled and grabbed Daniel's hands. Daniel smiled too. He had been busy with work recently but he had a wish To have a Child. So he was silently patting himself on the back while Elizabeth was thinking, "Yes, baby number two- Check."  

 

 Elizabeth had cravings over the next three hours. She wanted Spaghetti and Mac' and Cheese. She eventually settled for Spaghetti. 

Because of the cravings it was no surprise to Elizabeth when she got morning sickness.  

 

So that afternoon Elizabeth had Daniel babysit Ryan so she could go meet Dr. Blueflame. She did not tell Daniel that she was pregnant yet, because she wanted what she was about to do to be a surprise. Daniel, to Elizabeth's surprise, did not ask her why she needed to go out. He simply said,"Ok, have fun.", kissed her on the head, and sat on the couch. Elizabeth then remembered that it was Saturday and it was Daniel's day off. He turned on the t.v. and changed the channel to "Sports Universe". Of course! They show the soccer games from the week on t.v. on Saturdays. So Elizabeth left Daniel to his alone time and went to meet Dr. Blueflame at the only bistro in Twinbrook. "Hello Elizabeth," Dr. Blueflame said as she walked up to Elizabeth. "Hi!" Elizabeth said excited. She was happy to see Dr. Blueflame, not only because of what was about to happen. But also because Elizabeth hadn't seen Dr. Blueflame since when she first got to meet her, and she had missed her. 

 

After Elizabeth told Dr. Blueflame that she was pregnant Dr. Blueflame smiled and gently touched Elizabeth's stomach. "Would you like to know the gender?" Dr. Blueflame asked looking at Elizabeth. "Can you really tell me it's gender?!" Elizabeth nearly shouted scaring a few passerby sims. "Sure I can. I could tell that you were pregnant when I walked up to you", Dr. Blueflame said while straightening herself out. "Then yes, I would like to know my baby's gender." Elizabeth said. Elizabeth was crossing her fingers. She wanted another boy. And Daniel wanted both a boy and a girl. So Elizabeth wanted multi-gendered multiples so that both she and Daniel could get their wish.

Dr. Blueflame looked at Elizabeth's stomach for a second and then smiled at her. "You are having a boy." Elizabeth was so happy, she was getting her wish of another boy. "So what do I do now?" Elizabeth asked grinning ear to ear. "If you want multi-gendered multiples go to the grocery store and buy ten watermelons. If your baby is ever a boy buy watermelons and if your baby is a girl buy apples", She said in detail, "You must eat all ten watermelons at the same time for it to take effect." Elizabeth said her thanks to Dr. Blueflame, hugged her, and then she ran straight over to the grocery store.

Elizabeth was on her eighth watermelon when she became Stuffed she could not eat another bite. She shoved the ninth one in her mouth and started to chew. "I am going to get fat from eating too much.", Elizabeth thought while swallowing the watermelon, "Actually I got the Fast Metabolism so I just need to do a fast cardio workout using my stereo and I should be fine." 

But still when Elizabeth got to the last watermelon she could not take another bite. Just thinking about eating the watermelon made her almost puke."Maybe I don't have to eat this one", Elizabeth thought as she was about to put the watermelon back in her backpack. But then she felt her baby kick. "You are right, I need to do this. Dr. Blueflame knows what she is talking about. I can do this." Elizabeth thought. And in one big bite Elizabeth ate the last watermelon.

The next morning Elizabeth couldn't tell if it was the watermelons that she had pigged out on or if it was the baby, but Elizabeth had a belly. She told Daniel about the pregnancy after breakfast and he was so happy. "Oh wow! It is sure kicking", Daniel said rubbing her tummy. "Oh it is a boy", Elizabeth said nonchalantly. Daniel jerked upright and stared at Elizabeth with a face that he usually would have only used if he had seen a five eyed sim fly past. "Oops", Elizabeth had let it slip. She wanted the multi-gendered multiples to be a surprise. "Oops what?" Daniel said prodding further. "It was a surprise for you. I visited my Ob. Gyn. yesterday. I did it when you were baby sitting. I found out the baby's gender. And then I ate ten whole watermelons so that we can have multi-gendered multiples." Elizabeth said hiding her face embarrassed. Daniel grabbed her chin and lifted it till his eyes met hers. "That makes my surprise look silly", Daniel said kissing her. Elizabeth was intrigued then. "What surprise?" Elizabeth said while showing a toothy grin. "Well, I was thinking that maybe it was time for Ryan to turn into a toddler." Daniel said retrieving the cake from his bag. Elizabeth was astonished. She was thinking about buying a cake too. She needed Ryan to be a toddler to so that she can continue on in the challenge. She wanted to know Daniel's reasoning for wanting Ryan to age up, but she chose a different question to ask. "When did you get time to buy the cake?" Elizabeth asked while she put the cake Daniel had bought on the kitchen table. "When I was baby sitting. As soon as you left I turned off the t.v., picked up Ryan, and went to the grocery store. The 'Sports Universe' was a hoax", Daniel said pointing to the t.v. "Oh, well aren't you clever." Elizabeth said hugging Daniel. "Yes I am. I have a Logic Skill of ten." Daniel said as Elizabeth walked back to the living room. "I am surprised we did not run into each other at the grocery store." Elizabeth said while she sat on the couch.

Elizabeth and Daniel decided to age Ryan that night. Elizabeth wanted just one more day with Ryan as her little infant. "I love getting to hold you and cuddle you all the time. I will miss it, but you will always be my baby", Elizabeth said while giving Ryan his afternoon feeding. "You will still get to cuddle him all the time." Daniel said from the kitchen, he was eating leftover "Spaghetti". "I know, but when he is a toddler he will move around a lot. He will not be confined to a crib or my arms anymore." Elizabeth said getting emotional. "Phew... Breath Elizabeth", She thought to herself as she was cuddling Ryan. Her pregnancy hormones were making things difficult.

And that night at around 8:00 p.m. Ryan aged into a handsome toddler. Elizabeth loved the fact that he would crawl everywhere. He would make noises. He would play with toys. And when she placed him upstairs in his new room to play with his new toys he decided to give himself a makeover.

Ryan made himself over and he gave himself longer hair. He also got himself a sports jersey, which Elizabeth understood. His two traits were: Friendly and Athletic after all. His eyes changed to green. They were now the exact same color as Daniel's and he had brown hair like his parents. Elizabeth noticed though that his hair was a shade darker than hers and Daniels. And Elizabeth knew where she remembered the shade from. She did not want Ryan to have any connection to her parents, but his hair was the same shade as her mom's hair. 

Ryan loved his new room with his own toys. It was small, but it was big to him. He wasn't to sure about sleeping alone in his room without Elizabeth though. But he warmed up to the thought when he got in his crib. He liked how big it was. 

The next morning Elizabeth got up and got Ryan breakfast. Today was the third day of her pregnancy and once again she has forgotten to tell Victoria about it. She called up Victoria while Ryan was eating, "Hey, can you meet me at the beach. I have some news." "Sure", Victoria said in between huffing and puffing, "I am at the gym. I will jog there." "Ok, See you in... let's say fifteen minutes?" Elizabeth said looking at Ryan. "Sure. See you there." Elizabeth picked up Ryan's dirty dishes and loaded them in the dishwasher which was now Unbreakable. Thank you Daniel, who updated everything in the house that possibly could be updated. Then she picked up Ryan and walked to the beach. It was only a little distance from her house and Elizabeth could stand to workout a little bit.

Elizabeth walked up to the gazebo that was next the stairs that led down to the beach. Victoria was standing there smiling in her workout clothes. Elizabeth was green with envy. Victoria had been working out for an hour and she had jogged here all the way from the gym, yet she still looked like a super model. While Elizabeth looked like a whale, or at least that was what Elizabeth thought. On the other side of the thoughts spectrum though Victoria thought Elizabeth looked beautiful. She was glowing and she was in her second pregnancy without even one stretch mark. She hoped that she looked that good pregnant. "Hi, Mrs. Rockstar!" Elizabeth said walking down the stairs next to Victoria. "Hello, Mrs. Mother of the Year." When they reached the beach Elizabeth went and sat Ryan under an umbrella. "It is not even sunny", Victoria said as Elizabeth stood up. "He could still get sun burnt even though it is cloudy." Elizabeth said matter of factly. "Anyways I guess you can tell that I am pregnant." "Of course, you are glowing", Victoria said smiling to her friend. "Yup, three days", Elizabeth knew that she was due in only twelve hours. "Really? Wow... you sure do work fast." Victoria said impressed. Elizabeth felt like telling Victoria then and there about the 100 Baby Challenge. In the end though she decided against it. 

After talking for thirty minutes Victoria ran off to her house, she was in a hurry so Elizabeth let her go. Elizabeth decided to pamper herself then with a massage. Her back had been hurting since before Ryan was born, so she needed to put an end to the never ending back cramps. 

By the time Elizabeth got home Ryan had fallen asleep in Elizabeth's arms and Daniel was dozing off on the couch. So Elizabeth brought Ryan to his room and tucked him in for the night. Then she woke Daniel, who had fallen off of the couch and was snoring, and helped him get to bed also.

Elizabeth had been watching t.v. for quite some time when she went into labor. So she went upstairs and woke Daniel. Labor this time around was a little easier because she knew what to expect. "Daniel. Daniel, honey? Wake up. I am in labor", Elizabeth said calmly while shaking Daniel gently. Daniel shot up at the word labor. "What? Then we need to go to the hospital now!" Daniel panicked getting out of bed. "Actually, I am going right now. But you have to stay here." Elizabeth said shamefully. "What? No. I can't stay here while you are giving birth to my second child. I want to be there", Daniel said. His expression was so sad. He looked like one of those abandoned animals in the ASPCA commercials. "I know you do and I wish you could, but it is 11:00 p.m. it is too late at night and too late notice to get a baby sitter. You have to stay with Ryan. I promise I will be fine, just go back to sleep and I will be here when you wake." And with that Daniel agreed and fell back to sleep.

 Elizabeth walked up to the hospital's front doors at 11:52 p.m. "Look at me, coming to the hospital all by myself. I can do this", Elizabeth thought as she passed through the doors and as she was walking up to the front desk. But once Elizabeth was inside delivery room #241 she started feeling nervous. 

 

 And at 1:17 a.m. Elizabeth walked out of the hospital carrying the magical baby carrier that seemed to deliver miracles. 

Elizabeth got home and woke up Daniel. She smiled at him and said, "Let me introduce you to": 

 

Baby number two: "Ian Reting."

Baby number three: "Calista Reting."

"Calista, that is a pretty name", Daniel said while smiling at Elizabeth. "What does it mean?" "It means 'Most Beautiful One' in Greek", Elizabeth said while lovingly rubbing Calista's arm.

And baby number four: "Jenna Reting."

"Jenna is a beautiful name as well. What does it stand for?" Daniel asked curious now. "It stands for 'Fair and Soft' the origin is unknown", Elizabeth said while looking into Jenna's crib.

Elizabeth went to sleep right after putting all the babies to bed. She was really tired, and considering it was 6:00 a.m. by the time she got to sleep I wouldn't blame her. Shame for Daniel, after getting woke up for his wife's homecoming he only got to sleep from 5:00 a.m. till 6:00 a.m. He got an emergency call from work, and considering it was Monday he had to go. It was not his day off. So he groggily got out of bed and turned to make it up when he saw a sight that he adored. It was his beloved wife and his baby girl, Jenna, sleeping peacefully. So he smiled, made the bed, and ran to work. Elizabeth, on the other hand, had learned three things today: 1. She loved more then one thing for once in her life. This was a feat that she would have thought impossible at the age of eight. 2. Giving birth really hurts. And 3. She would need a bigger house. She had to remodel the girl's room, the boy's room and her room just to have enough cribs for the triplets.