Best of Women

Pippa

The next morning, the new baby had some tests and check ups to go through at the hospital. He passed with flying colors. Carmen was doing great and recovering well. Her body was young, after all. Lin went to the hospital to help bring them home. He brought the new carrier with him, and hailed a cab to go home.

The girls had been busy that morning decorating. They insisted on buying banners and balloons and decorating the baby's crib. It was adorable how into it they were. When Carmen and Sebastian walked in, they grinned. I could see tears in Carmen's eyes.

"Congratulations!!" The girls shouted as they walked in. Sebastian set the carrier on the floor and they walked in further, taking in the sights.

"Wow, thank you guys!" Carmen said, and I could tell she really meant it. With her family disowning her, I knew it meant the world to her to have some much love thrown at her. There were lots of hugs and asking how Carmen was doing. She insisted she felt fine, but I made her sit down and I made her some tea. Lin asked about how the baby had done during the night. The baby had been up about every two hours for a feeding. Both new parents already looked exhausted.

Carmen took the mug of tea gratefully and sipped at it as the twins oohed and ahhed over their nephew. They wanted to hold him again, so he was passed around. He seemed like a pretty easy-going baby so far.

"So, have you decided on a name?" I asked them. The teenagers looked at each other and grinned.

"We have," Sebastian smiled. "Everyone, meet Paco Lin Miranda."

Lin beamed with pride, and got a little teary-eyed. He patted his son on the back and thanked him. Lin leaned over and kissed Carmen on the cheek. Paco began fussing in Mia's arms, and the teenager looked like she had no idea what to do. She quickly put her hands underneath the baby, ready to hand him back.

Carmen smiled as she took the baby back. She quickly peeked in the back of his diaper and he must have been clean. "It's about time for another feeding," she announced. Sebastian got up and hurried down the hallway, where they had a lot of the baby's things. He returned with a nursing cover to drape her over. Sebastian also found a little C-shaped prop pillow where she could set Paco while he nursed. She poked her head under the cover and helped her son begin feeding.

I discreetly prompted everyone to go about their business so Carmen could have a bit more privacy. However, privacy was something that would be hard to come about in an apartment with eight people.

That night, I was awoken every time Paco cried. Call it motherly instinct, I guess. Sebastian and Carmen were always quick to respond. They had Paco in their room with them, in a little bassinet next to the bed. Carmen had decided to try pumping milk so they could keep a supply in the fridge. That way, Sebastian could get up in the night and feed their son so Carmen could get more sleep.

The next morning, they were dragging but looked happy. Carmen was still recovering a bit from labor, and Sebastian was being really sweet about getting her things and doing a lot of work with the baby. After feeding Paco around 10:00, Carmen fell asleep on the couch. Sebastian covered her up with a blanket and kissed her forehead.

Both Sebastian and Carmen had taken a week off school to adjust to their new life as parents. Unfortunately, the birth of the baby came at the end of the school year when all sorts of projects were due and finals were happening. There was about a week and a half left of school when it was finally time for them to go back. Carmen was in tears on Monday morning, not wanting to leave Paco. My show was on a break, so I had the time to be home with the baby. I think that made Carmen feel a bit better.