A Lifetime With You

Life at Home

It's the night after the baby's arrival and tonight they get to take her home.

Joe's POV
Taylor was in the bathroom putting on a little bit of makeup and I was feeding Avery a bottle. "God, I look awful." she said. "Baby, you don't look awful. I'm not just saying that because I love you, I'm saying it because I mean it." I said. "Thanks, love. You took everything to the car already right?" she asks. "Yeah. Everything but your bag." I put Avery on my shoulder to burp her. "Should I go ahead and put her in the car seat or should I wait?" I ask. "Yeah. I'm almost done. Check her diaper first." Taylor said. After she burps, I change her diaper. I put her in the car seat and she starts crying. "Aww she hates it." Taylor says. "I really didn't wanna do this, but I guess we can give her a pacifier." Taylor added. We didn't want to give her a pacifier because if she gets too attached, it'll be hard to take it from her when she gets older, but also since Taylor's breastfeeding they recommend not giving her a pacifier just to avoid nipple confusion. She pulled out a pacifier that we brought just in case. It's a good thing we brought it because she was so fussy in her car seat. The pacifier calmed her down and I grabbed her car seat and Taylor's hospital bag. "Babe, I can carry my bag so you don't have to carry it plus her." I shake my head. "I got it. This is nothing." I say. We head out to the car through the back entrance. I get Avery secured in the car and Taylor gets in the back seat with her. I tug on the seatbelt to make sure her car seat was secure in the base. "I think it's good babe. She's not going anywhere." Taylor said. "Just gotta double check. This is some precious cargo right here. Gotta make sure my girl is safe. Both of my girls really. Are you buckled up?" She nods. I close the door and hop into the driver's seat and we head home.

Taylor's POV
I was riding in the back seat with Avery. She's so tiny and perfect and she is all ours. She starts getting fussy. "Daddy just fed you a bottle. We'll be home soon, my love." She stopped crying as I started rubbing her head. She opened her little blue eyes and looked around. "Hello, my beautiful girl. I know you can't see me yet since you're only a day and your vision is blurry, but I'm your mommy. You recognize my voice from when you were in my belly?" I started rubbing her head again and she started falling asleep again. We pulled into our neighborhood at the security gate and the guard let us through. We drove up to our house and Joe put in the code to our gate and closed it as we drove up the driveway. He pulled into the garage. He opened my door and helped me out of the car. I opened the back of the car to get some of the bags. "Taylor, don't you dare." he said. "I'm just trying to help." I say. "I know babe, but you're not supposed to be lifting anything heavier than her. And she's 5 pounds and 13 ounces. Those bags are definitely heavier than her." Joe says. I stick my tongue out at him. "Let me get her then." He shakes his head. "You can't. The car seat adds to her weight. You just pushed a human out of your body and you have stitches down there that could easily rip. Go inside." I listen and follow his order to go inside. I'm met at the door by my mom and Abigail. They hug me. "Owww." They quickly let go of me. "Sorry." they both say. I hold my belly as I walk to the living room to sit down. My whole body literally feels like I lied down in the middle of the road and someone ran me over. Joe came into the living room with the baby. "Oh my goodness. She's the cutest baby I've ever seen. And I'm not just saying that because I'm her grandmother. Can I get her out?" my mom asks. I nod. "She needs a diaper change. She peed through her outfit." my mom said. "Really? Joe changed her right before we left the hospital." I say. Mom changed her diaper and she started crying. "Why are you getting fussy? Are you hungry?" my mom asked. "She might be. Here, let me see her. I'll give her back after she's done. I pumped quite a bit earlier and Joe fed her and I left the rest at the hospital. I literally wanted to cry." I say. Mom places her in my arms. I unhook my nursing tank top and latch her onto my left breast. "Is it weird that breastfeeding makes me hungry? Like, I'm starving right now."
"That's totally normal. It works up your appetite. I'm proud of you for doing it though. It's not easy." my mom said. "Thanks mom. It's not easy by any means. It's exhausting if I'm being honest. But...I'm determined." She nursed for about 15 minutes and then I switched her to the other side. "What would you like to eat, guys?" Abigail asked. "You don't have to do that." Joe said. "I want to. You guys are new parents and you're exhausted. I want to cook for you." Abigail said. She went to the kitchen and started cooking. Mom went to help her. "We've got the loudest eater in the world." Joe giggled. She finished nursing and I burp her. After she burps, I snuggle her. I end up falling asleep with her on my chest. I'm awoken by Abigail telling me that dinner is ready. I place Avery in her swing while we go to the dining room. "My boobs hurt so bad." I say. "They're huge. I bet Joe is already counting down the days until you can have sex again." Abigail said, winking. I try not laugh because it hurts. Joe starts blushing. "Well, I'm never having sex again. The pain that I'm feeling down there...it's insane. I also decided to look at it earlier and I cried. It's a crime scene." They all laughed. "Dad says he's feeling better and he wants to come visit tomorrow if you're up for it." I nod. "I'll be here. I think Selena and Tree are coming at some point. Abigail, you can come tomorrow too. You're welcome here any time. You're my best friend in the whole wide world." After dinner, Joe helped mom clean the kitchen. "I'm gonna steal her from you if that's ok" Abigail said. "Yeah. Get all the cuddles you want. She's my baby so I have all the time in the world with her." She snuggled Avery and kissed her head. "Holy fucking shit, Tay. You're really a mom." she said. "Crazy right? It wasn't planned, but here she is. We weren't trying to get pregnant but we weren't not trying either. We were just having sex constantly because we couldn't get enough of each other. Then I got pregnant and all I could think about was sex. I wanted it all the damn time. My hormones were raging." I said. "I could only imagine. Matt and I are trying. I'm dying for a baby." she said. "Oh my god! Really? I hope it all goes well. Our kids are gonna be BFFs just like us." "Oh, of course!" Abigail said. Her phone started going off. "Well, I gotta run. I'm ovulating and Matt is at home. Bye my sweet girl. I might be back to see you again tomorrow." she said, kissing Avery's head. Right about that time, my mom and Joe came back into the living room. She held Avery for a little while and then she went home.

10 PM
Joe's POV
We were sitting on the couch watching a little bit of TV. Taylor was nursing Avery one last time before bed. She put her feet in my lap and I start massaging them. "How are you feeling?" She yawns. "Tired. In a lot of pain. I need to shower first thing in the morning. I feel gross." she said. "Shit! I'll go pick your medicine up tomorrow first thing. I'm so sorry baby. I totally forgot." I say. "It's ok. I'm not worried about it." she said. She finishes feeding Avery and we go upstairs and go to bed. Avery was asleep in her bassinet next to my side of the bed. Taylor fell asleep quickly and I fell asleep not long after. Nothing prepared us for the long night ahead.