Baby Food and Game Controllers

The Rocking Chair

The winter progressed and got to the point where the kids had a week off of school due to being snowed in. The forecasters were calling this the worst storm in a long while. At this point, thankfully Sadie was on maternity leave from her band director job at the local high school so she could help Shaun with the kids during this storm. Sadie was eight months pregnant now and pretty much complaining every day how huge she was. Shaun tried to be helpful to her, but the bigger she got, the grumpier she got.

She had gotten the kids to sleep, but sleep was not a thing she was feeling at all. Heading towards the basement stairs, she carefully waddles herself down them. She had her homework pouch in one hand as she used the other to hold the rail. Sneaking in, she heads for the couch and scares Shaun as she does. She was going to grade theory homework as she watched him play.

"Sadie! Sheesh! Don't scare me like that!" Shaun Chuckles, giving his wife a glare.She laughs, setting down her papers, slowly walking over, and ruffling her husband's hair.

"That's my thing, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is."

"Hi, stream! No baby yet!"

"You alright?" The concern on his face, wanting to make sure his wife hadn't gone into labor or something.

"Can't sleep, so I came down here. I'm going to grade papers."

"Oh, that sounds SO riveting!" He jokes, glancing at his chat and then back at his wife.

"Its theory homework very riveting."

"Yeah, all that stuff that you are so good at that I have not a clue about.""Yup, that stuff."

Looking back at his chat, he responds to a few messages, and a few subscribes before getting back into the game. About two hours later he's done a considerable amount of building in his game, and the wife gets up to tell him she's going to bed.

"Goodnight wife." He smiles, waving to her and watching her leave the room. She had all her paperwork and everything she brought down with her as she carefully heads up the stairs.

"Please be careful!"

"I will!"

Getting to the top of the stairs, she heads for the dining table and sets her homework folder down. She'd take them in in a few days. It was break homework anyways. She would then use the baby monitor and check on teddy before going to bed. She would hopefully sleep till the morning or just till Shaun goes to bed and she can check on the baby. She's been sleeping through the night most nights with the occasional wake-up. Which the parents both like. The more she sleeps, the better for the family. Checking the baby monitor, she happily sighs to see Teddy fast asleep. She then walks to the bedroom to snuggle into bed. Shaun still down in the basement playing away on his stream.

It was about 1 AM when a sleepy child comes wandering down the stairs and into the basement to Shaun's stream room. Just like his wife, the child scared the life out of him. The kids are usually told to not disturb dad but sometimes they sneak down, or the child figured it was an emergency. They were told once that if something was wrong, they were allowed to go get dad. Jumping, Shaun looks over to see his son Arlo come in view from the door.

"Arlo, what are you doing up? Did you have a bad dream?" He asks the child, setting him on his lap and taking off his headphones so he can hear his son clearly. He only hoped the child would be able to explain what was going on. Arlo was a few steps behind his sister, and his speech was not that great.

"Baby cry."

"What, baby? Teddy?"

"Teddy, mama asleep."

"Did Teddy's crying wake you up?"

"Teddy cry."

"Why didn't you get mommy?"

"Mommy sleep."

Sadie was a real heavy sleeper, and Arlo tried to wake his mother but she slept right through it.

"Is Teddy still crying?"

"Teddy cry."

"Ok, lets get you back to bed and daddy will check on Teddy."

Turning back to his stream Shaun sighs. He had wanted to continue playing, but his kids were more important at this moment.

"So sorry guys, I gotta check on the kids. I'm going to end for now but I might come back if things go ok."

"Good night, everyone."

At this point the comments in his stream were some goodbyes and a few people telling him to go. That his kids were more important in this moment. He was grateful his stream, and his viewers loved him enough to understand what was going on. Hitting the end stream button, he picks Arlo up off his lap and puts him on his hip before turning the lights off and walking out of the room. He would fix this later.Getting up the stairs, he walks with Arlo towards his room. He can hear faint cries from Teddy, but it sounded like she might be falling back asleep. He would put Arlo to bed and then check on Teddy. Laying the boy back down in his bed, Shaun kisses him and snuggles him a moment.

"Goodnight Arlo, you go back to sleep. Mommy and daddy will see you in the morning."

"Teddy cry."

"I know, I'm going now to see Teddy. I'll make sure she's good ok? You sleep."

Watching him doze off, Shaun carefully scoots out of his son's room and closes the door. He heads down the hall and opens up the room Teddy was sleeping in. She was standing up in her crib with a tear-stained face. It broke Shaun's heart to see his daughter like that. Walking over, he picks her up and holds her close. He sits in her rocker and holds her tight, covering them both with a blanket. He rocks her back and forth, trying to get her to sleep.

"It's ok Teddy, you can sleep now, daddy has you."Holding her, he sings to her quietly, trying to soothe her. It didn't take them long. Teddy had finally calmed down, and the two of them had finally fallen asleep. Shaun hadn't planned on sleeping in the rocker, but there he was, snuggling with her daughter in a very uncomfortable chair.