Saturday 28 July 2012

Baby 55- I have no witty title. Part 1


Ellie grew up into a beautiful young adult. She wants to become a doctor, and has applied for a position at the local hospital. Apparently, she wants to become the fist challenge baby to reach the position of brain surgeon at the Cherwood hospital.
Next up was Demi. She had grown up to be a little chubbier than she used to be, but that didn't bother her. She chopped off all her hair and gave it to charity, so that was a plus for her. her hair was now really short, and almost impossible to control, but she said that if I gave it time it would get better.
I've had a lot going on this summer, meeting Eloise, my fight with Paisley, dumping Erik, moving house, being a test subject, Eloise leaving me to go back to France for a month. I've barely had time to think, never mind eat. Most of the time I just shove a few mouthfuls down before I'm off again doing something else for someone. I know I need to keep healthy for the rest of my kids, but between this, keeping everyone else happy and living life I feel like I'm someone else.
Jonathon and David are the cutest little toddlers I ever met, and everyone falls in love with them. With everything I've been up to for everyone, I was incredibly pleased when first Ellie, and after she left, Demi began helping to look after everyone. Luke and Leia tried their hardest to help out, but really they were too little to do anything other than their assigned chores. I miss spending time with my toddlers, but I hardly get chance to nowadays.
Luke and Leia always fight for the attention of David, because apparently he's more interesting. But I managed to keep both kids happy for long enough to take this picture of them. I've cut stuff out of my schedule recently to make more time for everyone, and it seems to be showing. Everyone seems much closer, and we even sit down for a few family dinners.
It's roughly a couple of weeks after Ellie leaves and Demi grows up that Eloise comes back, running into the house. She falls into my arms, and I lean in, breathing in her smell. (Vanilla and Raspberries.) "Skye, my Mother is here." she says as soon as she lets go. I blink in surprise. "It's not like that," she says, reading my thoughts. "My mom's a professional photographer, and she wants to do a shoot of us." I nod in shock. This first thing she says to me after a month away, no I've missed you, I love you, just 'my mother wants to take pictures of you'. What a warm welcome. Ellie pauses, and sees how sad I look. She presses a kiss to my lips. "I love you, and I missed you terribly. The shoot is tomorrow." Everyone comes downstairs right at that moment to see what all the noise is about, and immediately after seeing Ellie, rush towards her for possibly the biggest group hug I ever saw. I'm sat down that night, reading, and Eloise enters the room, hair wet from the shower. She smiles at me and pulls her nightie around her, probably because of the cold draught from my bathroom. It was mighty chilly in there. She turns around, bending down to grab something from a suitcase on the floor behind her and I glance up from my book to see her grabbing a pair of shorts and a stringy top from her case.
As she begins putting on a jumper I stand up and walk over. She glances at me, confusion in her eyes. But she doesn't resist as I wrap my arms around her waist. I lean in and press a kiss to her neck, whispering, "I've missed you." Eloise only giggles, the way only she can. There's something about that giggle which is so incredibly sexy I'm surprised Jesse isn't crawling all over her. She returns the kiss with one to my shoulder and I shudder. "I-mmmmmmmm." she cuts me off with a kiss to the lips as she presses her hips onto mine. I take a step back as she drops the towel from her hand, leaving both free to tangle in my hair. We fall to sleep that night wrapped in each others' arms and then wake up in the same way.  I slip our of Eloise's arms and grab the first clothes I find in the drawer, a shirt and a pair of shorts. Eloise wakes up slowly, looking around the room. "Skye?" she murmurs. I turn to look at her, wondering what I should to with my hair today. "Yeah?" Eloise breathes a sigh of relief. "I though last night was all a dream. I was still back in France." I chuckle at the thought. "I'm going to make breakfast. Mother taught me a divine new recipe for grape pancakes."

The pancakes, in the end, are in fact delicious. We have until ten to relax, which is when Mrs Honette-Parker gets here with her husband. In that time I aim to complete the book I am reading, I used to read quickly, but I barely get any time to read with so many little ones. I complete it in the half hour I have, owing to the fact that Eloise is entertaining the little ones and they all adore her too much to care where I am.
Eloise's parents knock on the door at five past ten, and Paisley is stood beside them. She waves and I ignore her. "Mr and Mrs Honette, I assume?" I greet them with a smile and Mrs Honette takes my  hand in hers and kisses me on the cheek like a daughter. "Please, call me Rosette" I nod and accept it. "Okay Mrs- I mean, Rosette." Paisley, who clearly cannot contain her excitement any longer, leaps into the air and hugs me. "SKYE! GUESS WHAT?" I humour her with a raised eyebrow. "It's your birthday tomorrow." Of course. It was my birthday on the 28th. How had I forgotten? Oh yes, I was too busy being overjoyed at the return of my lover. I was returned from my thoughts when Paisley started talking about a party. Apparently she'd invited Chloe, Calista, Laura and a few other people over. She refused to tell me just who these other people were, or where we were going for the party, but apparently it was going to be 'epic'. Paisley had been spending too much time with Caramel and Toffee. Mr Honette led Eloise into the room before starting work on my face. I hadn't known it needed work, but apparently he was going to give us a special look for the photo shoot. I had no idea Eloise's father was a fashion god, but I must say that he had rather good taste.
Eloise was brilliant at having her picture taken, probably because she had grown up with her mother, but I was a little less used to it. Apparently I was 'Stiff as a donkey's left buttock.' and I was not going to argue with the scary French lady telling me that. As soon as we got into couple poses I was okay, since being around Eloise felt natural. And then they got Paisley in on the act, so that was fun. My favourite pictures were from those times.
After the shoot, Paisley didn't bother to go home, since she would be coming over later that night anyway. We found a bunch of outfits which would be good for use at a party, and then managed to get Demi to babysit for us, not that it was much of a challenge; she adored her younger siblings. As night fell and we walked the short distance to the bar, it was time to Par-tay!

Friday 6 July 2012

I miss you- Baby 53&54

My name is Ellie Everard. My mother is Skye Everard, famous challenge mother, and SHE is my hero. I have always admired her for her courage, strength and her loving nature. But what I most admire about my mother, is her determination, and that she isn't afraid to stand out from the crowd. Because not only is my mother a challenge mother, but she also dates both women and men. She is the first challenge mother to do this, and I'm not going to say everyone loves her for it. 


Most days, my mother is happy. But some, like today she greatly misses Eloise, my namesake and her partner. On those days she can lie around doing nothing for hours, but there's always been one thing we do to make her happy. Eloise and Skye have taken to Skype-ing while she is on a month long trip to her home country of France, and these sessions are one of the few things to draw my mother out of her stupor.


Because my mother is a 100 baby challenge mother, she has to have lots of children (no duh!)  And being the lovely mother she is, she let us choose the father. I'm currently the  only one old enough to make a decision, so I choose this man. Apparently his name is Payton Parkin. Skye says he looks a lot like her friend and our godmother Paisley Parker. I don't see it personally.


She drives herself to the hospital, where they implant the child via IVF and she returns home. Throughout the course of this assignment, I shall be studying, and reporting my findings on my mother, her new baby, and the effects of pregnancy on normally sane
I close my laptop without finishing the sentence and turn off the computer. Mom just called me down to lay the table for dinner, and right now I find it's best to comply. It was true what I wrote in the assignment, she is pregnant, and for the first day or so she has intense mood swings. So it's better I help now that wait until later and have her going ape on me. That's happened once before, it is not a pretty sight. I push back from my chair and walk downstairs. "Hey Mom. How are you?" I say as I enter the kitchen. She jumps a mile into the air, or she would, if the baby didn't stop her.
After she recovers from the shock she replies. "Good. I'm just great. I'm craving some sardines and oatmeal, but I figured you guys would prefer something 'hip' and 'normal' so I made you hamburgers." I cheer and sit down at the dinner table. We don't often get Burgers, since we try to eat healthy, but every once in a while we get one as a treat. Mom goes upstairs to get Demi, Luke and Leia and puts them in their high chairs one at a time. She grabs a packet of baby food for Demi, and a bottle each for the littler ones. I sit at the dinner table and interview Mom for my assignment. Every few hours I have to ask her questions on her mood, thoughts and the new baby's activity.
After dinner it's Birthday Party time for us. Skye brings Demi to the cake so she can grow up into a child. It's a wonderful process. Both Skye and I cheer and whoop as my little sister stops being quite so little. And she is B-E-A-U-TIFUL! Her hair is so long and curly, but she doesn't particularly like anyone touching it. But she has to sleep some time right?
Luke and Leia have to wait a while to grow up, they have to learn to walk, talk and potty yet, so we plan to do this over the course of the upcoming days outside. I've always loved Fridays, because that's family game night, and today we're playing Cleudo. I love Cleudo, but apparently my deductive powers are not needed, when the only one that could have done it is the victim. But it WAS the victim. I'm never wrong.

Evening Observations-  04 July 2012:
There's been a noticeable progression in the pregnancy today, and especially emotionally. The subject has experienced severe mood swings, and appears to be mostly happy otherwise. She was celebratory during the party for the other children, and managed to remain happy throughout the night. The subject has, however , been less active than in previous days, which my be attributed to the growth of the child restricting movement. Child has been more active today, even kicking and moving round. 
Subject has also shown first signs of cravings. Morning sickness and nausea have decreased, however are still present. 
I woke up at around 6:00AM this morning, and I could hear my Mother puking below me. I rushed downstairs to hold her hair, being the dutiful daughter I am, and I could tell she was grateful. "Mom. Would... would you like me to cut your hair?" I asked. Mother thought for a while, but then nodded. "If you want to do it, feel free. I was gonna get it done at the hairdressers sooner or later anyway. This is going to be much cheaper."  I sat her down in a chair then got to work snipping at her hair. A little over here, some over there. I'm finished quite quickly, and if I may say so myself, I've done quite a good job. My mother, apparently does not think the same as she promptly bursts into tears. "Mom? Did I do something wrong?" I ask. She just shakes her head and hugs me. At least she isn't yelling. Mom leaves to cook breakfast while I go write up what just happened. I have about 15 minutes, depending on what gets cooked today.

6:00AM Observation- 05 July 2012 
The subject woke up at roughly 5:55 and was immediately experiencing renewed morning sickness. To ease life, I offered to cut the hair of the subject. Subject promptly burst into tears. It is assumed they were either Hormonal, (or Happy? I must look into this further) tears. 
I close the laptop once more and walk back downstairs for a breakfast of eggs, bacon and... watermelon? I guess she's been wanting watermelon. Or maybe she wants a girl. This seems unlikely. There's more girls in this household than there is laundry, and we have a lot of laundry. After we eat it's time to begin the morning routine with the little ones and wake up Demi. I call dibs on Demi. I walk up to our room and lean over her bed, whispering "Demi...Demi..." this does nothing, so I poke her in the face. This doesn't do much, or so I think. Out of nowhere she jumps up and flails her arms around. "WHY THE HECK DID YOU HAVE TO DO THAT?!" she screams at me. I stand there, too stunned to do anything.
"I was having the best dream EVER! And you went and woke me up. Now I'm never going to finish my first dream as a child." she crosses her arms in a huff and I walk away. "Demi. We're having bacon." My little sister stops sulking and rushes to get dressed. "Why didn't you tell me there was BACON?" yes. I do know how to manipulate a child into waking up quickly. When she starts removing clothing it's time for me to go. I walk into the nursery to find Mom dressing Luke for the long day ahead of him. She tosses him in the air and blows raspberries on his stomach.
I grab the still pyjama-ed Leia out of her crib and carry her to the dresser to find some clothes to put on her. I pick out a nice pair of jeans and a long t-shirt for her to wear, before following my mother and little brother downstairs to the garden, where Demi, after having eaten is playing on the playground.
My mother is waddling around after a now dressed Leia, and I scoop up Luke and take him away to teach him to talk. Every time he gets a word wrong my head falls into my hands, but I persevere, and by mid-day he's talking like a pro. He could go into... toddler debates! Okay.... not really. What would Toddlers debate about? Ah yes, clearly baby food it much better than either formula or breast milk. What-what. Yes. Clearly that will happen.
Mom has already taught Leia to walk AND talk. They've both been able to potty for a while. This is something she always does very early on in their days, it saves a lot of nappy money. I wander off to talk to Demi earlier, she seems to really like me. I have to let her hug me, because Skye says I need human contact. That's a lie. I've been fine without it, but she can see me, so I can't object.
While I'm off being hugged, I don't realise that my mother is going into labour, as soon as I turn around and see her grimacing in pain, I start freaking out. Who wouldn't, I mean, your parent is going through immense amounts of pain here.

Not much later she gives birth to her newest little boy, Jonathan, and his twin brother, David.
Post Birth Observations
Subject is still experiencing hormonal change as is expected. Both children are healthy, and normal. On the day of birth and during the subject seemed relaxed and happy. 


This concludes my report.

Monday 2 July 2012

A simpler time- Baby 51, 52

Sorry it's so short!

"Promise me you'll come back soon?" I said to Eloise, as I leant on the front door-frame. She was carrying a suitcase full of her clothes, and a bag of snacks and drinks down the driveway towards her car. "Yes sweetness. I'll be back within a month." she said. My darling girlfriend (I'm still getting used to saying that) was leaving me. She was going to visit her parents in France, and spend some time over there seeing the sights. I asked her to visit Rouen for me, and take lots of pictures. I hadn't been to France since I had been 19 years old; it was the most beautiful of places.

I walked back inside as the final slam of Eloise's car door echoed across the flat expanse of our garden. Demi's cries came filtering down the staircase as if she knew someone important to her was leaving. I wandered upstairs to look after her, plastering a fake smile on my face for her sake. Today was her birthday, even if she was too young to remember.
I carried her down to a birthday cake and set her down on the ground as sparkles engulfed her tiny body. It seemed like so long I actually did this with a cake, I'd almost forgotten about the sparkles. She grew up into a toddler and I managed to get my first proper look at her features. Demi was beautiful no matter what she looked like to me.
Watson came downstairs at this moment after a phone call with Apple, they were still very close as brother and sister, so they talked lots. "Hey Wat." I said. "Would you mind playing with your sister a second while I go and tidy up?" Watson nodded and picked up Demi. He took her over to the lounge where he began playing Peek-A-Boo with her. Watson was a good brother to all his siblings, and one I would be sad to see leave. Ellie walked out of her room as she heard me coming upstairs, she has excellent hearing, and smiled at me. "Hey Mom. What'cha doing?" she asks. This is a frequent routine for us. "Cleaning. Why?" I reply. "CAN I HELP?" she shouts. I nod and turn around. "First order of business, laundry. Go and check where there's stuff to get from the baskets for me." I say. I walk into the nursery to start picking up toys that have been there since the beginning of time (not literally) and take out the potty trash.
I stop cleaning about half an hour later and run to the toilet to vomit. I had been impregnated shortly before Eloise left by this man. He was rather attractive, in a purple sort of way. It was like being back as an early challenge mother again, vomiting lots, and cleaning. Except now I had kids to help. Speaking of early challenge mothers, I was supposed to be meeting Chloe Moreau later today. She was one of the few blue challenge mothers, and I was really excited to be meeting her. I picked all the laundry out of the baskets thanks to Ellie, and began putting them in the washing machine. "MMMMMMMMMMMMMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM! DEMI POOPED!" comes the cry from Watson. I hang my head and giggle. He's good with kids, but he doesn't like getting his hands dirty when it comes to actual care. I walk into the room and pick up Demi, taking her upstairs to change her. She's.... certainly a... powerful young pooper.
I remove her nappy and plop it into the bin. "Come on then, human half-ling. You need to learn how to use the bathroom!" Demi says nothing, since she doesn't know how to talk yet. But sits on the potty merrily and does a wee. PROGRESS! she gets off and I put her clothes back on, since she now knows that we use the potty to do out business. I'm in a teaching mood, so I teach Demi how to walk, and halfway to talk as well before I hear the front door close.

I go downstairs (Paisley calls it floating when I walk like this) singing a song from Phantom. Paisley and Chloe are stood in the doorway, and Chloe is looking around in awe. "SKYE!" says Paisley, running into my arms. "You're singing." she continues. Paisley twirls in a circle. "You haven't sung since you left Erik." I think back.... apparently this is true. I only sing when I'm really REALLY happy. Apparently I am now. Eloise really must be good for me.
"And you must be Chloe." I say to the strange, blue girl standing in my hallway. She nods. "I don't bite." I whisper in her ear. Chloe laughs, and that settles us as friends. "So, friends. What are we going to do?" I ask them. Paisley shrugs her shoulders. Chloe doesn't say anything, until Paisley holds up her hand. "We're going out to dinner. Skye... dress us." So... I end up clothing my two friends in clothes borrowed from various sources, some of them my closet, other ones from the Teen's clothes, Chloe is so... TINY!

Chloe, Paisley and I head out to dinner at about six, and we get to the bistro by half past. The waiters sit us down at a private table round the back (well we ARE challenge mothers) and we eat. Unfortunately, the young one chooses this moment to make it's arrival known, so I have to go change.
I return home after dropping Chloe off, and Paisley says she will walk since it's only over the road. I slip into bed that night at about nine, Watson had already gotten the younglings to sleep and gone to bed himself. I slipped underneath the covers and fell into a restless and fitful sleep.


It's a beautiful day, Eloise and I are sat on a blanket eating food from a picnic basket in the middle of a large field. Suddenly, Eloise gets up and starts running away. I try to follow but it is like however fast I run I can't catch up. A hand grabs me from behind and holds me back, and when I try to fight it, the vice-like grip only gets tighter. The voice I assume is connected to the hand says, "Eloise is gone. Come back to me now." I wake up covered in sweat, with tears streaming down my face from my sleep. I check the clock, Six AM, Demi will wake up for her morning feed in about 5 minutes now. That leaves me enough time to get dressed. I slip into the first clothes I find, a black jumper and a pair of jeans I hope will still fit me throughout my pregnancy. Luke, the little baby in my stomach (if it is in fact a boy) is kicking up a storm. He must like my outfit.
I walk upstairs just as Demi wakes up, and scoop her into my arms, humming gently so she doesn't cry. I carry her downstairs where together we hated up a bottle and half a bowl of baby food. I give her the bottle on the floor while her oatmeal finishes cooking. She swallows the last mouthful just as the microwave beeps its finishing noise. I pick up Demi and put her into her chair before placing her food in front of her. She gets tucked in right away, or at least it looks that way. In a matter of minutes there is food tumbling down the side of the chair and onto the floor. “DEMI MITA EVERARD! Did you do that?” I ask. She shakes her head and I frown. “I think you did. Say sorry to mummy for making such a big mess.” She hangs her head and apologises. I carry her upstairs to play and Watson and Ellie exchange glances. They know all about my challenge, but they’re not quite used to all the hormones yet. It has it’s advantages, and more disadvantages.
Today is the day of my ultrasound scan. After the baby last time aged prematurely, they wanted to keep an eye on me, so they had booked me in for this scan. I didn’t feel like I needed it, but the doctors did, and apparently doctors know best. As I walk in, Chloe is following me; apparently she’s here for her yearly checkup and she’s dreading it. Wow. A challenge mother who dislikes doctors, that really is a first. The last time I was here, the Dr Fox took a blood test to try and determine he cause of the accelerated growth. Apparently, it was a side effect of the drug they gave me after my breakdown. Not only did it cause the acceleration, but because of it’s effect on me (making me feel like a teenager again) it was actually preventing me from aging. I was going to get older, but it was going to take much, much longer. That was what the doctors told me, only with more medical mumbo-jumbo shoved in there. Luke and Leia (that’s right TWINS) are just fine, and apparently I should be having them some time tonight. That’s comforting. NOT
When I get home I decide to age up Watson. He’s been wanting to leave for a few days, so who am I to deny him that. Especially when he’s got straight A’s. Prom is next week, but apparently that doesn’t matter to him. So he grows up into a fine young man. He and his girlfriend decide to move into an apartment together on the outskirts of town and raise their first child there.
Ellie also asks to grow up, which I see as fair too, especially since her brother is leaving her. She ages into a teenager completely different from her childhood self. She’s bright and confident and not afraid to speak her mind about everything which is a complete turnabout from her childhood self who was quiet and introverted. She’s checking the school website right away and asking me to sign her up for clubs, which is brilliant; though I’m worried there may be something in it.

While Ellie gushes over the many extra-curricular choices available, I decide to finish teaching Demi how to talk. It takes about half an hour to teach her a final few words, and then she’s too sleepy to concentrate. I put her into bed after a warm bottle and sit on the couch in the nursery reading with Ellie for a while. About 9 PM I go into labour and it hurts. Ellie starts freaking out, but I just tell her to go to bed while I give birth. Two or three hours later I welcome into the world, Luke Everard and Leia Everard.