Are you ready to hear the best joke I’ve ever played on myself? When I was on hospital bed rest, I told myself that with a pregnancy this difficult, I will surely be blessed with an easy baby. Yep, mothers everywhere are laughing right now, and don’t I know it. Grayson is a month old now and the demands of motherhood have almost put me over the ledge. An easy baby? I’ve had no such luck though.

Just like every other night so far, Grayson had been up for most of the night crying. It seemed like if he wasn’t nursing he was crying or whining. Hoping to give Wes a quiet room, I brought Grayson into Bobby’s old bedroom. It took a 45-minute nursing session but he’s finally curled up asleep on my chest. I just began to doze off myself when the door creaked open.

“Hey, what are you doing in here?” Wes steps inside the room.

“Shh,” I put my finger up to my mouth to shush him and then point down to Grayson. Wes brings his voice to a whisper.

“Why did you come in here?” He pulls up a desk chair that Bobby had in his room and sits next to us.

“He was crying a lot, I didn’t want him to wake you up.”

“You don’t have to worry about that sweetheart. If you’re up, I should be up too.”

I shake my head, “You need to get up in the morning to go work though.”

“I’m fine. You shouldn’t have to hide yourself into another room for my sake.”

“We’re fine. You go rest. He’s calmed down anyway so I’m going to try and swaddle him and come to bed.” Right on cue, Grayson wakes up and starts wailing. Before I can sit up and start to rock him again, Wes takes him and starts bouncing him around and rocking him.

“Does he need to eat?”

“No, he should be okay. It calms him though.”

“Let’s see if we can’t get him to sleep without the boob,” Wes winks at me.

Wes continues to rock and bounce for about another five minutes and all of a sudden the crying stops and Grayson seems to be out. He gently lays him on the bed and swaddles him up just like the nurses at the hospital do. We walk down the hall back to our bedroom and lay him down in his crib.

Wes steps up to me and kisses my forehead, “You get some sleep now.”

“Thanks, Wes.” I crawl into bed and Wes is close behind me. I scoot back in his arms and he kisses my bare shoulder.

“Remember that I did this without another parent and I know how hard it is. You’re not alone darling. I’m here with you every step of the way.” I feel tears falling down my cheeks and Wes sits me up and quickly tries to wipe them away. “Please don’t cry, I know this is hard, but please don’t cry.”

“I’m just trying so hard.”

“I know, you’re doing so great too. Even his pediatrician said he’s right on track for a full-term baby which means you’re giving him everything he needs.” Wes lays back down and pulls me onto his chest. I listen to his heartbeat as I feel my body relax into him. I cannot wait to marry this man.

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“Auntie Hannah!!!!” Annabelle screeches the second her aunt steps foot out of the car.

“Hey, there chica!” Hannah doesn’t even get all the way on the porch before Annabelle is jumping into her arms. She spins her around a couple of times before planting her feet onto the ground. She walks over to where I am on the porch swing and slightly pulls the blanket down to see Grayson. “There is my cute little nephew!”

“What about me?”

“You’re cute too.” She gives me a hug and then takes Grayson out of my arms and cuddles him into her chest. Hannah came down for the weekend because we are moving into the house. She didn’t HAVE to come, we have plenty of help, but she wanted to be here to see it all put together. Holden is really proud of the work that he’s done and I’m so glad both my siblings could be here.

Had Grayson come on time we would have been ALMOST ready to move in. But he’s five weeks old now and all of our stuff was moved out of the house earlier today and I’m just waiting for Wes to come back and pick me up. Per usual, Betsy has turned move-in day to practically a holiday and everybody is here to celebrate including my friend Stacy who comes out of the house with drinks for everybody.

“Hey, Stacy!”

“Hi Hannah, how was the drive?”

“Boring as usual. I did listen to a podcast for one of my classes though, so at least it was productive.”

“Stacy has been helping me entertain the kids this morning. Well mostly entertaining Annabelle, Grayson is mostly entertained by nursing,” I mention with a slight grown. I love that I’m able to nurse Grayson without any problems, but there are moments I feel like all he wants are my boobs and it is exhausting.

Hannah, Stacy, and I catch up while we wait for Wes and the other guys to be ready for us to go check out the house. An hour of so later, Holden and Wes pull up in Wes’s truck. They make their way to the porch, Wes’s eyes right onme.

“Alright, are you ladies ready?”

“Yes, daddy!” Annabelle answers with enough enthusiasm for all of us.

“Alright, let’s go!” Wes picks up Annabelle and plants her on his hip. I grab Grayson and put him in his car seat and carry the seat over to the truck to the truck. Hannah squeezes in the back between the two seats and Stacy and Holden climb into the bed of the truck for the quick drive.

“Tight squeeze here,” Hannah kids. “I guess you can only have one more kid.”

I almost choke on that comment and Wes laughs. “I’m not sure I’m going to convince this one to have anymore.”

I glace back at my sister, “I love my babies, but Grayson took a lot out of me.”

She leans over his car seat and plays with him, “Yeah, but look how cute he is. Totally worth it.”

“Says the lady that didn’t have to do any of the heavy lifting!”

Soon enough, we pull up to the house and Wes parks the truck and everybody gets out. Annabelle holds Hannah’s hand and Wes takes Grayson. He motions at me, “Go ahead, go look.”

“Aren’t you coming?”

“Yeah, but I’ve seen it.” I give him a quick kiss and then walk into the house with Hannah and Stacy. “Holy….sh...cow.” I change my response when I see Annabelle out of the corner of my eye following us girls in the house.

Hannah looks around with her mouth agape, “This is amazing, Holly. You are so lucky your soon-to-be hubby did this for you.”

“Well, Holden helped. Can you believe he can do this type of work?”

“I might have to hire him to do a few upgrades for me. I hope he gives a family discount.”

We walk into each of the rooms and they keep getting better and better. It was amazing enough when I was here a few weeks ago, but now it is filled with furniture and it is ready for us to live in. All our clothes fill the closets and even our shampoo and toothbrushes are in the bathrooms.

“Mommy! Mommy!” I hear Annabelle yelling from her room, so I walk down the hall into her room, watching her jumping on the bed.

“What in the world are you doing, little girl?”

“Just testing it.”

“Silly girl.”

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The day was busy with everybody coming to see the house and the little housewarming party that Betsy planned, but eventually, night falls and we get to be alone in our brand new home. Wes started a fire in the fireplace and I finish Annabelle’s bath and get her in her cozy pajamas. She struts out to the living room and climbs on Wes’s lap.

“Daddy, are you going to tuck me in?”

“I thought I wasn’t allowed to anymore.”

“Well, you can come, duuuuhhhh.”

I roll my eyes and try to stifle a laugh, “Oh lordy, that sass.”

“She’s not even 4 yet!”

“ALMOST!” Annabelle shouts to remind us.

“You’re right pumpkin, almost.” We follow Annabelle into her bedroom and stand on each side. I tuck her in, the right way, and Wes leans down to give her a big hug and kiss. “I love you, Annabelle Mae.”

“I love you too, Daddy Wes.”

We both laugh at her and then it is my turn. “Goodnight my sweet girl. You sleep well in your new room, okay?”

“Mommy?”

“Yes, baby?”

“I’m so glad I got to pick you to be my mommy.”

“I’m so glad to Annabelle. I love you.”

“I love you too.” I blink back the tears as I walk out of her bedroom and into the living room. Wes pulls me down onto his lap and wraps his arms around you.

“She’s got a point, you know?”

“Oh yeah, what’s that?” I run my fingers through his messy hair.

“I’m so glad you picked us.”

“Of course, I picked you, Wes. You’re my perfect match.”