The Tower: Family

Home Remedies

Natasha and Rebecca only stayed in the medbay overnight. They were home within a day and we quickly went back to normal life. Things were getting hectic now with three infants and two toddlers but we still outnumbered them and we had the benefit of having staff to help. Not just the nannies but cooks and cleaners and people to do laundry. It meant we were free just to take care of the kids and for those still working, they had that too. With all of us, we had this rotating wheel of people ready for midnight feelings, diaper changes, bedtime stories, trips to school, baths, and playtime. No one was exactly well-rested, but no one was exhausted either.

One thing that was becoming increasingly clear though, Rose, Rebecca, and Sarah adored their older brother and sister. All three infants' gazes went automatically to where Riley and Pietro were in the room. When they were fussy, it only took Riley and Pietro coming over and talking to them or playing with a toy in their line of view for them to quiet again, and when Rose and Sarah reached six weeks old and began to smile, they always had one for their big brother and sister.

Riley and Pietro still generally found the babies a little boring and thought they needed a little too much attention, but they were generally doing okay with the new babies in the house and as the babies started to be able to a little more, they began to warm up to them. We each tried to make sure we spent proper quality time with each of them one-on-one at least once a week so that they never felt like they were neglected or overlooked by anyone.

The last big thing we were all waiting for was Edwin to arrive.

Unfortunately, he had other plans. As my due date came and went I became more uncomfortable and exhausted. I just wanted him out but he was determined to stay put. I tried a few natural remedies. I was eating spicy food and drinking raspberry leaf tea. The others were ready and available to give me a massage whenever I asked. I was walking the kids to school, and spending a lot of time doing yoga and swimming, (even if that meant taking Riley and Pietro down to the pool with me). I even had Tony take me on long drives, making sure to hit every bit of bumpy road in the Tri-State area to try and get things going. I was having sex every night and often during the day to try and get labor started, and on the day after Edwin's due date I called in my prize from Sam and we had a marathon sex session while the kids were at school where he made me come to the point I ended up tapping out exhausted - but still that kid was determined to stay put.

At forty-one weeks, they were talking about me having a cesarean, and considering I'd had one with the twins, I really wanted to at least try a vaginal birth. Especially given the recovery time after surgery and the fact we would then have six children to worry about.

I was desperate and stressed, which was doing nothing to help the situation because my blood pressure was going up, which only made Doctor Schroeder more adamant that if it didn't happen naturally soon, it would have to be a c-section.

I came home from an appointment distraught. Doctor Schroeder had told me that I would need to come in the following day and if my blood pressure hadn't gone back down then it was time to intervene.

"Come on, sweetheart," Steve said as our group came through the door. "I'll take you up and give you a nice relaxing massage, and you can have a nap. We'll get that blood pressure back down."

Tony looked at me apologetically, like he was blaming himself for what was going on, and he rubbed my back. "Sorry, honey," he said. "Of course it's the one that's related to me that's causing all the trouble."

I shook my head, and Bruce patted his shoulder. "You heard the doc," he said. "These things happen. El knew there was the potential that she'd have to have another cesarean. It's no one's fault and it's better he gets here and everyone is safe and sound, right?"