This Is Just The Beginning

Chapter 41

-early October-
-4 weeks later-
Stella is now 27 weeks
Brett is 34 weeks
Bella is 15 months old
Danielle is 7 months old.

Stella and Kelly have been looking fro apartments, but had no luck.

~Stella's POV~
I woke up to one of the twins kicking me hard in the ribs.
"Ow.. what the hell?" I whispered, putting my hand where I felt the kick.
I took a deep breath and tried to go back to sleep, but after two minutes, I heard Bella mumbling.

"Mama, mama." I heard her. I opened my eyes and saw her standing in her pack and play, with her pacifier in her mouth, smiling at me. I looked at my phone and it was 8am. Kelly was on shift, so I'm guessing he left just a little while ago.

Bella called out to me again.
I sleepily made my way to the pack and play and brought her in the bed.
"Hi princess... let's just lay down..." I whispered to her. But she was wide awake.

"Ok... how about we get you some breakfast?" I asked her.
I went out to the kitchen. Gabby and Casey's house had a whole mix between our stuff. I'm so grateful that they let us stay here. I'm finally comfortable and safe again.

I put Bella in her high chair and I looked at the fridge for something to make her. But I was so tired that I did not want to cook anything. I got some applesauce in a little bowl for her and cut up some fruit.

I sat down at the island with her next to me and gave it to her.
When Bella was almost done, Gabby came out with Danielle.

"Hey good morning." Gabby smiled.
"Good morning." I yawned.
"Rough night?" Gabby laughed.
"Something like that.." I chuckled, rubbing my stomach as I watched Bella eat.

"I didn't even realize the guys had shift today." Gabby said.
I laughed.
"I have a baby appointment later today. So I'll be out of the house from like noon to maybe 2." I told Gabby.

"I can watch Bella for you." She told me.
"Are you sure?" I asked her.
"Yea of course. Don't worry about it. Have you found out the gender yet?" She asked me.

She, or anyone for that matter, besides Kelly and I doesn't know that it's twins.
"Yea we do, we just aren't telling anyone." I said.
"Kelly's not going to the appointment?" She asked me.
"He's on shift, and I told him he didn't need to. It's just a small one." I told her.

-later-
I was about to leave for my appointment.
I looked at my outfit in the mirror before I left. I was wearing maternity leggings and a sweater.
I looked at my stomach and noticed it seemed to be a little small. It's still bigger than when I was pregnant with Bella, but I thought it would be bigger than it is now.

I brushed it off, because everyone's pregnancy is different.
I went out to the kitchen and Gabby was cooking.
"Hey, I'm just making myself some breakfast, do you want some?" She asked me, she was making waffles.
"No thanks, I'm not really hungry." I said.

"Have you eaten?" She asked me.
"Uh... no, but I'll eat after the appointment." I told her.
"Stella, come on. You have to eat." Gabby sort of laughed.
"No it's fine, I'm not even hungry." I told her.
"Ok yea, but Stella, you still need to eat. Especially since your pregnant." She told me.

I looked at the time and I had to go.
"I have to go now. I promise I'll eat something after." I quickly said. I said bye to everyone and left.

I drove to Med and got in a room after waiting in the waiting room for about 15 minutes.
"Hey Stella, how are you doing? I heard you're living with Gabby now?" She asked me.
"Yea I am. It's been good. I'm happy to be out of that apartment. Kelly and I have been looking for apartments, but it's been hard because they're all either too expensive or too small." I explained.

"Well, I'm sure you guys will find something. But how've you been since our last checkup?" She asked me.
"I've been... better.. and worse... it's been hard. You know obviously I was only pregnant with one baby before this, so... it's just very different and kind of hard on my body." I explained.

"Yea I understand. Twin pregnancies in general are different... your stomach is measuring small though for a twin pregnancy..." she told me. She had a tape measure and was measuring my stomach.
I looked down at my stomach.
"I thought that too... but I just thought it was because everyone's pregnancy is usually different..." I said.
"Well, it could be that... but I'd like to measure the babies and weigh you just to make sure." She told me.

She weighed me and now she was measuring the twins.
"Ok... so they're both measuring small... you've only gained about 18 pounds so far, and usually we would like you to be about 25 pounds over your pre-pregnancy weight at this stage... your placenta and everything looks healthy. It's just that the babies are only about 1 pound 3 ounces, and by this stage, they should be a little over 2 pounds." She explained.

"Um... so what now? Would I have to be induced and they have to come early?" I asked her.
She sighed and looked at me.
"That could be a case... but you're only 7 months now.. a lot can change between now and 8 months... but have you been eating enough? I remember you always telling me that your exhaustion and nausea doesn't let you to eat sometimes." She told me.

"Um... I try to eat sometimes, but it's so hard when I'm just always nauseous..." I sighed. I ran my fingers through my hair. This is my fault. I don't eat enough.
"I really advice you to try and eat more. Even if you throw it up, your body still should get some of those nutrients." She explained to me.

I nodded my head.
"Have you eaten anything today? Drank anything?" She asked me.
"I... drank some water... and had like.. 3 pieces of fruit from Bella's breakfast. But other than that... no.." I said.
"Ok.. well, I could give you some nutrition through an IV, it shouldn't take more than... 15 minutes." She told me.

I thought about it for a minute.
"Yea.. yea sure." I said.
She inserted an IV and then gave me the nutrition infusion.
When it finished, she took it off and talked to me before I left.

"Ok, so... I would like you to try and eat. My best advice would be to try and eat foods that have lots of carbs and are high in fat. Like bread, potatoes, pasta, things like that. I would recommend that you eat when you get home, I know I just gave you nutrition, but it would be best if you also go physically eat something. And also try to relax as much as possible. I know you have a toddler and with the amount of stress these past few months have been, it could be difficult, but you really need to try your best." She told me.
"Yea.. I'll try my best." I told her.

Once I left Med, I sat in my car and started to cry and put my hand on my stomach.
My babies could be born early, they're underweight.  This is all my fault. I let this happen.
I pulled myself together after about 5 minutes and drove back to the house.

I opened the door and Bella ran to me.
"Mama!" She squealed.
"Hi princess." I smiled and picked her up.
We went to the living room and I saw Gabby there, on her phone.
"Hey, how'd the appointment go?" Gabby asked me.

"It went... good." I said, but Gabby looked at me.
"Now I know that was a lie. I'll ask again, how did the appointment go?" She asked me.
I looked at her and sighed. I put Bella down and she went back to playing with some toys on the living room floor.

"Where's Dani?" I asked her.
"She's taking a nap, but you're not avoiding my question. How did the appointment go?" She asked for the third time.
I rubbed my face.

"Ok ok... the... baby... and myself are underweight. So Dr. Manning's putting me on almost like a bedrest. And she's just telling me to eat lots of carbs and stuff to gain some weight. I have 4 weeks to hopefully gain 10-15 pounds." I explained to her.
"My god... is it from all the stress? Did you deal with this during Bella's pregnancy?" She asked me.

"She was a bit small, but not underweight like this time..." I explained.
"Ok so... let's make some waffles. Come on." Gabby laughed and pulled me off the couch. Trying to make light of the situation.
"Ok.. sure." I laughed.

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥