"Is everyone ready? The car is coming in the gate." Logan called over the intercom in the Huntzberger home.
Everyone had been running around for the past few hours, packing bags, and trying to get everything situated before loading the car and leaving for Boston for the weekend. April was graduating in just two days, and they had a busy trip scheduled. It was almost 1pm, and everyone seemed frantic. Richard had escaped for a few hours that morning, to get some work finished at HPG, while everyone else was home packing, and waiting for Luke to arrive from Stars Hollow. Emily had finished packing her's and Richard's bags the night before, but had spent the past two hours with Lorelai and Rory, trying to help Rory pack bags for Ayribella and herself. Having just had a baby a couple weeks prior, Rory was questioning everything she pulled out of her closet; whether it even fit her, whether or not it looked decent, whether she could easily breastfeed in it, and whether it would be ruined by the baby's never ending trail of bodily fluids. Being a new mom was tough, and Rory was still getting used to it.
Packing Ayribella's bag was somewhat easier than packing her own, because everything of course looked completely adorable on the baby. Rory just questioned whether she packed enough outfit changes, and diapers. Lorelai and Emily kept reminding her that if worse comes to worse, they can do laundry while they're away, or make a quick run to a store. Having to buy the baby more clothes or diapers wasn't the end of the world. And Lorelai was happy to remind Rory that contrary to what the ridiculous baby blogs say, there is absolutely no need to wash the baby's clothes in any kind of special detergent, or to wash them separately from everybody else's. Fancy baby laundry detergent is a complete scam, and a total waste of money. It doesn't matter what you wash the baby's clothes in, because that baby is still touching your clothes, and whatever detergent, perfume, etc that you have all over yourself, is then all over the baby as well. If the baby isn't allergic to you and what you are wearing, then why would the baby need special laundry detergent to "prevent allergies"? If the laundry detergent is good enough for you, it's good enough for your baby as well. Plus, technically, the more allergens you expose the baby to as an infant, the less likely they are to develop allergies later in life. Isn't that why people purposely allow dogs and cats around their babies? Because developing a tolerance for pet dander prevents the baby from developing an allergy to it. It's the exact same theory as teaching the baby to sleep through noise by running a vacuum, tv, or sound machine in the same room. If the baby gets used to it as an infant, they won't be bothered by it later on.
"Rory! Are you ready yet?" Logan yelled up the stairs a moment later, after seeing Luke bringing some luggage down to the front door.
"Just about!" Lorelai called back.
"Rory is still panicking about what to wear." Luke spoke up.
"Are you serious?! We are going to be in a car for the next 4 hours. What is there to worry about? She can wear pajamas for all I care. No one is going to see her, except for us."
"That's what Lorelai told her. But you know Rory."
"Princess Ayribella is all ready." Richard beamed as he carried his great granddaughter down the stairs. "Do you have her car seat ready to go?"
"It's on the couch in the living room. I can take her, if you'd like." Logan offered.
"That's ok, I am more than happy to help. But if you want to watch over my shoulder to make sure that I am strapping her in correctly, then by all means, please do. It's been a long time since I've had a baby around."
"I'll go get the women." Luke told them, then headed back up the stairs as Logan sighed and followed Richard into the living room.
"Now let me know if I am doing this wrong." Richard said as he gently set Ayribella in her seat.
"It's pretty easy. Just put her arms through the straps, buckle them in place, and then make sure that the seat belt is secure across her chest with very little room to pinch. You shouldn't be able to pinch more than a couple centimeters. And then make sure that the chest clip is at her armpits, and not down along her stomach." Logan explained.
"I assume that there is an explanation to go with that specific placement?"
"In case of an accident or something, if the chest clip isn't in the correct place, protecting the baby's chest and rib cage, and it is in her stomach area, or the straps are too loose, she can slip out of the seat and become airborne, or the clip could end up embedded in her stomach. Just like if the seat isn't properly installed in the vehicle, it could become airborne during an accident. I gave the seat base to my driver this morning to have him take down to the fire department, so it could be professionally installed. I know how todo it, but I would rather have someone who is certified, take care of it."
"There is a certification process for installing a car seat?" Richard asked as he strapped Ayribella in.
"A lot of the hospital employees, mostly in Labor and Delivery have taken the certification classes. You go through hours of training, and have to be bonded. It's a lot of work. I was taught how to do it, but never got certified. I should probably just do it now that I'm a parent, but there are a lot of different types of car seats, and they are constantly changing the installation process. Becoming car seat installation certified is actually a lot more work than keeping up with my yearly medical training."
"Wow! I had no idea!"
"I didn't either until I started working in the ER. I had to take 3 of the certification classes to teach me how to identify injuries babies can sustain during an accident."
"You probably saw a lot of those."
"More than I ever cared to."
"Do you think these straps are cutting into her neck? Isn't there something that attaches to them that makes them more comfortable?"
"You mean the after-market strap things? There are, but they aren't safe. Anything that didn't come in the box with the car seat, shouldn't be used with the car seat. All of those chair and head inserts, and the strap adjusters, aren't safe. They can actually suffocate the baby, or make the seat less safe during an accident. They make the seatbelt not fit properly, and could cause Ayribella to slip out and become airborne. It works the same way with heavy jackets. If it is cold, you can add a blanket around the baby after they are buckled in. You shouldn't even buckle them into the seat wearing a heavy coat or sweatshirt. And all those toys you see people hanging from the baby seats, those can become projectiles during an accident."
"Wow! I had no idea!"
"You don't want to know how many babies I've seen with their faces cut up from toys that were hanging on their car seat during an accident. It's not a good idea. Anything extra added to the seat is a hazard. Blankets tucked around the baby are alright, or even draped over the seat. There are exterior seat covers that help with warmth, and those are perfectly fine. You just shouldn't use anything that interferes with the seat belt."
"Well I am very glad that you've brought all of this to my attention, so I don't end up making a mistake with this gorgeous little girl. It would cut me up inside if anything were to ever happen to her. Especially if I was the one to cause it."
"You and me both." Logan agreed as there was a knock at the door.
"Do you want to grab that, and I'll go rush the women?"
"That would be great. Thank you Richard." Logan smiled, reaching to adjust the handle into place on Ayribella's car seat. "Alright Princess, it is time for your first road trip."
"Doctor Huntzberger, I am ready for your family." the man at the door said, as Logan welcomed him into the home. "Is this your new baby?"
"It is. Gabriel, this is Ayribella. Ayribella, this is Daddy's buddy Gabriel. He's going to be driving us to Boston today."
"She is beautiful! Look at those blue eyes!"
"She looks just like Rory."
"I can definitely see the resemblance. Congratulations! How old is she?"
"She is 3 weeks now."
"Wow, time sure does fly by, doesn't it?"
"It sure does."
"Your sister is still pregnant, right?"
"She is. Honor is due in a few weeks."
"Do you know what she is having?"
"She's having a little boy."
"Has she chosen a name yet?"
"She has. Maxwell Logan Rothschild."
"Logan after you?"
"Yeah, she kind of likes me or something." Logan chuckled.
"That is very sweet. It's an honor to have a baby named after you."
"Well Ayribella is named after Rory, her Mom and Grandmother."
"She is?"
"Lorelai Ayribella Gilmore Huntzberger. Rory is actually Lorelai the third. It made sense to keep the tradition going."
"Wow, I never knew that."
"That's alright. I didn't either when I first met her. It was several months before I found out that her legal name is Lorelai."
"So her name is Lorelai Rory?"
"No ,Rory is just a nickname. Rory's middle name is Leigh. Lorelai Leigh. Her mom is Lorelai Victoria. I don't think I ever knew her Grandma's middle name."
"Who's Grandma's middle name?" Richard asked as he approached the men.
"Your mother's. Lorelai the first."
"Lorelai Mae Gilmore. But we called her Trix for short."
"I like it." Logan told him. "Richard, this is Gabriel. He's our driver this weekend. Gabriel, this is Rory's grandfather, Richard Gilmore."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir." Gabriel smiled, holding his handout toward the older gentleman.
"The pleasure is all mine, young man. Logan, the girls should be heading down the stairs in the next couple minutes. Should we start loading up the car?" Richard asked.
"I can help with that. Are these bags going with you?"
"Yes they are. I think there are still a few more upstairs though." Logan told them.
"Did you grab the stroller from the garage?" Luke asked as he approached the door with a couple more bags.
"It's right here." Logan told him, pointing to the stroller a few feet from the door.
"I've got the portable baby bed right here in my hand, along with Ayribella and Rory's bags. This should be the last of them.
"What about the diaper bag? Where is that?"
"Rory is finishing packing it as we speak. I just hope all of this fits in the car."
"Well whatever doesn't fit in the trunk, we can put with you guys in the backseat, or up front with me." Gabriel told them. And I made sure to stock up on all of the snacks that Doctor Huntzberger requested."
"Do you have coffee?" Luke asked.
"It's in the car waiting for you. Doctor Huntzberger gave me specific coffee orders for the ladies."
"You are a smart man, Gabriel." Richard smiled. "Let me help you load everything up. Logan, why don't you go round up the women."
"Thanks guys." Logan said as he backed away from the door, and headed for the stairs, looking up to see Emily approaching the upstairs landing from the long hallway. "Emily, will you tell Lorelai and Rory that there is coffee waiting in the car for them, and if they don't hurry up, it will get cold?"
"Hey girls, there's hot coffee if you hurry up!" Emily called, as she turned back toward Rory's bedroom for a moment, then continued her way downstairs.
"Coffee!!!" they heard Lorelai cheer loudly as Emily made her way down to Logan.
"Did Rory find something to wear?" Logan asked.
"She did. She still isn't completely happy, so you might want to tell her how great she looks when she comes down. She's very self-conscious these days. I of course think she looks wonderful, but she claims that I have to say that, because I'm her Grandmother."
"She doesn't believe it coming from me either. She says I am legally obligated to tell her that because I married her."
"Now THAT is just ridiculous!"
"Tell me about it." Logan chuckled. "You've heard about the gym membership that Lorelai bought after giving birth to Rory, that she never used because she was 'way too fat', don't you?"
"Oh yes. Richard and I paid quite a bit of money for her to have that too. She was determined to lose all of the baby weight, but she refused to set foot into the gym to do it. She decided to dance around her room to those silly aerobics videos instead."
"Well it's lucky for both of them, that we have a home gym downstairs."
"Not that you will ever see either of them using it."
"Rory uses the treadmill on occasion."
"What, like once a year?"
"Probably like 3-5 times since we got it."
"That's amazing considering you've lived here since November!"
"She hasn't used it in a few months, but maybe when she gets cleared by Paris to start exercising and exerting herself, I'll be able to convince her to do it."
"You can't clear Rory for activity?"
"I could, but she doesn't listen to me when it comes to that stuff. She says that I'm 'not her doctor'." Logan chuckled.
"No, you are definitely not. You are just the husband who has far more invested in her well-being than any doctor ever could."
"Exactly!"
"Rory, Lorelai, let's go! We'll leave without you!" Emily yelled up the stairs.
"I have food waiting for you in the car!" Logan called up a moment later. "I got coffee and all your favorite road trip snacks."
"Did you get corn dogs and sliders?" Lorelai called back.
"And taquitos, popcorn chicken, and tiny sandwiches too! Let's go!"
"How in the world does your husband know about all of our road trip foods?" Lorelai asked as she followed Rory down the hallway.
"Because we've road tripped together before. Come on, we've been together for how long now?"
"Did you get French fries?" Lorelai asked as they walked down the stairs.
"I gave Gabriel a list of all of your favorites. He said he got all of it, and that it's in the car waiting for you. We are going to dinner when we get to Boston, but you guys have a ton of snacks for the drive. Can we go now?"
"Did you remember the stroller?" Rory asked.
"It's in the car. Luke and Richard are helping Gabriel load it all up. Is there anything else that you need?"
"If you could make me not look so fat, that would be great!"
"Ace, come on. You look gorgeous. If I didn't know better, I wouldn't even be able to tell that you just had a baby."
"Liar!"
"Really?! And why would I lie to you?"
"Because you want to make me feel better about myself, and get me out of this house."
"I would never lie to you. You look incredible."
"I'm wearing leggings and a tunic. It's nice and flowing so it hides the fat."
"Rory, you're being ridiculous. You are tiny, and you look amazing! And that red top is the perfect color for you."
"Alright, enough with the googly eyes. Let's get out of here." Lorelai said as she grabbed her purse that was sitting on a table to the side of the stairs. "Rory, Mom and I have both told you how great you look, a million times today. I get that you are self-conscious, I really do. Because I've been in your shoes before. But trust us, you look amazing for having given birth just 3 short weeks ago. You look a hundred times better than I did after having you."
"See! So please, can we go? There is a large Hazelnut caramel cappuccino with your name on it, waiting in the car." Logan told her.
"Is it decaf?" Rory asked.
"Nope!"
"Because I'll know from the smell if you're lying to me."
"I promise you, it's real coffee. Now can we go?"
"Fine. . . Take the diaper bag." Rory sighed, removing the strap from her shoulder, and handing it to her husband.
"I would be happy to. Ayribella is all strapped in and ready to go ,aren't you my beautiful little girl?" Loran asked, smiling down at the baby in the car seat he was holding.
"I've got her blanket." Lorelai told them.
"Alright then, let's go. I've already locked up, so you two head outside, and I'll set the alarm."
"Let me take the baby. It'll give you a free hand."
"I'm right behind you." Rory said as Lorelai took the car seat from Logan, and headed out the door, with Rory closing it behind them.