Chapter 23...Surprises
Dawson
I stared through the glass window, where the newborns were on view for the whole hospital. I was so proud of my babies. They were so tiny, but they were mine. I was so caught up at looking at the twins I didn't hear my mother walk up beside me.
"They're absolutely beautiful," she stated. I smiled from ear to ear. I honestly believe I had never been so proud of anything else in my entire life.
Sadie and Shane looked so much alike though Sadie had my black hair, while Shane had Danielle's brown hair. Sadie was fussy and stubborn with an attitude just like Danielle. Shane was sleeping and relaxed like me.
"Mom, she did great!" I smiled thinking back on the delivery. I didn't know how she did it. Heck I couldn't have done it. My hand still kinda hurt, but it was well worth it. I would take a bruised hand for two beautiful babies any day.
"I'm sure she was a natural. Is she sleeping?" My mother asked cocking her head in my direction.
"Yeah, she was dead tired afterwards," I stated still gazing at the twins. I just couldn't stop smiling at them.
"Well she'll have a surprise when she wakes up, your father went to go pick up Owen, Matthew, and the kids at the airport," My mother replied.
"Oh, Mom she'll be thrilled," I stated. She would be, Danielle was kind of worried her Dad would miss out on seeing his grand kids. I mean she was a little ahead of schedule. She knew her father wanted to be here for their birth.
I could see Sadie crying through the window. Sadie had calmed down after a nurse attended to her, but she had the smallest little pout on her face. I knew then, and there she had me wrapped around her little finger. She would be a Daddy's girl that was for sure.
"Have you gotten to hold them yet?" My mother asked. I knew she was just as proud as I was. Even though this was not her first rodeo.
"I did briefly," I sighed. I looked at my mother, and the tears that I held back from before resurfaced. They fell down my face. "Mom it was the greatest feeling in the world. Here I am crying like an idiot, but honestly I don't give a damn. I'm proud to be a father."
"Dawson honey it's alright to cry. You don't have to be a stupid man all the time," she stated teasingly. I just hugged my mom. I think I shocked her for her body tensed up for a second, but then she hugged me back wrapping her arms around me. It had been forever since I hugged my mother. It felt nice. When we finally let go she was crying.
"Stupid, look now you have me crying," she laughed. Suddenly all those times when I was mad at my mother were washed away. All of my grudges gone, and I knew she felt the same way.
"Well good morning Dweeb!" I heard a familiar voice say as I approached the hospital room with the twins. From the hallway I saw Danielle's family. Her Dad, Matthew, and the Triplets. I was so glad that they made it safely.
"Matthew!" Danielle shouted. I think she was happy about her surprise!
"I saw my new niece, and nephew through the window, they're adorable and innocent. There's no way they can be yours," Matthew teased.
"Speaking of which when can I hold them? I want my babies," Danielle pouted.
"Sweetie, I'm sure Dawson's on his way here with them," her dad replied. "Be patient."
"Yeah, they brought them to the room while you were asleep. They started crying so Dawson carried them out try to quiet them down," David stated.
"Bull crap, he just wanted to hold them without being seen as mushy," Rebecca laughed. Her and her crew were visiting also. The room felt so tiny with every one present.
I was afraid the twins were going to start crying again so I walked back into the room. They were both robed in they're pink and blue hospital outfits.
"Look guys it's Mommy," I stated holding them and walking towards Danielle. "I think she's ready to hold you now."
"Dawson give me my babies," she commanded in a soft voice. It was soft put the command still stayed the same.
"Alright, alright, but they're my babies too, I helped make them," I pouted.
"Trust me I know," She stated. They're were a few awkward chuckles from our audience in the room. I handed her the twins, and she was shocked. "Dawson they have your eyes!"
"They have your nose and lips," I replied.
"They look identical except for the hair," Danielle laughed. Sadie started to stir while Shane just snuggled closer to me. "Sadie is defiantly a Daddy's girl."
"Well Shane's going to be a Mama's boy," I replied.
"Daddy I want to see the twins," Hudson shouted pulling on my legs.
"Okay buddy but you have to be quiet," I stated picking Hudson up and sitting him on the bed next to Danielle.
"They're so wittle," Hudson said smiling. He touched Sadie's hand, and she wrapped her hand around Hudson's finger. "She's holding my finger!" Hudson just laughed at the sight.
"She already knows big brother will protect her," Danielle smiled at Hudson. He just nodded his head in agreement.
I could see it now, being called into the principals office because Hudson got in a fight over some boys picking on her. I knew when she started dating there would be so much drama from all the boys, but that would be a long time from now. Right now she was my baby girl.
As I continued to hold them I started crying. They were here, they were really here. No one could have prepared me for the love that flooded my heart. I was just amazed at the fact that I had created life. They were tiny little proofs of that. My proofs.
Nothing in the world would have prepared me for dealing with newborn twins. We have been home for a week, and Sadie and Shane were never sleeping at the same time. Shane slept during the night, and Sadie was up all night. Shane only cried when he was hungry, Sadie cried if no one was giving her attention. They were also the messiest things I'd ever come across. We have done so much laundry because of them. I told Danielle there was no use in dressing them, but she said she wouldn't have her babies naked all the time. But when Danielle napped, what she didn't know didn't hurt her.
One night I walked into the nursery to find Danielle breast feeding. Shane was asleep in his crib. It was Sadie she was holding. I could tell Danielle was exhausted. We both were.
"Dawson I'm getting worried about Sadie, she rarely has an appetite, and she doesn't eat as much as compared to Shane," Danielle stated. It was true we were having troubles with Sadie. It worried me also.
"Well maybe she's sick. We should pay a visit to Dr. Stevens tomorrow," I stated. I didn't want to worry Danielle anymore than needed, but I was scared for our little girl.
When we visited the doctor we took all of our children with us. It wouldn't hurt for Hudson to have a check up as well. We all waited in the doctor's office. Hudson on the bed with Danielle and Shane, while I sat in the nearby car holding Sadie. She had finally fell asleep. She had been crying all morning.
"Well, who do we have here?" Dr. Stevens stated smiling. He looked at Hudson. "Hey big guy."
"Hello Dr. Stevens were here for Hudson's check up, and then we have a very fussy baby girl that doesn't want to eat," Danielle stated worriedly looking at Sadie.
"Okay well let's weigh Sadie," Dr. Stevens stated. I laid Sadie on the scale and it made her fussy. "Hey Sadie baby, it's alright." Dr. Stevens took her weight and I already knew what he was going to say.
"Not good is it?" I asked.
"It's not bad, but it's not good either. Sadie hasn't lost any weight thank God, but she hasn't gained any either," he sighed. "She has what we'd like to call Failure to Thrive syndrome. I want to do some tests to see why's she's not eating. It could be that there's something preventing her from eating."
I looked over at Danielle, and her eyes said it all. Her motherly instincts were coming out, and she didn't want to be separated from her baby. I knew that when Dr. Stevens said the word test Danielle's thoughts were already jumping to worse case scenarios.
"Okay, do what you have to do to make our little girl better," I stated and handed Sadie over to him which in turn he handed her to one of the nurses.
If Sadie was anything like her Mama, I knew she was a fighter and we'd find out was wrong with her...
"Daddy will Sadie be okay?" Hudson asked me with a worried .expression. "I don't want to lose my sister." His comment about made me tear up. He was so sweet and innocent.
"Hudson, Sadie is going to be great," I smiled back at him. Sadie was going to be fine.