I have two daughters and a son. Crap! Two daughters and a son. Triplets. Two daughters that will have to go through puberty and get married and will soon have children of their own. They will go through breakups and mood swings; I can handle Locklyn but I don't know about my daughters. All I've ever known was to take care of baby boys, not baby girls. I got my son and he looks just like Locklyn, which I love about him more now. He is my little man and will play soccer, indoor lacrosse, and baseball, and will grow up with a father around, which is what I never had. It makes me excited because Locklyn knew how much I wanted a son, just to prove to my mother and myself that I will never leave my son and I will always be there for him and teach him which path to take in life.
He will have a better life than me, all three of my children will grow up not with two parents, but with five parents around, and that is a better family than anyone else's.
"We need to weigh the babies," Anya said as she cleaned up the mess from Locklyn giving birth. Trace helped Locklyn up off the ground and to the couch near the window. Trace put a blanket over the couch and then over Locklyn. She held onto the baby boy tightly. "Trace, can you help me?" he nodded and went to the scale. Anya gave him a cloth to put over the scale.
"Let me see baby girl number one," Trace came over and gently took the baby out of my arms. I stood up and followed him to the scale. "Baby number one weighs five pounds two ounces." I took the baby back and sat down on the opposite couch with her. she started to cry and wail.
"Sh, it's okay," I whispered to her and bounced her lightly. She kept crying. "Anya, what do I do?"
"she needs to be fed. Locklyn, are you ready to feed your babies?"
"I guess I am. I don't have a choice, do I?" Anya shook her head. "Here, Cason, lets switch babies." I went over to her and handed her the baby girl and took the baby boy, who was sleeping. "What do I do now?" Locklyn was nervous about this. She's scared and wasn't expecting three children in one pregnancy. This is going to be difficult.
"Here is a blanket to cover your chest and the baby, then you just feed the baby. That is what it says in the book." Locklyn nodded and covered her chest with a baby blanket from the box. She took off her bra, put the baby to her breast, and started to feed the baby.
"Had, can I see the second baby girl?" Trace asked. Hadley went over to him and put the baby on the scale. "Four pounds fourteen ounces." Hadley took the baby and held her close to her chest. "And let's see the little man." I went over to the scale and put him on it. "three pounds nine ounces."
"Why does he weigh so much less than the girls?" I asked while picking him back up.
"He was in the second uterus. Maybe her first uterus is dominant and most of the nutrients went to the girls. I think he should drink the formula instead of your breast milk since he's so tiny. I can make you a bottle and you can feed him Cason." I nodded and Anya left the living room and was back in minutes with a bottle for me.
Anya and Hadley washed the babies and dressed them. The first baby girl wore a yellow onesie and white hat, the second baby girl wore a peach colored onesie and white hat, and then the baby boy wore a green onesie and white hat. Each baby was wrapped tightly in a blanket and color coded; the first baby girl had a yellow blanket, the second baby girl had a white blanket, and the baby boy had a green blanket. Locklyn was feeding the second baby girl while Anya held the first baby girl.
"What will their names be?" Hadley asked.
I looked at Locklyn. She stared back at me and did a small nod to me. I grinned and looked down at my baby boy in my arms. Staring down at him and looking at his dirty blonde fuzz, the lighter skin tone than the girls, and his eyes an amber-brown color, just like mine, I knew his name was meant to be.
"The baby boy will be named Joel Armin Forest Koehn," I said and smiled widely at him.
"Armin?" Anya sobbed. "You put Armin as his middle name, I love it so much."
"I promised myself after he died that my son will have Armin as a middle name. Joel is in honor of my father who died at a young age also and I had to give my son a name with meaning. When he's older, he will know that he's named after the two strongest people I know." Anya smiled widely and cried some more.
"What about the baby girls?" Trace asked.
"Okay," Locklyn started, "bear with us since we didn't know what we were having and how many were in my stomach. we decided to name the first one Everleigh Vivian River Koehn and the second will be named Paislee Faith Meadow Koehn. We gave them two middle names because we wanted to incorporate the cabin and how this is a new start for us. The triplets were conceived and born here, so it fit perfectly."
"We love the names," Hadley said with a giant smile on her face. "Everleigh, Paislee, and Joel, our nieces and nephew."
"Thanks," Locklyn smiled down at Paislee. Hadley and I brought down one crib and we were able to put two babies in there. Locklyn washed up after a couple hours of resting on the couch and then fell asleep in our bed. I agreed to watch the babies so she can sleep, I can't imagine the amount of pain she must be in and before giving birth was so uncomfortable to go to sleep.
I lay on the couch with Everleigh on my bare chest. She was sleeping in a ball. I held onto her tightly and admired her. I created her. I made this beautiful little girl. She grew in Locklyn's stomach for nine months with this full head of hair, tan skin like me, and hazel eyes. Double that and you get her sister, Paislee, identical to Everleigh.
Watching Locklyn these past couple months was an unreal moment in my life. Watching her grow this giant stomach to house three human beings, rubbing and cradling her bulging stomach every day, and talking to it like the babies were actually born, it was a sight I will never forget and hope to happen again.
I heard someone walking into the living room. I looked up over my shoulder to see Trace with a glass of whiskey and ice. He sat down in the recliner and took a sip of his drink.
"Hey," I said softly. I was rubbing Everleigh's back.
"I cannot believe you are a dad now." I laughed and nodded. "How does it feel? Do you feel any different?"
"I feel overwhelmed but excited at the same time. It was a very emotional birth for everyone and not knowing what could've happened was nerve-racking. I'm just glad they are healthy and alive."
"Yeah, same here. I was nervous about Joel because he wasn't crying when he first came out. Locklyn was shaking in my hands because he wasn't crying. It broke my heart." Soon Paislee started to cry in the crib. I got up slowly, wrapped Everleigh in her blanket, and picked up Paislee. She kept crying and I went into the kitchen cradling her in my left arm, warmed up a bottle that Anya made before going to bed, and started to feed her. I went to the living room and sat down with Paislee. "The girls look exactly like you, I'm shocked."
"Why? I knew at least one would've looked like me."
"I don't know. For some reason I was thinking they would come out looking like Locklyn with blonde hair and green eyes." I smiled and stared down at Paislee. She had her eyes open and looking up at me. "I am so happy for you."
"Thanks. I never thought this would happen for Locklyn and I, but it did and with three children, not one. I feel complete."
"Good. I'm excited to be a part of their lives. I love them so much and I just met them." I nodded and lightly bounced Paislee in my arms.
"Trace," he nodded and got out of the recliner. He went over to the crib and looked at Joel and Everleigh sleeping. He slowly picked up Joel and sat back down in the recliner, rocking back and forth. "I'm scared about going back home with three children. my mother has enough to worry about with Niko and Ruben. I don't want to burden her with my three children."
"you won't be a burden to her. you are her son and she will support you and help you through this difficult time. Anyway, you have the biggest support system ever, us."
"Thanks, Trace."
"Welcome." He was looking at Joel sleep. "They are so tiny and innocent looking." I laughed and nodded. Locklyn slowly came down the stairs and into the living room. "Hey momma, how you feeling?"
"I'm sore, very sore," she had her hand at the bottom of her stomach. "Giving birth is a lot of work. I wished I listened in health class during high school." I looked at her face and saw that it was puffy. She picked up Everleigh, sat down on the other couch, and sat there with her. I stared at her and smiled widely. "What Cason?"
"I'm just looking at you. your face is puffy."
"I know. I asked Anya why and she said I am retaining fluid from giving birth. My feet are so swollen, its not even funny. Everything is sore and tender and hard and fat. I'm just happy my babies are finally out of me and in my arms."
"You did a good job Locklyn. I'm so proud of how well you handled everything. You gave me the best thing in the world and we will try our best with our children." she smiled. Everleigh started to cry and Locklyn took the blanket, put it over her chest, and started to breastfeed Everleigh.
Trace put Joel back in the crib and went upstairs after a couple hours of sitting with Locklyn and I. I put Paislee in the crib and then took Everleigh and put her there also. Locklyn looked weak and tired. Her face was pale, dark bags under her eyes, and she still had her hand on her stomach. I sat next to her and kissed her on the lips. She smiled and sighed.
"What is it?" I asked softly. "You look sick."
"That was very stressful for me. My body feels like a punching bag. I just can't believe I had three babies come out of my stomach. I never felt so relieved before though. I was very scared while in labor. I had no idea if the babies were healthy, sick, how many there were, it was very scary for me. When Anya said the last baby was breeched, I thought it was going to die. I'm glad he didn't because then I would have been upset we lost a child."
"But they are fine now. Look at the three of them. They are so cute and we made them. We actually created three human beings together and it makes life seem more adventurous. Seriously, do you think we were ever going to have triplets, I was thinking twins at least, but triplets, holy cow." Locklyn laughed. "I love you Locklyn. You did an amazing job last night. You are truly one of the strongest women I know." I kissed her again and she pushed away. "What?"
"My hormones are off-the-charts and I don't want to feel any worse than I already do." I wrapped my arm around her and she leaned into my chest and curled up in a ball. "I love you, Cason and our three children."
"I love you too. We will do a wonderful job with our children." she grinned and put the blanket over her. Joel and Everleigh started to cry at the same time. Locklyn moaned and put her hand on the side of her breast. "Ill get them. You rest."
"they may need to be changed. I can take one if you can't handle them."
"No, I got this. We are doing this together and I will take care of them for today and tonight while you rest. We'll have shifts, almost like a job." She lied back and closed her eyes.
I picked up Everleigh first then Joel. I cradled both of them in my arms and Joel slowed down his crying. I put Joel on the small table near the bookcase and put Everleigh next to him. I changed Everleigh first and she stopped crying instantly and I gave her a pacifier. I then changed Joel and he stopped and fell back asleep.
I kissed Everleigh's forehead before putting her back in the crib. I smiled widely at her and whispered to her, "I'm your daddy. I may be young and I may be unexperienced, but I will try my best to give you the best life you can imagine. I won't leave you or your siblings, I will be here, whenever you need me, whether its when your sick, going through personal troubles, your first heartbreak, or when you get married and have your first baby, I will be there to help you and take care of you. I promise, Everleigh, I promise." I kissed her forehead once more and put her back in the crib.