Baby Love (Baby #2) by Andrea Smith
CHAPTER ONE
Preston had turned one month old today. I marveled at how much she looked like her father. I couldn’t have been more pleased. Trey had tried to convince me that she had a lot of me in her. He usually brought the resemblance to my attention whenever she whined or cried.
Preston had inherited Trey’s sapphire blue eyes. She had been blessed with his dimples. We had recently discovered the cheek dimple because she had started smiling for us. It delighted her daddy and me when she did.
Trey would not let her cry. It was heart-warming to see how he fussed over her when she became agitated or unhappy. He baby talked to her. I found it quite endearing and totally out of character for him.
I had become a natural at breast-feeding. I loved the connection and bond that it provided for my daughter and me. It was something that was all of my own. Her pediatrician had said she was thriving and told me to continue doing whatever it was I was doing.
Susan and Clive had come to Atlanta after I was released from the hospital. Clive stayed for a few days; Susan stayed for two weeks not allowing me to lift a finger at all. She cooked and cleaned; did laundry basically giving Mrs. Harris nothing to do on her days at our apartment. Susan rocked Preston when I wasn’t. I think Trey had felt a bit left out but he had been a pretty good sport about it.
Susan had purchased Preston a full wardrobe that looked like it would accommodate her for the next couple of years. She and I had sat on the couch after our shopping excursion, going through all of the beautiful dresses purchased in every color of the rainbow for every season. She had selected tights for all of the fall and winter couture.
She had bought sweaters, rompers, onesies and nightgowns. There were at least six pairs of tiny shoes to coordinate with her outfits.
We had ‘oohed’ and ahhed’ as we laid out the various ensembles across the living room sofa. Trey had rolled his eyes upon coming home from work seeing all of the clothing that his mother had purchased.
“Mom,” he had said, “It isn’t as if we haven’t bought things for the baby already.”
“Hush Trey Michael,” she had scolded in her lovely southern accent.
“It is so much more fun picking out clothes for a baby girl. All I had were boys so please indulge me. Besides, boy or girl, this is my first grandbaby and I will spoil her as much as I choose.”
Trey had mumbled something about having to get a second job in order to keep Preston ward robed in the style for which her grandmother had gotten her accustomed. Susan and I had exchanged amused smiles as he had sauntered off to his study.
Gina had hosted a baby shower for me the week before I delivered. We were set on everything. As promised, Gina had decorated the nursery in very good taste. She had selected mint green and pale yellow as the color scheme.
I had selected the crib in dark mahogany with a matching dresser, changing table and rocker. Gina had put everything else together with the bedding, window treatments and wall décor. We had transitioned the sparsely furnished guest room at Trey’s apartment into a beautiful nursery that any baby would have loved.
Trey had bought a large brown stuffed teddy bear with a light yellow bow tie the day had brought us home from the hospital. It was sitting in the corner of Preston’s crib which had not been used as of yet.
We kept her in the beautiful white bassinet in our room for now. Since I was breast-feeding and her nursery was down the hall a bit, I needed having her close to me.
I had been reading articles about the ‘family bed’ and ‘sleep sharing’ while in the hospital. I had brought some brochures home with me.
I had discovered through my research that many pediatricians were staunch advocates of the practice based on studies, which had concluded babies who had co-slept with their parents grew to be more confident and independent because of the early nurturing it provided. I hadn’t approached Trey just yet with that idea.
I had a few more baby pounds to lose although breastfeeding had definitely helped with the weight loss. I had been taking a Pilates class with Gina on Tuesday evenings. That was Trey’s assigned night to watch Preston. I had started them a week ago. Tonight would be my second class.
I was feeding Preston on our bed watching ‘Ellen’ on the flat screen in our bedroom. I was most comfortable lying on my side having her snuggled on her side in front of me. She was being a lazy eater this afternoon for some reason. She would doze off for a while, then wake and clamp down on my nipple nursing for a few minutes before she drifted off to sleep again.
I watched in fascination at her tiny little fists as they pressed in and out on my breast. I loved the feel and the smell of her. She was my precious baby. I had never felt this kind of love before. It was a different kind of love than what I had for Trey. It had been so immediate and so strong from the beginning. It was so unconditional, this baby love.
I thought about my mother and wondered why she had never felt that 'baby' love for me. I banished the thought of her from my mind. It was only painful and for now I wanted to enjoy this bonding with my daughter.
I looked down at her. She had fallen back to sleep again, my nipple had slipped from her little rosebud mouth. I kissed the top of her head and inhaled her sweet baby scent.
Ellen had that chick on her show from the Twilight saga movies, grilling her about her infidelities that had gone viral in the media.
The poor girl kept twisting her hair and running her hands through it like she was uncomfortable having to talk without a script. Clearly she was out of her comfort zone.