new routine (michael)

[wren]

Settling into a new routine after the birth of the twins was easier said than done, it was very difficult indeed having two newborns in the house at the same time, Wren didn't think she had slept more than two hours in a row since she was released from the hospital with Poppy and Lucy. Though with two previous experiences with newborns, Wren was something of an expert in the field. It was just a little more work juggling two of them at once, as well as needing to tend to the needs of two toddlers. But as she had predicted, Ruby was very eager to help, not that Daniel was extra work, but she could tell the babies bothered him.

He always covered his ears when they cried, and was keen on staying as far away as he could. It troubled Wren slightly, but she figured he would just need time to adjust, it hadn't been easy on her oldest daughter when he had come along and taken over her position so to speak, and now Daniel must feel he had triple the threat to get his parents' attention. But Wren was trying, it was just difficult as Poppy and Lucy demanded near-constant care. Wren heaved a sighed as she plopped down on the couch, now was one of those rare times where all four children were sleeping and the house was quiet.

And now it might be time for a little nap for Mummy... Never mind the Cheerios and toys sprawled across the living room floor, as well as the mess at the arts and crafts table she had set up for Ruby and Daniel, no, now she was going to steal maybe half an hour to herself. Wren had barely closed her eyes when she heard crying, no such luck. Moving quickly, Wren climbed the stairs to the nursery, and was thankfully able to take a bawling Lucy from the room before she woke her sister. Still moving quickly to get past Ruby's and Daniel's rooms, Wren went back down to the living room.

She sat back down on the couch, gently soothing her daughter. Wren had to hold back a groan when she heard a knock on the door. She again needed to act fast before whomever was there got the idea to ring the bell, then all the children would be up... "No rest for the wicked," sighed Wren, standing up, Lucy tucked in her arm and strode down the hall to answer the door. After undoing several locks and momentarily disabling the protective magic, Wren pulled open the door to look at...

Outfit

[michael]

To say that Michael had been excited when he had heard that Wren had given birth was far beyond an understatement. He had practically cheered out with joy the moment he heard the news. So, it was no surprise that he had quickly gotten a dozen of things for both Wren and the twins before heading over as soon as he heard she was out. He had, indeed, been a bit worried about it all, though, knowing that giving birth to twins could be a difficult, and sometimes even risky thing. But, they had all come out perfectly fine from what he had heard from Zach. Eagerly climbing up the steps to her home, he had an armful of things in his arms along with a group of balloons. The two biggest ones were bright pink and had the words "It's a Girl!" written on it. He also had a bunch of coffee in a container, some chocolate, more toys, stuffed animals, and a few other things.

As he came up to the door, Michael was sure to knock, knowing that ringing the doorbell at anyone's house when they had small children was never a good idea. He waited patiently for Wren to get the door, sure that she would have her hands full with the four kids. When the door finally opened, a wide grin sat on his lips as he saw his friend. "Surprise.", he said in a loud whisper, not sure if any of the kids were asleep and he certainly didn't want to wake any of them. His eyes quickly turned to Lucy, though, his eyes sparkling with joy as he saw her. "Oh my god...She's beautiful.", he said softly before wondering where Poppy was.

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[wren]

The exhausted look Wren had been wearing before dissolved when she saw Michael, oh was she glad to see him! She beamed widely, normally she would have gone straight in for the hug, though her friend certainly did have his hands full, and one of her arms was presently occupied with a baby. "Michael!" Wren said happily, though quietly, it hadn't taken her long to figure out that voices carried for distance in the foyer. And while her oldest child might sleep exceptionally heavily, Daniel and the twins it seemed woke if someone in the room breathed the wrong way. Wren beamed when he complimented her baby.

She and Zach did make some adorable children, if she did say so herself. Wren wasn't normally a prideful person, but it was hard not to be when it came to her kids. "Come in, be quiet though, I've just got the other three asleep," said Wren, stepping out of the way, and once Michael was inside was quick to close up the door and reactivate the protective spells. One never really could be too careful these days, it seemed there was another attack every day. It was frightening for a young mother with small children, but Wren was managing. There really wasn't anything she could do but carry on, and at any rate, she did still have a whole new family dynamic to figure out.

[/justify][/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[michael]

Michael quickly but quietly stepped inside, moving over the the living room table and placing his many gifts down, grinning widely. As soon as he had emptied his hands, he quickly turned around to face his dear friend. "I figured some of them would be asleep. But, oh my gosh. Let me see her.", he quickly said as he stepped up to Wren and her newborn daughter. His eyes sparkled with excitement and a sense of loving warmth. "Hi sweetie. Aren't you just a cutie.", he cooed at the small child before looking up at Wren. Laughing quietly, he gently hugged the woman before speaking once more. "She really is gorgeous, and I can't wait to see Poppy.", he said with an almost girlish giggle before he turned. He walked over to the table that was now littered with his little gifts, digging through them for a moment before finally finding what he was looking for.

At that point, Michael was as excited as a small child in a candy shop, and it showed in his expression and his bright eyes. "Hey, look what I've got for you, sweetie.", he cooed again before he brought up a small giraffe rattle. He shook it lightly so it could grab the small child's attention, giggling again as Lucy's eyes stared at the small toy, almost as if she didn't know what to do with it.

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[wren]

Wren couldn't help but lightly roll her eyes as Michael walked past her with a heaping armful of goodies, no matter how she protested it seemed he always insisted on spending a lot of money on her and her children. She had learned to stop objecting it, but that didn't mean that she liked it. At Michael's request, she carefully handed over Lucy. With Ruby, she had been a lot more reluctant to allow other people, even those close to her, to hold her baby, but with this being the third time and the fourth child, all she wanted sometimes was to not be holding one of her children.

It was nice to have her arms to herself. "It won't be long I imagine, they've got the twin-telepathy thing going on, once one's up the other's soon to follow," said Wren, smiling a bit. She plopped back down on the couch, still wearing her smile as she watched Michael entertain Lucy, showing her a giraffe rattle. Wren chuckled lightly at her daughter's expression, it was wonderful how easily fascinated newborns were. Or even babies in general, introduce one new thing and they were intrigued.

[michael]

Michael almost missed what Wren had said, completely absorbed with the baby girl that sat in his arms. After a few moments for her words to finally sink in and process in her mind, he finally looked up, giving a bit of a delayed response. "Oh, yeah. I'm sure. Twins will always know when the other's up.", he agreed with a faint laugh, holding Lucy close against his chest before moving to sit down beside his friend. The infant finally took the time to reach out for the small toy, her fingers weakly trying to grasp it. But, she was still too young to actually be able to hold anything. As Michael sat down beside his best friend, he carefully held Lucy on his lap as she continued to stare at the small rattle. "I don't know how you do it, Wren. But each kid you pop out is just plain beautiful.", he said with a faint laugh.

Her children really were adorable. They all held an almost perfect mix of their parents, both of which were gorgeous as well. And, not to mention, they all had absolutely wonderful personalities. He simply couldn't wait for the twins to start showing their own individual personalities. "Om nom nom...Hi, sweetie-pooh. Hi, baby girl.", he continued to coo, cradling her back into his arms.

[/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[wren]

Wren carefully drew her legs up on the couch, tucking them lightly beneath her. She always had loved the freedom that floor-length skirts granted, she wasn't terribly restricted in the ways that she could sit, not like she would be if she opted for knee-length hems. She smiled lightly, it really was adorable to see Michael with a baby, he had a shameless baby-voice, and she could see the care he had for his goddaughter in his eyes. Wren had known Michael would be a good choice to dub Poppy and Lucy's godfather, but now she couldn't imagine a more perfect fit, it was as if he was made for it.

Honestly, she couldn't wait for her friend to find someone special, and adopt a kid or two, he'd be such a good parent. Wren laughed lightly, though she couldn't help a surge of pride at the compliment, but what could she say? She and her husband's genes meshed well. "Well, I guess mine and Zach's genes get along well," said Wren. Just that moment, predictably, she heard a cry from upstairs. Sighing lightly, she got off the couch. "What did I tell you?" said Wren, though she smiled, and quickly went up to the nursery to fetch Poppy.

[michael]

The man couldn't help but laugh faintly as she spoke, grinning a bit. Well, he couldn't say she was wrong as he sat there holding one of the most precious infants ever in his arms. It might've sounded a bit odd to say it in such a manner, but yes, Wren's and Zach's genes apparently did mix very well together. As he continued to snuggle the small child against his chest, he opened his mouth to speak when Poppy began to fuss upstairs. He chuckled light as Wren got up, opening his mouth to offer to go get her instead, but she was already up the stairs by then. "Is that your sister, huh? Did you tell her to wake up?"

[/color], he said teasingly as he looked down at Lucy who had turned her attention away from her toy, listening instead to the cries of her sister. The little girl then began to squirm a bit, whimpering a bit.

"Oh, now, don't you start with that frowny face, too.",[/color], he cooed as the infant started to fuss in response to her twin sister's cries. Holding her up, he gently held her against his chest as he stood, quietly whispering and cooing in her ears as he began to walk around the room. As he did this, he lightly bounced her, something that always seemed to quiet the little ones. Lucy gave a few more fusses before she became quiet again, gurgling a bit as she drooled onto the man's shirt.[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[wren]

Wren, in her typical fashion, moved quickly and quietly, going past Daniel and Ruby's rooms on tiptoe. Just because they had two infants to compete for attention with, it didn't mean that they should have to struggle to get nap time, too. She knew how kids were, it didn't matter if the really little ones missed naps, as they slept a lot anyway, but if Daniel or Ruby were to get behind of their shut-eye it would mean dealing with very grumpy children indeed. Toddlers needed their sleep. more than even she did. Making it to the nursery in record time, Wren scooped up Poppy, who instantly stopped wailing.

The magic mother touch. Apparently she was just not allowed to ever set down one of her children. Of course, how could she forget? "Hush, darling," Wren whispered, cradling Poppy against her chest before she wound her way back down the stairs and to the living room in time to see Michael, quite expertly, calm down Lucy. Really, the man was a natural with children, more so than herself she might wager. "You're good at this, aren't you?" Wren observed, smiling, "if you'd like to meet Miss Poppy, I'll swap you."

[michael]

As he heard Wren coming back into the room, Michael turned to face her with a smile. He chuckled faintly at her words, lightly shrugging his shoulders faintly. "Eh, I guess. Was able to have a lot of practice, though with my baby brother."

[/color], he replied, smiling as his eyes locked onto Poppy. He had seen a small -- very small -- number of twins, but none of them actually looked as similar to each other as these two did. But, even if the baby girl looked just like her sister, that didn't change the man's reaction. "Good Lord, they really are just perfect."[/color], he practically squealed as he nodded his head. He wanted to hold his other goddaughter as well and get to know her. Michael was very careful as the two traded. As soon as he had Poppy in his arms, he was practically doing a complete re-do of what he had been doing previously.

"Oh, look at you, cutie. Aren't you just adorable."[/color], he cooed as he held her against his chest. Poppy gave a bit of a gurgle as she swung one of her arms around. As Michael giggled, he quickly gave her a loving kiss on her forehead. "Who's a boo-boo? Who's a boo-boo?"[/color], he continued, playfully tapping his finger against her nose. As he did so, her eyes seemed to widened faintly as if she couldn't believe he had just done that to her.[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[wren]

Wren continued to smile as Michael fed her his story of gaining his experience with his little brother. A similar thing could be said of her, as she had been the second-oldest of six, always doting on and trying to take care of the younger four, not always to their pleasure, though she had been unable to switch off that instinct, even as a child. Of course now... Well, Wren hadn't seen much of her siblings lately. With Seth and Violet gone, and the other four still at home with her not being on speaking terms with her parents... It was difficult to get any contact in.

Wren didn't really let on how much it hurt her, to have her initial family in shambles, though now she was a bit too occupied to really dwell on it. She had her own family to tend to, a husband, two toddlers, and two newborns. She didn't have time or energy to feel sorry for herself. Nevertheless, she grinned as Michael started his crooning all over again, he really was adorable, she'd love for him to be a parent, he'd be so good at it. "I must say," said Wren, settling back down on the couch with Lucy tucked in the crook of her arm, "you have the most shameless baby voice I've ever heard." Her tone was lightly teasing, though there was truth to the statement.

[michael]

Grinning faintly as he looked over at his best friend, he lightly stuck his tongue out. "Damn straight I do. And you're just jealous."

[/color], he teased, laughing a bit as he carefully sat down beside her. Sighing contently, he continued to hold Poppy snug against him, allowing her to weakly grasp his finger and shove it into her mouth. Michael rarely had any problems with things like that. Baby drool really wasn't that big of a deal. He knew a few people who would absolutely freak about the idea of having an infant drool on them. To him, it was more like he had spilled water on himself. It was something that could be cleaned or easily wiped off. So, he would let the small child play with his finger for as long as she wished. Now, the one thing he did have a problem with was vomit.

Even as a child, the sound of someone vomiting just sent shivers, tremors even, through his being. Something about it just both completely grossed him out and, in an odd sort of way, scared him as well. It was weird, yes, but true. And, this was coming from the man who wouldn't mind inspecting the torn, squashed body of a mangled cat if he needed to. But, Michael was sure that at one point or another, he would get over his odd 'fear'. [/size][/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[wren]

Wren tucked her legs beside her, gently doting on Lucy, lightly rubbing her face with the side of her finger. Luckily her very touchy-feely sort of nature translated well to babies, especially little ones, and particularly girls. Wren had been very sad and weepy when Daniel got to about the six month range and had not wanted his mother to hold and touch him all the time, had pushed her away with his chubby fist. Though she had been on speaking terms with her mother then, who had assured her that nothing was wrong, and it was simply how a lot of baby boys were. That hadn't meant she liked it, though.

Wren laughed at Michael's words, able to appreciate them more now that the older kids were asleep. The mother-of-toddlers in her was adamantly against swearing, even the occasional "damn," but she saw no reason for concern around Poppy and Lucy, they were too young to remember, and much too young for speaking beyond nonsensical babbling and gurgling. "Of course, what rational human being wouldn't be?" said Wren, the ghost of her laugh still sparkling in her warm brown eyes.

[michael]

Grinning, completely oblivious that Poppy was weakly attempting to chew on his finger, Michael lightly shrugged his shoulder. "Don't know. Guess I'm just that awesome."

[/color], he said before he looked down at the infant in his arms. As she continued to chew on his finger with her gummy jaws, she gradually pulled the digit out of her mouth, holding it above her before swinging her arm a bit. She gurgled before she pulled his finger back into her mouth. She didn't try to chew on it this time, though, instead sucking on the finger. After a few moments, she seemed to get frustrated that she wasn't getting anything from it. Whining, she pulled at his finger, removing it from her lips before she began to squirm a bit in his arms.

"Woah, there, Lollipop."[/color], he said, his new little nickname for the child come from him without a second thought. "I'm right here, boo-boo."[/color], he cooed, gently rocking the infant in his arms. She didn't stop her fussing, though. At that point, as she responded neither to the soft rocks or the soothing whispers, Michael only had a guess of what could be wrong at that point. "Oh, my goodness. Is widdle Lollipop hungry?"[/color][/size][/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[wren]

"Of course you are," Wren said bemusedly, lightly bouncing Lucy in her arm, though the baby was growing increasingly fussy. It wasn't exactly close to feeding time, normally they would be napping, though Wren was of the philosophy that children, particularly babies, should be allowed to eat when they were hungry. And the girls did seem to be acting that way, it wouldn't at least hurt to try and feed them. Surprisingly, Michael came to the same conclusion that she had mentally, he really did have that parent-like intuition she supposed. "They didn't eat well last time, they probably are a wee bit peckish," said Wren, "bring her on over."

Expertly reaching over the side of the couch without jostling Lucy, Wren retrieved her nursing pillow, not have a second thought about breastfeeding her babies in front of Michael. Her modesty went right out the window when it came to this, it was only natural, nothing to be ashamed of, or to try and cover with a blanket or something, which was a hassle, especially with two babies. Quickly, her experience making the task mindless, Wren situated herself and got Lucy latched on, beginning to suckle. She had been correct in thinking that the twins were hungry...