" ....Now, all the Mothers and Fathers in the kingdom told their children to behave like the Princess, and, of course, they did ....all right, grabby hands, I'm turning the page ....But when they couldn't, they knew just the place to go!" Caroline looked down at her son as he hungrily took in all the detail on that last double-page of the book they had been reading, grinning along with him. "Can you see the dragon, Jack" Isn't she pretty?"
A burble of sound erupted from her giggling nine-month-old as he cuddled up closer on her lap, not seeming to mind as she gently stroked her hand against his forehead. The fever had broken overnight - which had been a blessed relief on all counts - and over the course of today, the rash they'd been warned about had made itself known. Thankfully, Jack didn't seem at all bothered by the mottling red-and-white on his skin, apparently just happy to be getting back to normal once again. He had not enjoyed being feverish and uncomfortable, not in the slightest, and though he wasn't going to be up to full energy levels for another day or so, his temperament had definitely improved for having had a few hours without sweating or shivering.
She'd probably over-reacted to Richmond's text on Sunday, the one that had brought her out of the GAC meeting, worried for her little boy. They'd been through the usual fevers and colds so far without much trouble, but when Jack's temperature on Sunday evening had hit 103, Richmond had panicked and spread that panic around to everyone else. Still in the grip of first-time-mommy-syndrome, she'd joined in that panic enthusiastically, only to be patiently reassured by their family doctor that everything was fine.
As a result, however, Caroline had an entire week off work, assured by Brynne that they could get along without her. All she had to do was check her emails every night, and thus far, nothing too important had been missed. It was a relief to get a little time off - the process of weaning Jack had been a struggle, but he was a purely solids and formula baby now, which took a lot of the pressure off her for the time being. Only for the time being, though ....Caroline had a feeling she knew why she was so tired these days, privately wondering when Rich was going to notice she was definitely a little thicker around the waist than she had been for a while.
A small hand grabbed at her nose, making her laugh as she shook herself out of her thoughts, capturing that hand and blowing a loud razz onto Jack's palm, making him squeal with laughter himself. "Mmmama!"
Chuckling, she hoisted him up to stand on her thighs, holding onto his hands as he wobbled above her. It was only a matter of time before the crawling terror became a walking terror, and the yacht was going to have to be toddler-proofed all over again. The little boy grinned happily down at his mother, jerking on his wobbly knees as he surveyed his surroundings, no doubt looking for Daddy, who was catching up on his sleep on the deck.
"All right, little man, what do we do next?" Caroline asked her son as he thumped back down onto his rear end, landing firmly on her knees. "How about lunch?"
To her surprise, Jack screwed up his face, shaking his head at this offer. "Mama," he declared a little more forcefully, pointing at the book she'd only just put down beside them.
Caroline snorted with laughter, rolling her eyes. "You want The Princess and the Dragon again? And then lunch?"
Jack's little face opened up into a beaming smile as he nodded, declaring "Mama" once more to confirm what she'd suggested. Caroline's smile got a fresher grin from him as she conceded, drawing her little boy back into her lap as she picked up the book again.
"One of these days, little man, you and I are going to have to stop negotiating," she informed Jack as he cuddled into her, feeling a faint pang for how clingy he was being today. Maybe I should cut my hours down at work. Pressing a kiss to his head, she opened up her son's favorite book once again, and began to read. "Once there was a Princess who didn't behave like a princess ..."
A burble of sound erupted from her giggling nine-month-old as he cuddled up closer on her lap, not seeming to mind as she gently stroked her hand against his forehead. The fever had broken overnight - which had been a blessed relief on all counts - and over the course of today, the rash they'd been warned about had made itself known. Thankfully, Jack didn't seem at all bothered by the mottling red-and-white on his skin, apparently just happy to be getting back to normal once again. He had not enjoyed being feverish and uncomfortable, not in the slightest, and though he wasn't going to be up to full energy levels for another day or so, his temperament had definitely improved for having had a few hours without sweating or shivering.
She'd probably over-reacted to Richmond's text on Sunday, the one that had brought her out of the GAC meeting, worried for her little boy. They'd been through the usual fevers and colds so far without much trouble, but when Jack's temperature on Sunday evening had hit 103, Richmond had panicked and spread that panic around to everyone else. Still in the grip of first-time-mommy-syndrome, she'd joined in that panic enthusiastically, only to be patiently reassured by their family doctor that everything was fine.
As a result, however, Caroline had an entire week off work, assured by Brynne that they could get along without her. All she had to do was check her emails every night, and thus far, nothing too important had been missed. It was a relief to get a little time off - the process of weaning Jack had been a struggle, but he was a purely solids and formula baby now, which took a lot of the pressure off her for the time being. Only for the time being, though ....Caroline had a feeling she knew why she was so tired these days, privately wondering when Rich was going to notice she was definitely a little thicker around the waist than she had been for a while.
A small hand grabbed at her nose, making her laugh as she shook herself out of her thoughts, capturing that hand and blowing a loud razz onto Jack's palm, making him squeal with laughter himself. "Mmmama!"
Chuckling, she hoisted him up to stand on her thighs, holding onto his hands as he wobbled above her. It was only a matter of time before the crawling terror became a walking terror, and the yacht was going to have to be toddler-proofed all over again. The little boy grinned happily down at his mother, jerking on his wobbly knees as he surveyed his surroundings, no doubt looking for Daddy, who was catching up on his sleep on the deck.
"All right, little man, what do we do next?" Caroline asked her son as he thumped back down onto his rear end, landing firmly on her knees. "How about lunch?"
To her surprise, Jack screwed up his face, shaking his head at this offer. "Mama," he declared a little more forcefully, pointing at the book she'd only just put down beside them.
Caroline snorted with laughter, rolling her eyes. "You want The Princess and the Dragon again? And then lunch?"
Jack's little face opened up into a beaming smile as he nodded, declaring "Mama" once more to confirm what she'd suggested. Caroline's smile got a fresher grin from him as she conceded, drawing her little boy back into her lap as she picked up the book again.
"One of these days, little man, you and I are going to have to stop negotiating," she informed Jack as he cuddled into her, feeling a faint pang for how clingy he was being today. Maybe I should cut my hours down at work. Pressing a kiss to his head, she opened up her son's favorite book once again, and began to read. "Once there was a Princess who didn't behave like a princess ..."