Joel Waters-Baker (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
just_another) wrote2015-06-24 06:40 pm
just_another) wrote2015-06-24 06:40 pm
Entry tags:
[open - baby meeting!]
Dane has been home for exactly thirty-seven hours and a few minutes, give or take, when Joel looks at the clock on the wall as he paces the length of the library, the baby in his arms. He's been fussing today, more than he has yet, and he and Spencer have been taking turns walking with him around the house once they've established that he doesn't need to be changed and he isn't hungry. They've been given their space after the initial invasion, his parents choosing to stay at a hotel for the duration of their time here rather than taking over the house. As much as he loves having his parents here, as much as he's loved seeing them with their grandson, he's also extremely grateful for it.
Ellie, though, had called that afternoon and suggested Joel try flipping Dane over onto his stomach. She'd said something about colic, told him that holding the baby on his stomach might help, and since then Joel has been carrying a peaceful Dane around the house, his little cheek resting against Joel's wrist. He's fast asleep for the time being and Joel can't imagine putting him down. He's a warm, comforting weight on Joel's arm and although he's tired, although he knows there's still a lot of adjusting to be done, he's also never been this happy.
Spencer is napping. At least he hopes he is. Joel had all but forced him to go upstairs and lie down. They sleep when Dane sleeps, that's the way their lives are meant to go now, and now that Dane actually is sleeping, Joel is debating heading upstairs and joining Spencer. The thought of crawling into bed with his husband, settling Dane comfortably on his chest and just lying there for a little while is somehow even more appealing than actually getting to sleep.
If he sleeps, he's bound to miss something, and Joel doesn't want to miss a moment of this.
That's exactly what Spencer is thinking as he lies wide awake in their bedroom. He'd tried more than once to close his eyes and keep them shut, force himself into a sleep that just won't come, but for once he's not being kept awake because of the nightmares he fears might plague him; it's because he knows that just downstairs are the two people he loves more than anything else in this world.
It's only been a day and a half since they've been allowed to bring Dane home, since they'd been overly careful in placing their baby, their tiny, beautiful baby, into his car seat for the drive home while Erin and her husband tried to hide their laughter behind their hands as they'd watched.
"Definitely brand new parents," her husband had commented, and it hadn't been with any ill intent. Spencer had only smiled and shrugged, as if there was nothing that could be done about it and really, there can't be. He's a father now, he's partly responsible for someone's life for the rest of his own, and as daunting as that may be, Spencer has never been happier. The only comparison he could possibly make would be to the day he and Joel had gotten married, and it's with that thought that he finally gives up and rolls out of bed to join his family.
They'd texted friends earlier in the day to mention when a good time would be to drop by to meet the baby. It's getting to be just after noon now, and he's absolutely exhausted, but the promise of getting to see Dane again gives him a burst of happy adrenaline. He'd be happy to stay this way for the rest of his life, at home with just his husband and their child; but he supposes having company over wouldn't be so bad.
After all, there's something appealing about being able to say that today, he and Joel are going to be introducing their son.
[Time to meet the baby. Tag Joel or Spencer or BOTH, but just indicate in your tag what you'd prefer. If both, the order will be your pup, Joel, Spencer.]
Ellie, though, had called that afternoon and suggested Joel try flipping Dane over onto his stomach. She'd said something about colic, told him that holding the baby on his stomach might help, and since then Joel has been carrying a peaceful Dane around the house, his little cheek resting against Joel's wrist. He's fast asleep for the time being and Joel can't imagine putting him down. He's a warm, comforting weight on Joel's arm and although he's tired, although he knows there's still a lot of adjusting to be done, he's also never been this happy.
Spencer is napping. At least he hopes he is. Joel had all but forced him to go upstairs and lie down. They sleep when Dane sleeps, that's the way their lives are meant to go now, and now that Dane actually is sleeping, Joel is debating heading upstairs and joining Spencer. The thought of crawling into bed with his husband, settling Dane comfortably on his chest and just lying there for a little while is somehow even more appealing than actually getting to sleep.
If he sleeps, he's bound to miss something, and Joel doesn't want to miss a moment of this.
That's exactly what Spencer is thinking as he lies wide awake in their bedroom. He'd tried more than once to close his eyes and keep them shut, force himself into a sleep that just won't come, but for once he's not being kept awake because of the nightmares he fears might plague him; it's because he knows that just downstairs are the two people he loves more than anything else in this world.
It's only been a day and a half since they've been allowed to bring Dane home, since they'd been overly careful in placing their baby, their tiny, beautiful baby, into his car seat for the drive home while Erin and her husband tried to hide their laughter behind their hands as they'd watched.
"Definitely brand new parents," her husband had commented, and it hadn't been with any ill intent. Spencer had only smiled and shrugged, as if there was nothing that could be done about it and really, there can't be. He's a father now, he's partly responsible for someone's life for the rest of his own, and as daunting as that may be, Spencer has never been happier. The only comparison he could possibly make would be to the day he and Joel had gotten married, and it's with that thought that he finally gives up and rolls out of bed to join his family.
They'd texted friends earlier in the day to mention when a good time would be to drop by to meet the baby. It's getting to be just after noon now, and he's absolutely exhausted, but the promise of getting to see Dane again gives him a burst of happy adrenaline. He'd be happy to stay this way for the rest of his life, at home with just his husband and their child; but he supposes having company over wouldn't be so bad.
After all, there's something appealing about being able to say that today, he and Joel are going to be introducing their son.
[Time to meet the baby. Tag Joel or Spencer or BOTH, but just indicate in your tag what you'd prefer. If both, the order will be your pup, Joel, Spencer.]
no subject
"Dane is an adorable little boy, from what I can see", she answers him. "He fits right in between the two of you, both literally and figuratively. Puzzle pieces, the three of you." That probably makes her sound like the dried out broad she is. "It is good to hear that he has no trouble adjusting, I guess? Someone uncomfortable can't sleep."
no subject
"A month?" he asks a second later, looking up in surprise. "A month of food? That's incredible." Joel looks to cook, but he has to admit he doesn't know where he's going to find the time or energy to make meals over the next several weeks.
no subject
He's so lost in thought that he barely catches the conversation between Lou and Joel, though he catches the tail end of it. His eyes widen a bit as he glances at the basket, trying to reconcile the fact that it holds that much food. Between Ellie and Brian staying in town and the rest of their friends feeling obligated to bring something even after they'd held a baby shower, Spencer is forced to conclude that they won't be going hungry anytime soon.
It's just as well, he supposes. Between the two of them, Joel is the only one with a knack for cooking, but the idea of asking his husband to cook in addition to all the new fatherly duties they have seems cruel in itself.
"Thank you, Lou," he says, offering her a sincere smile. That's going to help so much. Otherwise, I'd fear we'd have to go right back to the hospital to force this one to stop driving himself beyond all points of exhaustion." He presses a kiss to Joel's shoulder as he says it before resting his chin there, his thumb still brushing over the baby's hand. "Not that we aren't already prepared to do that anyway."
no subject
"Responsibility for someone else also means that you have the responsibility to stay in the best state possible so you can take care of that someone." She wags her finger at the both of them. "I'm telling this to the both of you, because if one will catch the other and become overly fatigued because of that ..there will be no end to it. Please accept that you will sometimes have to say no or give up before you reached the possible end. This is something I tell everyone, mostly because I don't know too many young parents to finetune my speeches to."
She smiles. "And I know I don't even have to offer extra help because I'm sure that you're swimming in it. Remember to accept that. Questions aren't flags of weaknesses. Anyway .." Yes, she's going to ask, no matter how painful it could be. "Maybe we can sit down so I can have a closer look at the beautiful boy?"
no subject
"Yes," he says, stepping back and moving toward the living room. "Of course. You can hold him if you like. He seems to be pretty happy to just keep sleeping right now, which is a good thing. He was quite fussy earlier in the day." And now he's not. Simply because Ellie had called and suggested Joel try turning him over. It's one more reason he wishes Spencer's mom could be here, too. Parents are filled with advice on how to take care of new babies and most of it turns out to be the sort of things that he never would have thought of and yet turn out to be the most important. He really wishes Vera could be here, too, to be calling Spencer and offering him solutions for the little problems.
no subject
There will be times that one or both of them feel exhausted to the point that they can barely move from being woken up by the baby's crying in the middle of the night or Dane being too fussy to get to sleep, like he'd been earlier in the day until Ellie had suggested turning him over. But therein lies the solution, he thinks, they have help and there's no chance at all that either of them would be too proud to take it. Having Ellie and Brian, even Erin, around to give them advice has been a tremendous help, and Spencer will take as much of it as he can get because he wants the very best for Dane. He wants to make sure that everything they do is going to be the right thing, the right decision that leads to their son knowing just how loved he truly is.
He follows Lou and his family into the living room, trailing just behind Joel as his thoughts linger on Ellie. Spencer had said it to Joel the day after Dane had been born, that he wishes his mother could be here to see their son, and his husband had agreed with a gentle, reassuring squeeze of his hand. The nice thing is that he's come to gain so many good friends who will be here later to meet the baby and though nobody could ever take the place of his mother and brother, Spencer is more grateful for them than he could ever say.
"Take him, Lou," he says, lowering himself carefully on to the couch next to Joel and watching with an amused twitch of the corners of his lips. "I think we've reached that possible end you mentioned so you really have no choice but to hold him until we've recharged."
no subject
"That wasn't ..completely what I was asking and I'm fine with just looking from a small distance." Louise never held her child, hadn't touched a baby since. There isn't an exact correlation between the two, most of the parents she knows are out of the diaper stage but - but it still makes her feel like something will begin or end if she'll accept the child. Even the tattoo with her name seems to smart a little in the space on her ribs. Maybe it always will, maybe there will always the question of what would be, but that doesn't mean she has to cut short every new experience reminding her of it. Something about endings and listening to your own advice.
"Not that I wouldn't like holding the little one either. Babies smell and feel like nothing else you can hold and keep."
no subject
"I don't blame you for wanting to just look at him, he is awfully beautiful," he says. "But then again, I suppose Spencer and I might be a little bit biased." And he'll happily own that. He doesn't care. His son is the most beautiful thing he's ever seen besides his amazing husband.
no subject
Being a father has turned out to be so much different than simply expecting to be a father, and Spencer supposes this is mind assumes the reactions he has to his own son will be true of everyone who comes to meet him. If Lou doesn't want to hold the baby, of course it isn't a problem, and he doesn't bother saying it because she doesn't need his approval one way or another. He just smiles, nodding in agreement with what Joel says about how beautiful Dane is.
"No bias," he says with a crooked smile, "he is beautiful, there's no denying it. And anyone who tries to say differently will be in for a very nasty surprise."
no subject
Louise reels herself in, closes herself off, puts herself back together again. Sooner than later the two of them will be surrounded by tears and seemingly irrational emotions, and she's not going to add to it simply because she can't get the poison out of her system. Because no matter how often she tells herself that she is satisfied with her life, the family of her own is still a gaping black hole touching all of it.
"No need for doling out nasty surprises here, Spencer. I know better than to fight a very new parent about the looks of their little treasure." She gets up. "Another time. Not that I don't trust the perfect fellow to not burp over my office outfit, but mostly because I crossed my lunch break deadline fifteen minutes ago."
"It's good to see and hear how well everything is going. For the three of you. And Spencer, if you already have multiple versions of The Velveteen Rabbit, don't feel bad about turning my father's gift into the start of Dane's university fund. He follows people on Instagram and suddenly thinks he knows their most intimate thoughts and passions. Or don't, I'm just telling you." She gets up. "And if you don't have enough freezer or fridge space, do let me know? We could borrow you one. It would be a shame to let meals go bad."
no subject
"Uh... we won't," he says, his confusion evident in his tone. "Let the m-meals go bad, I mean." He's suddenly as nervous as he's ever been talking to someone and he looks down at Dane again, allowing the baby to calm him, send him back to the state he very much prefers to be in. "Thank you."
no subject
He gets the sense that there's more to her reaction than meets the eyes, but Spencer doesn't want to pry into anything she doesn't want to tell herself. That isn't what today is about. Today is about introducing their son to the rest of the world as Dane Waters-Baker. Everything else can be set aside for a later time.
"I think we'll be okay on the university fund," Spencer tells her with an even tone, "and the fridge space. The offer is greatly appreciated. I'm sorry if we've kept you from work, please just let us know if you'd ever like to stop by again."
no subject
"There's absolutely no need to be sorry. I needed to sate my curiosity about your wonderful little boy and showed up without a warning. I'm glad everything is as it should be and will leave the three of you to it. Until the next visitor, of course."
Louise wiped her hands on her dress, didn't even bother with trying a smile. "All the luck, health, and happiness to your family, all of you."