I was discharged from the hospital 3 days later, much to my shock. I thought I'd be kept in longer. Jen popped in again this morning as we were leaving, and I made her take a picture of myself holding Charlotte with Josh next to me because I've gone severely mumsey and I want pictures. Loads of them, and I'll put them in little frames on the mantle piece.

Carrying Charlotte's car seat (is that what it's called?) was more of a task than I'd thought it was (she was heavy enough in that contraption, like I'd chicken arms for Christ sake) but I managed to do so with grace and little to no swearing. Other than that, though, it was fine. She slept, so I mean I shouldn't very well complain, now should I?

---

The apartment, let me tell you, looked slightly different. There were the gates from Argos up at the doors and by the kitchen, there was the rubber stoppers on the corners of the island counter, counter tops and the coffee table, and the place smelt vaguely of..paint? I mean maybe my nose was still sensitive enough (Lord knows it was horrifically sensitive when I was preggers), but I definitely thought I could smell paint.

"Are you guilty of this?" I asked Josh as he flung his keys on the table, and he nodded.

"Yeah, no big deal though. Just thought I'd do it when you weren't around, so I wouldn't have you nagging in my ear." He replied, brushing it off like it was nothing. He always does that and it bugs me immensely.

"I don't nag, but thanks, babe. It looks well, fair play. We're you painting something, though? I can smell paint a little."

"Oh shit, yeah, I meant to show you. Come follow me." He led me over to the spare room, and I swear, if he was going to show me the clutter in there, I'd kill him. I'd been meaning to sort that room out over the summer, but as you can see, plans had changed.

I took Charlotte out of her car seat so I could give her a feed, but I figured I'd better see what my lovely lad's done to the spare room that he's dying to show me. He took Charlotte from me and told me to open the door, and I was half afraid to open the door.

I shouldn't have been, though I nearly started crying at what I did see. The room was the palest pink with darker pink carpet, and there was the cutest little bed and clothes chest on the opposite wall. On the bed, however, I'd noticed the stuffed toys and blankets and clothes that friends and family had brought to the hospital as like, would you say, birth presents (I don't know?) for the baby. Scratch that, I did, in fact, tear up.

"Are you guilty of this too, Joshua?" I sniffed and wiped my eyes, and Josh just shrugged (it fucking irritates me how nonchalant he is, like it's now surpassed the point of bugging me).

"Partially, though I won't take full credit, as the lads, Sarah, Elissa, Jen and my parents and your mum helped. We'd the full Extreme Makeover: Surrey Edition team on this, so we did the best we could. I know she's way too young to use it just yet since she'll be in with us, but y'know, thought I'd get it done while it was on my mind. Like it?" He asked, and I nodded.

"Yeah, God, it's lovely! I'd no idea you'd done this, like is this what you'd been doing while you went home for a few hours each day?"

"Yeah, sorry bout that. Probably wasn't the most loving thing to just ditch you, but this happened. That's why we all took it in turns to stay with you for a couple hours each day, while everyone else was doing this. Sorry."

"God, no, needn't be sorry now, you're forgiven. It's so pretty like, thank you."

"Don't worry, it's fine. Wasn't just me who did it, anyways. Still, though, do I get a reward for my part in it?" He raised an eyebrow and I slapped his arm.

"In your dreams, pretty boy. I'm finding it hard enough to walk as it is, and unless you want another child..."

"Alright, fine, fine."

"Good. Right, I think this baby's due a feed. Hand her to me, will you?" I pointed at Charlotte.

"But she's sleeping, Rach. Leave her be while she's quiet, because she won't be like that for long. Look, you'll know when she starts crying that she's hungry. Until then, get her properly settled and have some tea or something, whatever it is that women drink to relax."

"You mean a shoulder of Smirnoff?"

"Funny, but no. Not for a while, since you were the one complaining earlier that you were, and I quote, "sick as the time we went to that Mexican restaurant on the way to London for our anniversary." Lay off the alcohol for a bit, it won't kill you." Wise.

"Actually, yeah, you're right. I've all this extra skin on my stomach now that I need to shift. Don't be surprised if I'm running marathons and eating salads in the coming months."

"Ah Rachel, I didn't mean it like that. You're fine the way you are, I mean, you're literally just after giving birth to a child. Give yourself time to get back into the swing of things and find your routine, and then go off on your mad "I need to shift my baby belly" regime. I won't stop you, because I know that won't work."

"No I know you didn't, I'm just saying it generally. And I will, just you watch. But fine, then, if you hand me the baby like I asked you to and fetch the crib from our room, I'll set Charlotte down and then make myself some tea and watch Loose Women. Suit you?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Nope."

"Then fine, I'm all for it." He was being so nice, like I could so get used to him not being a typical narky bloke, to be honest.

---

Charlotte slept for a further 2 hours while I watched Loose Women and drank my tea, and then I fed her while I continued watching Loose Women (nothing stops me from watching that show). She was happy enough when she was fed, and that kept her quiet for a while as she cuddled some little fluffy bunny Josh said he got her in the hospital gift shop (can I get an "awwww!!!"?? Thank you) and sucked on her pacifier, so I left her be for another while until I'd to go to the ordeal of giving her a bath.

Id gotten Charlotte settled down for the night at about 7pm, and it was only then that I realised I hadn't eaten anything all day. I was debating on whether to eat the tin of spaghetti hoops from ASDA in the cupboard and calling it dinner, or whether to call for a takeaway because I'm a lazy bum. I suppose I'd better signal my significant other for his say in the matter, even if that meant interrupting his game of FIFA with Max.

"Are you hungry?" I asked, but didn't get an answer. "Hello? Josh, babe, are you listening?"

"What, sorry?" Josh answered about two minutes later, pausing the game and glancing up from the TV.

"I asked were you hungry."

"Yeah, a fair bit. Why?"

"Because I am, and I was thinking of calling for a takeout because I'm too tired to make something."

"Yeah, I don't mind. Are you not feeling sick, though?"

"I don't care at this stage, I'm starving. What've you got in mind?"

"Uhh, I don't know really. What've we not had in a while?"

"Hmm, Italian, I think. I hate Indian takeaway, so it wouldn't be that. Yeah, I think it's Italian."

"Then we'll go with that, yeah? Where's my phone? I'll ring for it."

"It's on the counter. While you're doing that, I'll run for a shower. Keep an eye on the baby, will you? I won't be long." I grabbed my pyjamas and one of Josh's hoodies and made my desperate dash for the shower, and was finished in five minutes flat.

---

I'd lie and say I stayed awake until the food came, but I didn't. I took a power nap for about a half hour before it arrived, and stayed up long enough to eat my vegan bolognese, but that was it. I was shattered after, and the thoughts of not getting a decent night's sleep afterwards really hurt me. I won't lie.

Notes

Still waiting on my phone. Still whining about it. Still driving my brother crackers about it. Surprised I haven't caused an argument tbh.

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