Long Live Us
Forty-Eight
"Izzy," I whispered, a big grin on my face as I scooped my daughter up in my arms. She'd been fussing for about five minutes and I know Stella ususally likes to get up with her, but since we're still so exhausted from tour, I figured I'd let Stella sleep. "Let's get you cleaned up, baby."
One poop diapers, one bottle and one use of the infant tooth brush later, Izzy was a happy girl. I dressed her in a pink dress with matching socks and a headband, slicking out her Gaskarth hair the best I could. She giggled the whole way down the stairs, where we went to the kitchen to prepare food for Mommy. Once that was done, I loaded it up on a tray and grabbed Izzy in my free arm, so we could surprise Stella. I laid Izzy down on the bed right against Stella's arm and then placed the tray on Stell's belly. She mumbled a bit before her eyes popped open, Izzy's baby talk waking her up. She blinked a few times and took everything in before she realized we were both there, and so was breakfast.
"Jack? What is all of this?"
"This is mine and Izzy's way of saying thank you for being the best person ever," I chuckled, taking a piece of toast to shove in my mouth. "Eat up. We have a busy day ahead of us."
Stella was confused, but she ate. Afterward, I took Izzy into the living room to play while Stella took a shower and got dressed. When she was finished, we switched off so I could get clean, too. Finally, we were both ready to go, so I carried Isabelle to the car and locked her seat in before opening the door for Stella.
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see," I grinned. "I have something planned."
Stella pestered me the whole way to the park, where I had planned for us to meet Nate. I got Izzy out of her seat as we made our way further into the park until she saw him standing there with his camera. He did a great job on Izzy's newborn pictures, but I wanted something that Stella could tape in her bunk on tour, so we were taking family pictures today.
It went by slowly, but Nate assured us that he got dozens of amazing shots and that we'd have them by the end of the week. We thanked him before we left the park. Next on the agenda, take my ladies to the mall. Since we were gone so often, we never got to spoil our daughter, and we wanted something of us she could cling to while we were gone.
"What's the limit?" Stella joked, walking into the mall.
"No limit," I mumbled, pushing Izzy in her stoller. "Buy whatever you want for her."
That's exactly what she did. By the time we were ready to leave the mall, Stella had loaded her up on toys and clothes, even some picture frames for the photographs we took today. Our last stop at the mall was Build A Bear, where we selected a purple bunny. We didn't want to dress it, because Izzy wouldn't really know the difference, but we did get the voice box so when it was squeezed, she could hear me and Stell.
"Love you, baby!" We laughed together into the recorder.
Izzy giggled at this, happily chewing on the ear when we handed it over to her.
When we left the mall, it was around six o'clock. Izzy was getting fussy, no longer wanting her bottle, so we decided to take her home. By the time we got back it was around seven, so Stella laid Izzy down for a nap while I started a fire in the pit by the back patio. Stella joined me a little while later, both of us curled up by the flames, watching the sunset by the trees.
"This is what makes it worth it," I smiled at my lovely finace, breathing in deep. "Leaving sucks, but coming home to her.. There's no better feeling the world."
"I guess this is how our dads did it," she murmured, relaxing into my body. "Having something to come home to is what keeps us going."
"Absolutely. And it only helps that when we're on the road, we've still got each other. Even if it's hard, we're lucky, Stell."
"I know that, Jack." She grinned, kissing my cheek. "Thank you for today. Isabelle and I had a blast."
"That's what I was aiming," I kissed her forehead. "But there's one more thing I want to do. Let's order take-out and watch lame movies, yeah?"
"Hmm.. Only if I get to pick the movie!"
With that, Stella jumped up and ran into the house. Looks like I'm calling in the food.
One poop diapers, one bottle and one use of the infant tooth brush later, Izzy was a happy girl. I dressed her in a pink dress with matching socks and a headband, slicking out her Gaskarth hair the best I could. She giggled the whole way down the stairs, where we went to the kitchen to prepare food for Mommy. Once that was done, I loaded it up on a tray and grabbed Izzy in my free arm, so we could surprise Stella. I laid Izzy down on the bed right against Stella's arm and then placed the tray on Stell's belly. She mumbled a bit before her eyes popped open, Izzy's baby talk waking her up. She blinked a few times and took everything in before she realized we were both there, and so was breakfast.
"Jack? What is all of this?"
"This is mine and Izzy's way of saying thank you for being the best person ever," I chuckled, taking a piece of toast to shove in my mouth. "Eat up. We have a busy day ahead of us."
Stella was confused, but she ate. Afterward, I took Izzy into the living room to play while Stella took a shower and got dressed. When she was finished, we switched off so I could get clean, too. Finally, we were both ready to go, so I carried Isabelle to the car and locked her seat in before opening the door for Stella.
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see," I grinned. "I have something planned."
Stella pestered me the whole way to the park, where I had planned for us to meet Nate. I got Izzy out of her seat as we made our way further into the park until she saw him standing there with his camera. He did a great job on Izzy's newborn pictures, but I wanted something that Stella could tape in her bunk on tour, so we were taking family pictures today.
It went by slowly, but Nate assured us that he got dozens of amazing shots and that we'd have them by the end of the week. We thanked him before we left the park. Next on the agenda, take my ladies to the mall. Since we were gone so often, we never got to spoil our daughter, and we wanted something of us she could cling to while we were gone.
"What's the limit?" Stella joked, walking into the mall.
"No limit," I mumbled, pushing Izzy in her stoller. "Buy whatever you want for her."
That's exactly what she did. By the time we were ready to leave the mall, Stella had loaded her up on toys and clothes, even some picture frames for the photographs we took today. Our last stop at the mall was Build A Bear, where we selected a purple bunny. We didn't want to dress it, because Izzy wouldn't really know the difference, but we did get the voice box so when it was squeezed, she could hear me and Stell.
"Love you, baby!" We laughed together into the recorder.
Izzy giggled at this, happily chewing on the ear when we handed it over to her.
When we left the mall, it was around six o'clock. Izzy was getting fussy, no longer wanting her bottle, so we decided to take her home. By the time we got back it was around seven, so Stella laid Izzy down for a nap while I started a fire in the pit by the back patio. Stella joined me a little while later, both of us curled up by the flames, watching the sunset by the trees.
"This is what makes it worth it," I smiled at my lovely finace, breathing in deep. "Leaving sucks, but coming home to her.. There's no better feeling the world."
"I guess this is how our dads did it," she murmured, relaxing into my body. "Having something to come home to is what keeps us going."
"Absolutely. And it only helps that when we're on the road, we've still got each other. Even if it's hard, we're lucky, Stell."
"I know that, Jack." She grinned, kissing my cheek. "Thank you for today. Isabelle and I had a blast."
"That's what I was aiming," I kissed her forehead. "But there's one more thing I want to do. Let's order take-out and watch lame movies, yeah?"
"Hmm.. Only if I get to pick the movie!"
With that, Stella jumped up and ran into the house. Looks like I'm calling in the food.
11/4/13