March 2013

We had been married for a few days over a month and I was so crabby. I was snapping at Edward constantly. We actually got into an argument. I mean a real screaming fight. I was so tired and couldn't figure out why. I was getting ready to leave for my book tour and Edward couldn't come with me until I will have been gone for over a week. I was mad at him for not taking the time off but I knew it was a completely irrational thing to be mad over. He thought I was just edgy about the tour. I didn't think that was the problem but I made sure I yelled at him for being a jerk about how I felt.

I knew I was being a bitch but I just couldn't seem to help it. On top of that my boobs hurt so much. I kept saying it was all stress but when I got up this morning and had to sprint to the bathroom while cracking eggs all the pieces clicked into place. After I took a shower and called Alice I ran to the drug store. I bought the best pregnancy test the store had to offer. I know that most people take like four different ones but I trusted this one to be accurate; besides there were two in the box. When I got home Ali was waiting for me. She was due in two months. Her belly was as big as she was.

I sent up a silent prayer that if I was pregnant that it was only one baby and not triplets like Alice and Jasper were expecting. To say they were shocked was an understatement.

"Ali, you look so uncomfortable. Why didn't you go around and sit on the patio?" I scolded her with my hand on my hip. "You knew I was at the drug store."

"Yes, I know but I couldn't wait to get here. Now let's go, I need to pee." She said waddling behind me into the house.

I sent her to the bathroom while I opened the test and read the instructions. Apparently all I had to do was pee on the stick and it would tell me in less than three minutes whether I was pregnant or not. I drank a huge cup of water and waited. When Alice came out, she laughed at me.

"Honey, it will be fine. Don't look so worried." She said.

I looked down at myself to see that I had been biting my nails and my feet were swinging a hundred miles an hour off the stool I was sitting on.

"I know and I know that Edward will be so excited but I didn't plan this. I am leaving for the tour in a week and I will not have time to be sick. This is the biggest tour I've ever done. Edward can't come for more than half of it."

"Hush. Stressing won't do you any good. Now go pee on that stick." She interrupted me.

"You're right. I guess now's as good a time as any." I hopped down and picked up the test from the counter. "Be right back."

I headed into the bathroom and opened the packet. I sat down on the toilet and waited what seemed like forever to finally start peeing. I held the stick in the stream like the instructions said and I'm not kidding, the second I looked at it there was a plus sign appearing right before my eyes. I mean the pee hadn't even been on it five seconds. There was no freaking way. It had to be a mistake. They are supposed to take three minutes to show results.

After I washed my hands I walked out of the bathroom. Alice had an egg timer in her hand. I started laughing hysterically. I couldn't catch my breath. I couldn't stop laughing. She thought I was crazy. She came over and took the test from my hand. I laughed even harder when she gasped.

"Oh my goodness, Bella, it's already positive." I laughed more. I took a few deep breaths and got myself under control.

"Yeah. Funny right? How long did yours take to turn?"

"Uh, well I had mine done with blood at the office. I didn't see mine until an hour after the blood was drawn. I kind of already knew I was pregnant."

"Well now I am. I'm not even sure how it happened. I've been on the shot for years." I went to the calendar. Looking back to before we got married I found the note that said, 'GYN apt. 1:30' written in the opening on February 8th. I had missed that appointment. That was only two days before the wedding, which was only five weeks ago. "Oh my God, Ali. How long does it take to get a positive pregnancy test from conception?"

"Four to six weeks, Why?"

"I missed my appointment the day before the wedding. I didn't get my last shot. Can I have gotten pregnant that fast?"

"I don't think so. It usually takes a month or so for that shot to wear off and as long as you've been on it, you should have taken much longer."

"Well I am so it didn't." I started crying. I could not believe this.

"Look Bella. Sometimes it just happens, no matter what you do to prevent it. I've seen women who have that new IUD get pregnant. Stranger things have happened. Come with me to the office and I'll have Stacey draw your blood. We'll find out how far along you are, then you can call Edward."

"Oh my gosh, Ali, I have to tell him. He's going to freak."

"He'll be thrilled and you can apologize to him for being such a bitch the last few weeks. At least now he'll understand why his wife turned into the bride of Chucky." She laughed.

I started crying again. This was going to be a long nine months if I cried like this through the whole thing.

I called Edward and told him to try to get off on time today. I had something special planned for him. He was relieved to hear me sound like my old self. I fixed a special dinner of baby back ribs, baby carrots and new potatoes. I was hoping he'd get the message quickly but if he didn't I baked him a cake with a message on it. We found out that I am due November 2. I was still freaking out but Alice helped me prepare for tonight. I bought some Save the Date cards and filled one out for Edward. I set it on his plate so he'd see it when he got home.

When Edward walked in the door, I greeted him wearing a baby blue t-shirt that said 'I've got a secret' on it. He smiled. "A secret huh. Is this a game?" He said teasingly.

"Yep. See if you can figure it out." I knew he wouldn't be expecting it so hopefully he'd take a few minutes to get it.

He picked up the card when he sat down. He looked completely puzzled by the words on the card. I was sure he thought I'd lost my mind.

Save the Date

November 2, 2013

Don't make any plans for this date.

Details to come.

I brought over the tray of baby back ribs and sat them in front of him. Then the bowls of baby carrots and new potatoes. He studied them but when he commented on how good the food looked I knew he didn't get it. I sat down and began dishing up the food.

"Bella, are we having a party in November? That is like nine months away. Why would you send out save the date cards now?" He asked finally after picking up a rib.

"No nothing like that. I just have something important going on that day and I wanted you to be sure you were available." I said as nonchalantly as possible.

"Okay, I guess this is part of the game. Can I get any clues?" He asked pushing the baby carrots around his plate. He didn't really like them cooked so I didn't think he'd actually eat any of them.

"You have three clues in front of you right now." I said biting into the carrot I had speared on my fork.

"Ok. Give me a few minutes. I'll get it." He continued to eat everything on his plate. Even the carrots.

"I thought you didn't like baby carrots." I asked.

"I don't really but these were pretty good. I don't like when you make them with butter and garlic. They are better sweet." After he said that his eyes lit up. I thought he had figured it out. "Are you publishing a cookbook?"

I was shocked. "No. I don't have enough original recipes to do that." I laughed. He was way off. "Do you really think I could?" I was actually curious. He always loved my cooking but I didn't think he thought that highly of it.

"Of course I do. Your food is always amazing."

"Well if you loved dinner then you'll want to devour dessert." I said as I stood up to get the cake.

I pulled the dark chocolate fudge cake from the fridge. As I sat it on the table I was sure to keep his attention. When he saw the words on the top, I saw the moment it clicked. I had written "Who Needs Birth Control?" on the top in pink and blue icing.

"Oh my God! Bella, are you pregnant or are we trying to get pregnant?" We had discussed my going off the shot but I hadn't decided yet.

"We are pregnant! Surprise!" I smiled.

"Really? How, you've been on the shot for years."

"I know. Apparently I missed my last appointment, but Alice says that the shot wouldn't have worn off that fast. We figure I got pregnant on our honeymoon."

"So the 'something important' on November 2nd is our baby being born?" He asked finally linking the card in.

"Yep. We are five weeks pregnant. That's why I've been such a bitch lately. I've been so tired and couldn't figure out why until I got sick this morning. Then it all clicked into place."

He was out of his seat and before I could blink he had me in his arms. He kissed me deeply. When he pulled away I asked, "I take it you are happy."

He laughed. "I'm thrilled. I can not wait to be a daddy. You will look so amazing with a pregnant belly."

I actually hadn't given that much thought. "I'm not so sure about that. How amazing can someone look with a huge round belly, swollen ankles and hormonal acne?" I asked.

"You will look beautiful. You always do. Besides look how great Alice looks and she has three kids in there."

"You are right. She is miserable but she looks gorgeous."

"Now, can we skip the cake because I really need to make love to you?" He asked, although he did not wait for me to answer before running off to our bed with me in his arms.

September 19, 2013

I was jolted upright in bed by a sudden gush of fluid coming from my body. It was a lot of fluid. Just as soon as I realized that my water broke I was hit with the most excruciating pain I've ever felt. I looked to the clock; 3:04 am. As I breathed through the contraction I watched the clock tick over two minutes. That can't be good. As soon as I could move I shook Edward's shoulder.

"Babe, get up! My water broke!" I said as calmly as I could. Then I grabbed his shoulder and dug my claws in as the next contraction hit and more fluid rushed from me. I glanced at the clock and was near panic when it read 3:09 am. That means that my contractions are only three minutes apart and lasting two minutes. We had to hurry. My fingernails had done the trick and Edward was now rushing around the room.

As the contraction let go of me, I was able to make out what Edward was saying. "You can't be in labor, we still have six weeks. I'll call Mom."

"Honey, I think it is more important that we head to the hospital first. We can call everyone after. I have a feeling this little guy is not going to wait."

"What? How long have you been awake?" He said pulling at his hair.

"Only about 10 minutes and I've had 2 contractions and am sitting in a huge puddle." I said as I threw back the covers. Our white sheets were soaked and the fluid was pooling between my legs. Fortunately it was clear. "Now, please get me a dry night gown and panties. I am going to try to clean up and get dressed and then we have to go."

He pulled a long gown out of the dresser and a pair of what he calls "prego panties" and threw them on the bed before helping me stand up. I grabbed them and headed to the bathroom. On the way there I was racked with another contraction. Edward was quick to help me through it. "Bella, It's only 3:14. Is this too fast?" I couldn't answer him but I gave him the "look" and he stopped freaking out. As this one subsided I decided we better move fast.

"Edward, I only have about three minutes before the next one hits. You have to get the bag from the closet and the car seat from the nursery. Put them in the car and then come up here to help me down the stairs. Once we are in the car I will let you call our family." He kissed my forehead and took off. I waddled to the bathroom to get cleaned up.

I got myself through another two contractions before Edward got back to me. It was now 3:30 am. We got in the car and headed to the hospital in the next town over. On the way there I had four more contractions. They were now coming every minute and a half and lasting the entire time. I felt like my whole body was on lockdown. I made Edward call the doctor before we called his mom. Dr. Bruno was about forty-five minutes away from the hospital so we were not expecting to have him present for this delivery. As we pulled into the hospital parking lot I was hit with the worst contraction yet. Edward pulled up to the door and ran inside to get a nurse. When they came back out I was holding onto the door handle so tight I was sure it would break off in my hand. The nurse helped me into a wheelchair and told Edward to hurry up and park. As she wheeled me into the maternity wing she tried to get as many answers from me as possible. I just couldn't speak through the contractions. I did manage to say that my doctor was on his way and that I was only thirty-four weeks. She wheeled me into a room and set about checking to see if my water had really broken. I wanted to punch her in the head.

Once she was satisfied that my water had in fact broken, she helped me into a gown and hooked me up to the monitors. The heart monitor was quite relaxing but the constant contractions were killing me. When she checked to see how far along I was, she gasped. I was fighting a contraction and the painful invasion of her fingers so I didn't really care what had her so surprised.

"Honey, you are 7 almost 8 centimeters dilated already!" I knew that meant we were almost done.

"That's good, right?" I asked as soon as I could breathe.

"Yeah, when did your labor start?" I held up my finger to tell her to wait when Edward came in the room.

"Her water broke a few minutes after three and she has been having contractions every minute and a half for the last twenty minutes." He answered pretty calmly. I tried to smile at him but I'm sure it was more like a pained grimace.

"Oh dear. Well we better get moving." The nurse said. "Would you like something for the pain? You are too far along for an epidural but I can get something to take the edge off."

I shook my head "no". I had made the decision a few weeks ago that I was going to go as natural as possible. Since I was already so far along there didn't seem to be any reason to get something now.

I kept breathing and listening to my baby's heartbeat. Edward held my hand and didn't say much. He just rubbed my hand and watched the monitor. There was no reason to tell me when one was coming because they never stopped. I caught a glimpse of his watch and was shocked to see that it was now only four fifteen.

"Did, did you call?" I asked as best as I could.

"Yeah, I called Esme and Charlie. Mom's going to call everyone else. Charlie and Sue are heading up here. He said he'd call Renee." He said as he rubbed a circle into my hand. The movement was starting to get on my nerves but I knew he needed the comfort himself.

I moved my hand and gave him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, that was probably getting on your nerves. What can I do?" He asked.

"Not, nothing. I don't, don't know." I panted. I could feel the tears coming but tried to shut them down.

When the next contraction hit, I felt like I was being folded in half by my body. I couldn't do anything to fight it. As it continued I felt like I needed to push. My body was pushing whether I wanted it to or not.

"Edward, get the nurse!" I yelled. "I have to push!"

He ran out of the room and not even a second later he and three nurses came running in.

"Sweetie, you have to stop pushing. I need to see what's going on down there." One nurse said, sounding kind of panicked.

"I'm not pushing, I can't help it." I barked through gritted teeth. She pulled the sheet back and pressed her gloved hand into my body. I wanted to kick her but the pain was so bad I decided I needed her. "Okay, hun, we are getting ready to have this baby." She said calmly to me before turning to the other ladies in the room. "Hurry up and get this room transitioned. She is nearly crowning. Where's Bruno?"

They broke the bed down and set up little carts, one for me and one for the baby. I was freaking out. Edward must have seen the crazy come over my face because he was moving to me as fast as he could.

"Calm down baby. You've done so well. Just a few more minutes and he'll be here. " He was trying to calm me but all that did was make me crazier.

"I need drugs. I can't push this kid out without drugs!" I pleaded.

"Babe, you said you didn't…"

"I know what I fucking said, I don't care, I need them!" I yelled at him.

One of the nurses came over and brushed my hair off my forehead. "Isabella, you are past ten centimeters and fully effaced. Your baby is nearly crowning. There is nothing we can give you that will work in time." She was nodding at me. "Look at me. Breathe. In. Hold. Out. Good!" She stayed by me stroking my forehead until I calmed down. "Now look at your husband. Keep breathing. With the next contraction go ahead and push. "

I looked over at Edward and mouthed 'I'm sorry'. He smiled my crooked smile and mouthed 'I love you' back to me. Then the contraction hit and our little bubble burst.

I put my chin down on my chest and pushed with all my might. The nurse at the end of the bed was coaching me. "Good girl. Push. Almost there."

As I took a breath I noticed movement in the doorway. Dr. Bruno came rushing in. He stepped into the held out scrubs and gloves on his way to the seat in front of me. "Couldn't wait for me, huh?"

"No, this kid had his own agenda." Edward said with a chuckle.

"Ok, Bella. With this contraction give me all you can." As soon as the words left his mouth I was pushing. I pushed till everyone counted to five and then Dr. Bruno told me to stop. The most amazing feeling took over me. The pressure was nearly gone and I felt like I could breathe for the first time in nearly two hours. "Your baby's head is out. The cord is not wrapped. He looks good. When you need to push go ahead and he'll be here."

I took a deep breath and gave it one last push. The pressure was completely gone now and I could hear my baby screaming. Edward started crying. When I looked down my son was lying on my stomach. He was tiny. His arms and legs were going a mile a minute and he was full out screaming. I was amazed.

I stroked his sweet little face and the tears streamed down my face. The doctor helped Edward cut the cord and they took my baby from me. "Where's he going?" I asked.

"We are going to get him ready for you. You still have some work to do." The nurse said.

"Bella, you have to deliver the placenta and then you will need a few stitches. You are almost done." Dr. Bruno explained.

"Oh ok." I nodded dumbly.

I didn't take my eyes off my baby and my husband the whole time. Turns out I needed four stitches. Apparently having a baby so fast can do some damage. By the time the last stitch was in place and they had set me up a little, my baby had calmed down. I could no longer hear him but he was lying peacefully in his daddy's arms.

Edward looked up and smiled, tears running down his handsome face. Once the nurse nodded her head he began walking towards me. I held my arms out. Edward leaned down and placed our son against my chest while kissing my forehead. "I'm so proud of you. You are amazing." He whispered. "I love you, so much."

I felt the tears begin again. "I love you too. He's so perfect." I couldn't stop staring into his face. "How much did he weigh? He looks so tiny. Is he okay?"

"He's fine. He weighed five pounds two ounces. He's just over eighteen inches long and he's perfectly healthy." He smiled while petting the little cap they had placed on the baby's head. He pealed it off revealing a full head of dark brown hair. "Look at all that hair. Looks like it's gonna be unruly like mine." He was right; it stuck up all over the place.

"He needs a name." Edward reminded me.

"I was thinking about Thomas Charles. Does that sound ok to you?" I looked up and saw a fresh tear come to his eye.

"I think it's perfect. Thank you." He kissed me square on the lips.

"You're welcome. I know it wasn't on the list but I just thought we should name him after the people we love. You don't think Carlisle will be upset do you?" I asked suddenly worried about my decision.

"No Honey, he won't be upset. He loved my grandfather like a father. He will be as happy as we are. Charlie's gonna be thrilled!" He said with a smirk.

"Oh I know. He's gonna be ridiculous." We laughed together for a moment before returning our gaze to Thomas.

The doctor interrupted our little family moment; "Bella, you did a great job. I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner. He's a little small but he's in great shape. I don't see any reason why he won't leave when you do. I will be in to see you tomorrow. If you are feeling well enough you can probably go home tomorrow evening. Take some time to rest. Don't be afraid to let the nurses keep him in the nursery so you can sleep." I had a feeling he gave that speech often.

"Do I have to?" I whined.

He laughed, "No, but I would advise it. Even if it's just for a few hours; he'll have to eat every two hours so it's not like you won't see him."

That reminded me of my plan to nurse as soon as possible. "Oh, yeah, I need to nurse. Can I do that now or do I have to wait?" I asked him.

"You can do it now. I'll go get a nurse to help you get started." He started to walk away. "You'll be fine. Remember that all parents had to learn somewhere. See you tomorrow, Bella. Edward, congratulations." He shook Edward's hand and walked away.

Thomas was still wide awake. I guess being pushed out of a warm body into the cold air will wake you right up.

Soon I was nursing. It hurt but it was also amazing. He latched on perfectly. The nurse said I was lucky; apparently small babies sometimes have trouble latching on and staying on. This little guy had no problems there. He was probably gonna be a boob man like his daddy.

Edward watched with rapt fascination. "That is the sexiest thing I've ever seen. I cannot believe I am saying that but really. I may be a little jealous."

"Whoa there, big boy. These are his for a little while. You have six weeks to wait for any kind of sexy from me." I said as I pulled a sleeping Thomas from my breast. I placed him gently on my shoulder and began burping him. He started to whimper just before a big burp erupted from him. Edward and I both laughed.

As I was placing him against my other breast there was a knock at the door. It was the nurse telling us we would be moving to a different room as soon as I was ready. I finished feeding Thomas and then we were moved down the hall.

It was only five-thirty in the morning but I was not tired. Well, I was exhausted physically but my adrenaline or something was keeping me from feeling sleepy. I was actually surprised that no family had called yet.

"Hey, did you call your parents or Charlie? I'm surprised our phones aren't ringing off the hook."

"Oh, no, I haven't had a chance. I'll do that now." He said as he took his phone out. He'd been taking pictures with it since the moment Thomas was out.

He stepped out into the hall to talk. I looked down at Thomas. He was sleeping peacefully in my arms. "You are one very lucky little boy. Your Daddy is a great man. He is going to love you more than you could ever imagine. We are both so lucky. You are the most amazing, wonderful thing to happen to me. I can't believe how much I love you." I rubbed his soft cheek with my pinky. "I know it's too soon but how would you like a few little brothers or sisters."

I could picture us with a car full of kids going to soccer games and the zoo. Edward just might get his four babies after all.

Edward came back in smiling and chuckling a little. "What's so funny?" I asked.

"Charlie and Sue just pulled in the parking lot. He must have broken every traffic law in Illinois to make it here so fast."

"Edward, it's only a two hour drive."

"Oh I know but he was complaining that Sue took too long to get ready and pack. Then he was complaining that she had to eat. He is very unhappy with her right now."

I sighed. "That sounds like him. She was smart to take her time because he would have pissed me off if he'd have been here while I was in labor."

"Yeah, that's what she said. She is so excited."

Just then, Charlie and Sue burst through the door carrying an arm load of gift bags, flowers and balloons. I just shook my head. Sue squealed and startled Thomas. She immediately covered her mouth with her hand. "Sorry. I didn't think." She said.

He was still sleeping so I didn't care. I wanted to squeal too. She handed her load off to Edward and rushed over. She peaked over his blankets to see him. "Oh Honey, he is so beautiful. What did you name him?"

"Thomas Charles." I said proudly; watching my father's face light up.

"Oh Sweetie, that's a great name. " I knew she was itching to hold him but I wanted Charlie to be the first.

"Daddy, would you like to hold your grandson?"

A smile broke across his face. "Of course." He said before washing his hands and finding a chair. "Edward, can you bring him to me? I don't want to walk with him yet."

Edward took Thomas from me and settled him into Charlie's arms. The minute Dad looked into his eyes, the tears came. "Oh Bells, he's perfect. He looks so much like you did. Does he have hair? You had a whole mess of it."

Sue pulled the little hat off and they both were shocked by how dark and thick his hair was. I watched them whisper to each other and take turns kissing my baby's head. It was so special to see.

Edward sat on the edge of my bed. "Esme and Carlisle will be here in a few hours. Do you want to try to sleep before you have to nurse again?"

My adrenaline was wearing off and I could feel my body get heavy. "Yeah, actually I would." He turned on the T.V. and found a station they could all agree on. Sue had Thomas now so I just settled into Edward's shoulder and fell asleep.

I woke up an hour later to Edward holding a fussy baby. He was trying to quiet him without waking me. My baby was hungry though and was not interested in the pacifier that his daddy was trying to get him to take. "I'll take him." I said sleepily.

"Oh, Babe; I'm sorry we woke you. He only just started fussing a few minutes ago."

"It's ok. I guess he's going to be the kind of baby that goes from perfectly content to starving to death in an instant." I got him in position and he latched right on. Once I got over the pain of him sucking I realized I had my boob out in front of my father. I looked over to the recliner and he wasn't there. "Where's my dad and Sue?"

"They went to get something to eat and let you sleep. Sue said you'd probably need some privacy once the baby woke up so she suggested they come back later."

"That was sweet of her. I didn't even think of it till I realized my boob was out for everyone to see."

After I fed, burped and Edward changed Thomas, we put him in his bassinet and the nurses came in to bug me. They made me get up and walk to the bathroom. That was not fun. I hadn't realized how sore I was until I had to get up and walk. Then they poked and prodded on my abdomen for a moment, which made me cramp. Apparently that was their plan all along. They were on my "shit-list" for the time being. Then they brought me some food. It was only a little after eight in the morning and I was starving.

Edward and I shared my eggs, bacon and toast. We sat and talked about what needed to be done at home before we could take Thomas home. Our nursery was close to done but still needed a few finishing touches. We had to get some kind of cradle or bassinet to put in our room. My shower was scheduled for next weekend so we had that coming up. Before we knew it; there was a knock at the door. Edward opened it, letting Esme and Carlisle into the room. They also were carrying arm loads of flowers, bags and balloons. Carlisle even had one of those fruit bouquets.

I got a huge hug from Esme and a kiss on the forehead from Carlisle. Then the questions started. Esme asked if she could hold Thomas but Carlisle washed his hands while she was talking and beat her to him. She pouted but couldn't stop the tears as she watched Carlisle hold his first grandson. Rose and Emmett had four girls now. "Oh my goodness, he is just so precious. Son he looks so much like you."

Edward looked at me with a smile. "Really, Charlie says he looks a lot like Bella did when she was a baby. To me he just looks like a baby."

Esme glared at him. "Are you kidding me? He is beautiful. He has the same shaped nose as you and his long fingers are all you."

"Mother, you are crazy. Two features do not make him look like me." He teased.

"I think he looks like his momma. He's perfect, Bella. Congratulations." Carlisle said never taking his eyes off the tiny bundle in his arms.

"Ok Gramps, I want him." Esme said lightly.

She then took him from Carlisle and proceeded to unwrap him and check him out from head to toes. "Look at all that hair. He definitely got that from Bella. You were bald when you were born." We all laughed. I could not picture Edward bald.

"Yeah I had a ponytail in my newborn pictures. I'll have to find one to show you when we get home."

"Maybe your dad still has one in his wallet. Carlisle still has the boys' newborn pictures in his." Edward smirked at his Dad.

"Really Dad. After 30 years?" Edward questioned.

"Yeah, why not? Those were two of the happiest days of my life and my two best accomplishments. I'm quite proud of my boys." Carlisle defended while pulling the photos out of his wallet. He handed them to me. Now that I was looking the picture I could see the resemblance between Edward and Thomas.

"So Bella, what name did you bestow on my gorgeous grandson? Edward wouldn't say on the phone."

"His name is Thomas Charles." I said watching Carlisle's face. He smiled brightly and Esme was tearing up again.

"Oh my, thank you Bella. Edward, thank you for honoring your grandfather like that." She kissed Thomas on the head. "Can I call him Tommy?"

Edward and I both snapped, "No" at the same time. Then we started laughing. I nodded to Edward to take this one. "No. Sorry. We would rather he be called Thomas until he's old enough to decide what he prefers."

"Yeah, to me it's better formal like Edward's name. I'm sure somewhere down the line he'll get a nickname but for now I'd like to keep it Thomas." I chimed in. It was funny because we hadn't discussed the name thing but we always seemed to know what the other was thinking.

"That sounds just perfect." Esme said.

Charlie and Sue came back a while later and after we all sat around talking about how Thomas arrived that morning, they all left together promising to return in the morning. We loved our family but to have some alone time was nice. I had gotten pretty good at nursing even with an audience but it was just weird for me. Edward usually took Carlisle and Charlie out of the room but I needed to get used to breastfeeding in front of people if I wanted to be able to leave the house.

My mom and Phil were coming in tomorrow but we were hoping to be home by the time she made an appearance. This hospital room was way too small to have so many people in it.

Edward picked Thomas up from my arms and placed him in the bassinet. We had arranged to have the nurse take him for a few hours until his next feeding so we could rest. I missed my husband even though he'd been by my side nearly the whole day.

We sat close on my bed and cuddled while watching some movie that was on TV. "Bella, I am so proud of you. You have made me the happiest man on the planet. I didn't think I could get much happier than I was but seeing you hold our son has proven me wrong. He's the most beautiful baby and I am so blessed to have you both."

I wiped the tears from my eyes and snuggled into his shoulder. "I feel the same way. I didn't know it was possible to love more than one person the way I love you. I couldn't believe how much my heart ached to have him leave the room tonight."

"He'll be back in less than an hour." He reassured me. "How are you feeling?"

"Physically I am exhausted and very sore but mentally I'm all over the place. I'm afraid I won't do a good job as a mom. I'm afraid I'll get overwhelmed and freak out like my mom did. Then I think about it and realize that I can't even begin to imagine walking away from him or you. I think I would die if I tried." I said finally speaking the fears that had been plaguing me for months.

"Bella, look at me." He said as he drew my face up with his thumb under my chin. "You are not Renee. She had an illness that she didn't understand. Had she had the help back then that she needed, I firmly believe she would never have left you. She loves you just as much as you love Thomas. She just didn't know what to do to help herself."

"I know, it's just hard to shake the fear. What if I end up bi-polar, like her?"

"Then we will deal with it and get you the best help there is. I love you too much to let you go for any reason."

"Good because I love you too. I'm pretty sure you'd have to have me committed to get rid of me." I said trying to lighten the mood.

"Never gonna' happen." He said kissing my lips lightly between each word.

"I want more babies." I blurted out.

"Really? I didn't think you'd be thinking about doing this again anytime soon." He said astonished.

"Yeah. I already told Thomas that I want to give him a brother or sister. As hard as it was, I had an easy labor and a fairly easy pregnancy. Before Thomas is two I want to be pregnant again." I said making up my mind as I said the words.

"I think that would be great!" Edward said as he took my face in his hands and kissed the heck out of me.

February 2020

Today was our seven year anniversary. It is hard to believe that we've been married this long. It's even more difficult to believe that I have given birth to five children. After Thomas we did just as we planned and before he was even a year old we were pregnant with our second child. This pregnancy was equally easy. The only difference was that it lasted the whole forty weeks. I delivered our daughter Elaine Claire on May 15, 2015. She beat her brother's labor by more than an hour, screaming her way into the world after only forty-five minutes of labor. I almost had her in the parking lot.

Adjusting to two babies at home was difficult but well worth it. We decided to wait at least two years before even considering more kids. Unfortunately our birth control had other plans. I once again found myself pregnant only eighteen months after Lainey's arrival. This time we got the surprise of our lives when we went for a routine appointment. We were listening for the heartbeat at our twelve week check up when there was a little hiccup in the steady rhythm of the baby's heartbeat. Doctor Bruno moved the wand around and we heard a second heart beat. He immediately decided to do an ultrasound and we were not surprised to find two sacs with little babies floating in them but we were shocked when we saw two babies floating in one sac and one baby in the other. We were having triplets. I know that I nearly fainted but Edward actually did faint.

All our worries were magnified by the two sharing the sac. They were really tiny and not growing as well as the other singleton. We ended up delivering the babies by c-section at thirty-two weeks. They were very small. Well, the twins were tiny but our son, Aiden Carlisle, was a whopping five pounds six ounces. He was healthy and looked just like his big brother. One of the twins, Anna Grace, was two pounds nine ounces and the other, Alissa Renea, was two pounds three ounces. They were like little rag dolls. They were amazingly very healthy despite being so early but they were extremely small. We had to visit them in the NICU for six weeks. It was so difficult but Edward was my rock through it all. He would keep the kids so I could go and then visit them when I got home. Alice and Jasper helped a lot too. They had delivered three healthy babies only six weeks early so they were very familiar with the process.

Thomas and Lainey cried every time we told them they couldn't come see their sisters. They were quite excited to be big brother and sister.

Now having a 5 1/2 year old, an almost 5 year old and three two year olds was crazy. We were almost always late and usually missing half of whatever we were supposed to be taking with us but we were happy. Amazingly happy.

Everyday was a challenge but instead of tearing us apart like we'd seen happen to other families we were closer than ever. Two weeks after we found out about the triplets I asked Edward to get vasectomy to which he replied, "I made an appointment the day after the ultrasound, I've just been waiting for the shock to wear off before I told you." He got the best blow job of his life for that. I was so done being pregnant and having babies.

I have sold three more best selling books and now have enough royalties to never write again. I don't have time now anyway but as soon as these little monkeys are all in school I'm sure I will be back to writing every day again.

Edward has built the firm to the point where he is only in the office three days a week now. It is wonderful to have him home with us. He is an amazing father. He and Thomas are very close. They play baseball all the time. Edward even coaches his little league team. Thomas and Aiden are best buds. Don't get me wrong, Aiden drives Thomas nuts but they are so close. The girls are all over their daddy. They hate when he's gone for the day or when he has to coach. If little Anna had her way she'd never leave Edward's side. She makes Alissa jealous because she is always getting daddy's attention. Anna is very much the take charge kid and Alissa is more laid back and go with the flow. I have to constantly remind Alissa not to let her sister push her around. She is far too much like me.

Lainey is our little miss independant. She has to try to do everything on her own and if she can't figure it out she gets mad. I swear all the time that she is actually Rosalie's daughter because she is so much like her.

My boys are just like their daddy in every way. They look like him. Both have his green eyes and crazy hair. Thomas already has Edward's jaw line and nose. Aiden is still a toddler so his cute little face is still pretty round. They are both so sweet and incredibly thoughtful. It's usually Thomas who is reminding the girls to be nice to each other or to say please and thank you.

Edward still makes me feel like a silly schoolgirl. I don't think that will ever change. He can melt me with just a single smile. We took up dancing again after the triplets turned two. I felt so fat and out of shape. Edward swears that I looked amazing but I didn't like how I looked. I didn't gain too much but after you have babies nothing is where it is supposed to be anymore. Our bodies never forgot how to move together though and stepping back into the dance hall was as easy as breathing. We didn't need lessons anymore so we just built a studio in the basement and got a sitter for the night.

It was just like old times. Once a month on Friday or Saturday we sent the kids off to spend the night with someone and spent the night dancing and making love. Thankfully Sue and Charlie moved up here when Charlie retired. They kept the kids pretty often. Emmett and Rose also moved to St. Louis. We would occasionally send Thomas and Lainey to Alice and Jasper's and the triplets to Emmet and Rose's. With all those kids it was just too much to handle all at once.

Esme was trying her hardest to convince Carlisle to move down here as well but he was stubborn. He was afraid of letting someone else run his business. He did however agree to buy a condo in St. Louis so they could visit more often. Esme would spend a month at a time here before Carlisle would beg her to come home. Edward and I don't think it will be long before he caves.

Tonight we were celebrating our anniversary by taking all the family out to dinner. We have to reserve an entire room when we do this so it doesn't happen that often. We are going to the Old Spaghetti Factory, where we had our first date. I was excited and so were the girls. Anna had picked out my dress and Alissa picked my shoes. Lainey decided that all of us should wear the same color so we had purchased dresses in a dark blue color. As Lainey said, "It is the color Daddy loves us in the best." She was correct. Edward loved to see his "Bella's" is blue. All the girls had dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. Lainey had a little more copper in her hair and a lot of green fleck in her eyes but she looked like me in every other way. The twins looked like me as well. They were still very tiny and had petite features. It was like we both got exactly what we were hoping for with our kids.

Our life was crazy and at times overwhelming but it was ours. We wouldn't have changed a single thing about it. After everything we had been through with Mike and Kate, we should have fallen apart long ago, but we were stonger and more in love than ever before.

Mike had been placed in a prison in southern Illinois. He served five years before he had to be moved to a maximum security facility for the mentally ill. He had attempted suicide multiple times and even made two attempts at killing a few guards. He was diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic and bi-polar. He was under constant supervision and on a lot of strong medications. It was incredibly sad to hear what a mess he was.

Kate on the other hand had turned her life around in the best way. She had sought counseling to help her deal with everything her father had put her through. She went back to school and is now working as a teacher's aid at one of the local elementary schools. She and I have become friends. We aren't super close or anything but she has a great personality and we get along great. Last month we went to lunch and she told me she was engaged to a sweet guy named Garrett. Edward and I are both very happy for her. She has worked hard to overcome everything in her past. She paid Edward back every cent of what she owed him. She worked two jobs to do it.

I finished my make up and met the girls in the hallway. We headed down to see the boys and Edward in the living room. "Wow, Daddy, you yook pitty!", exclaimed Anna.

There standing by the couch was Edward in a dark blue suit. He still takes my breath away. Next to him in matching suits was Thomas and Aiden. They were every bit as handsome as their dad.

"You all look so handsome." I said as I kissed each of them on the cheek. As I went to step away from Edward he took my hand and held me in place.

"You look unbelievable. I hope you are prepared to have this dress ruined tonight." He whispered in my ear.

"No need to ruin it. It simply unties and falls away." I whispered back with a smirk. "Oh and I'm completely nude underneath." I added just before I gave the shell of his ear a tiny lick.

He shivered and smacked my ass. The kids all giggled, bringing us back to the present.

"Look at my beautiful girls. You are wearing my favorite color." Edward said loudly. I knew he was trying to distract himself.

"We picked the dresses just for you." Lainey said proudly.

He bent down and kissed each of their cheeks. "I love them. You are all so beautiful. Just like Mommy."

We all loaded into the van and headed to dinner. After dinner I found out that Edward had arranged for Carlisle and Esme to take the girls and Charlie and Sue to take the boys for the night.

We drove back to the house with hands all over each other. Once inside the garage we practically mauled each other. My dress was in the seat while I was straddled over my husband's lap. He buried two fingers inside of me and brought me to a screaming orgasm. Then he wrapped my dress around me and carried me into the house. I thought we were going to our bedroom but he led me to the dance studio instead. I fixed my dress and straightened my hair a bit while he started the music. When I heard the beat I instantly recognized the song. As the first song we ever danced to 'On the Floor' by Jennifer Lopez played Edward stalked me and began moving me around the room. We salsaed our way into a sweaty mess of limbs and lips. We ended up pressed against the mirror as Edward lifted my dress up and pounded into me.

We showered together, which of course resulted in him getting a blow job and another two orgasms for me. When we laid down in our bed the blazing inferno that was our passion was reduced to only a smoldering heat. We made love for hours, wrapped in each others arms. We didn't get many of these nights so when we did we made the best of them. We'd be exhausted tomorrow but it was more than worth it.

"Edward?" I whispered, wondering if he was asleep.

"Yes Bella." He answered.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. May I ask what for?" He asked puzzled.

"For everything. For loving me, for putting up with all the craziness I came with in the beginning, for dancing with me, for marrying me, for the kids, you know, everything."

"I wouldn't have had it any other way. I have loved you from nearly the moment I laid eyes on you. Finding out you were this strong, intelligent, amazing woman only made it that much better. You know I should thank you for everything too."

"You don't have to. Every day with you is thanks enough. I love you." I said as I brushed my fingers through his hair. I kissed him and we fell asleep knowing that our life may not be perfect for everyone but it was blissfully perfect for us.