26. Chapter 18 (1/2)

--chapter eighteen--

a/n—we're heading into the christmas season! the ornaments featured in this chapter are real hallmark keepsake ornaments from 1973 and 1974, the first two years hallmark did this. i'm also referencing a tradition my family has when decorating the tree. happy reading!

it's the saturday night of thanksgiving weekend. carol is in the nursery, packing a suitcase for the baby. mike sees her and enters the room.

mike: nesting?

carol: isn't paying that much attention. huh?

mike: nesting. you're packing the baby's suitcase?

carol: dawns on her. oh, yeah! she folds the "coming home from the hospital" outfits and puts them in the suitcase. well, i need to get this packed.

mike: so, you decided to go ahead and pack the girl's outfit?

carol: not that we'll need it, but just in case. she's going at a near-frantic pace.

mike: whoa, slow down a bit. he lightly grabs her on the shoulders.

carol: giggles. i wanna get this packed before i go to bed tonight. you never know what'll happen during the night. i wanna be ready.

mike: gets a "deer in headlights" look on his face. you're not? umm, it's not time, is it?

carol: still giggling. no, honey. it's not time yet. i feel fine, really i do. i haven't had any contractions since thursday and i feel great.

mike: you sure?

carol: i'm sure.

mike: would you like some help?

carol: no, i think i've got it all. looks around the room. lessee, i've got the outfit for when we

ing him home from the hospital, and one for a girl, just in case, two receiving blankets—one blue and one pink, two burp cloths, and an extra change of clothes for each, just in case. do you think i'm forgetting anything?

mike: it might be chilly, i'd think hats and possibly a coat might work too.

carol: oh yeah! she grabs two hats and coats each.

mike smiles as he watches his wife pack the bag. she finishes and looks dreamily in the crib. he joins her and puts his arm around her waist.

carol: just think mike, we'll have a new baby in this house soon.

mike: yeah.

carol: i never thought there would be a baby sleeping in this room, and now there will be.

mike: kinda nice, isn't it?

carol: yes, it is. it feels like a dream. she rests her hand on her abdomen. but soon, it'll be all to real.

mike: i love you.

carol: i love you, too. i can't believe we're having a baby.

mike: places a light peck on her cheek. we are.

carol: yeah.

she rests her head on his shoulder. they stand there, lost in thought for awhile and then go to bed.

the next day. carol joins the family for

eakfast.

carol: morning!

bobby: morning!

jan: hi mom. how are you feeling?

carol: great!

alice: no contractions or anything? she serves up

eakfast.

carol: nope. nothing. i don't think this little one's coming today.

mike walks into the kitchen.

mike: hi honey.

carol: morning.

they give each other a kiss. he places his hand over the baby for a moment.

mike: how are you?

carol: i feel really good. i don't think we'll be making any trips today.

mike: no?

carol: nope. she smiles. we're decorating for christmas today. i almost missed thanksgiving dinner, i don't wanna miss decorating.

cindy: we are? cool!

mike: yep. peter, bobby, i want you and greg to go pick out the tree. he'll be here in about an hour to take you. girls, we're gonna get the boxes out of the storage shed so that when the boys get back, we can start decorating.

marcia: okay.

peter: do you want a pine tree or blue spruce?

carol: i'd rather have a pine, but whatever you think looks good is what we'll go with. and this time around, i'd rather have a tree that we can plant, for the baby.

mike: okay. so, i'd go to bob's tree nursery for the tree. here's some cash.

he gives peter the money. the rest of the kids finish their

eakfast so they can get going.

mike sends the boys, including greg, to pick out a tree. mike and the girls get the boxes out of the storage shed. carol is moving some of the lighter furniture. she seems to have an unusually high amount of energy.

mike: carol, you shouldn't be moving things around.

carol: i'm just moving a couple things out of the way.

mike: we can get that.

carol: annoyed. puts her hand on her hip. mike, i'm fine. i'm not an invalid.

mike: we've had this discussion before. you're nearly nine months pregnant and i don't want you to hurt yourself.

carol: mike, i am not gonna hurt myself.

mike: i know, because you're not moving furniture.

just then the boys return with a tree. greg unlocks the second front door so they can fit the tree through the entryway.

carol: oh, the tree's beautiful!

greg: bobby picked out a good one.

jan: it really is nice.

mike: where do you want it?

carol: how 'bout over there, next to the banister?

greg: okay, c'mon guys.

the guys moves the trees over where directed.

peter: how's that?

carol: perfect!

mike: yeah, i like it.

carol: gets a package from beside the couch. here's your ornaments for this year. she passes them out to her kids.

they open their boxes. cindy receives a betsey clark ornament ball, which is a white glass ball with a little girl feeding a deer and another girl cuddling a lamb. jan's is also a betsey clark ball, but hers has christmas carolers. marcia receives a betsey clark ball as well, but it has musicians on it. greg receives a ball with santa and his elves. bobby's is a drummer boy ball, and peter's is a norman rockwell santa christmas ball.

marcia: mom, it's so pretty! cindy's your's is so cute!

bobby: thanks, mom. remember that time i tried the drums?

carol: i do. that's why i bought that one for you. i thought you'd like it.

bobby: i do. it's neato.

jan: ooh, peter, norman rockwell! i love his paintings!

greg: thanks mom, dad.

mike hands a package to his wife. she opens it up to reveal a set of four "little miracles" ornament balls.

carol: oh mike! they're beautiful! she gives him a kiss on the lips.

mike: the baby needs some ornaments for the tree.

carol: mike, i love them.

mike: smiling. you're welcome.

alice

ings in a tray with christmas cookies and cider.

alice: here ya go! you can't decorate without cookies and cider.

cindy: thank you, alice.

carol: oh, thank you. she takes a drink. that hits the spot.

greg and peter begin stringing the lights on the tree. marcia and jan go behind them and string the garland. bobby gets the tinsel. it's cindy's year to put the star on top, so she climbs the stairs and settles the star on top of the tree. the family stands back and admires the tree.

mike: hey, that looks really good.

carol: yeah, i like it.

mike: let's put the ornaments on.

carol hands the ornaments to the kids and they start putting them on. the phone rings and mike answers it in the den. carol puts her ornaments on the tree and those for the baby.

bobby: i don't remember those ornaments.

carol: these are the girls' first christmas ornaments. roy gave these to me when each of the girls were born.

cindy: which one's mine?

carol: yours is the angel. he called you his "little angel" because you were really tiny. he said you looked like a cherub.

marcia: mine's the ballerina, right?

carol: yeah. your feet went ninety miles a minute. you learned to run before you learned to walk. when you were one, we chased you around the christmas tree many times.

jan: and mine's the dove.

carol: that's right. you were a real quiet baby, very mellow. your dad used to pick you up and you'd snuggle right next to him. he called you his little dove because you would coo when he held you. you were daddy's little girl.

the girls smile.

greg: mom called bobby her "little man."

peter: chuckling. little man. little is right.