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Post by Lubyfanatic316 on Jul 15, 2006 12:38:36 GMT 10
Great update!
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Post by larue on Jul 15, 2006 20:59:12 GMT 10
Morning Glories
And so that became their routine. She would try to breast feed, end up using a bottle and would then pump more milk to be frozen. Feedings were taking too long and were too short between. Luka didn’t know what to do to make it easier for her except to be there. At the end of their first night home together they were both exhausted. Abby was already beginning to hate the baby monitor she had been insistent that they needed. Hearing Joe cry from his room on one side of her and then from the monitor on the bedside table on the other side of her was like hearing it in stereo. And they had to jump when he cried. If he did it too long he was too tired to eat. And he had to eat. It had taken him eight weeks to get to where he was now. They both knew how important it was that he add those meager ounces and her breast milk was a big part of that.
“Abby?” She shook her head and frowned a bit as Luka pulled aside the covers on their bed and slipped in next to her. “We’ve got company.” She opened one eye and smiled a little. Luka was settling Joe on a pillow he’d drawn between them. The baby’s eyes were wide and he was dressed in just a tiny preemie diaper. Luka drew the covers up over Abby’s shoulders and snuggled down next to her with the baby between them.
“What time is it?” Luka looked at his watch.
“Almost eight.” She closed her eyes and grimaced.
“Did I sleep through the six o’clock?” she groaned. “How did that happen?”
“We both did. I gave him a little from a bottle a while ago,” Luka said. “He ought to be really hungry in a minute.” Abby raised herself up on an elbow and studied the skinny little body next to her. His tummy was crisscrossed with newly healed surgical scars. Joe’s eyes met her’s and she smiled. He waved his arms and his chin came up as he tried to coo. Luka studied her face and his heart broke a little. He could see her frustration and her desire to do well written there. He lifted his hand to her cheek and caressed it. Abby reached up to cover his hand with her’s and pressed a kiss to his palm. She sighed and unbuttoned the front of her green gingham night gown.
“Do you know what really irks me about all of this?” she said absently as she eased Joe to her side. “All those years when I was working in OB, I taught mothers how to do this with their babies. I was the one that told them about relaxing and taking their…OW!” She gasped and looked down as Joe began to nurse in earnest.
“Hold on a minute there, cowboy,” she laughed as she adjusted the baby’s mouth on her breast. Luka chuckled and pressed his chin to his arm as he watched them. She looked up at him and smiled.
“What did you do this time?” she asked as she touched a gentle finger to the baby’s cheek. Luka shrugged.
“We had a little male bonding session,” he said. “Diaper change, kangaroo holding session, read a book, a little discussion about how very beautiful his mother is….” Abby’s brown eyes sparkled as she looked from him to their son and back to him again. She loved what she saw in his eyes. He was tired…yes…..but he was happy. He was gloriously happy…..and she knew that part of that was because of her.
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Post by <3 LubyII <3 on Jul 15, 2006 22:09:35 GMT 10
Loved it! Can't wait for the next part!!
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Post by Maryna on Jul 15, 2006 22:42:34 GMT 10
great updtae! i love it!
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Post by Lubyfanatic316 on Jul 16, 2006 0:21:14 GMT 10
Love the update!
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Post by lubyfan on Jul 16, 2006 1:45:40 GMT 10
Love it!
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Post by sammiejm on Jul 16, 2006 3:04:39 GMT 10
This is getting better and better Larue. I repeat what I said a few days ago - I like your version of this better than what I suspect TPTB are going to give us.
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Post by zelda on Jul 16, 2006 10:52:56 GMT 10
Hey, Larue, I feel as gloriously happy as Luka, reading these beautiful and PEACEFUL lines, which are so vivid in my mind. Abby will feel a better mom, as time goes by. How do you manage to always find the right words at the right moments , in comedy as well as in tragedy. It's incredible!
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Post by jaana on Jul 16, 2006 17:20:57 GMT 10
Loved it!
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Andie
Duchess of Luby
Posts: 325
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Post by Andie on Jul 18, 2006 5:14:39 GMT 10
Larue great update again!!!!!! Loved it!!! UPDATE AGAIN PLEASE!!!
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Post by luby2534 on Jul 18, 2006 6:31:37 GMT 10
Love it
Please update !!
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Andie
Duchess of Luby
Posts: 325
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Post by Andie on Jul 21, 2006 6:30:52 GMT 10
PLEEEEAAASE!!!!!! UPDATE AGAIN ASAP!!!
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Post by larue on Jul 22, 2006 23:08:56 GMT 10
Monday Moanings
Chuny looked up and nudged Haleh as Luka strode in the ambulance bay doors. He grinned widely and winked as he headed toward the lounge and locker area. Morris stepped closer as Haleh checked her watch.
“Okay….” she said softly. “Eight A.M. and counting.” Chuny laughed and exchanged glances with Morris. He clenched his fist and grimaced in satisfaction as he turned to look at the board. There were just three patients on the board. The triage room was nearly empty. He frowned slightly. If it was slow, Luka would most likely be doing paperwork in his office most of the day. Suddenly he began to worry. Keeping Luka awake all day was going to take some serious planning. Was the cruelty worth a few bucks? Chuny sashayed by with a patient’s chart and snickered. Morris glared thoughtfully. Oh yeah….it was.
In the empty lounge Luka leaned his head against the cool metal of his locker door. He closed his eyes for a second and then shook his head. He’d forgotten how it could be with a new baby. Neither of them had gotten much sustained sleep at all. Had it been this way with he and Danijela as well? Why didn’t he remember? Luka turned around and sighed as he leaned his back against the locker. He’d been finishing is internship and residency then and hadn’t been home much during those very early days for either Jasna or Marko. This was almost as new to him as it was to Abby. He shook his head again to clear it and opened his locker. He opened the door and slipped into the white coat he wore in the ER. He was going to need another ice cold shower in a couple of hours.
The morning just crept by as Abby bathed Joe and dressed him and fed him. In spite of several successful nursing episodes over the weekend, he persisted in keeping her in limbo as to whether it was going to work or not. They struggled through another feeding. Once he was asleep again she managed a quick shower. The apartment was so quiet and so empty. She missed Luka.
It had been a very quiet morning. Luka was settling himself in his small office to look over some of the supply order paperwork he needed to sign off on. He smiled a bit as he gazed at the photo frame on his desk with the picture of the three of them. They had taken it in NICU. Suddenly he missed them. He picked up the phone and dialed. Abby answered on the second ring. They chatted for a minute or two about Joe….about work…about nothing at all. Blissful. He hung up and leaned back in his chair. Just as his eyes began to close there was a knock on his door. Morris stuck his head in.
“Dr. Kovac?” he said. “MVA on it’s way in. ETA in three minutes.” Luka opened one eye and frowned.
“So assess it and send for me if you need help. Pratt is on the floor,” he growled. Morris didn’t budge from the door and Luka finally stood up. He strode out of the door and headed toward the ambulance bay doors. He didn’t see Morris’ clenched victory fist or the look that passed between Morris and Chuny.
By two he was exhausted. He took an icy shower and choked down a sandwich from the cafeteria. Still, he needed some sleep or his patients might be in serious jeopardy. Patients? It was so slow. The ER was humming along fine. Surely he could nap a bit in the call room but every time he headed there Morris would come up with another meaningless and asinine request for attention. He was being even more of a prick than usual. Luka looked up from the charts he was signing as Morris stucke his head out of an exam room and gestured toward yet another kid inside.
“Probably just an ear ache, Luka,” Chuny said as she passed. “Morris can handle it. Go take a nap.” Greg gestured again and then Luka frowned. He stared at Chuny’s retreating back and then at Morris. It suddenly occurred to him what was happening.
“Chuny!” he called. She turned around where she stood next to Morris. They looked at one another with wide eyes as Luka headed toward them. Luka reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He handed each of them a ten dollar bill and then headed toward the call room and the bunks in there.
“How did he know?” Morris furrowed his brows in confusion. Chuny reached over and snatched the money from his hand.
“Looks like he’s headed for a nap to me,” she grinned and slipped the money into her pocket.
Luka sighed wearily as he let himself into the apartment door at 8 o’clock. The television was playing softly. He could smell something delicious coming from the oven. He grinned slightly when his eyes landed on the couch. Abby was sleeping. She was snuggled in one of her night gowns and his robe. He could see Joe’s monitor on the table and the lead lines going through the buttoned front of her light gown. He knew exactly where to find his tiny son. Luka dropped his bag on the table near the door and made his way to the coffee table in front of the couch. He checked the monitor and then sat on the table in front of her. Luka reached out and brushed a strand of dark hair off her face. Abby’s eyes flew open and her arms wrapped tighter around her chest. She looked up at him and smiled as she stretched a little.
“I think I have this all figured out,” she sighed. “When he sleeps, I sleep.” Luka chuckled and gently pulled back the neck of the nightie to see Joe’s dark head nestled between her breasts.
“You made dinner,” he said. She nodded.
“Figured I owed you that much,” she said as she shifted herself and sat up on the couch and jostled the sleeping baby a bit. “We ate so much take out this weekend…..” Luka chuckled.
“I didn’t mind. I loved this weekend.” Abby grimaced at him.
“Right…..” she nodded sarcastically.
“I did!” Luka moved to sit next to her on the couch and put his arm behind her head. Abby nestled in closer. They both looked down at the baby and Luka traced a gentle finger along Joe’s cheek to Abby’s full breast. The baby frowned and then his eyes opened. He yawned and blinked before screwing his face up in frustration.
“Oh…thank you….not!” Abby nudged Luka and he chuckled. She shifted Joe in her arms and grinned as he immediately began rooting for her breast.
“I am beginning to sense a preference for this kangaroo hold thing too,” she sighed happily. “Your son definitely doesn’t like clothes.”
“Neither do I when I am sleeping next to his mother,” Luka grinned. “Like father, like son?” Abby turned her liquid brown eyes up at him and smiled softly. Luka pressed a kiss to her lips and then they nestled back on the couch and watched him as Joe nursed
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Post by lubyfan on Jul 23, 2006 0:06:02 GMT 10
Beautiful chapter
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Post by Lubyfanatic316 on Jul 23, 2006 1:05:12 GMT 10
Love the update!
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