Is That Colour Normal?

Writers: Kaysea, Vix
Date Posted: 27th September 2008

Characters: Tayette, Hartam
Description: Tayette gives Hartam a lesson in baby-care.
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 12, day 16 of Turn 4

"Hush little one." Tayette's voice was soft as she crooned to her son.
"Daddy'll be home soon, and we want to be happy for him, don't we?" she
asked, her eyes flicking to the second cradle where her daughter slept on.
The babies had done as she had assured Hartam they would, and grown quite
well over the course of the last couple of sevendays. No longer puny, they
had both rounded out nicely looking as healthy as a full term babies. She
turned to the doorway, hearing a noise from outside.

"It's almost quiet in there," the harper's voice said in an exaggerated
whisper. "Maybe they aren't even home." He grinned as he peeked around the
door, delighting as always at the sight of his wife with one of the babes.
He pushed the door open and edged his way in, gitar in its soft case slung
across his back, his hands balancing covered and wrapped dishes. "Ah – one
is awake for me to spoil while you eat your dinner."

"You brought me dinner?" a smile broke wide across her face, "You always
manage to know which nights I really couldn't bear to cook or go down to the
dining hall, don't you?" she leaned forward and kissed her husband softly on
the lips. "Can you put the plate on the table, please, and I'll come out
with him?" she spoke quietly, her eyes alighting on Haryette for a moment.

"Of course," he told her, taking the plate to the table. "And there's no way
that I could resist bringing this to you – I've been smelling this meat
roasting at the Tavern the entire time I was playing and thinking 'Tay would
enjoy this.' I couldn't have come home without it."

"And I'm so pleased that you did, because I'm starving." she smiled, "These
two kept me busy today and I barely had a piece of cheese and a slice of
bread this afternoon. Binta wasn't able to come and take care of them for a
little while this afternoon, so I've been on the go the whole day."

"Oh." The harper frowned. "Does anyone else besides Binta help you?"

"No, and I don't want anyone else to." she shook her head, "Binta is like a
mother to me, and a grandmother to the children. As long as she can come a
couple of times a sevenday, it gives me a break." she smiled indulgently.

Hartam was taken a-back by that admission. "But all those women who were
hanging about ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the twins – I thought they were
helping you?"

Tayette laughed softly. "No dear, they were oohing and ahhing as most women
do over newborns. Asking if they can have a hold of the baby is no
indication of willingness to change its napkin."

The harper appeared to be truly discomfited. "I'm sorry, Tay. I thought that
they were helping you and letting you rest now and then. I should have been
taking my turn getting up with them during the night instead of leaving it
all to you."

"And have you falling asleep at the Tavern? No..." she shook her head.
"Binta helps me out and that's all I need, honestly."

"You're certain?" He still frowned deeply. "They wake so often – you must be
exhausted."

"A little tired today." she finally admitted. Neither babe had slept well
at all - or so it seemed. "I think they're going through a growth spurt.
Geni did mention it could happen." Though she hadn't mentioned they would be
awake and wanting fed almost the whole day and night.

"Then it's time that I pitched in and did my part," he told her. "So far
I've held them and sang to them and talked to them, but I need to learn some
of the more practical portions of child-rearing. What can I do to help?"

"I think he may need a napkin change?" she answered, a little too quickly.
"He's been more restless than she, and I've done everything else I can think
of to settle him."

Hartam paused for a moment but then smiled, wondering exactly what he had
let himself in for. "It's about time I learned to do that, isn't it?"

"You don't _have_ to, but you did offer." she smiled softly, "I can show you
how, and be grateful - this one is only wet."

He had been in the room during changes that involved more-than-wet ones and
definitely did not feel ready for them. "Indeed. What do I do first?"

She beckoned him to the alcove where she had a small bench pushed up against
the inner wall, and a tray of cloths and napkins were lined up along the
back of the bench. "Whatever you do, don't leave either of them unattended
- even for a moment, while you're changing them." she cautioned.

A few minutes later, she had guided Hartam through his first napkin change,
when a small cry came from the other room. "Now that you've done one, do
you think you'll be able to manage the next one?" she asked, nodding towards
the bedroom.

Hartam was not certain that he could do this, but Tayette was nearby, so how
bad could it be? He handed the baby to Tayette and headed to the bedroom for
his daughter.

"Hello, my little beauty," he said as he gingerly lifted the squalling child
from the bassinet. As he held her close, he caught a whiff of something. He
sniffed again, wrinkling his nose as he carried her into the outer room.
"Tay? This one might be a little more difficult."

Tayette laughed lightly, "Well, I'm sure I can walk you through this one as
well, my love." she dropped a light kiss on her daughters head as he drew
near, "It's almost the same, but you'll need a couple of damp cloths for
this one."

"I should have figured that out," he told her, setting the baby on the bench
and then looking around. He started to move away but remembered. "I can't
leave her. . . could you get the cloths?"

"Okay." she smiled and hurried quickly to get some of the small cloths she
had prepared for these times. "How're you doing?" she asked, returning
quickly. Tayhar was almost asleep in her arms with the movement, but she
didn't hold out much hope that he would drift off to sleep completely, if
she lay him down.

He had unfastened the napkin, fighting off the impulse to gag at the odor,
but now stared, pausing a moment before answering her. "I hate to worry you,
dear, but I think there's something wrong with this one. There's no way that
what's in here can be normal."

She stepped forward and glanced into the napkin, "It's normal." she grinned,
somewhat enjoying the look of disbelief on Hartam's face. "Believe me, I've
seen enough of them in the past few sevendays to know."

"Really?" He squinted at the napkin's contents. "That color? It's alright?"

"Yes!" she laughed aloud this time, "It's the breast milk, a yellowish paste
is perfectly normal."

He shook his head in disbelief, but used the damp cloths to clean the mess
from the baby and continued on, fastening her fresh napkin as he had been
instructed. "Done!" he proclaimed as he finished, flashing a smile at his
wife.

"You did better than I expected." Tayette smiled and bestowed a light kiss
on him, deftly collecting the soiled napkin and cloths he had used to clean
Haryette. "Come and sit down with them and I'll get rid of this." she said,
indicating the napkin.

Hartam wrinkled up his nose at the soiled cloth, deciding that at the moment
he had the more pleasant task. "Do you just throw it away now? And how often
do they do that?"

"_That_ happens about four times a day, each." she said, finding his
reactions amusing. "And no, the napkins are washed, dried and reused." The
cleaning cloths as well. See," she waved an arm across to a basket full of
cleaned napkins and cloths awaiting folding.

"M'dear," he told her solemnly, "your life is even more difficult than I
thought. I fear that I've taken you far too much for granted."

"Oh Hartam," she smiled and sat down on chair across from him, "I'm doing
what every other woman does, who has children." a small thrill rocked her at
her words, "You don't know how happy I am that I can say that."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "It seems that I hear about so many other couples
and how unhappy the wife is with her lot."

"Hartam I never thought I would be able to say those words." she shook her
head, part of her aching for the woman she had been before she met him. "You
gave me something so precious, how could I ever regret my lot in life?"

He smiled at her, still cradling their daughter in his arms. "Hopefully I'll
not give you any reason to do so."

"You? Never." she shook her head, and reached out a hand to take his. "You
have changed my life, my love."

"As you have mine." His comment was shortened as the infant turned her head
to nuzzle at his chest. "I think she needs you."

Last updated on the September 28th 2008

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Is That Colour Normal?