Baby 51 & 52: Something About This Place

Right after Kenny is born, I feel such a sense of accomplishment.  I can't believe I have given birth to 50 babies...but 50 isn't 100, so I can't get lazy now...I find another baby daddy quickly.

This guy's name is Jesse Herrin.  He is cute enough, even if his eyes are a little squinty.

Lila also sends me a high school picture of Leslie.  She is so pretty.  She looks a lot like Lila and she has her Type A personality.

Of course, my life as a mother continues to be busy...Laundry for seven people is difficult, to say the least.

But Kenny is about as cute as he comes.  He is actually named after my grandfather on my mother's side.

He's so cute, I just want to kiss his little face all day!   Hehe!

Of course, the older kids keep me busy as well.  Hallie asks me where babies come from...

"Um...well, where do you think?" I ask her.

"Mo-om, I don't know...that's why I asked you," she replies.
Damn, smart-assed little kid...she's too much like me.
"Well honey, to be honest with you, my babies come from the internet," I tell her.

"Like EBay?" she asks.
Good Lord.  "No," I tell her, "I order them from somewhere else."

See, I can get away with that kind of stuff when I have a bunch of kids.  I have yet to have a child that wants a baby for Christmas or something.  Haha!

For some reason, all my boys are chatter boxes and say the darnedest things.  Kenny is telling me a story about monsters and dragons and princesses.  I ask him where the prince is and he tells me the dragon ate him.  Haha!

As if like clock work, John calls again.

Me: John, don't you have anyone else to bother.
John: Hadley, I swear, I won't bother you anymore once you meet me.  That's all I want.

Me: You swear to me that if I meet with you this once you'll leave me alone?

John: I swear.  Cross my heart.
I don't know why I believe him...you have to have a heart to cross it.

Me: Fine, I give.  Where do you want to meet?
John: Let's meet at the library.

When we get there, he wants to go see a concert at the theater.  I would rather roll around in trash all day, but in the interest of diplomacy, I don't tell him that.  I just ask him, "Cut to the chase, John.  What do you want?"

John: You don't know what you're missing at the theater, I'm telling you.  This band plays the best music...
Me: You're stalling, John.  You'd think for a man that has been hounding me for as long as you have you would have figured out what you wanted to say.

John: Well...um...I just wanted to tell you...do you know what I have been doing since you've been gone?
Me: *sigh* I'm hoping you're going to tell me the concise version...I don't really have that kind of time.

John: Well, I started in the political track...
Me:  Okay...
John: ...and I've made it pretty far...
Me: You're boring me, John.  What does this have to do with me?
John: ...they want me to run for Leader of the Free World...
Me: I still don't know what this has to do with me...
John: Um...
Me: ...well?
John: I...I just really care about you, Hadley.  When they asked me, I wanted you to be the first to know...I hope I can count on your support.



I don't know what it was, but something just hit me.  How could he be Leader of the Free World?  He's mean...just mean.
Me: Are you crazy?  What makes you think you can be Leader of the Free World?



John: You don't know me anymore, Hadley.  I'm not the same person I was back when we dated.  I promise you that I'll prove it to you somehow.



Me: I'm not the same person I was back then either, John.  I'm not going to fall for your lies this time.
With that, we parted ways.



Gayle is at home attempting to cook dinner.  She burnt the macaroni and cheese.  Hmm, I guess she's not going to be another chef.



Tatum and Hallie are still supportive though.
Hallie: Um, this is really good, sis.
Gayle: You all don't have to lie to me...
Tatum: We're not...it's a little on the burnt side, but that's okay.



The next morning, I have a date with Ryan.  We meet at Hydroworld...but someone else wants to interject.  I start showing and Ryan just walks away...dang, little one, talk about a cunterstunter!



Thankfully though, Ryan was cool with it...we had a contest to see who could hold their breath the longest...



I kicked his butt every time!



It was a lot of fun having some male companionship.  He's playful, funny, and cute.  I think I'm really starting to like him.



He also doesn't mind looking like a big ole' dork...He looks like the Little Mermaid in this pic.  Haha!



We have to cut the date short because he has to go to work and I have to get home because the twins, Kenny, and the triplets are aging up!



Gayle grows up to look a lot like she did as a teenager.



Tatum is also very similar to how she was in high school and she's thinking about being a fashion designer.



Billy is an adorable teen.  He's got that dark, mysterious thing going.



Maureen is still my beautiful blonde, who has an obsession with Lady Gaga in the "You and I" video...hence the yellow lipstick.



Hallie is probably the most stunning.  She looks really exotic and I don't even know where she gets it from.



Kenny is about as adorable as they come.  He looks a lot like me, but I love his little nose!



Hallie and Maureen give each other the once over...



They have very different styles, but they get along pretty well.



While I'm out, I get a strange phone call...
"Hello?"
"Is this Hadley Reed?"
"Yes"
Click.



While I'm out, I run into my niece Leslie and talk to her for a bit.



Then I go to the Spa...which I really need...



Billy took this picture of Maureen and Hallie on the bus.  They are so pretty!
They're in charge tonight because my Aunt Z is having a party!



I see Evie and I can't help but wonder if she's going to be upset because I'm pregnant again, but she doesn't seem to.  She's talking about the new book she's working on and how she and Tony are going to start thinking about invitro-fertilization.



I go to the backyard and see people skinny-dipping...and one of the people is my DAD!
AHHH!



"Jesus, Daddy, your daughter is present!"
Yeah, Mama was right about his midlife crisis!  He's doing some crazy things lately!



At home, Maureen reads Kenny a bedtime story.



Kenny likes her stories the best because she uses all the voices.  She always has had a flair for the theatrical.  She wants to be an actress.



The next morning, on Saturday, I go into labor while I'm working in my garden.



I leave the hospital with another basket!  Lordy, lordy, looks like more multiples!



Meet Baby 51: Cici Reed



...and Baby 52: Debbie Reed!



All the triplets are super excited about their sisters, but none are as excited as Maureen.



After getting the twins to bed, I get a call...
"Hello?"



"Okay, I'll be right there."