Gen. 2: Aspirations of Being An Only Child

POLLY: Serge, why did Mom have to have more babies?

SERGE: That's her thing Polls...she's doing a 100 baby challenge...you know that.

POLLY: Yeah, I know...but why did she have to have so many?

SERGE: Just lucky I guess...

Polly has been having trouble not being the baby of the family anymore.  I feel for her, I really do.  Not only is she not the youngest anymore, but she has to share her attention with four screaming infants.

I remember when my mom had the quints and she almost lost her mind, I can't imagine having five babies.  One would think adding an extra here or there would matter much, but it does.

It seems like my work is never done.  As soon as they have all been fed, changed, and given enough attention, I have to start the whole vicious cycle over again.

Julianne tries her best to help, but I'm stubborn.  

JULIANNE: Where do you need me Mom?

BONNIE: Oh, I got this honey...just go relax.

JULIANNE: Number 1, no you do not have this.  I can smell that at least one of them has a dirty diaper and two are crying.

BONNIE: Yeah, but I really want to handle this myself.

JULIANNE: No offense, but that's insane.  Come on, let me help.

I really have no choice but to let her.  There are two of them screaming, one has a dirty diaper, and one has to be fed...and I only have two hands.

BONNIE: Okay, fine...I'm just going to go sit down...

I take Liberty and sit in the rocking chair to rest for a bit...and I think I go into a coma.

When I wake up, Liberty is crying and Julianne is gently taking her out of my arms.

When I walk back into my room, all the babies are gone.

BONNIE: Jules!  Where did they all go?

JULIANNE: Calm down Mom, follow me...

She has calmed Liberty and she is leading me into the living room.

Where she has set up four swings where each of the babies is sitting, blissfully pacified.

BONNIE: Oh wow...

JULIANNE: Right?

BONNIE: These swings...are...genius.

JULIANNE: I had Serge grab another one...so we've got them all covered.

BONNIE: Uh...okay...I'm gonna...

JULIANNE: Why don't you go take a nap?

BONNIE: Uh...yeah...nap...

I sleep peacefully for an undetermined amount of time...I obviously needed it.

Meanwhile, Polly has taken up painting.  She's an artistic soul and only feels complete if she is creating.

After awhile, the babies are ready for bed, so Julianne and Serge move them back into their cribs, which wakes me up, but I feel amazingly refreshed.

I scoop up Haylia and declare it to be their birthday!

I dress Haylia in red and she has her father's eyes and coloring, but looks a lot like me.

Rayn is next...she looks like her father but has my coloring and black hair, I am only guessing from my mother.  I put her in green.

Next up is Liberty.  She looks almost identical to Rayn but she has my hair and coloring.  She wears yellow.

Last up is Nellie with my hair color, her father's coloring, and my eyes.  Blue seems to be the best for her.

As soon as we get them all aged up, Serge reminds me that tonight is prom night for him and Julianne.

Of course I get them to strike a pose for the camera before they leave.  They are so gorgeous!  I highly recommend Everard genetics!

About an hour into their prom, Julianne texts me to say they won Prom Queen and Prom King.  I don't know why they choose a brother/sister pair, but whatever.

At home, I am stuck with an overly whiny Polanne because she wanted to go to prom too...

So I bribe her with cake, cookies, and having a friend over and she is happy.

After our little party, I read her her favorite story about Snow White and Rose Red.

Of course she falls right to sleep and I let her sleep in my bed.

Of course, I don't know who would want to sleep in my room.  I always have four screaming toddlers in it.

Liberty is always the first to wake up, and thankfully she isn't so loud she wakes up the rest of them right away.

It's difficult to split my time enough to even get their basic needs met, much less teaching them anything, but I manage.  I would hate for them to be the only kids in school unable to walk, talk, or use the bathroom.

Soon, it's Polanne's birthday and her only wish is to be big like Serge and Julianne, which makes it easy.  Nature can manage that one for me.

And it does just fine.  Of course I am annoyed when she insists on wearing her hair just like her Aunt Gia and when Gia sends her more clothes that probably cost more than this house, but what can I do?

She is definitely a beautiful young woman.

Gen. 2: Babies 54, 55, 56, & 57: Come Back to Me

BONNIE: They're gone!  

BRENDAN: What?  Wait...who's gone?

BONNIE: Polly...Serge...at the park...they're gone!

I know I'm not making any sense right now, but my children are gone!  I knew I should have never left her here.  I don't know what to do.  I did the only thing I knew to do and called Brendan.

BRENDAN: Babe...calm down...what's going on?

I explain everything to him and he tells me to go home and he'll meet me at the house.  So that's what I do.

I literally run all the way home.

I can't believe this is happening.

Brendan meets me at the door with a hug.

I swear, if something happens to them...I don't know what I'll do.

I start pacing until Brendan tells me to just go sit down.

BONNIE: I can't sit down!  I can't sit down when my kids are out there, all alone...or maybe with a psychopath!

BRENDAN: Honey, I swear, you'll feel better if you just sit down.  I'm going to make some coffee...just go sit down.

I sit down and put my head in my hands.

I am completely numb.  I can't even cry.  What am I going to do?

Brendan comes over and kneels in front of me.

BRENDAN: Don't worry.  We'll find them.  I swear.  

BONNIE: But what if...?

BRENDAN: Don't even let yourself thing we won't find them, because we will.  I promise.  If it's the last thing I do.

*BRENDAN'S POV*

I leave Bonnie's and head over to Nico's house...or at least the last one I remember him living in.

I may not be as savvy as the Espositos, but I can jimmy a lock, which comes in handy because no one is home.

Of course when I get in, there is nothing there...or at least nothing that could be of any help to us.

Okay, Brendan, think.

The only thing I can do at this point is pick up the phone.

I shoot a quick text.

Hey G, we need to talk.

GIA: Brendan, I got your text, what's wrong?

BRENDAN: It's Nico...he has Polly...

Gia doesn't look surprised.

BRENDAN: Tell me you don't know anything about this, please.

GIA: I knew he was talking about wanting to raise her himself...

BRENDAN: Why didn't you say something?

GIA: I didn't think he would actually take her.  I tried to tell her she was better off with her mother...

BRENDAN: Which I'm sure he listened to...*sarcastically*

GIA: Yeah, well...

BRENDAN: Have you seen him today?

GIA: No...

BRENDAN: It's not just Polly...he has her son Serge too...or at least he's missing.

GIA: Uh-oh.

BRENDAN: Yeah...

GIA: Look, the only thing I know to do is to talk to Daddy...maybe he can shake some sense into Nico...if he can find him.

BRENDAN: Yeah, talk to your dad, whatever.  We just need to get them back.

GIA: Of course...I'll do anything for you Brendan.

BRENDAN: Do it for Bonnie too...

GIA: Right...Bonnie.

She said Bonnie as if her name tasted bad in her mouth, but I ignore it.  I have to make nice with her...she's our only hope.

*BONNIE'S POV*

I wake up very early in the morning with what else?  Morning sickness.  In all the madness I had completely forgotten that I was impregnated yesterday.

Either way, when I get done upchucking, I can't get back to sleep, so I just sit here...alternating from staring at the ceiling...to the floor...to the wall...to the windows.  There's just a lot of staring going on.

Part of me is on high alert.  Usually if Polly sees me stirring this early in the morning, she starts decides it's time to be awake for the day and starts yelling for me to get her out of bed. 

Normally I dread this, but I miss my baby so much, I would gladly go without sleep for the rest of my life to have her back...not to mention Serge.  He's usually so helpful in the morning.  Helping me while I fix breakfast, entertaining Polly, and cleaning up the breakfast dishes before school.  He is such a good boy.

What am I going to do without them?

It's all proving to be to much and the tears finally fall.

Brendan happens to walk in just as they start and wraps me in his arms.

BRENDAN: It's okay baby, I'm going to get them back, I swear.

BONNIE: I won't be able to live with myself without them, Brendan.  I swear I won't.

BRENDAN: I'm going to fix this.

With that, he gets dressed and leaves.  I certainly hope he can do something...

SEVERAL DAYS LATER...

Days and days have passed and I don't know what to do with myself anymore.  I call Brendan every five minutes, I am seeing Polly and Serge everywhere...I am losing my mind.

I spend most of my time wandering around the house.  I can't think of anything else to do.  

It's gotten so bad, I keep hearing things.

Like right now, I swear I hear Polly calling for me.

SERGE: Mom!  Mom!  Are you here?

And I hear Serge too...

Brendan walks in and snaps me out of my delusions, or at least I think he's going to.

BRENDAN: Bonnie, I got them back!  Come on!  What are you waiting for?

Sure enough, my little girl is sitting in the entry way as if she never left.

I run to her and scoop her up, barely being able to believe it.

Serge comes up behind me and gives me a hug.

BONNIE: Are you all okay?

SERGE: Yeah...yeah, we're fine.

BONNIE: What about Nico?  What's going on?

BRENDAN: Nico won't bother you anymore...

BONNIE: What happened?

BRENDAN: Nothing you need to worry about.

BONNIE: He isn't dead is he?

BRENDAN: *laughs* No, of course not.  Everything is fine, don't worry.

I am so happy to have my babies back and I know they are happy to be back with me.

POLLY: Mommy...missed you!

BONNIE: I missed you too baby girl!

Getting her back was bitter sweet though, she had been gone so long, her birthday is coming up.

She ages up to be a beautiful little girl with dark, cascading curls and dark eyes.  Her Aunt Gia of course sent tons of extremely expensive clothes for her, which she was extremely excited about.

My next babies to age up are Rione and Adovie.  It's time for them to leave home.

Rione looks almost identical to his father and aspires to be a Chess Legend

Adovie, however wishes to be Surrounded by Family, even though she is just as smart as her brother.

My pregnancy progresses rapidly after the first little bit, and soon I can barely move.

I decide to work on my sculpting again when the baby decides to make an entrance.

As the labor progresses, I realize there is something off about this labor...and I'm right.

The first baby to make an entrance is a little girl.  Baby #54: Haylia Reed

Followed by her sister, Baby #55: Rayn Reed

...then a little chunky monkey...or monkette, another girl, Baby #56: Liberty Reed

...and finally, a fourth quiet little girl, Baby #57: Nellie Reed

Quads?!