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Shauna Shipman and Jackie Taylor stood in the maternity ward in awe at the hospital 72 hours ago it was just them now their lives would never be the same again.
They were parents.
Henry Shipman Taylor was born three days ago to Shauna Shipman and Jackie Taylor early in the morning. The last couple of months they were preparing for his arrival and did everything thanks to parenting courses Deb Shipman made the two take to make sure everything would go smoothly.
“Look at that Jackie, he’s ours….” Shauna said looking at the sleeping Henry on the other side of the window in the maternity ward. “Already two days old, and he is the most beautiful thing in the whole world” Jackie said in awe at the sight of their boy. “He’s the original Wiskayok lesbian baby” Jackie said to Shauna making her chuckle “and he’s ours” Shauna said to her.
After the birth, Shauna felt a little sore from a natural birth. She was scared she would have to have a c section but thankfully didn’t happen but the birth tore her up a little. Shauna still felt sore but was able to walk a lot but rested comfortably after.
Deb Shipman was thrilled to be a first time grandmother to her daughter and daughter in law’s son. She couldn’t wait to spoil him. And for Shauna and Jackie’s friend Sid Strickland he was now an uncle and a godfather to their child.
Shauna and Jackie anxiously waited for the all clear to go home with their child. Nothing bad happened of course but always precautions the doctors took.
Afterwards Shauna lied in her hospital bed playing with her fingers and Jackie paced back and forth as a doctor walked into their room.
“So…. are we cleared?” Jackie asked the doctor anxiously. The doctor smiled at them “all cleared, tomorrow you guys head home” saying to the happy parents leaving the room.
Shauna breathed relief that they could finally go home tomorrow. “I’ll be so glad to go home tomorrow Jackie, believe me” Shauna said to her wife lying in the hospital bed.
“I’m going to head back with Mrs. Shipman to get everything ready for Henry’s homecoming” Jackie told Shauna about the preparations she and Deb Shipman were making at home for Shauna and Henry. “But I’m coming straight back tomorrow morning with Mrs. Shipman” Jackie said sweetly to Shauna. “You know, it never occurred to me we haven’t spent one night apart in eight years even if it’s one night” Shauna said looking at Jackie. “Better get sleep while we can tonight cause once we come home we’ll never sleep again” Shauna said jokingly about their baby. “Probably in about 19 years” Jackie said to Shauna.
Jackie kissed Shauna and left the room.
SHIPMAN HOUSE
Jackie and Deb Shipman were in Shauna’s bedroom setting up the bassinet for Henry to sleep in. Shauna wanted Henry to sleep in their room for a while so she and Jackie would be close to him during the night. Jackie earlier changed Shauna’s nite brite lamp from FUCK YOU to a heart saying HENRY with a heart on it. She did it to surprise Shauna once she came home with Henry and they would later move it to his nursery.
“You know I tell ya Jackie, it’s going to be great having another child around here.” Deb said as she and Jackie were finishing up the bassinet “I remember when Shauna was little and you and her had sleepovers here as kids, you guys watched Disney movies then those horror movies when you became teenagers” She said remembering the sleepovers Shauna and Jackie had sometimes with their teammates. “Then you moved in and you and my daughter still watch movies and cuddle up” Deb continued to talk as Jackie finished up the bassinet “Now we have a child coming home tomorrow and everything that’s about to happen when Shauna walks inside.” Deb said gushing about her grandson.
Jackie started to cry as Deb looked at her worriedly.
“Jackie?” Deb said to Jackie “awww… come here” Deb gave Jackie a hug comforting Jackie “I’m ok… Mrs. Shipman honest” Jackie said wiping her eyes of wet tears. “Jackie, I know something’s bugging you” Deb said to Jackie as they both sat on the floor in Shauna’s room. “You want to talk about it?” Deb asked her as Jackie nodded.
“I should be excited about Henry coming home tomorrow, but why am I so nervous about this?” Jackie said to Deb “so much is going through my head, did we childproof the cabinets and everything? Do we have all the stuff and everything to keep our boy safe? Why am I so nervous?” Jackie admitted to Deb about the homecoming of their son. “it’s ok to have jitters about motherhood Jackie, believe me I know” Deb said to her.
“When I was young and had Shauna I was a wreck, I didn’t even know what to do at first but I got the hang of it it just takes a little bit of time to adjust to motherhood, and believe me jitters are normal and you and Shauna will adjust a little caring for a baby but he’ll learn and grow over time and he will have the best moms helping him along the way” Deb said sweetly to Jackie. “and you and Shauna will hit the stride of mommyhood and you’ll learn that motherhood doesn’t come with a manual as I told Shauna years ago” Deb remembered the conversation she had with Shauna about being a mom.
Jackie looked at Deb wiping her eyes. “you really think Shauna and I will as a team?” Jackie asked her. “You will” Deb assured her.
Jackie hugged Deb “thank you Mrs. Shipman, I wanted to hear that and I’m going to be the best mom to our baby” Jackie said finishing the bassinet.
“And I know Shauna will be a great mother too” Deb said to her “Its not going to be easy but Shauna and I will hit our stride with parenthood even if it’s worth the late feedings and diaper changing soon” Jackie said.
Later, Jackie lied in bed in Shauna’s bedroom it felt empty without her since she was still at the hospital with their baby they were both coming home tomorrow.
She arose from bed and it hit her when she saw the bassinet their son was going to sleep in once they came home tomorrow.
They were moms.
They would have the job of keeping a baby happy, healthy, fed and clothed and loved too.
Jackie couldn’t wait to see Henry grow up in front of her and Shauna. She closed her eyes and slept.
HOSPTIAL
“Henry let me know if I’m doing this right cause this is the first time I’m doing this” Shauna said to Henry as she was changing his diaper for the first time in the hospital room. “I’ve done this with dolls months before and when I was a kid but never with a real baby before or one of those creepy dolls” Shauna said as she was finishing up while Henry didn’t even notice. She feared she would be peed on but thankfully it didn’t happen. She and Jackie would have to get used to diaper changing now that they had a baby and they were ready thanks to the parenting classes Deb made them take to prepare for mommyhood.
Shauna finished the diaper change and picked Henry up and kissed his forehead. “Mommy got you all clean” Shauna sweetly said to Henry as he gurgled and went back to her bed and rested on it. “Please.. Don’t pee on me or your Jax’s face whenever we change you but I know you will do that” Shauna joked knowing what was to come. “And grandma said to me and Jackie they’ll be those “special diapers” but I know what that will be ugh…. But your Jax and I will do that unflattering thing of mommyhood” Shauna said.
“Tomorrow morning we’re going home my darling” Shauna said to Henry in her arms. “Jax, and grandma can’t wait for us to come home tomorrow to begin our new lives.”
Henry gurgled softly as Shauna held onto his tiny hand with her finger. Knowing tomorrow on Shauna and Jackie would probably get little to no sleep at all but it didn’t matter to them.
“By the way, you’re going to have the best nursery in all of Wiskayok and a bachelor pad for you too” Shauna said laughing to herself quietly as Henry fell asleep in her arms.
The Next Day
Shauna got dressed into her regular clothes with a flannel of course. She hoped her new baby would love flannels to wear and each holiday and birthday she would get him a new pair each year. Today was the day Henry and Shauna were coming home and Shauna slept as much as could along with Jackie because the moment they walk inside sleep was going to be a miracle to them.
She put a onesie given to her by Casey during her baby shower that had the words I’m new here on it that was green and a blue blanket to cover Henry up.
Deb and Jackie couldn’t wait to see Shauna and her new baby come home today and it was the day of homecoming. Jackie along with Shauna’s mother entered the room where Shauna was staying at and smiled at Shauna holding her son.
Shauna sat on a wheelchair with Henry in her arms to be carried out of the hospital. She was still a little sore but fully healed but hospital rules she had to follow.
“Are you ready to go home my sweetie?” Shauna said sweetly to Henry who gurgled at his mom. “I’ll take that a yes” Jackie smiled at them.
During the trip to the car Shauna just looked at her son gurgling and trying to open his eyes in and out of sleep. Jackie wheeled her out into Deb’s van.
Deb opened the door and Shauna saw the car seat installed in it. Shauna put Henry gently into his seat strapping him in safely.
Shauna sat next to her newborn holding his hand and looking at him the whole ride home. Jackie kept turning from the passenger seat every second to look at her two loves.
After driving for a moment Deb pulled into the driveway of her house.
“Henry…. Here we are” Shauna whispered to Henry.
Shauna, Jackie and Deb hopped out of the van and Jackie grabbed the carseat as she didn’t want Shauna to carry a heavy thing after giving birth.
Deb opened the door and Shauna and Jackie went inside. “Welcome to your new home Henry” Jackie said sweetly to her son.
They went upstairs and walked into his nursery for the first time. Shauna and Jackie looked at the nursery and it was everything they dreamed of.
Shauna leaned into the carseat and spoke to Henry. “do you like it my sweet boy?” she asked him who just gurgled at his mom.
“I will take that as a yes” Shauna smiled and walked to the rocking chair and sat down. “Let me see him” Shauna said to Jackie as she gently unbuckled Henry and gently put him in her arms and walked over to Shauna and gently handed Henry to put into her arms.
Shauna held Henry in her rocking chair, and for a moment Shauna and Jackie just looked at their baby in Shauna’s arms. The months of getting everything ready the mom classes everything led to this and now he was home and the transition into parenthood was starting for Shauna Shipman and Jackie Taylor.
Jackie sat down next to the rocking chair with a view of Shauna and Henry. It hit her when she saw them. The road ahead as new parents was going to be ups and downs from the late feedings to diaper changing, crying and teething along with sleep deprivation they were going to see their child grow and learn new things every day and Shauna and Jackie were going to experience whole new things along the way.
Suddenly, Henry started to cry as Shauna began rock him back and forth to soothe him. “He’s crying Shauna I think he must be hungry” Jackie said as Shauna began to take her right breast out of her shirt to breastfeed him.
Sure enough Henry was hungry so Shauna breastfed him from what the nurse showed her how to do in the hospital but now it was just her also Shauna would pump breastmilk to bottle feed him as well just in case.
Jackie’s heart melted at the sight of Shauna bonding with their new son. She never thought in years she and Shauna would become parents.
There had been one thing missing. Their fallen Yellowjackets friends who in 1996 died in a plane crash that Shauna and Jackie missed when they were kept from boarding the doomed flight.
From that day on she and Shauna would be forever grateful to be alive and to make each day count and now they had a new baby.
“Shauna, I need to get Rosie to meet him” Jackie said getting up and leaving the nursery to get their cat Rosie to meet her new baby brother.
They were both nervous to have their cat meet a human baby because they knew sometimes pets would be jealous to have a new baby in the house. Shauna even said to Jackie that Rosie would rather have a new kitten but instead it was a human brother.
Jackie opened the door holding Rosie in her arms.
“Rosie…. I have someone here that wants to meet you” Jackie said to Rosie who purred at her moms. “This is your baby brother Henry” Jackie held Rosie a few feet away from Shauna and Henry. Shauna finished breastfeeding before Jackie came in and lifted Henry up slightly in view of Rosie and Shauna waved Henry’s hand. “Hi Rosie I’m your new brother Henry we’re going to be best friends” Shauna said in her baby voice to Rosie.
Rosie just looked at Henry. Her new brother her masters brought home. She would have preferred a second kitten but she just stared at him as Jackie put her down on the floor.
A second later Rosie went on her way. “I guess it’s going to take long for Rosie to warm up to her new brother” Jackie said. “I mean I did give her brother’s scent Shauna” She continued. “I know it’s gonna take a while for her” Shauna replied to Jackie.
The day went on uneventfully. Sid and his folks stopped by to see how they were doing and Sid held Henry for a little while then later their college friends each came by to meet him and during all those Shauna and Jackie wished Lottie, Nat, Van, Misty, Mari, and Laura would be there to meet their new nephew but they were lost in the crash in 1996 so it was bittersweet.
LATER
Later that night, Deb got takeout food for the new moms and the three talked about Henry during dinner and Deb’s memories of Shauna as a baby that made Shauna shake her head in embarrassment about them, And now Shauna and Jackie were moms themselves and they were about to go through things like Deb had done.
Deb went to the kitchen to do the dishes and Jackie offered her help but Deb insisted she could do it herself and she and Shauna would get ready to start the motherhood journey.
Shauna went into her bedroom after taking a shower then Jackie took one herself and while she was showering she looked in her bedroom at the view of a bassinet near the bed.
She sat down on the side of the bed and watched Henry sleep peacefully.
Shauna didn’t know if it was the hormones after giving birth or if she was sleepy but she started to cry as Henry was sleeping. Eight years ago they lost their friends in a plane crash and everything after was the darkest times of their lives. The survivor’s guilt, depression and their near miss was a wakeup call for both Shauna and Jackie. They both got through the darkness and repaired their once near fractured relationship and slowly fell in love and now they were parents.
She wiped her eyes and sniffed as she saw Henry’s stomach moving up and down slowly. He was only three days old and Shauna and Jackie were madly in love with him more than anyone and anything else in life. Shauna soaked every moment of looking at her baby because she would blink and he would be five years old starting kindergarten then she would blink again and he would be off to college.
Jackie entered wiping her hair with a towel as Shauna quickly wiped her tears away so Jackie wouldn’t see it but Jackie did.
“Shauna… what’s wrong?” Jackie said to her.
“Sit with me Jackie” Shauna quietly said to her as Jackie slowly walked to her to not awaken the baby. They both were now looking at their son.
“Look at him Jax, it’s our baby and he’s real” Shauna said to her as Henry slept. “It’s so peaceful seeing him sleep and getting cozy.” she continued.
Jackie put her arm around Shauna as they both watched him sleep. “sometimes I think about what would have happened if we caught the flight” Shauna spoke again “but if we did we wouldn’t be sitting here in my bedroom with a sweet beautiful boy sleeping” she remarked “I don’t even want to think about it Shauna, it makes me sad that our old friends aren’t here to meet our son.”
Shauna put her head down Jackie’s shoulder wiping her eyes. “I would have been so scared in the woods without you and our baby if we caught the flight and you were gone” Shauna said to Jackie thinking about if she had given birth then losing her son and Jackie in the woods.
Jackie embraced her “there’s no need to be scared Shauna, we’re here in Wiskayok living with your mom and I’m here with you and our boy” she soothed Shauna who lowered her head on her shoulders. “does it make you feel better that I’m married to you and we’re moms now?” Jackie asked her. “yeah it makes me feel better that we’re alive and here and we keep the memories in our hearts of our friends” Shauna said.
Jackie held Shauna’s head on her hands “I’m glad” she said sweetly to Shauna kissing her as they lowered in bed covering each other with Shauna’s red blanket.
They lied in bed as Henry slept in his bassinet. “you know Jackie, I’m going to miss sleep so much it was so nice but I think we’ll be vampires or something” Shauna joked making Jackie laugh softly. “so will I but on the bright side between lack of sleep and diaper changing and spit ups it’s going to be all worth it seeing our boy grow up” Jackie said to Shauna.
“It will be worth it and we’ll get to see everything through his eyes” Shauna said yawning putting her head down on her pillow sleep coming on. “Let’s try to sleep as much as we can” Jackie said closing her eyes yawning.
Within a few hours, Shauna and Jackie were sleeping when they woke up to the sound of crying. Shauna rose her head up and saw the clock as 1:30 A.M.
Shauna rose up from bed and rubbed her face in exhaustion “Well sleep… we had a good run but now we have a alarm clock” Shauna said as Jackie chuckled “this is going to take some getting used to” Jackie remarked.
“I’ll take the first shift then you take the next one” Shauna said to Jackie.
“Got it” Jackie replied. “I’ll pump too just in case” Shauna said walking to the bassinet and picking up a crying Henry.
She walked to the nursery, opened the door and sat down on the rocking chair. Opening her shirt and covering herself Shauna while walking figured out why he was crying he was hungry began to breastfeed Henry as she began to sing a lullaby to him as Jackie entered the nursery.
“Jackie, you should be sleeping I got this” Shauna ordered her back to bed “No Shauna, I need to be with you just in case something happens we’re in this together” Jackie said to her holding her hand. “What if you fall asleep breastfeeding Shauna? I don’t want you to do that so I have to be with you to keep you up when you do that” Jackie said to Shauna.
Shauna had wanted to prove to her mom that she and Jackie can do the motherhood stuff without help and she was so glad Jackie was there for Shauna to help otherwise she would have been struggling.
She smiled at her as she finished up feeding him. “I love you Jackie” Shauna sweetly said to her as Jackie smiled.
Henry woke up twice more that night this time Jackie took the second shift as Shauna went to pump milk in the kitchen to put in a bottle for him.
Jackie as she held her son in her arms decided to walk him around the house soaking in all his features from his head all the way to his little feet.
He had been crying but it became a quiet whimper as Jackie rocked him back and forth. After everything Jackie had been through back in 1996 she was so grateful to be alive, married to her love Shauna, the best of friends with Sid, and now their new baby was here now.
She couldn’t wait to see the baby in her arms grow up and Shauna the same as her along the way.
Deb woke up a few times and asked Shauna if she needed any help but she told her mom to go to sleep and she and Jackie could handle it.
Jackie looked at the clock in the kitchen it was 3:45 AM but it felt like the longest time.
After nearly two hours Henry woke up again this time he needed his diaper changed and Shauna did so insisting that she could do the gristliest tasks of parenthood but Jackie though she learned the skills needed to change diapers offered to change him but Shauna had been stubborn.
Shauna took Henry to the changing table and saw Rosie sleeping on it. She shooed her off of it as Jackie picked her up and petted her making sure she wasn’t left out.
By the time Henry woke up for good the time was now 5:58 AM, two minutes before people began their morning rituals.
Shauna and Jackie were extremely exhausted and the day hadn’t even started yet. Deb Shipman entered and saw Shauna’s eyes drooping in exhaustion in the kitchen she looked like a zombie along with Jackie.
“Hello mom” Deb said to Shauna “so how was the first day of motherhood?” She asked her daughter “it’s not even 7 yet and already Jackie and I are so tired” Shauna replied covering her face in exhaustion “I fed him, changed him and rocked him didn’t do much really” she said.
Deb softly smiled at Shauna “Welcome to motherhood girls” she said to both Shauna and Jackie. “It’ll take some getting used to it but it’ll take time” she assured the moms.
“Mom, now I fully understand now what it’s like to raise a baby” Shauna said to her mom “is this what lack of sleep feels like?” she asked her mom who nodded at her. “Thought so” Shauna said as Deb turned on the coffee machine.
Deb got the coffee ready to make in the mornings and today she was going to introduce it to Shauna and Jackie. She grabbed a mug as the coffee pot filled up.
“Shauna, I want to introduce you and Jackie to the thing that will get you two through the mornings as a boost in the day. It’s coffee” Deb poured a cup of Joe for Shauna to drink.
“Give it a little sip honey” Deb handed the mug to Shauna who looked at it “careful it’s very hot” Deb warned her of it.
Shauna took a little sip and almost spat it out ok maybe coffee wasn’t for her “it tastes horrid mom” she said to Deb. “but I have to get used to this” Shauna said “and Jackie will too” she said.
She walked into the living room and saw Jackie next to Henry on the couch as he slept and it hit her at that moment.
Henry was the thing that was going to get her and Jackie through dark days and any ups and downs in life. They had somebody to comfort them when they were upset and to share the love.
Shauna saw Jackie lay next to Henry just looking at him sleeping. Jackie looked up and saw Shauna smile at them.
Shortly after, Shauna had Henry in her arms while she and Jackie went into their bedroom. Shauna gently lay Henry in his bassinet as she and Jackie held his tiny hands.
Henry yawned moving softly as Shauna and Jackie’s hearts melted at the sight of him. “How is he real Jackie?” Shauna said “he is real” Jackie said softly to her.
Just then Shauna saw a camera on her shelf and walked over to get it. She and Jackie took a picture of them with Henry labled as.
The first day of motherhood
Shauna put the photo into a blue book Jackie purchased as a baby book for Henry months ago. She couldn’t wait to fill it with moments and milestones.
LATER
Later that night Shauna, Jackie and Henry were sleeping soundly after the first day of parenthood. A lull allowed the three to fully sleep but it wouldn’t be long before Henry woke up again.
Jackie arose and saw Shauna sleeping soundly. Quietly she got out of bed tip toeing out of their bedroom not before seeing Henry sleeping soundly in his bassinet.
She opened the door to his nursery. Jackie looked at the mobile of Henry’s crib it had a soccer ball among some things on it it was her idea to put that there.
Jackie took her heart necklace out of her pocket that she had worn for years. She kissed it softly and added it to the mobile on it.
She smiled at the heart necklace on it. Jackie would say to Shauna that it would be a good luck charm that will protect their baby from any danger that would come his way.
Twenty years later,
UC-Berkley
Among the things in Henry Taylor’s dorm room was a New Jersey Devils poster, a pile of laundry with a Buffalo Bills hoodie and a faded New Jersey Nets shirt.
A mini fridge and microwave both on to of each other, with a desk and posters on the wall of his favorite movies and art he saw.
And on his desk was a picture of his two mothers.
Shauna Shipman and Jackie Taylor he had taken a year before.
and right nearby was Jackie’s heart necklace he had saved.
As a reminder of good luck and no matter where he went he knew Shauna Shipman and Jackie Taylor, his mothers would love him and could sense they were there even if they were 2,000 miles away back in Wiskayok, New Jersey living their lives as one.