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First birthdays aren't really for the baby, they're for the parents and for the friends and family. The baby won't even remember any of it!
Sara had heard it all before, in every variation. Mostly directed at the people around her, granted...but as Sloane's first birthday had begun to creep up on her and Syd, they'd begun hearing it themselves.
However, Sara was adamant, from jump street, that she wanted to celebrate. She wanted to have a party not just to celebrate their little munchkin, who had grown so much and was a delight to their lives in every single way, but also to celebrate just the sheer fact that their family had grown.
Syd had gone along with it, of course, as long as there was good food and they were gonna invite good people. Of course, Sara reassured them, they were gonna load up on the good food and have plenty of friends and chosen family there to celebrate the goober.
Not to mention she had a surprise up her sleeve.
The party planning had been a little chaotic, but everything had gone off without a hitch. So many of Sara and Syd's friends had shown up, filling the house with laughter, chatter, and so much love the air felt thick with it. There were also kids all over the place, little bitty ones in carriers, prams, and attached to breasts, toddlers squealing and careening around corners, and even a couple slightly older ones splashing their feet in the pool outside and running in circles through the yard dotted with toys.
It was paradise.
Before Sara could get to her surprise, she needed to go around and visit a few of the people who had visited, then they were going to do the cake smash with Sloane. When she took the goob to change, that was when her plan would be set into action.
But first, the midwife thought to herself, Sloane propped on her hip and excited grin on her face. Let's see who all showed up!
Sara navigated through the bustling crowd, Sloane's little hands eagerly grasping at the colorful balloons that bobbed above them. As they approached Lyla and June, Sara couldn't help but feel a surge of warmth at the sight of their little family, their toddler practically buzzing with excitement as he crashed into June's legs. The twins were probably running amok somewhere with the other children.
"Hey there, Lyla, June," Sara greeted them with a warm smile, Sloane bouncing in her arms. "Thanks for coming, it means a lot to us."
Lyla beamed, her eyes twinkling with affection as she reached out to gently stroke Sloane's chubby cheek. "Are you kidding? We wouldn't have missed it for anything," she said, her voice filled with sincerity. "And look at this little angel, she's absolutely precious."
Sara chuckled softly, a swell of pride swelling in her chest at Lyla's words."Thank you, they definitely know how to steal hearts," she replied, bouncing Sloane gently in her arms. "We're just grateful to have you all here to celebrate with us."
June crouched down, their toddler still clinging to her leg, and grinned up at Sara. "Well, we wouldn't be anywhere else. Plus, I heard there's cake involved, and you know I can't resist cake."
Laughter bubbled up between them, merging seamlessly with the lively chatter of the party. Sara glanced down at Sloane, who was now reaching out towards the toddler their mom had helped deliver with a smile. "Looks like Sloane's eager to make some new friends too," she remarked, a hint of pride in her voice.
Lyla chuckled warmly, her eyes twinkling as she observed the interaction between the pair. "It won't be long before they're causing mischief together," she predicted, her tone affectionate.
Sara's grin widened, a warm sense of contentment settling over her. "I wouldn't doubt it for a second," she agreed, her gaze lingering on Sloane's joyful expression. "But hey, the more the merrier, right?"
With a shared laugh and a nod of agreement, Sara gently excused herself, "I should probably make my rounds, but please, enjoy yourselves. Help yourselves to the food, there's plenty."
Sara helped Sloane wave a chubby hand, then continued strolling around the yard, the grass feeling good on her bare feet. Sloane babbled softly and stuck a couple fingers in their mouth, and Sara couldn't help but nuzzle her nose into their chubby cheek and give them a few big kisses.
"Ohhh, hang on. I know you ain't keeping all that baby for yourself!" came a voice from under the patio, and Sara immediately beamed and turned to find its owner. There she sat, her bestie Rosie, beaming up at Sara with a smile that could light up a dark room. Their one year old lay cradled in her lap, firmly attached to her breast and gripping onto Rosie's pulled-up shirt with two tiny fists.
Sara beamed as she quickly came over, bending down to first smooch Rosie's cheek and then offer Sloane for smooches. Rosie reached up her one free arm and tousled Sloane's curls before smooching her all over her little face, making the toddler laugh and kick her feet.
Sara and Syd had just been over to Rosie and Mr. C's for their kiddo's first birthday not even two weeks prior. It was heaven having kids so close to each other in age- there had been plenty of "mom dates" as well as "Dad & Bibi" dates and family takeout dinners, where the parents could not only commiserate and offer advice, but get some love and support from each other as well.
"Definitely a bigger party than ours was!" Rosie laughed as Sara stood back up and resettled the giggling Sloane, and Sara couldn't help but laugh.
"Yeah, well, you know me. I can't help but invite, like...literally everybody."
"I think my hubby is having too much fun manning the grill. Smart of you to give him a job." Rosie winked, patting her baby's booty, and Sara grinned, giving her a wink.
Sara's grin widened, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "I never pass up on your husband's cooking," she teased, her stomach rumbling at the thought of Mr. C's delicious culinary creations. "It's so good."
Rosie's smile widened, a playful twinkle in her eye as she licked her lips. "Oh, absolutely," she agreed. "It's definitely a lifesaver for when I have those pesky pregnancy cravings."
Sara adjusted Sloane on her hip, the baby squirmed and babbled happily, tiny fingers tangling in Sara's hair. Her gaze drifted down to Rosie’s rounding midsection. "How was your check-up? Everything all good with the little one?"
Rosie's smile softened as she nodded. "Yeah, everything went smoothly," she replied, her voice tinged with relief. "Little munchkin is growing like a weed and hitting all the milestones right on schedule."
Sara's heart swelled with happiness at the news. "That's wonderful to hear," she exclaimed, her smile widening. "You're doing such an amazing job, Rosie."
Rosie's cheeks flushed with pride at the compliment. "Thanks, Sara," she said, her voice laced with gratitude. "It means a lot coming from you."
"I mean it, too." Sara replied warmly, then leaned down to give Rosie's cheek a soft kiss and stroke the hair of the nursing beeb. When tipped over, Sloane squealed happily and stretched out a chubby hand toward Rosie, and the woman laughed and took it, giving their fingers a small squeeze.
"Cake smash is coming up, right?" Rosie smiled up at them, then giggled and let Sloane's hand go as the little one kicked their feet and clung back onto their mom.
"Oh heck yeah. I can't wait to see this little monster go ham."
"It's gonna be great and I'm gonna need all the photos."
"Oh you'll be the first to get them." Sara smiled reassuringly, then bounced Sloane a little bit. 'We're gonna keep heading around, maybe grab one of those hot dogs. Lemme know if you need anything, okay?"
"Of course." Rosie waved, wiggling her fingers at Sloane, and Sloane squealed a happy sound, opening and closing her little hand in Rosie's direction as she and her mama continued on the rounds through the backyard. There were so many sounds, sights, and smells, and the little one was taking all of them in with big eyes and excited babbles, almost half-words.
As Sara and Sloane continued their stroll through the boisterous backyard, they couldn't resist stopping at the grill, where Syd was busy tending to the sizzling meats and veggies along with Rosie’s husband.
Sara playfully slapped Syd on the backside, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Smells amazing, hon," she remarked, her mouth watering at the delicious aroma wafting from the grill.
Syd flashed a proud grin before closing the lid with a flourish, turning to greet their two favorite ladies with open arms. "Hey there, munchkin! Are you having fun?" they asked, their voice filled with warmth and affection.
“Bi…” Sloane cooed, her face lighting up with a radiant smile as she reached out towards Syd, her chubby fingers wiggling in excitement.
Syd chuckled at Sloane's adorable attempt at a greeting, scooping her up into their arms and peppering her chubby cheeks with kisses. "Oh, I missed you too, munchkin!" They exclaimed, their laughter filling the air.
Sara grinned, her heart swelling with love as she watched the tender interaction between Syd and Sloane. "We were just making the rounds, saying hello to everyone," she explained, reaching out to give Syd a quick kiss on the cheek.
"I'll leave you guys to it then," Syd said with a grin, gently handing Sloane back to Sara before turning back to tend to the grill and continue his debate with the other partners.
As Sara and Sloane continued on their trek of greetings through the backyard, they soon came upon Elena, who was sitting under the shade of a nearby tree, cradling her daughter in her arms.
Sara melted when she saw her, remembering when they'd met under such strange circumstances. She'd gone a bit out of her way to make sure that Elena was able to get her feet underneath her after she'd had her daughter. It warmed her heart to see the two of them both looking so strong and healthy.
"Hey there~" Sara singsonged as she came up, and Elena lifted her head, then smiled and pushed back her hair with her free hand.
"Sara! Hi! Hi Sloane..."
"Are you two good? Enjoying yourselves?"
"Are you kidding?" Elena laughed softly and leaned back against the tree, patting her daughter's backside lovingly. "This is the best. This little chiquita tired herself out running around with the other kids, I've just been enjoying a chance to stretch my legs."
Laughing, Sara flopped herself down on the ground next to Elena, settling Sloane in her lap. "Yeah, I feel that! When we moved here, one of my rules was that the house we got had to have a backyard big enough to run around in. It was a rule. When I saw this one, it was like angels sang."
Elena nodded in understanding, a soft smile playing on her lips as she glanced around the backyard, taking in the sights and sounds of the lively gathering. "I can see why. It's absolutely perfect," she remarked, her gaze lingering on the pool shimmering under the afternoon sun.
Sara's smile widened at Elena's appreciation, a warm glow spreading through her chest. "It's been a lifesaver, especially on days like this," she agreed, her mind drifting to fond memories of lazy afternoons spent lounging by the pool, including Sloane's own arrival poolside.
Elena gently patted her daughter's back as the little one let out a soft snore, her eyelids fluttering in peaceful slumber. "Thank you so much for inviting us," Elena said, her voice soft. "We haven't socialized this much in a while."
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," Sara responded, her smile warm and genuine. "Make sure to grab some food. We're gonna have cake here in a bit too.”
Elena nodded. "Oh, we wouldn't miss it for the world," she said, her eyes shining with anticipation.
"If you need me to bring you over a plate so you don't have to wake up the sleeping beauty, just say the word, okay?" Sara smiled earnestly, and Elena chuckled, nodding.
"Promise. Though I think she'll probably wake up soon, anyway."
"Okay." With a smile, Sara helped Sloane up to her unsteady feet, then, keeping hold of her baby's chubby hand, got to her feet herself, brushing off her shorts. "I'm gonna let this goober lead the way for a bit."
"Thanks for checking in! Bye Sloane!" Elena cooed, wiggling her fingers in a wave.
Hearing their name, Sloane looked over their shoulder, then squealed and flailed a hand in the air before all but taking off toddling through the grass, leading Sara through the maze of toys and playing children. She finally stopped to look up at the bundle of colorful balloons, and Sara giggled, swooping the toddler back up and blowing a raspberry on the side of her cheek.
"Mmm. You're gonna get too quick for me one of these days. Little racecar."
"Oh, they tend to do that, don't they?" Came a gentle, low voice from the table under the awning nearby, and Sara turned, nodding and smiling at the guest. He was a tall gentleman, in a soft blue button up that looked a little worn but not threadbare, just loved. Scars ran down the side of his face from his forehead, and the eye crossed by the scars looked cloudy. He had a warm smile, though, and Sara didn't even blink.
"It's like I blinked a couple times and she's damn near faster than me and her bibi!" Sara laughed, then moved closer and held out her hand, propping Sloane on her hip. "I don't recognize you, are you one of Syd's friends? I'm Sara."
The man blinked in surprise, then chuckled and grasped her hand. When he moved forward in his seat she could see the empty baby sling on his back. "I'm Lewis. I'm ah...not from here, but had to make a surprise visit to your clinic. The lady at the front desk told me I just needed to come."
Sara's curiosity deepened at Lewis's words, her brow furrowing slightly as she considered his unexpected visit to the clinic. "Ah, I see," she replied, her tone gentle as she tried to put Lewis at ease. "Well, I'm glad you found your way here. Our clinic is always here to help and you’ve come at a perfect time."
Lewis nodded, a grateful expression crossing his features. "Thank you," he said sincerely. There was a brief pause in their conversation, filled only by the distant sounds of laughter and chatter from the backyard.
Just then, Sloane let out a happy squeal, chubby arms reaching out towards a passing moth, her excitement almost causing her to slip out of Sara's hold. Sara glanced down at her kiddo, who was now gleefully bouncing in her arms, her laughter filling the air like sweet music.
"Looks like this little one is keeping you busy," Lewis remarked with a warm smile, his gaze lingering on Sloane's playful antics.
"She's a bundle of energy, that's for sure.” Sara nodded in agreement, her heart swelling with affection for her spirited daughter. "She definitely keeps us on our toes.”
With a mischievous glint in her eye, she playfully tickled Sloane's belly, eliciting even more delighted giggles from the toddler. Sloane squealed loudly and kicked out her feet, and Sara groaned, bending down and setting her into the grass. "There ya go, wiggle worm... do you have a kiddo?" She glanced up at her guest, and Mr. Lewis chuckled, nodding and gesturing toward the playing kids with his chin.
"Yeah. My little pumpkin. She's over there. As soon as she got her sea legs it was over."
"Oh, don't I know it." Sara laughed, then yelped as Sloane hauled herself up to all fours and took off crawling like a shot across the grass. "Ack! Sorry! Thank you for coming!" Waving at Mr. Lewis, she took off after Sloane, finally managing to snag her by the back of her shirt and swing her back up into her arms to smooch her all over her face.
"Ohhhh my god you little munchkin you better quit yer shit or I'm gonna take away all your presents!" She weakly threatened, and Sloane just burst into happy giggles, flailing their arms and snuggling up to Sara's face and shoulder.
Sara's laughter bubbled up as Sloane nestled into her embrace. Despite her playful threat, Sloane's giggles only grew louder, her tiny arms wrapping around Sara's neck as she showered her with slobbery kisses.
"You're lucky you're so darn cute," Sara teased, her voice tinged with adoration as she peppered Sloane's chubby cheeks with more kisses. "Otherwise, I might just have to follow through on that threat."
Sloane responded with a toothy grin, her bright eyes twinkling with mischief as she babbled happily incoherent words. Sara couldn't help but marvel at the spirited personality that was shining through her one-year old. They were really coming into their own person and she was taken aback everyday at just how much they were taking after Syd.
Sara's attention was drawn to the sound of Syd's voice calling out her name. She turned to see them approaching, their expression filled with a hint of urgency. "Sare," Syd called out again over the bustling noise of the party, their voice barely audible. "Becca's looking for you. Says she can't stay long but wanted to pop in to say hi."
Perking up, Sara quickly rushed over, first going to Syd and plopping their wriggling, happy toddler into their arms. "Here ya go, Merry Christmas. I'll be right back."
"Aww, thank you, just what I always wanted!" Syd cooed, then giggled and bent their head to nom at Sloane's chubby upper arm. The squeals of their toddler followed Sara as she ducked into the house through the back door and quickly headed for the front, dodging strewn about toys and the dangling streamers.
When she found Rebecca waiting by the front door, newborn worn on her front in a soft cloth wrap, Sara immediately pulled them both in for a soft, but tender hug, rubbing the young woman's upper arm with one hand. "Ooooh, it's so good to see you both! Thanks for coming by!" She beamed, pulling back and looking them both over.
Rebecca smiled up at Sara as they separated from the hug, her face flushed and happy. "Yeah, of course! I'm sorry we can't stay, but we had to come and say hi."
"I'm so glad you did. How's the munchkin?" Sara turned her attention down to the newborn in the wrap. They were looking around with huge, curious eyes, one fist held in their mouth as they snuggled into their Mario themed onesie, patterned with stars and mushrooms.
“Growing like a weed. My friends love him, they keep sending me gifts and bringing me stuff for him. I have got to send you a picture of this dinosaur onesie my bestie found.” Rebecca gushed, and Sara smiled warmly, her eyes twinkling.
“Oh my goood that sounds adorable. Please send that to me.” Giggling, Sara peeked down at the newborn again, then looked up at her friend. “Since you can’t stay, I’ll send you all the cake smash pictures too, if you want em.”
“Oh heck yeah!” Rebecca nodded excitedly, and Sara laughed, giving her a thumbs up.
“Perfect. Here, want any food or a drink to take with you?”
“Uhm, sure!” Rebecca blinked in surprise, and Sara nodded.
“Wait right here.”
As quickly as she could, dodging careening children and people moving from area to area outside, Sara made a mad dash for the grill, grabbing up a hot dog and plopping it on a plate with a napkin. She hurried back toward the door, grabbing up a bottle of sparkling fruit juice on the way.
“Here ya go! Fresh off the grill.” She proclaimed as she held it out for Rebecca, who melted and took the plate from her.
“Aww, thanks!! You’re the best.”
“Nope, I’m just here to support the best.” Sara beamed, then leaned in for an awkward little side smoosh-hug. “Alright, I won’t keep you. Thanks again for stopping by!! It was so good to see you!”
“Good to see you too.” Rebecca smiled, then looked down at her baby. “Say bye-bye, Link!”
The newborn cooed softly and peered up at Sara, who melted and gave a wiggly-finger wave in response before holding the door open and watching Rebecca head down the stairs toward her waiting ride.
With a smile, Sara closed the door behind her, then took a breath, leaning against the flat surface. There was so much…love, and so much energy radiating all through the house, it was almost overwhelming. Laying a hand over her heart, she closed her eyes and inhaled, then slowly blew it out.
When she opened her eyes, she checked her watch, then grinned mischievously. It was time.
–
“Alright friends, can everyone see? We good?” Sara called out, and was met with happy chatter and a few clapping hands. Sloane sat on her hip, looking around with the widest, most curious eyes, and when they heard the clapping, they clapped too, making Sara and a few of her friends laugh.
“Alriiiighty. Happy birthday Sloane, here comes your cake!” Leaning, Sara plopped her one year old into her high chair, and right on cue, out came Bibi holding Sloane’s smash cake, a tiny two layer cake covered in rainbow icing roses. They set it down in front of them with a flourish, absolutely beaming, and Sara crossed to snuggle up to their side with an identical grin on her face.
Sloane stared at the cake almost cross-eyed with delight. Then, with a squeal, she flailed her hands and plapped both palms down onto the very top of the cake, making the room explode with laughter.
While the baby went ham on her own cake, in came Mr. C with a cake for everyone else, a sheet cake covered in pink, blue, and yellow marbled frosting and rainbow sprinkles. The happy and lively chatter filled the room as some of the adults began to cut the cake and serve it, while others kept their focus on the baby shoving fistfuls of rainbow frosting and white cake into her face.
Ruth, the party’s designated photographer, snapped picture after picture with her own baby sleeping soundly on her back, and encouraged Sloane to “look over here” and “feed some cake to Bibi”! Which led to cake and frosting being smeared on Syd’s nose and cheek.
Everyone aww-ed as Syd kissed Sloane on one cheek and Sara smooched the other, the giggling toddler smushed between their parents. That picture would be framed, for sure.
–
When the excitement died down and everyone had gotten some cake, and when Sloane finally began to wind down from spreading her cake all over the tray of her high chair, Sara stood and swooped her up into her arms. It was time for her plan to be set into motion.
“Alrighty, we’re gonna go get cleaned up. Be right back!”
“Need any help?” Syd called through their mouthful of cake, and Sara shook her head, waving a slightly sticky hand in the air as she headed upstairs.
“Nope! We got it!”
Once safe in the privacy of the bedroom, Sara busied herself with cleaning up the wriggling, excited baby. Off came the shirt and shorts smeared with cake and frosting, and into the hamper they went. A few baby wipes, a quick sit on the sink to rinse off some sticky spots and a handwash for herself, and they were ready.
Sara let Sloane sit on the soft bed while she dug in the bottom of her dresser for the surprise, ordered a week ago. When it came, she’d made some excuse to Syd that it was something for the clinic that she’d had delivered here by mistake. Pulling out the tiny tshirt, she helped Sloane wriggle into it, smoothing their hair when their head popped out of the soft fabric.
“There we go…now a change for mom.”
Quickly, she pulled off her own cake-covered shirt and tossed it, then pulled on a slightly more tight pink shirt she hadn’t worn since she’d gotten pregnant with Sloane. It hadn’t fit right since her belly popped, being a bit too tight around the midsection, but…well, this was the best time to break it out again.
With a few smoochy kisses to the chubby cheeks, Sara swooped up her one year old and tucked her to her chest, making sure she was propped on her shoulder and the words on her t-shirt were hidden.
Trying not to let her excitement show, Sara headed back downstairs and into the kitchen and dining area, where, luckily, most of her guests and their kids still gathered. Only a few had migrated into the livingroom, but she was sure they’d be alerted in a minute.
As she passed her, she bumped Ruth with her hip and gave her a wink, and her friend looked up at her, then grinned, raising her camera.
“Heyy, there they are.” Syd looked up and smiled as they saw their partner and kiddo coming back. “No longer a cake monster.” They were sitting by Mr. C and Rosie, who also perked up when they saw them coming back.
“Nope, not anymore. Here honey, go show Bibi your new shirt.”
“New shirt? Did you put on one of your new presents?” Syd grinned and held their arms out for Sloane, and Sara passed over the baby before sitting down at Syd’s other side and just…watching.
Syd sat Sloane in their lap, holding them up in the crook of their elbow and tugging at the shirt so they could read it aloud.
“...My mom is pregnant, I’m being promoted to sibling.”
Rosie let out a HUGE gasp as she heard the words, throwing a hand over her heart and staring at Sara with huge eyes. Syd, on the other hand, just stared at Sloane for a minute, then read the shirt out loud again.
“...My mom is pregnant…I’m being promoted to…sibling?!”
Slowly, they lifted and turned their head, looking at Sara with a delighted expression slowly spreading across their face. “...Sar. You’re kidding.”
Sara, her news finally out, broke into a huge smile and shook her head, patting her stomach. “I’m not kidding. Confirmed it last week.”
Immediately, Syd grabbed her hand and yanked her in for a deep, excited kiss, and Sara giggled into their mouth, scrunching up her shoulders and grabbing his face in both hands. Sloane, pinned in between her parents and feeling the love, let out a huge, happy squeal, and that began a domino effect of cheers, laughter, and excitement.
Everyone present began to talk, the happy energy in the room crackling and bubbling. This really had been an incredible first birthday party, for so, so many reasons.
When she pulled back from the kiss, her heart in her throat and a smile on her face so big it almost hurt, Sara leaned close and whispered in Syd’s ear, her hand coming to rest on their chest.
“I’m 10 weeks…and it’s twins.”
A butterfly fluttered in her belly.
Or maybe it was two.
This was the start of a brand new, exciting adventure.