Categories > Celebrities > Fall Out Boy > The Continuing Adventures with Girl in the Moon
Dad and Amy arrived in California on January 18th. It was a Saturday. Pete picked them up at the airport. He took them to their Airbnb first to let them put their bags down and get freshened up. Then he brought them to our house.
“Honey, we’re home!” Pete called out as they entered the house.
I knew they were here, I had seen them pulling in. I was just slow to get to the door. Marvel and Saint weren’t slow though. They both ran up and got Pops and Granny hugs. All four of them were happy to see each other.
“Granny!! I missed you!” Marvel cried as she ran to Amy.
Amy scooped her up and gave her a hug. “I missed you too Marvel. I’m so happy to see you.”
Saint had told me after we got home from the wedding that he liked Pops and Granny more than Mom and Ryan. He didn’t call them grandma and grandpa. He still called them by their names. I had confided in him that I like Dad and Amy more too.
Saint was very excited to see Pops and Granny. He and Amy had a special bond. He got his hugs from them, and then taking Amy’s hand he asked, “Granny, can I show you the house?”
I nodded at her and she took him up on the offer. Dad, Pete and I went with them.
“Gracie, how are you feeling?” Dad asked as we showed them the house.
“I’m feeling pretty good. Huge, but good.” I told him with a smile.
“You look beautiful.” He told me with a smile. “Absolutely gorgeous. Motherhood looks good on you.”
“Thanks Dad. I’m so glad you both wanted to come here. I really appreciate it.” I told him.
“Of course we’re here! You asked, we came.” He grinned at me.
I smiled back at him. I was so glad my Daddy was here.
We had made it to the nursery by this time. Saint had helped me with painting the mural. He was so proud of it and the room.
“And I helped Mom paint it too. Isn’t it cool? We’re gonna read Harry Potter to the babies so they know what this is.” Saint was telling Dad and Amy.
“Oh, Saint, you guys did a fantastic job on the nursery. The babies are gonna love growing up in this room.” Amy raved.
“I haven’t talked to your Mom in a few weeks. Has she calmed down any?” He asked as we headed back downstairs.
“I don’t know. I had to put her in time out again.” I told him.
“Time out? What does that mean?” He asked as he laughed.
“She freaked out and had a full on temper tantrum when I told her you and Amy were going to be here for the birth. I’m talking, crying and screaming. She threatened to come here uninvited and break in so she could take ‘her’ babies. She threatened to sue us for full custody. I told her I would not speak with her again until the twins were at least two months old. If I heard from her in that time, if she showed up here, if I heard a peep from a lawyer regarding her wanting custody, I would cut her off for good. She had one last chance to be in my life and the lives of her grandchildren. I’m not gonna play her games.” I told him. I was done with my Mom and her entitled attitude. And so was Pete. He was ready to wash his hands of her completely.
“She threatened to sue for custody? What the Hell is she thinking? Do you want me to talk to her for you?” Dad asked.
I shook my head. “Thanks, but no. I’m about done with her to be honest. When I took off in Luna, I knew I wasn’t going back to Georgia. And it was because of her. Ever since Alex died, she’s been really hard to handle. I know it broke her heart, and she needs therapy. But my babies are not her emotional support animals. I will not put that on them. I won’t allow that.”
Pete had heard all of this and spoke up. “After she threatened to try and take Star and Jupiter, I talked to my lawyer. She doesn’t have a leg to stand on. But if she tries anything, we’re prepared. I want Grace to cut her out completely. But, that’s for Grace to decide.” He gave me a look that told me he never wanted to see or speak with my mom again. I didn’t blame him. He was very protective of me and all the children.
Dad was thoughtful and didn’t say anything else about Mom. Amy wanted to see my kitchen. She asked if I had any meals prepped and in the freezer. Things that could be heated up quickly for the family after I came home. I did have a few things ready. But we had also talked about getting a Hello Fresh subscription for a little while after we got home.
Amy was glad to hear that. She knew I wasn’t going to be up and ready to cook big meals for a few weeks. Pete is a good cook and had been making dinner a lot for us the past month or so. He’s always helped with the cooking. He did it on his own for a long time before I moved in.
Bronx came over before Dad and Amy left. They were happy to see each other. Ashlee brought him over since she needed their extra car. We let him drive Pete’s car, but not mine. It goes a little too fast to put a teenage boy behind the wheel. Pete and I had talked about it. The car he bought me for my birthday wasn’t going to be big enough to fit the full family. We were going to keep it and we’d use it when we didn’t need to take all five kids someplace. His SUV was big enough for the family, but he was looking at buying a new one. We were going to give his car to Bronx. But until we bought a new one, he had to share with us.
Ashlee popped in to meet Dad and Amy. She had heard about them from Bronx. They all seemed to hit it off and she left feeling even more secure with Bronx staying while my family was here.
Amy wanted to cook dinner for all of us before she and Dad left for the evening. I didn’t want her to feel like she had to. But she wanted to so I let her. Besides, she could move a lot faster than I could.
They stayed for dinner and then went to their place. We got into a bit of a routine. Dad and Amy came over and spent the day at our place. Amy cooked and cleaned for me. I helped as much as I could, but I was far too big to be too fast. Dad helped the boys with their homework. And he went around the house to see if anything needed to be fixed. Marvel followed him around and was his little helper. He ended up changing out the faucet in the boys bathroom because it was starting to drip.
In the evenings they stayed and had dinner with us. Most nights Amy cooked so she could make extra and put it in the freezer. Then they went to their place and left us alone for the evenings.
I was getting more and more uncomfortable with each passing day. My back hurt from all the extra weight of the twins. My hips were starting to loosen up and spread, and that hurt. My boobs were getting bigger and they hurt too. The last few days I was just miserable.
Pete, the wonderful sweet man that he is, tried everything he could think of to make me feel better. He rubbed my lower back and hips. He rubbed my feet and ankles. He gave me as many orgasms as I wanted. It all helped, but nothing was going to take the pain and pressure away until the twins were born.
The day I went into labor was a typical day. It was early afternoon, and we had finished lunch. Marvel was back from kindergarten and was having a snack in the kitchen with me and Amy when I felt the first contraction. It was light and not too concerning. But it did catch my attention.
“Oh.” Was all I said.
Amy looked up at me and asked, “Are you ok?”
I was standing next to the sink with my hand on my bump where I had felt the contraction. I nodded my head and said, “Yeah, I think so. I think I just had a contraction.”
Amy went into full nurse mode. “Was that the first one? How hard was it and how long did it last?” She was looking at her watch.
“Yes, the first one. Not very hard and only for a few seconds.” I answered her. Pete and I had been to birthing classes. I knew I didn’t need to rush to the hospital. This was just the beginning and it could be hours or even days before I needed to go to the hospital.
“Ok, let’s see how fast the next one comes. Let me know so I can time it.”
“Ok.” I went back to loading the dishwasher. I continued to have light contractions for the next few hours. They weren’t too close together and they weren’t very long. Amy was sure we would end up in the delivery room sometime that night, but it was too early in my labor to go then.
Pete was out of the house that day. He had meetings with a few different people. He was trying to wrap up some things before the twins came. These were important meetings for him to attend. I didn’t want to text him if I wasn’t heading to the hospital. I told Amy and Dad not to. I was fine, it was going to be a while before he needed to come home yet.
For the rest of the afternoon my contractions got closer together and stronger. But still not enough to call Pete or head to the hospital. By the time he did get home, I was close to needing to leave for the hospital. He walked into a flurry of activity. Saint and Marvel were getting worked up and worried and excited. All they knew was I was in pain and Granny was getting things together so we could leave when we needed to. Bronx was offering to call Pete and drive us to the hospital. Dad was trying to get things together to make dinner.
Pete walked through the front door around 6:00 only to have Marvel run up to him yelling, “Daddy, Daddy, the babies are coming!”
I was walking circles through the house because sitting wasn’t comfortable. I walked through the hallway on my way into the kitchen.
“What does she mean the babies are coming? Are you in labor?!?” Pete asked excitedly.
I only nodded at him as I continued to walk. And then another contraction hit me. This one was the hardest one so far. This one stopped me in my tracks. I actually gasped and a small moan escaped my lips.
“Grace, are you alright?” He asked as he crossed to me. He reached out to hold me.
“I’m fine. That one was a doozy though.” I said before I started my breathing exercises.
Amy came out of the kitchen. “Ok, we need to think about heading to the hospital. That one came faster than the last dozen or so. Hi Pete. Are you ready to be a Dad again? Can you please go get her hospital bag? We need to leave soon.”
Pete left me in the hallway and ran upstairs to grab my bag. He was back down and next to me faster than I expected.
“I’ve got the bag. Both car seats are installed and ready to go. I think we’re ready.” He said to Amy. Then he yelled for Bronx.
“Hey Dad. You guys heading to the hospital?” Bronx asked as he came out of the living room.
“Yeah, we are. Can you please text your grandparents and let them know? Tell them I’ll text or call when I can. I’ll try to keep you guys updated too. Help Pops with the kids.”
“Of course I will.” Bronx answered. “This is why I wanted to be here, so I can help.”
“Saint, Marvel, be good for Pops and Bronx.” Pete told them.
“We will. Mom?” Saint asked. I looked at him and smiled. “I love you.”
“I love you too Sir Saint. Help look after your sister for me?” I asked him. He smiled and nodded. “Thank you my sweet, brave son.” I leaned over and dropped a kiss on his head.
“Don’t worry about us. You go and have those babies.” Dad said and then dropped a kiss on my forehead and one on Amy’s lips. “Take care of her for me.” He said to Amy.
“You know I will.” She told him.
Pete was holding both of my hands. He had my bag over his shoulder. “Hey. Are you ready for this?” He asked me softly.
I nodded because another contraction hit. I gripped his hands hard and let out a fairly loud moan. “That one was different. Stronger. Feels like one of them has moved.”
Pete looked me in the eye and smiled a calm sweet smile. He kissed me softly on the lips. “I love you so much. Let’s go have these babies. Come on, I’ll help you to the car. Have you called your doctor yet?”
“I called a few minutes ago. She said she’ll meet us there.” Amy said.
“Talk to me.” I said to Pete.
“What do you want me to talk about?” He asked me as we made our way to the car.
“Anything. Your voice calms all three of us. Just talk to me. Tell me something I don’t know.”
I got in the passenger's seat and got buckled in. Amy was small enough to fit in between the car seats in the back. Pete got in the driver's seat.
“Umm, ok, I don’t think I ever told you this. Do you remember when we first met? Those first three days we spent together in the Los Padres campground?”
“Yes, of course.” I answered.
“Well that second day, the one we spent at the lake. When we were talking about music, I was trying to flirt with you. Badly apparently, cause you didn’t seem interested in me at all.” He flashed his grin at me. “And then you told me about your dancing cowboy. I was so jealous. So fucking jealous. You had a boyfriend. I mean, I thought of course you had a boyfriend. There was no way you could be single. I didn’t believe you when you said he wasn’t. How could he not want you? I had no idea who this guy was, but I wanted to fight him. I’d known you for like 24 hours at that point and I was stupid jealous over you dancing with someone. I didn’t like the idea of anyone else dancing with you. I wanted to be the one sweeping you off your feet. And you know, I can’t dance.”
He paused as I had another, even stronger contraction. “Go on, keep talking.” I said after the contraction was over.
“Well, I stewed on my jealousy that whole trip. I tried flirting with you again. And nothing. You just didn’t respond to my efforts. When you left and you hugged me, I didn’t want to let go. I was so confused. I wanted to kiss you so badly. I liked you, I had had a crush on you for years, and you were so fucking cool about who I was. And I didn’t even know your last name. When you turned around and told me your full name I knew I was gonna go find your books. You recognized me right away, didn’t you?” We were turning a corner, getting closer to the hospital.
“I recognized you when you and Bronx were walking up and you smiled at me. Took me a minute because I wasn’t used to your hair long and blond. But your smile, that’s what did it.” I told him. I was keeping my breathing going and trying to breathe through the pain as they say.
We stopped at a red light. He looked over at me and smiled. “I’m still jealous of your dancing cowboy. But only because he got to dance with you before I did.”
I had to smile at that. I knew he had been jealous of Derrick. He made it pretty obvious. “I’m only dancing with you now. Only you.”
We made it to the hospital and got me checked in. My labor was speeding up. The contractions were stronger, longer, and closer together. I was taken to my room and my doctor came in and checked up on me. She was surprised to find that I was already 6 cm dilated.
“Well, these two aren’t fooling around. They’re in a rush to get here. It’s not going to be long at the rate you’re going. Grace I know we talked about an epidural but I’m not sure you’re going to have time for one.”
That scared the shit out of me. I didn’t want to do this without drugs. “Oh, there has to be time for an epidural.” I said. And then another contraction hit me.
“Nope, you really don’t have time. This labor is moving very fast. I’m going to get things together and the nurses will be in to get you ready.” She patted my foot and smiled at me. “You’re going to be fine Grace. These babies are going to be here very soon. I’ll be back in a little bit.” And then she left the room.
I looked at Amy and asked her, “Is what she said true?”
Amy nodded. “You are moving quickly. I think you’ll be pushing out these babies in the next couple of hours. Can I get you anything?” She asked.
“No, not right now.” I said as I breathed through another contraction. They were getting very strong and very painful.
“Pete,” I reached out with the hand on the side he was on. He took hold of it and placed his other hand on my back. He rubbed slow circles on my back.
“I’m right here, Baby.”
“Talk to me. Why have you never called me Moon?”
“Do you want me to call you Moon?” He asked surprised.
I shook my head. “No. But everyone else does. The kids, the band, most of my friends and almost everyone you know. But you never have. Why?” I wanted to be distracted and I had always wondered why.
“Umm, well...You know I watched your channel so I already knew you as Moon. I thought of you as Moon. I liked it and thought it was mysterious and intriguing and kinda sexy. I thought you were a bit intriguing and sexy. But when you introduced yourself as Grace and I thought, yes you are. And you are graceful. I thought it was a beautiful name that fit you so much better than Moon.”
I was actually really touched by that answer. “That’s the best reason ever to use my given name. I’ve always liked that you did. I was just curious about it. Keep talking. Talk about anything. Tell me, oh, tell me about the first time you met Patrick.”
He barked out his big laugh. “The first time I met Patrick? Ok. Did you know it was Joe that introduced us? Joe told me he knew someone who played drums and just about every other instrument. But he didn’t tell me he could sing. We were looking for a drummer for a band we were putting together. It ended up being Fall Out Boy, but that wasn’t what we had in mind. But anyway, I agreed to meet this kid Joe knew. We showed up at Patrick’s Moms house. He really was just a kid, he was like sixteen. He answered the door in shorts, socks pulled up to his knees, and an argyle cardigan sweater. And a hat.” Pete grinned at me. I laughed at the mental picture that popped into my head.
My nursing team came in at this point. Everything started moving fast. The contractions were on top of each other with very little time between them. There was a flurry of activity around me. I was in far too much pain to care or pay attention to.
Then, all of a sudden I had the uncontrollable urge to push. “I need to push, I need to push.” I started telling Amy. She didn’t say anything to me, she just rushed out of the room and started barking orders at my nurses. They all came running in and the next thing I knew, my doctor was back and telling me it was time to push. And push I did.
“That’s it Grace, you got this.” Pete was saying.
“Come on Grace, give a big push on the next contraction.” My doctor was telling me.
I was taking deep breaths in between the contractions. Pete had one hand and Amy had my other.
“Dad? You want to help this one come into the world?” She asked Pete. He looked at me and I nodded. He left my side to help pull Star into the world.
Star entered the world and promptly let us all know she was not happy about it. Hearing her cry was one of the best sounds I had ever heard.
Pete was laugh-crying as he held our daughter.
“Oh my God, Grace. She’s perfect. Small, but perfect. Hello Star. It’s so good to finally meet you.”
The nurse took her from him and cleaned her up as I delivered the afterbirth. They brought Star to me after that but before Jupiter came.
“Hello Star. I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve waited for you for so long.” I had to give her back as Jupiter made his way into the world. Pete was there to catch him too.
Jupiter was slower to cry, it took a thump on his feet to get him to take his first breath. But then he howled at the indignity of being out in the world.
“He’s small but mighty.” Amy said when he started to cry.
“Hi Jupiter. Welcome to the world.” Pete said to him. “Grace, he’s perfect. Absolutely perfect.” Jupiter was taken away to be cleaned up and I delivered the afterbirth.
Amy made sure I was alright and then slipped out of the room. She said she was going to call Dad and let him know.
Pete was holding Star as the nurse got Jupiter ready for me to hold. They brought both of them to me and laid them on my chest. The nurse left us to bond as they cleaned up the room and me and got us ready to be moved to my room.
Pete leaned in over me and kissed me lightly. “You were amazing. Absolutely fucking amazing. I fucking love you so goddamn much.” And then he kissed me again. I was completely overwhelmed with the emotion and started crying as I held and looked over my children. My babies, the ones I was told I'd never have.
“Hello you two. I’ve been waiting a long time for you. I’m so happy you’re here.” I said through my tears.
Star Dale was born at 10:32 PM on January 24th, 2025. She weighed 4 pounds, 14 ounces. She was 16 inches long. And she had a full head a black hair. Jupiter Jonathan was born at 10:46 PM on January 24th, 2025. He weighed 5 pounds 1 ounce. He was 15 1/2 inches long, and he was bald. They couldn’t have been more perfect or more beautiful.
The next few hours were a blur. I know we were moved to my room. The twins were small, but healthy and big enough to stay with me. They didn’t need to go to the NICU. I was so thankful for that.
I was able to get a little bit of rest. But I wanted to try and breastfeed. They started to fuss and Amy suggested trying and seeing if it would help. So I did. I had a few false starts, but with some help from Amy, the three of us got the hang of it. I wasn’t sure I would be able to exclusively breastfeed, but I wanted to try to feed them as much as I could and would supplement with formula. I knew my milk wasn’t in yet but the colostrum I was producing had all my immunities and the nutrients they needed in the first few days.
Pete sat on the edge of my bed as I fed the twins. He had a look of pure wonder on his face. I was too tired to give it much thought. He leaned in and gently ran a finger over Jupiter’s head.
“They’re so small.” He whispered. He watched me and the twins for a little longer. Then he said, “When you told me you wanted to try and breastfeed, I read up a bunch on it.”
“Why?” I asked. I assumed that Ashlee and Meagan had also breastfed.
“You’re the only one that has. Ashlee wanted to and tried. But it didn’t work for her. Meagan had implants. That makes it hard and she didn’t want to try.”
I was surprised at this. “This is a first then.” I said as I looked him in the eye. “Tell me what you learned.”
He smiled a tired smile at me. “I’ll tell you later. Can I do anything for you? Get you anything?” He asked me.
“I’d like some water. Oh, I think they’ve gotten all there is. Ouch, oh that hurt.” I said as Star bit down.
Amy came over and helped me disengage her from the nipple. Jupiter was soon biting me too. I got him to disengage and Amy went out to get a bottle for them. She had basically let the nurses know what her background was when we got there. She had earned their respect and they had pretty much let her run my room. If I needed something she just went and asked for it. In a lot of ways it made their jobs easier too.
Amy came back with two small bottles and Pete and I fed them. It didn’t take too much more to fill them up. But I was glad they were eating well.
Amy left at this point. She was tired and wanted to go tell Dad all about his new grandchild. She called for an Uber and left.
After she left we put them down in the bassinet in the room. I moved over as far as I could to one side and asked Pete to sleep with me. He did and we slept as well as we could. We did manage to get some sleep.
The next morning I wanted to clean up. I was still covered in dried sweat and blood, I felt icky. The twins were sleeping and Amy was back so I asked Pete to help me. My room had a shower. He grabbed my bag before helping me out of bed. I was weaker than I realized. I needed him to hold me up. He got me in the bathroom and turned the water on for me. Once it was hot, he helped me take the gown off and get in the water. Just standing under the hot spray helped me feel a little bit more like myself. Pete got in with me fully clothed to help.
“You’re gonna get your clothes wet.” I said as he helped me stay upright.
“I have a change of clothes too. Don’t worry. What me to wash your hair?” He asked after I had gotten wet.
I nodded and he left me standing under the water and got my shampoo, conditioner and soap out of my bag. He also stripped out of his wet clothes. He got back in the shower with me and started shampooing my hair for me.
“How’re you feeling this morning?” He asked as he worked the shampoo into my hair.
“Sore,” I answered. I hurt all over.
“It’ll get better. Rinse.” I rinsed my hair. He put the conditioner in next and then helped me soap up a washcloth. I washed my face and tried to wash the rest of myself. I didn’t get far because I was running out of energy. He took the cloth from me and very gently, finished washing me off. I felt so much better being clean.
He helped me get out of the shower and dry off. I had bought a night gown that I thought would be good to have and use while at the hospital and at home. It pulled on over my head, but the top part buttoned up. That way I could unbutton it to feed the twins and still be covered and comfortable. I also had some loose stretchy pants and a tee shirt to go home in.
As I stood there and let Pete take care of me I felt the need to thank him.
“Pete?”
He stopped and looked at me. “Yeah?”
I looked into his beautiful hazel eyes and said, “Thank you.”
“Oh, Honey, you don’t need to thank me.” He said. “I love you and this is what I’m supposed to do. I’m here to protect you and take care of you. You just gave birth to my children. Of course I'm gonna be here helping with whatever you need.” He held me gently as he told me this.
“Yes, I do need to thank you. Thank you for loving me, and for taking care of me. Thank you for protecting me from everything and everyone. Thank you for making me a Mom. I love you so much.” I was crying by the time I was done saying what I wanted to.
“Please don’t cry.” He said as I laid my head against his shoulder.
“Can’t help it. Hormones are running wild.” I sniffed and then said, “I wanna brush my teeth.”
Smiling at me he said, “Ok, let me get your toothbrush for you.” He brought me my toothbrush and toothpaste. I slipped my nightgown over my head and brushed my teeth as he changed into the set of clothes he had bought for himself.
When we emerged from the bathroom the twins needed to be fed. I got comfortable on the bed and had Pete and Amy bring me the twins. Nursing both of them at the same time was a bit of a juggle, but we figured it out. Pillows under them helped a lot. We did still need to supplement a little bit with formula. As long as they were getting fed, I was fine with it.
“Gracie, your Dad and the kids want to come see you. Are you feeling up for visitors?” Amy asked.
“Yeah, they can come by.” I wanted them to come.
I fell asleep almost as soon as the twins finished eating. Pete was dead on his feet too. I suggest he go home and get some real sleep. But he refused. He said as long as I was in the hospital he would be here with me. He wasn’t going home until he could take me and the babies with him. He ended up napping on the chair in my room. It was a recliner, so he was able to get fairly comfortable.
Dad brought the kids to see us a few hours later.
“Mommy!” Marvel said as she came through my door. “Mommy, I missed you last night. Can I see the babies?” She asked as she climbed into my bed. She had a card in her hand. “I made you a card!” She said and handed it to me.
“Marvel, Moony’s tired don’t climb on her bed.” Pete tried to scold her and pick her up.
“It’s ok. She can stay. Saint, you can come up too.” I told them. Saint did climb in bed with me.
Saint held out a bouquet of flowers for me. “I brought you these, Mom.” He handed them to me and laid on the bed. He tucked himself up against my side.
“Thank you both so much. These are wonderful. I love them.” I told the kids sincerely. I smelled the flowers and read the card. It was so sweet of them.
“Do you guys want to meet your sister and brother?” I asked them.
“Yes.” Came from both of them and from Bronx and Dad.
Pete brought over Jupiter and put him in Saint’s arms. Then he brought Star and put her in Marvel's arms. He told them who they were holding. After the young kids got a chance to meet and greet their new siblings. Dad and Bronx got a chance to hold both of them. Dad teared up as he held his name sake. I got pictures of them all. And Dad took a picture of all seven of us together piled on my bed. Our first family photo.
“Mom, when will you guys come home?” Saint asked as Bronx and Dad were holding the babies.
“Hopefully tomorrow. The doctors want to be sure Star and Jupiter are healthy enough to leave.” I told him.
Dad and the kids stayed for a little while. But they left when the twins needed to eat again. Amy went with them. Pete helped me with diaper changes and soothing the twins. They went to sleep and I tried to sleep too. Unfortunately my nurses and doctors had other plans. I had them coming in and checking on me and the babies. They woke up Jupiter and I had to nurse him back to sleep. A lactation specialist came in to teach me how to breastfeed. She was useless. Amy was far more helpful to me than this cold handed person who just grabbed at my boobs like they weren’t attached to me. I pushed her off and told her I didn’t need her help. I’d fed them multiple times already and was fine.
Late in the afternoon I was told I was being discharged. I was fine. Healing, but fine. And they weren’t worried about the twins. I was expecting to stay for at least a day since the twins were right at or just under 5 pounds. But, they didn’t have any breathing issues, they were eating well and they didn’t need to be in the NICU so they could go home.
Pete signed all the paperwork as I got myself dressed and dressed the babies. I was wheeled down to the front doors and Pete pulled up and got us all buckled in. He took us home.
We got home and brought the twins in. Bowie and Fred and George and Mr. Fluff all came over to sniff and meet the twins too. Dad wanted to hold them again. Since they weren’t hungry and they weren’t fussing, he was able to hold both of them for a while. He talked to them, telling them how much he loved them and how much fun they will have on the farm.
“Gracie, I haven’t contacted your mother yet. But Scott and Lisa know about their birth. Do you want to tell her or would you like me to?” Dad asked me.
I thought about it for a moment. I wasn’t going to let her know. But Dad could. “No pictures, but you can let her know they’re here and we’re fine.” I finally told him.
I needed to sleep and had Pete help me take them up to our room. I needed to feed them and put them down. I fell asleep as soon as they were in their pack-n-play. Pete joined me and got a nap too.
Dad and Amy fed us and the kids and then went to their place giving us some peace. Bronx was very helpful with the little kids. He helped Pete get them to bed for the night.
The next day I was feeling a bit better. Well enough to make some calls and to let our family and friends see the twins over FaceTime. Peter and Dale made all the appropriate noises. They informed us they had all the shots we had asked them to get and were waiting until we invited them out to visit. Patrick and Elisa and the boys all thought the twins were adorable. They sent us a package of goodies for the babies the next day. Joe and Marie were also very happy for us, and told us to let them know when a visit would work for us. Andy and Meredith were also very excited and happy for us.
I also felt good enough to make a quick video for my channel to announce their arrival. I washed my face and brushed my hair, but that was as fixed up as I was going to get. I dressed the twins in a cute outfit each and laying them on the bed with me, I started filming.
“Hello everyone! For those of you that are new here, welcome! For those of you that have been here before, welcome back! I’m Moon and this is my channel Adventures with Girl in the Moon. This is going to be a short video today. For those of you that don’t follow me or Pete on instagram, you don’t know. But the big adventure the last couple of days were these two.” I turned the camera to show the twins.
“I’d like to introduce our daughter Star Dale and our son Jupiter Jonathan. They were born on Friday night. We got home yesterday. They’re small but healthy. And we’re very happy and very tired. Thank you to all of you that have sent good wishes our way. We appreciate it.” I turned the camera back to me.
“Updates and videos will be slow for the next few weeks. We need to adjust to two new people in the family. But we have lots of help and lots of love so I know we’ll be fine. Until next time, be good to yourself, be good to others, be positive, and go live your own adventures. Bye everyone.”
I got stronger each day. And so did they. They ate often and slept when they weren’t hungry. We adapted to the new normal. It was a big adjustment for everyone in the family. But we figured it out.
“Honey, we’re home!” Pete called out as they entered the house.
I knew they were here, I had seen them pulling in. I was just slow to get to the door. Marvel and Saint weren’t slow though. They both ran up and got Pops and Granny hugs. All four of them were happy to see each other.
“Granny!! I missed you!” Marvel cried as she ran to Amy.
Amy scooped her up and gave her a hug. “I missed you too Marvel. I’m so happy to see you.”
Saint had told me after we got home from the wedding that he liked Pops and Granny more than Mom and Ryan. He didn’t call them grandma and grandpa. He still called them by their names. I had confided in him that I like Dad and Amy more too.
Saint was very excited to see Pops and Granny. He and Amy had a special bond. He got his hugs from them, and then taking Amy’s hand he asked, “Granny, can I show you the house?”
I nodded at her and she took him up on the offer. Dad, Pete and I went with them.
“Gracie, how are you feeling?” Dad asked as we showed them the house.
“I’m feeling pretty good. Huge, but good.” I told him with a smile.
“You look beautiful.” He told me with a smile. “Absolutely gorgeous. Motherhood looks good on you.”
“Thanks Dad. I’m so glad you both wanted to come here. I really appreciate it.” I told him.
“Of course we’re here! You asked, we came.” He grinned at me.
I smiled back at him. I was so glad my Daddy was here.
We had made it to the nursery by this time. Saint had helped me with painting the mural. He was so proud of it and the room.
“And I helped Mom paint it too. Isn’t it cool? We’re gonna read Harry Potter to the babies so they know what this is.” Saint was telling Dad and Amy.
“Oh, Saint, you guys did a fantastic job on the nursery. The babies are gonna love growing up in this room.” Amy raved.
“I haven’t talked to your Mom in a few weeks. Has she calmed down any?” He asked as we headed back downstairs.
“I don’t know. I had to put her in time out again.” I told him.
“Time out? What does that mean?” He asked as he laughed.
“She freaked out and had a full on temper tantrum when I told her you and Amy were going to be here for the birth. I’m talking, crying and screaming. She threatened to come here uninvited and break in so she could take ‘her’ babies. She threatened to sue us for full custody. I told her I would not speak with her again until the twins were at least two months old. If I heard from her in that time, if she showed up here, if I heard a peep from a lawyer regarding her wanting custody, I would cut her off for good. She had one last chance to be in my life and the lives of her grandchildren. I’m not gonna play her games.” I told him. I was done with my Mom and her entitled attitude. And so was Pete. He was ready to wash his hands of her completely.
“She threatened to sue for custody? What the Hell is she thinking? Do you want me to talk to her for you?” Dad asked.
I shook my head. “Thanks, but no. I’m about done with her to be honest. When I took off in Luna, I knew I wasn’t going back to Georgia. And it was because of her. Ever since Alex died, she’s been really hard to handle. I know it broke her heart, and she needs therapy. But my babies are not her emotional support animals. I will not put that on them. I won’t allow that.”
Pete had heard all of this and spoke up. “After she threatened to try and take Star and Jupiter, I talked to my lawyer. She doesn’t have a leg to stand on. But if she tries anything, we’re prepared. I want Grace to cut her out completely. But, that’s for Grace to decide.” He gave me a look that told me he never wanted to see or speak with my mom again. I didn’t blame him. He was very protective of me and all the children.
Dad was thoughtful and didn’t say anything else about Mom. Amy wanted to see my kitchen. She asked if I had any meals prepped and in the freezer. Things that could be heated up quickly for the family after I came home. I did have a few things ready. But we had also talked about getting a Hello Fresh subscription for a little while after we got home.
Amy was glad to hear that. She knew I wasn’t going to be up and ready to cook big meals for a few weeks. Pete is a good cook and had been making dinner a lot for us the past month or so. He’s always helped with the cooking. He did it on his own for a long time before I moved in.
Bronx came over before Dad and Amy left. They were happy to see each other. Ashlee brought him over since she needed their extra car. We let him drive Pete’s car, but not mine. It goes a little too fast to put a teenage boy behind the wheel. Pete and I had talked about it. The car he bought me for my birthday wasn’t going to be big enough to fit the full family. We were going to keep it and we’d use it when we didn’t need to take all five kids someplace. His SUV was big enough for the family, but he was looking at buying a new one. We were going to give his car to Bronx. But until we bought a new one, he had to share with us.
Ashlee popped in to meet Dad and Amy. She had heard about them from Bronx. They all seemed to hit it off and she left feeling even more secure with Bronx staying while my family was here.
Amy wanted to cook dinner for all of us before she and Dad left for the evening. I didn’t want her to feel like she had to. But she wanted to so I let her. Besides, she could move a lot faster than I could.
They stayed for dinner and then went to their place. We got into a bit of a routine. Dad and Amy came over and spent the day at our place. Amy cooked and cleaned for me. I helped as much as I could, but I was far too big to be too fast. Dad helped the boys with their homework. And he went around the house to see if anything needed to be fixed. Marvel followed him around and was his little helper. He ended up changing out the faucet in the boys bathroom because it was starting to drip.
In the evenings they stayed and had dinner with us. Most nights Amy cooked so she could make extra and put it in the freezer. Then they went to their place and left us alone for the evenings.
I was getting more and more uncomfortable with each passing day. My back hurt from all the extra weight of the twins. My hips were starting to loosen up and spread, and that hurt. My boobs were getting bigger and they hurt too. The last few days I was just miserable.
Pete, the wonderful sweet man that he is, tried everything he could think of to make me feel better. He rubbed my lower back and hips. He rubbed my feet and ankles. He gave me as many orgasms as I wanted. It all helped, but nothing was going to take the pain and pressure away until the twins were born.
The day I went into labor was a typical day. It was early afternoon, and we had finished lunch. Marvel was back from kindergarten and was having a snack in the kitchen with me and Amy when I felt the first contraction. It was light and not too concerning. But it did catch my attention.
“Oh.” Was all I said.
Amy looked up at me and asked, “Are you ok?”
I was standing next to the sink with my hand on my bump where I had felt the contraction. I nodded my head and said, “Yeah, I think so. I think I just had a contraction.”
Amy went into full nurse mode. “Was that the first one? How hard was it and how long did it last?” She was looking at her watch.
“Yes, the first one. Not very hard and only for a few seconds.” I answered her. Pete and I had been to birthing classes. I knew I didn’t need to rush to the hospital. This was just the beginning and it could be hours or even days before I needed to go to the hospital.
“Ok, let’s see how fast the next one comes. Let me know so I can time it.”
“Ok.” I went back to loading the dishwasher. I continued to have light contractions for the next few hours. They weren’t too close together and they weren’t very long. Amy was sure we would end up in the delivery room sometime that night, but it was too early in my labor to go then.
Pete was out of the house that day. He had meetings with a few different people. He was trying to wrap up some things before the twins came. These were important meetings for him to attend. I didn’t want to text him if I wasn’t heading to the hospital. I told Amy and Dad not to. I was fine, it was going to be a while before he needed to come home yet.
For the rest of the afternoon my contractions got closer together and stronger. But still not enough to call Pete or head to the hospital. By the time he did get home, I was close to needing to leave for the hospital. He walked into a flurry of activity. Saint and Marvel were getting worked up and worried and excited. All they knew was I was in pain and Granny was getting things together so we could leave when we needed to. Bronx was offering to call Pete and drive us to the hospital. Dad was trying to get things together to make dinner.
Pete walked through the front door around 6:00 only to have Marvel run up to him yelling, “Daddy, Daddy, the babies are coming!”
I was walking circles through the house because sitting wasn’t comfortable. I walked through the hallway on my way into the kitchen.
“What does she mean the babies are coming? Are you in labor?!?” Pete asked excitedly.
I only nodded at him as I continued to walk. And then another contraction hit me. This one was the hardest one so far. This one stopped me in my tracks. I actually gasped and a small moan escaped my lips.
“Grace, are you alright?” He asked as he crossed to me. He reached out to hold me.
“I’m fine. That one was a doozy though.” I said before I started my breathing exercises.
Amy came out of the kitchen. “Ok, we need to think about heading to the hospital. That one came faster than the last dozen or so. Hi Pete. Are you ready to be a Dad again? Can you please go get her hospital bag? We need to leave soon.”
Pete left me in the hallway and ran upstairs to grab my bag. He was back down and next to me faster than I expected.
“I’ve got the bag. Both car seats are installed and ready to go. I think we’re ready.” He said to Amy. Then he yelled for Bronx.
“Hey Dad. You guys heading to the hospital?” Bronx asked as he came out of the living room.
“Yeah, we are. Can you please text your grandparents and let them know? Tell them I’ll text or call when I can. I’ll try to keep you guys updated too. Help Pops with the kids.”
“Of course I will.” Bronx answered. “This is why I wanted to be here, so I can help.”
“Saint, Marvel, be good for Pops and Bronx.” Pete told them.
“We will. Mom?” Saint asked. I looked at him and smiled. “I love you.”
“I love you too Sir Saint. Help look after your sister for me?” I asked him. He smiled and nodded. “Thank you my sweet, brave son.” I leaned over and dropped a kiss on his head.
“Don’t worry about us. You go and have those babies.” Dad said and then dropped a kiss on my forehead and one on Amy’s lips. “Take care of her for me.” He said to Amy.
“You know I will.” She told him.
Pete was holding both of my hands. He had my bag over his shoulder. “Hey. Are you ready for this?” He asked me softly.
I nodded because another contraction hit. I gripped his hands hard and let out a fairly loud moan. “That one was different. Stronger. Feels like one of them has moved.”
Pete looked me in the eye and smiled a calm sweet smile. He kissed me softly on the lips. “I love you so much. Let’s go have these babies. Come on, I’ll help you to the car. Have you called your doctor yet?”
“I called a few minutes ago. She said she’ll meet us there.” Amy said.
“Talk to me.” I said to Pete.
“What do you want me to talk about?” He asked me as we made our way to the car.
“Anything. Your voice calms all three of us. Just talk to me. Tell me something I don’t know.”
I got in the passenger's seat and got buckled in. Amy was small enough to fit in between the car seats in the back. Pete got in the driver's seat.
“Umm, ok, I don’t think I ever told you this. Do you remember when we first met? Those first three days we spent together in the Los Padres campground?”
“Yes, of course.” I answered.
“Well that second day, the one we spent at the lake. When we were talking about music, I was trying to flirt with you. Badly apparently, cause you didn’t seem interested in me at all.” He flashed his grin at me. “And then you told me about your dancing cowboy. I was so jealous. So fucking jealous. You had a boyfriend. I mean, I thought of course you had a boyfriend. There was no way you could be single. I didn’t believe you when you said he wasn’t. How could he not want you? I had no idea who this guy was, but I wanted to fight him. I’d known you for like 24 hours at that point and I was stupid jealous over you dancing with someone. I didn’t like the idea of anyone else dancing with you. I wanted to be the one sweeping you off your feet. And you know, I can’t dance.”
He paused as I had another, even stronger contraction. “Go on, keep talking.” I said after the contraction was over.
“Well, I stewed on my jealousy that whole trip. I tried flirting with you again. And nothing. You just didn’t respond to my efforts. When you left and you hugged me, I didn’t want to let go. I was so confused. I wanted to kiss you so badly. I liked you, I had had a crush on you for years, and you were so fucking cool about who I was. And I didn’t even know your last name. When you turned around and told me your full name I knew I was gonna go find your books. You recognized me right away, didn’t you?” We were turning a corner, getting closer to the hospital.
“I recognized you when you and Bronx were walking up and you smiled at me. Took me a minute because I wasn’t used to your hair long and blond. But your smile, that’s what did it.” I told him. I was keeping my breathing going and trying to breathe through the pain as they say.
We stopped at a red light. He looked over at me and smiled. “I’m still jealous of your dancing cowboy. But only because he got to dance with you before I did.”
I had to smile at that. I knew he had been jealous of Derrick. He made it pretty obvious. “I’m only dancing with you now. Only you.”
We made it to the hospital and got me checked in. My labor was speeding up. The contractions were stronger, longer, and closer together. I was taken to my room and my doctor came in and checked up on me. She was surprised to find that I was already 6 cm dilated.
“Well, these two aren’t fooling around. They’re in a rush to get here. It’s not going to be long at the rate you’re going. Grace I know we talked about an epidural but I’m not sure you’re going to have time for one.”
That scared the shit out of me. I didn’t want to do this without drugs. “Oh, there has to be time for an epidural.” I said. And then another contraction hit me.
“Nope, you really don’t have time. This labor is moving very fast. I’m going to get things together and the nurses will be in to get you ready.” She patted my foot and smiled at me. “You’re going to be fine Grace. These babies are going to be here very soon. I’ll be back in a little bit.” And then she left the room.
I looked at Amy and asked her, “Is what she said true?”
Amy nodded. “You are moving quickly. I think you’ll be pushing out these babies in the next couple of hours. Can I get you anything?” She asked.
“No, not right now.” I said as I breathed through another contraction. They were getting very strong and very painful.
“Pete,” I reached out with the hand on the side he was on. He took hold of it and placed his other hand on my back. He rubbed slow circles on my back.
“I’m right here, Baby.”
“Talk to me. Why have you never called me Moon?”
“Do you want me to call you Moon?” He asked surprised.
I shook my head. “No. But everyone else does. The kids, the band, most of my friends and almost everyone you know. But you never have. Why?” I wanted to be distracted and I had always wondered why.
“Umm, well...You know I watched your channel so I already knew you as Moon. I thought of you as Moon. I liked it and thought it was mysterious and intriguing and kinda sexy. I thought you were a bit intriguing and sexy. But when you introduced yourself as Grace and I thought, yes you are. And you are graceful. I thought it was a beautiful name that fit you so much better than Moon.”
I was actually really touched by that answer. “That’s the best reason ever to use my given name. I’ve always liked that you did. I was just curious about it. Keep talking. Talk about anything. Tell me, oh, tell me about the first time you met Patrick.”
He barked out his big laugh. “The first time I met Patrick? Ok. Did you know it was Joe that introduced us? Joe told me he knew someone who played drums and just about every other instrument. But he didn’t tell me he could sing. We were looking for a drummer for a band we were putting together. It ended up being Fall Out Boy, but that wasn’t what we had in mind. But anyway, I agreed to meet this kid Joe knew. We showed up at Patrick’s Moms house. He really was just a kid, he was like sixteen. He answered the door in shorts, socks pulled up to his knees, and an argyle cardigan sweater. And a hat.” Pete grinned at me. I laughed at the mental picture that popped into my head.
My nursing team came in at this point. Everything started moving fast. The contractions were on top of each other with very little time between them. There was a flurry of activity around me. I was in far too much pain to care or pay attention to.
Then, all of a sudden I had the uncontrollable urge to push. “I need to push, I need to push.” I started telling Amy. She didn’t say anything to me, she just rushed out of the room and started barking orders at my nurses. They all came running in and the next thing I knew, my doctor was back and telling me it was time to push. And push I did.
“That’s it Grace, you got this.” Pete was saying.
“Come on Grace, give a big push on the next contraction.” My doctor was telling me.
I was taking deep breaths in between the contractions. Pete had one hand and Amy had my other.
“Dad? You want to help this one come into the world?” She asked Pete. He looked at me and I nodded. He left my side to help pull Star into the world.
Star entered the world and promptly let us all know she was not happy about it. Hearing her cry was one of the best sounds I had ever heard.
Pete was laugh-crying as he held our daughter.
“Oh my God, Grace. She’s perfect. Small, but perfect. Hello Star. It’s so good to finally meet you.”
The nurse took her from him and cleaned her up as I delivered the afterbirth. They brought Star to me after that but before Jupiter came.
“Hello Star. I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve waited for you for so long.” I had to give her back as Jupiter made his way into the world. Pete was there to catch him too.
Jupiter was slower to cry, it took a thump on his feet to get him to take his first breath. But then he howled at the indignity of being out in the world.
“He’s small but mighty.” Amy said when he started to cry.
“Hi Jupiter. Welcome to the world.” Pete said to him. “Grace, he’s perfect. Absolutely perfect.” Jupiter was taken away to be cleaned up and I delivered the afterbirth.
Amy made sure I was alright and then slipped out of the room. She said she was going to call Dad and let him know.
Pete was holding Star as the nurse got Jupiter ready for me to hold. They brought both of them to me and laid them on my chest. The nurse left us to bond as they cleaned up the room and me and got us ready to be moved to my room.
Pete leaned in over me and kissed me lightly. “You were amazing. Absolutely fucking amazing. I fucking love you so goddamn much.” And then he kissed me again. I was completely overwhelmed with the emotion and started crying as I held and looked over my children. My babies, the ones I was told I'd never have.
“Hello you two. I’ve been waiting a long time for you. I’m so happy you’re here.” I said through my tears.
Star Dale was born at 10:32 PM on January 24th, 2025. She weighed 4 pounds, 14 ounces. She was 16 inches long. And she had a full head a black hair. Jupiter Jonathan was born at 10:46 PM on January 24th, 2025. He weighed 5 pounds 1 ounce. He was 15 1/2 inches long, and he was bald. They couldn’t have been more perfect or more beautiful.
The next few hours were a blur. I know we were moved to my room. The twins were small, but healthy and big enough to stay with me. They didn’t need to go to the NICU. I was so thankful for that.
I was able to get a little bit of rest. But I wanted to try and breastfeed. They started to fuss and Amy suggested trying and seeing if it would help. So I did. I had a few false starts, but with some help from Amy, the three of us got the hang of it. I wasn’t sure I would be able to exclusively breastfeed, but I wanted to try to feed them as much as I could and would supplement with formula. I knew my milk wasn’t in yet but the colostrum I was producing had all my immunities and the nutrients they needed in the first few days.
Pete sat on the edge of my bed as I fed the twins. He had a look of pure wonder on his face. I was too tired to give it much thought. He leaned in and gently ran a finger over Jupiter’s head.
“They’re so small.” He whispered. He watched me and the twins for a little longer. Then he said, “When you told me you wanted to try and breastfeed, I read up a bunch on it.”
“Why?” I asked. I assumed that Ashlee and Meagan had also breastfed.
“You’re the only one that has. Ashlee wanted to and tried. But it didn’t work for her. Meagan had implants. That makes it hard and she didn’t want to try.”
I was surprised at this. “This is a first then.” I said as I looked him in the eye. “Tell me what you learned.”
He smiled a tired smile at me. “I’ll tell you later. Can I do anything for you? Get you anything?” He asked me.
“I’d like some water. Oh, I think they’ve gotten all there is. Ouch, oh that hurt.” I said as Star bit down.
Amy came over and helped me disengage her from the nipple. Jupiter was soon biting me too. I got him to disengage and Amy went out to get a bottle for them. She had basically let the nurses know what her background was when we got there. She had earned their respect and they had pretty much let her run my room. If I needed something she just went and asked for it. In a lot of ways it made their jobs easier too.
Amy came back with two small bottles and Pete and I fed them. It didn’t take too much more to fill them up. But I was glad they were eating well.
Amy left at this point. She was tired and wanted to go tell Dad all about his new grandchild. She called for an Uber and left.
After she left we put them down in the bassinet in the room. I moved over as far as I could to one side and asked Pete to sleep with me. He did and we slept as well as we could. We did manage to get some sleep.
The next morning I wanted to clean up. I was still covered in dried sweat and blood, I felt icky. The twins were sleeping and Amy was back so I asked Pete to help me. My room had a shower. He grabbed my bag before helping me out of bed. I was weaker than I realized. I needed him to hold me up. He got me in the bathroom and turned the water on for me. Once it was hot, he helped me take the gown off and get in the water. Just standing under the hot spray helped me feel a little bit more like myself. Pete got in with me fully clothed to help.
“You’re gonna get your clothes wet.” I said as he helped me stay upright.
“I have a change of clothes too. Don’t worry. What me to wash your hair?” He asked after I had gotten wet.
I nodded and he left me standing under the water and got my shampoo, conditioner and soap out of my bag. He also stripped out of his wet clothes. He got back in the shower with me and started shampooing my hair for me.
“How’re you feeling this morning?” He asked as he worked the shampoo into my hair.
“Sore,” I answered. I hurt all over.
“It’ll get better. Rinse.” I rinsed my hair. He put the conditioner in next and then helped me soap up a washcloth. I washed my face and tried to wash the rest of myself. I didn’t get far because I was running out of energy. He took the cloth from me and very gently, finished washing me off. I felt so much better being clean.
He helped me get out of the shower and dry off. I had bought a night gown that I thought would be good to have and use while at the hospital and at home. It pulled on over my head, but the top part buttoned up. That way I could unbutton it to feed the twins and still be covered and comfortable. I also had some loose stretchy pants and a tee shirt to go home in.
As I stood there and let Pete take care of me I felt the need to thank him.
“Pete?”
He stopped and looked at me. “Yeah?”
I looked into his beautiful hazel eyes and said, “Thank you.”
“Oh, Honey, you don’t need to thank me.” He said. “I love you and this is what I’m supposed to do. I’m here to protect you and take care of you. You just gave birth to my children. Of course I'm gonna be here helping with whatever you need.” He held me gently as he told me this.
“Yes, I do need to thank you. Thank you for loving me, and for taking care of me. Thank you for protecting me from everything and everyone. Thank you for making me a Mom. I love you so much.” I was crying by the time I was done saying what I wanted to.
“Please don’t cry.” He said as I laid my head against his shoulder.
“Can’t help it. Hormones are running wild.” I sniffed and then said, “I wanna brush my teeth.”
Smiling at me he said, “Ok, let me get your toothbrush for you.” He brought me my toothbrush and toothpaste. I slipped my nightgown over my head and brushed my teeth as he changed into the set of clothes he had bought for himself.
When we emerged from the bathroom the twins needed to be fed. I got comfortable on the bed and had Pete and Amy bring me the twins. Nursing both of them at the same time was a bit of a juggle, but we figured it out. Pillows under them helped a lot. We did still need to supplement a little bit with formula. As long as they were getting fed, I was fine with it.
“Gracie, your Dad and the kids want to come see you. Are you feeling up for visitors?” Amy asked.
“Yeah, they can come by.” I wanted them to come.
I fell asleep almost as soon as the twins finished eating. Pete was dead on his feet too. I suggest he go home and get some real sleep. But he refused. He said as long as I was in the hospital he would be here with me. He wasn’t going home until he could take me and the babies with him. He ended up napping on the chair in my room. It was a recliner, so he was able to get fairly comfortable.
Dad brought the kids to see us a few hours later.
“Mommy!” Marvel said as she came through my door. “Mommy, I missed you last night. Can I see the babies?” She asked as she climbed into my bed. She had a card in her hand. “I made you a card!” She said and handed it to me.
“Marvel, Moony’s tired don’t climb on her bed.” Pete tried to scold her and pick her up.
“It’s ok. She can stay. Saint, you can come up too.” I told them. Saint did climb in bed with me.
Saint held out a bouquet of flowers for me. “I brought you these, Mom.” He handed them to me and laid on the bed. He tucked himself up against my side.
“Thank you both so much. These are wonderful. I love them.” I told the kids sincerely. I smelled the flowers and read the card. It was so sweet of them.
“Do you guys want to meet your sister and brother?” I asked them.
“Yes.” Came from both of them and from Bronx and Dad.
Pete brought over Jupiter and put him in Saint’s arms. Then he brought Star and put her in Marvel's arms. He told them who they were holding. After the young kids got a chance to meet and greet their new siblings. Dad and Bronx got a chance to hold both of them. Dad teared up as he held his name sake. I got pictures of them all. And Dad took a picture of all seven of us together piled on my bed. Our first family photo.
“Mom, when will you guys come home?” Saint asked as Bronx and Dad were holding the babies.
“Hopefully tomorrow. The doctors want to be sure Star and Jupiter are healthy enough to leave.” I told him.
Dad and the kids stayed for a little while. But they left when the twins needed to eat again. Amy went with them. Pete helped me with diaper changes and soothing the twins. They went to sleep and I tried to sleep too. Unfortunately my nurses and doctors had other plans. I had them coming in and checking on me and the babies. They woke up Jupiter and I had to nurse him back to sleep. A lactation specialist came in to teach me how to breastfeed. She was useless. Amy was far more helpful to me than this cold handed person who just grabbed at my boobs like they weren’t attached to me. I pushed her off and told her I didn’t need her help. I’d fed them multiple times already and was fine.
Late in the afternoon I was told I was being discharged. I was fine. Healing, but fine. And they weren’t worried about the twins. I was expecting to stay for at least a day since the twins were right at or just under 5 pounds. But, they didn’t have any breathing issues, they were eating well and they didn’t need to be in the NICU so they could go home.
Pete signed all the paperwork as I got myself dressed and dressed the babies. I was wheeled down to the front doors and Pete pulled up and got us all buckled in. He took us home.
We got home and brought the twins in. Bowie and Fred and George and Mr. Fluff all came over to sniff and meet the twins too. Dad wanted to hold them again. Since they weren’t hungry and they weren’t fussing, he was able to hold both of them for a while. He talked to them, telling them how much he loved them and how much fun they will have on the farm.
“Gracie, I haven’t contacted your mother yet. But Scott and Lisa know about their birth. Do you want to tell her or would you like me to?” Dad asked me.
I thought about it for a moment. I wasn’t going to let her know. But Dad could. “No pictures, but you can let her know they’re here and we’re fine.” I finally told him.
I needed to sleep and had Pete help me take them up to our room. I needed to feed them and put them down. I fell asleep as soon as they were in their pack-n-play. Pete joined me and got a nap too.
Dad and Amy fed us and the kids and then went to their place giving us some peace. Bronx was very helpful with the little kids. He helped Pete get them to bed for the night.
The next day I was feeling a bit better. Well enough to make some calls and to let our family and friends see the twins over FaceTime. Peter and Dale made all the appropriate noises. They informed us they had all the shots we had asked them to get and were waiting until we invited them out to visit. Patrick and Elisa and the boys all thought the twins were adorable. They sent us a package of goodies for the babies the next day. Joe and Marie were also very happy for us, and told us to let them know when a visit would work for us. Andy and Meredith were also very excited and happy for us.
I also felt good enough to make a quick video for my channel to announce their arrival. I washed my face and brushed my hair, but that was as fixed up as I was going to get. I dressed the twins in a cute outfit each and laying them on the bed with me, I started filming.
“Hello everyone! For those of you that are new here, welcome! For those of you that have been here before, welcome back! I’m Moon and this is my channel Adventures with Girl in the Moon. This is going to be a short video today. For those of you that don’t follow me or Pete on instagram, you don’t know. But the big adventure the last couple of days were these two.” I turned the camera to show the twins.
“I’d like to introduce our daughter Star Dale and our son Jupiter Jonathan. They were born on Friday night. We got home yesterday. They’re small but healthy. And we’re very happy and very tired. Thank you to all of you that have sent good wishes our way. We appreciate it.” I turned the camera back to me.
“Updates and videos will be slow for the next few weeks. We need to adjust to two new people in the family. But we have lots of help and lots of love so I know we’ll be fine. Until next time, be good to yourself, be good to others, be positive, and go live your own adventures. Bye everyone.”
I got stronger each day. And so did they. They ate often and slept when they weren’t hungry. We adapted to the new normal. It was a big adjustment for everyone in the family. But we figured it out.
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