1.22 - Growing Pains

One beautiful morning in my little town of Roaring Heights, I finally felt as if our family would be complete.

I already had an amazing little family and now we had another one on the way.  I can still remember the day I told Marvin. It was Caitlin's first day of school and I'd just helped her get ready. She seemed excited, but kind of nervous, too.

***********************************************

Caitlin's POV
I was very excited about my first day of school.  I was excited to get away from the house by myself!  I wanted to meet new kids and play with them.  I wanted to sit at a real school desk.  I wanted to use my new pencils and notebook paper in my backpack.

However, when the bus pulled up, I realized I was REALLY going to school.  I hadn't really been anywhere without Mom and Dad.  I didn't want to be by myself.  I may have "attitude" as my mom calls it, but I still get nervous.  

I walked up to the bus and I saw the driver.  He had his hat on funny and he looked SO old.  He gave me a weird grin and I almost turned around and ran back to the house.  However, when he said, "Come on, kid!", I scurried on the bus as fast as I could.

When I started down the aisle, I started to get a little scared.  There was NO one inside.  I hesitated and asked the driver, "Where are the other kids?"  He just said, "Hurry up and find a seat!  The other kids will be on soon."

I quickly found a seat in front.  Quicker to run away, I thought.  I started thinking about all the bad stories I had heard about being alone with a bad guy.  Mom and Dad didn't think I could hear them when they whispered, but my hearing is good.  I shut my eyes and hummed a tune to stop thinking about the bad stuff.



Eventually, other kids started getting on the bus and we arrived at school.  Once that happened I felt a lot better.  I even liked some of the kids and we started talking about playing games.  I was sad when the bell rang, though.  That meant it was time for school to start and we couldn't play after all.  Some of my new friends went into other classrooms.  I felt a little better when a few of them said, "Let's get together at recess!" I smiled and said, "Yes!"  Then, I walked in to meet my teacher and find my desk.

***************************************************

Justine's POV

After I got Caitlin on the bus, I went back to my bedroom to wake up Marvin since he needed to work on a television he promised to fix.  It was for one of his customers from the restaurant.  He had mentioned in passing that he wanted to learn how to fix things and they heaved it on him pretty quick.  They told him it was already in bad shape.  If he could fix it, then they might send more business his way.

Every morning, we tried to fit in a "quick chat".  It was our way to "sync" up.  We used this for time to ourselves, but also to stay on the same page as parents.  It worked most mornings.

We had just finished, when all of a sudden, I didn't feel right, though I didn't actually get sick. As soon as I felt it, I knew, though. It was the same way I had suspected my pregnancies with Caitlin and London.

I smiled and Marvin noticed.

“What has put that smile on your face?” as he touched my lips softly with his fingers.

“Oh, you know, a little of this and that. Oh, and perhaps I'm pregnant again.”

“Really? How do you know?”

“Oh, honey, I just do, but don't worry, I'll take a test to confirm.  I'll even go to the doctor's to be tested if that makes you feel better,” I said as I gave him a big hug.  He said it would, then he pulled me close and kissed me which sent shivers down my spine.

I told him I needed to get London out of his crib because he had been screaming for like ten minutes.  We had tried to ignore him, but he was having none of it.  I also reminded him that he needed to work on the tv some more. With that, he kissed me again.  He growled that he would finish his thought later that night, then walked away. I just smiled, got dressed and headed for London's room.

This is the picture I saw when I walked in, like he was all innocent and hadn't been screaming bloody murder. Ha!

Well, I gave him his bottle and changed his diaper. We tried to work on potty training, but he was having NONE of it.

He did seem to enjoy his time learning to walk and seemed to be picking it up very quickly.

I went to go work on some other things around the house and left him alone in his room. He took that opportunity to play with his special friend “Peep”. I had always felt bad for that toy as he really beat it and sometimes even chewed on it.

Later, while Marvin was at work, he texted me a pic. He said he ran into Tiberius at the restaurant and he had brought Maggie. We had met with them again recently, but I guess time flies because my how she had grown. Obviously, Tiberius was still a bot fan.

Caitlin went to a friend's house that first day after school. I was a little disappointed she didn't want to come right home and tell us how her first day went, but I was so glad she had found a friend, too. Later, we met up at the graveyard.  It was a full moon and she had wanted to visit the graveyard during it. 

I wasn't surprised when she got a little scared, but we talked about her day and she seemed better after that. We didn't stay long, though.

When we got home, the baby-sitter was just getting ready to feed the grumpy London boy. I paid her and she left looking relieved. Yes, London can be quite the handful.

Marvin came home with fantastic news right before I fell into an exhausted sleep. He got promoted to Ingredient Taster! Also, he won 2,000 simoleons at the casino.

I also told him that I had been able to get into the doctor's office quickly today and my instinct was correct:  we were indeed pregnant.  I fell asleep that night with a mighty big smile. 

Before I knew it, London had been potty trained and had learned to walk. What a big boy!

When Caitlin wasn't doing her homework, chores or playing with London, she was busy doing many other things.

She loved to paint...

She played in the bathtub and had many great adventures...

She had several friends and they loved to play tag with her. She tried many times to walk quietly, but she wasn't very sneaky.  So her friends always knew when she was coming.  She didn't seem to mind, though.  She loved playing with other kids!

Caitlin loved to sit on her bed and read. She also listened to her favorite kids radio station. It always seemed to be on around the house.

She enjoyed looking through the telescope at the stars and learning about them. Ever since London's diagnosis, she seemed to be fascinated with astronomy.

It wasn't surprising that almost every night, Caitlin fell into bed exhausted. She was a busy little lady!

Marvin did a wonderful job splitting his time between Caitlin and London.  They loved playing with him!

Now, not EVERY morning was always beautiful, but I sure did enjoy those days that the sun shone brightly and the warm tropical breeze came off the ocean. Those days when the trees swayed in the wind and the beautiful sound of birds chirped nearby.

On a day like that, while I was washing dishes, I started to feel a little overwhelmed. Even when I look out my window, the sunshine did nothing for me.  I realized that the baby would be born very soon and I wasn't sure I could handle another little one.

I knew I also needed to go back to work soon. I was surprised they hadn't fired me yet. I'd been on maternity leave for a long time now.  I did try to work on my reports as frequently as I could, but it still didn't count quite as much as being at work and doing my job.  The ambitious side of me was a little upset without any recent promotion.  I was looking forward to getting back into the thick of my job again.

As I finished the dishes, my phone rang and I picked it up after quickly drying my hands off. It was Judy! I hadn't talked to her in awhile and I missed being with my friends. She told me she had just had another baby named Hupert. I was ecstatic for her and promised to visit as soon as I could, but I told her I was due any day as well. We talked for awhile longer until I heard Hupert's cry in the background. She said it was feeding time, so I reluctantly let her go.

Judy's call brought a breath of fresh air to my soul. She reminded me that it may not be easy, having another child along with two others, but I would love them all and do the best I could to be a great mom. I may be GETTING older, but I was NOT old yet.  I still had time to work hard and excel at my job as well.  I didn't get the warm fuzzies from her encouragement or thoughts, but knowing I had the support of my friends and Marvin did help immensely.

My day seemed somewhat brighter and I suddenly needed to have a water balloon fight!  The only other adult around was Dylan, so I guess he was my target.  He had such a great sense of humor and was always pulling little pranks on us. So, I finally had one I could do on him. It was such fun and helped relieve more of that feeling I had earlier.  Don't get me wrong.  It did not completely take away the feeling, but I did feel better.  Never underestimate the power of friends and family.

******************************************

One evening before bed, Caitlin asked some questions about the baby. Then, I let her feel and listen to my belly. She was so cute when she was inquisitive.

However, she can be a bit dramatic at times as well. She decided to check under her bed for monsters before bedtime. Well, that was a bad idea.

She was screaming at the top of her lungs and I had just gone to bed. Thankfully, Dylan was still around and took care of it.

“What's the matter, Caitlin? Are you ok? Are you hurt?” asked Dylan, concerned.

In between breaths, Caitlin said, “Monsters. Under. Bed. Red eyes. Scary. Can't sleep now.”

“Ok, ok, you're fine now,” he gave her a quick hug, but when he tried to let go, she clung to him. She really seemed freaked out. In fact, after she finally did let go, she even “fainted”.

Well, she'd never fainted before, so maybe she had seen "something", even if was her imagination playing tricks on her. 

 Dylan thought he'd try to get her to go to bed since she was obviously tired. Big mistake!! She refused and even yelled at him. Did he really want her to get eaten by the monsters while she slept?!

He should have been upset at her disrespect, but he saw that she was genuinely scared.  Poor Dylan finally just chatted and asked her questions to distract her. Eventually he brought up her favorite subject: music.

After another hour of that, she seemed less scared and finally agreed to go to bed. She wouldn't let Dylan leave nor turn the light off, though. So, he stayed until she fell asleep, then left for his room. What an awesome butler!!

The last thing I wanted done before the baby came was a family picture. London was being a bit ornery, but we finally got a fantastic picture. I quickly had it framed and put in the house.

Soon after that, I felt the contractions start to come and go, then slowly get stronger.  I knew it was time for the new baby Johnson to be born.  I was excited, but NOT for the pain.  I was so very thankful that Marvin was around this time. Unfortunately, London picked the moment after my water broke to start screaming because he was hungry.

Thankfully, Dylan took care of him, while Marvin and I went up to our bedroom. We were thankful Caitlin was at school.

Marvin was such a help, though he probably thought he wasn't. Having him there to support me was amazing!

“It's a girl!!” I exclaimed. I couldn't not believe I would have another beautiful girl to love on and cuddle!  I started crying as I felt the joy surge through me!

Just as I was mopping up my tears, she started crying. Then, suddenly, another wave of pain hit me.

“Marvin!” I yelled. “Please take her!!”

Marvin quickly took her and laid her on the bed, but then gave me a concerned look. I was surprised, too, but the pain was intense!! Then, I realized I was having ANOTHER baby!

“It's another girl!!” I proclaimed as I laid her beside her sister. Marvin looked a little shocked and I was definitely overwhelmed. Twins!!

Meet Lynelle Avery Johnson

She's easily impressed with anything we do and loves to be outside.

and Sophia Ivory Johnson

She's such a good baby, but gets a little excited at times, especially when she sees the bottle.

*Lovesstorms' notes*

So sorry it has taken awhile to get this out.  I've been trying to play the game and nothing else for awhile to keep it going. I desperately wanted her to get back to work and move life along.  Also, I am trying to move the chapters along a little faster, too.  :D

Caitlin fainting was hilarious!  =))  I just laughed and said she was a drama queen!  

Woah, twins! :-O  I did not give Justine or Marvin the fertility treatment as she wishes for enough babies as it is. After I did some research, though, I found that listening to kids music all the time might make twins. It was on frequently as just sat in different areas, so I guess that must be it.

Life is SO busy with all of them. I'm a little overwhelmed, but I am enjoying it, too. As I said before, I am used to speeding through everything and even cheating a lot. NOT cheating has been difficult, but it has forced me to enjoy all the kids at different ages.  :)

Also, I've entered a few contests on the Sims 3 forums, so I've been busy with that, too.  This was a fairly simple chapter, though I felt a little boring.  However, I wanted to make it quickly, so hopefully, you still enjoyed it!!

Whew! What will happen next with this family? Only time will tell. Please stay tuned!

Poses

Pregnancy Bliss by Forever Hailey

Labor by Artist Kate

1.23 - Growing Up Johnson (PG-13)
1.23 - Growing Up Johnson

1.21 - The Unexpected

*radio static*

“Verhat, come in, Verhat”

“This is Verhat. What can I do for you, Aldor?”

“What is your position?”

“I'm in front of a house in Roaring Heights, USA on Earth. I'm getting ready to go scan the mother-to-be and see if this human baby fits our needs for the experiment. I just inputted the coordinates into the computer.”

“Oh, its coming up now. Remember, if the human has the right chemical make-up, then you have to reverse the scan immediately for it to work,” Aldor said as he signed off.

Verhat sighed. Yes, he knew all of this and he'd been doing it for several years now. He'd been very successful in that time and had won awards for his work. He enjoyed his job and felt he was making a difference for his people.

He lived on the planet, Tetor. He loved living there and they prided themselves on their successful experiments. The experiments themselves weren't very aggressive or invasive nor were the effects dangerous or harmful. They were just fascinated by human social behavior. They needed the results from the experiments as their society thrived on and used them to help make their civilization better.

He got out of his ship and walked up to the front door. A human was standing there, covering his ears. He seemed to be in some kind of distress.  He stared at him for a bit longer, but then got to work by pulling out his scanner.  

He scanned the house and found the mother-to-be upstairs. He stepped backwards into the lawn and pointed his scanner towards the mother while pushing some buttons. It made a few noises and finally some numbers came up on the screen.

He smiled and quickly pushed another button to start the reversal process while keeping the scanner pointed steadily at the mother-to-be. The numbers were even better than he expected. This baby would be one of the best specimens he'd ever come across. His brain power must be getting stronger at detecting the combination of human genes needed to be successful, which promised less trips and failure. Also, it meant this would be his last trip for awhile. He couldn't wait to get back to his family.

After the process was complete, he ran back to his ship, plugged in the information from the scans and set off for home.

***********************************

Another wave was coming. I could feel it. I tried not to scream as I clutched the curtain next to me. Honestly, I'm surprised I didn't rip it right off the wall. I was a little worried, too, as Caitlin was in the same room. However, when I tried to leave, she protested, so I stayed. She really didn't seem to notice my pain and discomfort as she continued to play her with her toy. Thankfully, Dylan was there to help if Caitlin needed to be moved elsewhere. As the labor progressed, there was less time in between the waves and more pain, stronger pain. Sometimes I could barely think.

Marvin was at work. I had called him and he said he would leave immediately. However, this birth was going much faster than Caitlin's.   So fast, in fact, that Marvin didn't even make it home in time to see his new baby boy welcomed into the world.

At first, I was so overwhelmed, what with the birth and all, I didn't notice. He seemed healthy enough when he let out his first cry and when I counted his fingers and toes.

Suddenly, my world was turned upside down!  I took a second look, it was undeniable. What would Marvin think?

***********************************

Marvin's POV

I came home from work and dropped my stuff off at the door. Dylan met me there and said the baby had been born a few minutes before I came home.

I rushed upstairs and found Justine in the hallway closing the new bedroom door. She looked so overwhelmed and tired. I felt horrible that I couldn't get home any faster!

“Justine, honey, I'm so very sorry I couldn't be here.  Are you ok? Do you need to lie down and rest? How's the baby?”

At that last question, she looked sharply at me. “Everything is fine,” but she didn't look me in the eye.

I gently pulled her into a hug, but she resisted. “Honey, what's the matter? Is there something wrong? I know I couldn't make it, but the baby just came far faster than we expected.”

“No, it's not that. Look, I just want you to know that I love you and you know I'd never be with anyone else, right?”  she asked with a scared look in her eyes.

What? I thought. She was worried about that right now? “Honey, I know you'd never cheat on me. We love each other and I can't imagine being with anyone else, " I said softly. Then, I smiled, "And, anyway, in this town, I can't imagine either one of us getting away with that. Someone always seems to be watching.”

She glanced at me, with a relieved look, and smiled. “Yeah, that's so true.” After a moment, she seemed like herself again. Then, she intertwined my fingers with hers and looked at me with excitement. “We had a boy!!” I couldn't help myself, picked her up and twirled her around, gently, of course. “That's awesome!!” I yelled.

Justine shushed me and I put her back down. “Is he sleeping?” as I headed toward the bedroom door. However, she rushed ahead of me and stopped in front of the door, looking nervous. “We have something we need to talk about before you see him.”

She leaned close to me and whispered in my ear the "something".  I almost laughed at the absurdness of it. However, her face told me she was not lying or joking.

I slowly walked into the bedroom and crept up to the crib. What I saw made our conversation about infidelity make more sense. However, I knew we'd never be unfaithful, plus there was no one in town that looked like our new son.

So, the question that remained: why was our baby.......blue?

***********************************

Justine's POV

After the initial shock wore off, Marvin seemed to regain his composure.  He counted all the fingers and toes and checked the rest of his tiny body almost to reassure himself.  I understood as I had done the same thing.  It helped to calm our fears a little. We decided to wait to call the doctor's office since it was after hours. He was acting normal; he just looked different.

After we spent the evening with him, we decided to accept him as he was. We couldn't do anything less. We made him and he was ours, even if we didn't understand what had happened, we still loved him.   Our decision helped us finally choose his name.

Introducing London Michael Johnson!

The next morning, we called the doctor's office and told them what had happened. The nurse was quite shocked and I'm amazed she didn't hang up on us. We were told to come in right away.

Dr. Winters was an excellent doctor and we thought highly of him. The first thing he asked, after he saw London, was if someone could go to our house to take environmental samples. We hadn't thought of that, but agreed quickly.  Anything was possible.

He then proceeded to give London a thorough examination and did lots of tests. He said he needed to wait for the results of everything before he could voice any opinions of the situation. Once the results were in, he would call us. However, he did reassure us that London, besides his coloring, seemed as healthy and normal as any other newborn.

So, while we waited, we tried to live as normal as we could.

London loved bath time and seemed especially fascinated by the bubbles.

He smiled and cooed when we played with him.

Even Caitlin seemed fascinated by him.  “Bruder” she'd say. Then she'd sweetly kiss his head.

We even went on a walk to the park. They both seemed to enjoy it.

While we were at the park, we had a lovely lady take our new family photo.

She was very picky about the picture, though.  She took so long that Caitlin started getting cranky, so we went home.

As we walked in the door, my phone rang. It was the doctor's office requesting us to come in at our convenience. We left immediately.

We were ushered into an exam room and Dr. Winters came in shortly followed by a few others. It was a bit intimidating, but he quickly introduced them as a group of doctors and scientists who wanted to help us discover what had happened to London. I got Caitlin settled with some crackers and London slept as the doctor started his explanation.

“Marvin, Justine, the results are in and besides his skin color, he is a perfectly normal baby like I first thought. It seems during your pregnancy, the pigment of his skin was genetically altered. It has been altered completely, so there doesn't seem to be any lasting effects and he will always remain blue. The science labs also ran tests and we both agree on this.

“When we ran the tests on your property, we found high levels of space rock particles. Our best guess is during your pregnancy, you had an alien visit.  We have heard stories in the last few years that aliens have visited several parts of the world. Most of the public knows nothing about this.

“The aliens have done similar mutations to other babies around the world. The children who have been subjected to this kind of experimentation have all grown to be normal healthy human kids. It doesn't hurt them, leave any scars or cause them any physical issues other than the pigmentation. We're unsure how or why the aliens are doing this, but I know the science facility is continuing their quest to find answers.”

Marvin and I looked at each other in disbelief. Aliens? Experiments? It was a little hard to believe, but everyone across from us looked quite serious. They continued to explain that he would need to be brought to the science facility once a year to be monitored. They had high hopes of a normal life, which relieved us immensely.

We thanked the group and the doctor was kind to let us sit a little longer after everyone had left. It was a lot to take in and we just needed a moment to breathe.  When we left, the staff seemed unfazed by London's look as they cooed over him and Caitlin. We hoped others would accept him as well as the staff did.

After the diagnosis, our lives slowly developed into a new normal, which can be forced upon you by a toddler and baby. London showed us that he was a typical cute, cuddly baby and as time went on, our shock and fear gradually disappeared.

Marvin got promoted to Vegetable Slicer and he celebrated by getting us a shuffleboard. I always thought it was just an old people game, but we actually had lots of fun playing it. Of course, some might think us old...

While Marvin watched the kids, I combed through more garbage and wrote another report.

London received a special doll named Peep from Tiberius. His wife, Charlotte and him had just had a baby girl named Maggie.

We had a nice visit with them and promised to invite them over soon for dinner.

As the days flew by, Caitlin continued to learn skills and read books. She was doing very well and I couldn't believe how big she was getting.

London was growing like a weed, too. He rarely cried and very much enjoyed anyone who would talk to him.

Before we were ready, Caitlin and London's birthday arrived. They happened to be on the same day.

London went first.

He seemed very perceptive and noticed things before most of us.  However, he frequently ran into walls and fell over. He never cried, thankfully, but we could tell he was quite the clumsy one.

Caitlin's cake caught on fire before she could blow it out. 

Marvin was concerned that London would get too close to the fire, but surprisingly, London didn't seem interested in it.

Finally, it was Caitlin's turn.

She definitely liked to perform for us and soon started showing her diva side. 

The next evening as I was working on dinner, Marvin came up behind me and kissed my neck.

“Marvin, I'm trying to cook dinner,” I protested with a blush.

“I don't need dinner. I just need you,” he whispered by my ear, sending shivers through me.

I finished stirring the food and turned around. He pulled me into a kiss, which made the butterflies start in my stomach. I couldn't believe after our time together, he still did that to me.

“What is that for?” I asked as I snuggled into his arms.

“We have been through a lot lately and I just appreciate how you've handled this whole thing. I couldn't imagine loving you more than I love you now," he said softly.  "Oh, and you are sexy barefooted in the kitchen,” he growled as he pulled me into another kiss.

I kissed him with such passion that I think we forgot where we were for a little bit. I'm not sure how I snagged this wonderful man, but he made me feel loved and I was so thankful. Then, I whispered to him that he should join me in the bedroom after the children were asleep so he could show me more appreciation.

***********************************

Caitlin and London seemed to be inseparable.  They had their moments of fighting, of course, but mostly they played together well.

Playing with London's favorite toy...

“Look, London! I found your boat!” said Caitlin excitedly.

“Boat,” said London. They'd been looking for it all over the place since London had started crying a few hours before. We had tried to distract him with other toys, but he loved that boat and could not be consoled. Caitlin finally found it in the toilet of all places.

She loved to give London hugs and I think he really enjoyed the attention she gave him.

They played peek-a-boo for hours...

Before long, I was craving another little one. London was a toddler and Caitlin was a child. I missed that baby smell....again. 

Marvin agreed and soon enough, we were making another little one.

*lovesstorm's notes*

Well, what do you think?

First, Justine had a wish to cuddle with him before he was even in her arms.  He looked weird, but the picture was SO small.  I had to wait until he appeared.  Then, I was completely SHOCKED!  :-O  He was BLUE!!  At first I laughed....then I laughed some more, then I laughed again.  I could NOT believe it!  =)) =))

Anyway, after my laughter, I looked at Marvin in CAS.  I have said that I use custom skin tones.  Well, I guess I hadn't paid attention (or forgot, which is more likely) because Marvin's custom skin has FOUR different colors.  A pale peach, green, blue and the darker peach.  So, the game gave London Marvin's skin tone and just picked a place randomly on the slider.  :))  

At first, I was going to change his slider to the darker peach, like Marvin.  However, I thought about it and decided against it.  The game gave me this little twist and I decided it could make my story even more fun.

Once I decided to keep the blue, SOOOOO many story lines seemed to pop in my head.  The alien did appear a few minutes before London was born.  It was another plot twist that I could NOT leave out.  I had my options written down and I've spent this last week working on a couple of them.  Finally, after MUCH help from my sisters (thanks, ladies!), I settled on my story.  

Obviously, because this is still a wishacy, I had to be careful with the story line.  It took awhile for it to come together, too, but I feel like it was definitely worth the wait and time I took to make it work.  This has been the HARDEST chapter I've written in this story so far.  @-)  I wish I could have looked at your faces as you read this chapter.  :P  I really hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!   :D

Poses

Baby Love Poses by Traelia

Cutie Pie by Forever Hailey

I'm the Big Sister by spladoum

Doylegirl's Family Portrait Pose Pack by Doylegirl

Coupling Pose Pack by Skylar

1.22 - Growing Pains