Monday, August 2, 2010

Knowles Legacy, Chapter Eight

Sonia's tummy grew and grew. She waddled around like a duck. A happy duck, but a duck nonetheless.

The pregnancy really didn't seem to last a long time after all was said and done, however. Before she knew it, she was huffing and puffing and feeling quite strongly about getting this baby out.

Dang. No one told her those babies were so insistent!!!!

"Oh goodness, I have an idea! Why don't I call Kimball and he can take you to the hospital?" Ayesha squeeled.

Sonia gritted her teeth and tried to breathe. "That would be great, Mom," she said through her clenched jaw. Sheesh, you'd think it had been a literal eon since Ayesha had experienced this! What did she do, forget all about it?


Kimball rushed in and looked extremely panicked while Sonia had a meltdown and wished her mom was there to help her through this.

Why? Why, why, why did she have to go already??



However - a taxi ride and few hours later, Sonia gaily sauntered out of the hospital with a bouncing baby boy!

Tate Knowles, "the cheerful". He was good and excitable at birth. And Kimball could hardly keep up with Sonia, she was so excited to get home with her new son!


But as Tate fussed a bit when they walked in the door, panic set back in for poor Sonia. How could she mother without her own mother???


Ayesha saw her distraught look and took the new babe while Kimball took his wife into his arms and held her for a long time while she sobbed quietly into his shoulders. She clung to him as if she were a drowning woman clinging to a drifting log.


Having the gift of "good", however, Kimball was able to cheer his wife up while Ayesha got to know her first grandbaby. Sonia was so thankful for this wonderful family she'd married into!


After Sonia fed Tate, Ayesha offered to tuck him into bed while Sonia got some much needed rest.


And so the daily grind began. Feedings, changings, cuddlings - and exercisings!

Sonia found that post-partum weight-gain was catching up to her! She was grateful for Ayesha's help with Tate so that she could work out on the treadmill or in front of the TV.


Kimball was a great help, too, of course. He loved his new son - loved it all, changing diapers, feeding bottles, late night snuggles, everything. He was a great daddy.


No matter how carefully Sonia watched what she ate, that weight problem kept up with her. She tried to be consistent with her exercise, but that wasn't always possible with the family out and about Corrigan Bay working on collecting or Lifetime Wishes.


It seems Sonia wasn't the only one battling a weight problem. Remember the beautiful and slim Bella Bachelor??? Well - she'd obviously discovered Key Lime Pie. *sigh*


Ayesha and Sonia managed to squeeze out some time each evening before retiring to play some chess. Ayesha was now a master at the game, but she'd let Sonia win.

Sometimes. ;)


Geoff, meanwhile, finally got to visit that house across the street that he'd wanted waaaaay back when he'd first moved into town. He found out that the outside was deceiving. The inside was darker and dingier than the shell suggested. He was rather glad that he'd built his own home and that he and Ayesha had had the chance to decorate it as they went instead of renovating an entire house.


Before they knew it, Tate matured into a toddler! He looked a lot like his daddy and granddaddy, that's for sure.


But - - cuter. ;)

And - he liked to play in his toybox! Ayesha had been scared more than once when Tate pulled this on her while she was babysitting. He'd play Pirates, and Bathtub, and Caveman, and anything else he could come up with in there.


Sometimes, he'd play Peek-a-Boo, but he always closed the lid when Ayesha came into the room, the scoundrel.


Awwww. But he was so framming cute in there, Ayesha could never get mad at him.


He was a pretty sociable little kid - which was good, as Sonia was expecting a second child!

She was secretly hoping for a girl this time, although she knew Kimball wished for another boy.


Ayesha garnered so many Lifetime Happiness Reward points that they were able to install a Food Replicator!

Now, this thing did not come with instructions, so it sat there unused for quite awhile as they all tapped buttons and opened openings and tried to figure the darn thing out.


Right after a swim and her usual game of chess with Ayesha one night, Sonia went into labour for the second time. Kimball panicked - as if that's what fathers should just do, you know - and Sonia worked at the breathing thing.


This time, however, she refused to go to the hospital.

"I want a home birth, frammit!" she screamed.

Kimball couldn't refuse that, could he? *snork*


And so, with hardly more than a puff and a pant and some crazy sparkles not unlike the birthday effects, little Liam Knowles was born into the household.

Liam means "a binding" or "an alliance" - which seemed suitable, as he was the spare-heir to the Knowles/Ursine legacy. :D


Liam got a crib in his own room, which was Kimball's old room downstairs. "The last thing I need," declared Sonia, "is one baby waking another!"

Well, Kimball had to agree, didn't he?


Once again, the post-pregnancy weight battle was on for Sonia, poor dear.


Ayesha had taken up painting. Her style was --- interesting.


Liam was yet another apple in his Daddy's eyes, that's for sure. Kimball spent as much time with his sons as he could, considering he was putting in so much time collecting gems and fishing for great fish all around town.


Geoff had made his goal of 20 friends, so he was feeling just peachy-keen, to be sure. He loved working around the house, making things impervious to dirt or break-downs.


Sonia, still with a few extra baby pounds, had her birthday. She almost cried looking at her great in-laws and loving husband. Her grief over her mom's passing was lessening, but she still wished she could have seen her two grandsons and how Sonia had grown and matured as a mother and wife.


As she wished for a fat-free future, Geoff moved in around her to get a good shot for a photo.


Ayesha wished her daughter-in-law could get the hang of that fat-free life, as well, but it was still an exciting time as Sonia aged into adulthood.


Ayesha heard Tate crying upstairs, so she offered to go get him while everyone else dug into the cake.


Well - and isn't that a funny picture???

"Honey, do you think this dress makes me look fat?"

"Mmmphphmmmph."


With Tate settled, the four adults enjoyed cake and talked about their future. The money was flowing in, they were learning the best ways to cut the gems to get the best value from them, and they were starting to gain profits from some business partnerships in town. Things were definitely looking good!


And you know what? Kimball didn't care if his wife carried some extra pounds or not. He always thought she was the sweetest, loveliest person he'd ever known.

Definitely a good catch, that boy. ;)


"I love you, sweetheart. Thank you so much for our wonderful sons. And thanks for putting up with Dad fixing stuff in his PJ's, and Mom painting in her PJ's, and that gawd-awful stuffed blowfish in the dining room, and my fishing passion, and..."

"Oh, shut up, Kimball. Just kiss me again."


Yes, things were going well for the Knowles Clan. Kimball was becoming pretty good at bringing in the cash with his findings.


He couldn't believe how many rubies and sapphires and diamonds popped up out of the ground every day!


He ran all over town while his wife and parents looked after the kids. He made it to the beach one day and found some gems and space rocks.


Then he unpacked his Simford 2000 Fishing Pole Extravaganza from his pocket and tried for some trophy fish. After all, his LTW was to present the perfect aquarium! He needed more perfect specimens!


An angelfish! Perfect!

No, really. Perfect.


And the Tragic Clownfish. Now, wasn't that a great addition to his collection? Tragic or not, at least he was colourful. And perfect.
 

Sharks were.... a little scary. OK, a lot scary. But hey, if they would fit into his fishbowls, he'd take them home.



Later that week, Liam grew up. Funny how those kids just sit up and twinkle, eh?
 

Wow. Looks like he got his mother's red hair, and his grampa's love of a lack of clothing.

Did I say that out loud???


Goodness, that poor Sonia was really having an up-and-down battle with her weight!  Geoff had never seen anything like it! Although Ayesha had always been such a fitness freak that he hadn't had a reason to... Still, it worried him that Sonia struggled so. He knew she got depressed when she was overweight, and he wanted his grandsons to have a happy mommy.


Ayesha continued to paint. She seemed to be getting a bit of a "style". Maybe.


And Kimball continued to collect. Even in the scary graveyard. *shudder*

Good thing he had the "brave" trait like his father and mother!


Tate was toddling around one night when all of a sudden he looked around, hearing some kind of strange "twinkly" sound...

He stood up, sparks flew...

He giggled and turned 'round and 'round...


And suddenly, he was a real, live boy!

In his underpants. Gosh, was he embarrassed!


His grandma said a gay "Happy Birthday, Tate, dear!" as he desperately pulled open the top drawer of the hall dresser, hoping to find something suitable to cover his undies.

Meanwhile, upstairs in the nursery, someone was up to Tate's old tricks...

 

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