Chapter 7: Bundle of Ash

As we saw in the last chapter, Birch and Tammy have decided to try for a baby.  They began a couple of days ago, and they pretty much try every night.  The next night is no different.

Time to try again

And so each night they have cuddled up on the bed, started out with a bit of kissing, and then “gotten down to business.”  And as they are both young adults with  vigorous body chemistries, it is not long before Tammy finds herself on her knees in the powder room each morning.

Tammy's morning "ritual"

After a couple of mornings like this she finally goes to Birch and taps him on the shoulder.

“Honey, I think I have some good news for you,” she whispers.

“Oh? What is it?” asks Birch.

“Well I’ve been getting sick in the mornings. I think… I think our trying has succeeded.”

Birch’s whole face lights up, and he says, “A baby! That’s great!”  He gives his wife a warm embrace, and they start talking about baby furniture, toys, baby formula, and the sorts of things expectant parents like to discuss.  Later, Tammy pays a visit to the doctor and discovers that, yes indeed, she is with child.  She and Birch decide not to be told what the baby will be until the birth — they want to be surprised.

Within a short period of time, Tammy starts to show, and eventually she isn’t mobile enough to work at city hall. She puts in for her maternity leave, and this finds her spending more time at home than before.

Tammy knocking around the house

Tammy uses the time to read up on repairing plumbing.  They’ve already had to call the repairman twice to fix their cheap shower and kitchen sink, so she figures it might be worth while to be able to do it herself.  She’s not the most mechanically inclined Sim in Sunset Valley, but the book starts out easily enough, so she spends a lot of time curled up with it, trying to learn about pipes and faucets.

Birch, who is fast becoming the cook in the house, asks Tammy each night what her cravings are, and tries to satisfy them.  One evening late in the third trimester, Tammy requests Mac and Cheese, which Birch is now able to make from scratch.  He whips some up for her, and they have a very enjoyable dinner. They spend most of the time discussing boys’ and girls’ names for the baby.

Satisfying Tammy's cravings

Each evening, Birch spends a few minutes talking to the baby inside Tammy’s tummy.

Tummy talk

This seems to indicate that Birch will be a devoted father, since he already is taking the time out to spend with his baby, before it is even born.

Finally, the third trimester ends, and late one afternoon Tammy cries out from the bedroom. Her water has broken… the baby is coming.  The two race off to the hospital in the cab, and after a two-hour labor, a bouncing, healthy baby boy is born.  Birch had made a list of plant names for both boys and girls, and quickly consults it. After some discussion with Tammy, they settle on Ash — a nice, masculine sounding name.

The next day, the two of them return from the hospital to Alderwood Manor, and young Ash the infant gets his first look at his “estate”.

Ash sees home for the first time

Birch and Tammy are pretty tired, so after feeding Ash a bottle, they put him in the new crib, and the two of them get some much-needed sack time. Together the family enjoys its first night sleep together at Alderwood Manor.

Home from the hopsital

Birch can relax now: he has an heir, and the next link in the Legacy chain is secure.