Becoming a family of 4

[Shy-Diapers]

Sadie was not happy about sitting in the car seat. In China they didn't use car seats much and she never went anywhere from the orphanage enough that even if they did she wouldn't be used to one. She started to yell and cry, thrashing against the restraining buckle.

[justagirl4fun]

"Shh, it's okay Sadie, it's okay. Mama's right here." Molly rubbed Sadie's leg and tried to pop the pacifier back in her mouth. "Honey, can you move Elise's seat to the back so I can sit with Sadie? I really don't want her crying like this all the way home..." They'd bought a minivan before they left for China, and the middle row only had two seats. Molly figured for the drive home one of her parents would sit up front with Brent and the other could sit in the back with Elise.

By this time the noise had disturbed Elise and her wails joined in with Sadie's. Her little face grew red as she cried and reached frantically for Molly.

[Shy-Diapers]

"Yeah no problem." Brent said over the wails. He quickly put the girl in the backseat and secured the car seat. He didn't want to remove her from it. "Shhhh." He said pushing the pacifier back. "Go back to sleep."

Sadie wailed and wailed until she fell asleep, being exhausted and still tired from the new changes that had happened in the past weeks and the plane ride.

[justagirl4fun]

Molly breathed a sigh of relief when Ellen chose the front seat over sitting in back with Elise, who somehow, amid all the commotion, had managed to go back to sleep. At least she knew her father wouldn't take the pacifier from the baby. She climbed in and did her best to soothe Sadie. "Oh, thank god," she muttered when both girls were finally asleep. They still had another hour to go to her parents' house to drop them off, then another half hour to home, and she prayed both girls would sleep the whole way.

[Shy-Diapers]

Brent drove as quickly as he safely and legally could. Sadie slept for the rest of the drive, finally being in a deep enough sleep.

[justagirl4fun]

Elise slept until they got to her grandparents' house. As Ellen and Edward said goodbye she suddenly grunted and filled her diaper quite loudly. The smell that quickly filled the van let everyone know it definitely wasn't just had.

[Shy-Diapers]

"Should we try and change her?" Brent asked, unsure if it was worth the risk of waking the girl up.

[justagirl4fun]

"Well, there's no way she can sit in that for half an hour," Molly said as the toddler

[Shy-Diapers]

Brent nodded and grabbed the diaper bag. He picked Elise up out of her car seat and inside. "Sorry but she needs a change right away." He said laying her down on the couch. His in-laws were used to diaper changes so he didn't care. He quickly got her freshened up and back in the car seat, having thrown the diaper away at Molly's parents'.

[justagirl4fun]

Elise screamed at the top of her lungs the entire time, hot tears pouring down her cheeks and her body shaking with sobs. The last time her parents had brought her to her grandparents' house they'd left her for three weeks. She kept reaching for Brent, afraid he was going to leave her here again. When he finally picked her up she grabbed his coat with a white-knuckled grip and was still clinging tightly to him, red-cheeked and runny-nosed, when they got back to the car.

[Shy-Diapers]

Brent rocked and shushed Elise. "It's okay baby. Just go back to sleep." He repeated over and over. He was praying t wouldn't wake Sadie up. Two kids crying was more than enough.

[justagirl4fun]

Elise didn't go back to sleep but quieted down once she realized she wasn't being left behind again. She spent the rest of the drive home calmly sucking on her pacifier.

[Shy-Diapers]

Brent sighed when they got home without another fit. He got out of the car and grabbed the luggage after setting Ellie down outside the car. He unlocked the door and dragged the bags inside.

[justagirl4fun]

Elise scowled and stamped her baby Ugg-clad feet on the snow-encrusted pavement. "Up! Up!" she demanded when she saw Molly lift Sadie from the car.

[Shy-Diapers]

"DaDa will pick you up in a second baby." Brent pleaded as he unlocked the door. He made a few trips to the living room with the luggage and once he was done he picked Ellie up and sighed.

[justagirl4fun]

Molly carried Sadie upstairs to the room she was to share with Elise. They had a spare bedroom that would be hers eventually, but Molly thought it might help her feel safer if she wasn't alone for the time being. She gently set the girl on the brand new toddler bed, removed her coat and boots, and covered her up. Then she went downstairs after making sure the baby monitor was on and the baby gate was in place at the top of the stairs.

[Shy-Diapers]

Sadie curled up in a tiny little ball on the bed when she was set down and stayed asleep for quite a while.

[justagirl4fun]

"I not big girl. I baby," Elise said softly around the pacifier in her mouth.

[Shy-Diapers]

Brent sighed. "I know but we still need your help." He looked down at his baby and handed her off to Molly. "I'll just take a quick one and get things unpacked. It's been a crazy three weeks."

[justagirl4fun]

"Yeah, but I get the feeling we've only seen the top of the crazy iceberg," Molly said with a chuckle. Once Brent headed upstairs she settled down in the recliner and turned on a cartoon for Elise to watch while they snuggled.

[Shy-Diapers]

Brent lugged everything upstairs and unpacked most of the bags before flopping on the bed.

[justagirl4fun]

Molly heard Sadie and jumped up. "Sadie, mama's coming!" she called cheerfully as she tried to set Elise down. The little girl only tightened her grip on Molly so finally Molly gave up and carried Elise upstairs. Once she was through the gate she squatted down to check Sadie's diaper and chatted to her. "Did you have a nice nap? Should we go get you a clean diaper?"

[Shy-Diapers]

Sadie scowled when she saw Molly holding the other girl. She didn't understand most of what she was saying, but put her arms up to be held. Her diaper was wet from her nap but not as wet as earlier. She didn't like the idea that she wasn't the one in Molly's arms.

[justagirl4fun]

Molly scooped Sadie up and balanced her on her other hip. "Come on baby girl, let's go get you changed," she said sweetly as she headed down the hall to the girls' room.

[Shy-Diapers]

Sadie smiled and hugged Molly. For now she ignored the other girl in her arms, not seeing as big of a threat as before.