Chapter 77 Confinement
The warm sunshine of early spring gently shines through the window and falls on the room where Jiang Ruoxi is recuperating after her confinement, adding a bit of warmth to the house. Outside the window, the branches are already turning slightly green, and birds are singing happily from time to time, as if they are also sending blessings to the family that has received a new life.
Jiang Ruoxi started her confinement period. During the day, the house was busy yet orderly.
Aunt Chen and Aunt Lan were like well-trained housekeepers, carefully preparing nourishing meals. Each dish was filled with concern for Jiang Ruoxi's physical recovery. One of them was busy in the kitchen stove, while the other was always by Jiang Ruoxi's side, handing her warm water or adjusting the position of the cushion at any time, paying close attention to details.
Mother Lu and Mother Jiang were circling around the three children, their eyes full of love and tenderness. When they were teasing the children, the smiles on their faces were like the warm spring sun, warming everyone's heart.
Jiang Ruoxi half leaned against the soft headboard, watching this scene, her heart filled with happiness and peace of mind. She only needed to focus on feeding her child. If the milk was insufficient, the two mothers would cooperate tacitly, one preparing the bottle and the other mixing the milk powder, with their movements skillful and quick.
Although Mr. Lu and Mr. Jiang are not very good at taking care of the delicate tasks of taking care of babies, they will roll up their sleeves to help when Mrs. Lu and Mrs. Jiang are too busy.
They wash the baby's diapers clumsily but carefully. After washing, they check carefully to see if they are clean. Then they hang them neatly in the yard. When the breeze blows, the diapers sway gently, like a string of colorful flags.
As night falls, the house gradually becomes quiet and people who have been busy all day take a break.
However, Lu Tingxiao did not slack off at all. After he came back from get off work and finished his meal, he walked into the room very carefully, fearing that he would disturb his wife and children who were sleeping soundly.
In the dead of night, the moonlight shines through the thin curtains, casting a silvery glow across the house. Lu Tingxiao was half asleep and half awake, and he keenly caught the baby's subtle movements. He woke up instantly, gently lifted the quilt, and walked quietly to the crib.
He leaned over slightly and carefully picked up the baby, as if he was holding the most precious treasure in the world. When changing the diaper, his eyes were focused and serious, his hands moved gently and neatly, and every step was precise and accurate, for fear of making any noise that would disturb the sleeping Jiang Ruoxi.
When the baby occasionally makes a "babble" sound, he will immediately hum softly, as if he is having a gentle conversation with the baby, soothing the little one's emotions.
If the babies opened and closed their mouths, sending out hunger signals, Lu Tingxiao would slowly walk to the bedside and gently wake Jiang Ruoxi up.
His voice was low and gentle, with a hint of apology: "Wife, the baby is hungry." After Jiang Ruoxi lay down on her side in a daze, he hurriedly placed the baby gently in her arms and adjusted the position so that the baby could drink milk smoothly.
Every time he breastfed, Lu Tingxiao had a unique "breastfeeding sequence".
He would always pick up the third baby Jiaojiao first, his eyes full of doting, and carefully place her next to Jiang Ruoxi, allowing the little baby to enjoy the nourishment of breast milk first.
Jiaojiao is a lovely little girl. Her appetite is smaller than her two brothers. She drinks milk slowly, as if she is savoring the sweetness.
Lu Tingxiao just sat there quietly, staring at her without blinking. As long as Jiaojiao's little mouth relaxed and revealed a satisfied expression, he knew that the little princess had had enough to drink.
After that, it was the turn of the energetic eldest and second child. The two little guys had been waiting eagerly, and as soon as it was their "meal time", they couldn't wait to come forward. But often after Jiaojiao's birth, there is not much breast milk left and it cannot satisfy the two little ones' strong appetite.
At this time, Lu Tingxiao would quickly turn on the "nanny" mode and skillfully prepare the bottle. He poured an appropriate amount of warm water into the bottle, scooped up the milk powder accurately, shook it gently to allow the milk powder and water to fully blend, and after testing the temperature, he steadily handed it to the two babies' mouths.
The two little guys held the pacifiers tightly and drank "gulp gulp" with their cheeks bulging. After a short while, their little bellies were round and full. They burped comfortably and lay contentedly on the crib with happy and naive expressions on their little faces, which made people laugh.
After feeding, Lu Tingxiao gently picked up the third child, Jiaojiao, and let the little guy lie steadily on his broad shoulders. He held the third child's butt with one hand, and patted the third child's back with the other hand rhythmically, again and again, with slow and patient movements.
He lowered his head slightly, stared at Sanbao intently, and listened carefully, afraid of missing the moment when the baby burped.
With his comfort, Sanbao would let out a few satisfied hums from time to time, and his little body gradually relaxed. After the burp was successfully released, Lu Tingxiao heaved a long sigh of relief, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a relieved smile. He carefully put the baby back into the crib and gently tucked him in.
Then he picked up Dabao again and repeated the same action, still with the same concentration and gentleness. Dabao twisted his little body in his arms. Lu Tingxiao hummed an unknown lullaby. The deep and warm voice seemed to have magical power. Dabao soon calmed down and waited obediently to be burped.
After successfully burping the baby, Lu Tingxiao coaxed Dabao to sleep as well. Looking at Dabao's sweet sleeping face, his eyes were filled with fatherly love.
When it was the second treasure's turn, Lu Tingxiao's movements became even gentler, as if he was treating the most precious treasure in the world. He gently patted Erbao's back, and the lullaby he sang became softer and softer. As the baby burped, he slowly fell asleep in his arms. After Lu Tingxiao settled the second baby in place, he checked the safety of the crib one by one. After confirming that everything was in place, he dragged his slightly tired body and tiptoed back to the bed.
At this moment, Jiang Ruoxi had already fallen into a deep sleep after feeding her baby, her breathing even and steady, and she was completely unaware of Lu Tingxiao's busy schedule.
The next day, before dawn, a few rays of light shone through the gaps in the curtains. Lu Tingxiao and Jiang Ruoxi woke up to the sound of babies crying one after another. Lu Tingxiao woke up instantly, sat up with a somersault, reached out and gently patted Jiang Ruoxi's shoulder, and said softly, "Sleep a little longer, I'll go check on the baby."
As he spoke, he quickly put on his coat and walked quickly towards the crib. I saw three babies waving their arms and legs, their faces red from crying. Lu Tingxiao first picked up Sanbao, who was closest to him, and rocked him gently, muttering, "Jiaojiao, baby, daddy is here!" He then touched Sanbao's diaper, which was wet. No wonder Sanbao felt uncomfortable.
Then he looked at the eldest child, Qianqian, and the second child, Yiyi, his eyes full of concern. Jiang Ruoxi also rubbed her sleepy eyes and sat up. Jiang Ruoxi touched the diapers of Dabao and Erbao and found that they had wet themselves. They quickly changed the babies' diapers.
The morning light quietly filtered through the thin curtains into the cozy room. Jiang Ruoxi and Lu Tingxiao skillfully changed the diapers for the three babies.
When changing diapers, the two worked in perfect harmony. Jiang Ruoxi gently held the baby's little body while Lu Tingxiao changed the diaper skillfully. Every movement was full of love, for fear of hurting the little ones. After changing, they carefully placed the babies one by one in the soft cribs.
As soon as the little ones touched the bed, they instantly became active, waving their lotus-root-like arms, kicking their chubby legs, and making babyish babbling sounds, as if they were sharing their own little world.
Jiang Ruoxi looked at the scene in front of her, her eyebrows curved, her eyes full of gentle smiles. Lu Tingxiao gently put his arm around her shoulders, smiled bitterly and sighed, "Our three babies really can't bear any hardship. A few nights ago, it was a little cold, and the second baby sneezed, which made our whole family nervous."
Jiang Ruoxi nodded gently, recalling the scene of that day, and couldn't help laughing out loud: "Yes, your mom and my mom's expressions at that time were more anxious than ours, but it's no wonder, the three babies are so cute, who wouldn't feel sorry for them!"
Lu Tingxiao's eyes swept over the three babies one by one, and his expression became softer and softer: "You have to be more careful in the future and don't let the babies suffer any grievances!"
As he was speaking, Dabao suddenly waved his little hands as if he wanted to grab something, and made an anxious "yay" sound from his mouth. Lu Tingxiao immediately walked quickly to the crib, gently held Dabao's little hand, and coaxed him softly, "Be good, Dabao, daddy is here. Do you want this?"
As he spoke, he picked up a small toy beside him and shook it in front of Dabao. Dabao's eyes suddenly lit up, the corners of his mouth turned up, revealing a toothless smile, and he reached out to grab the toy.
Jiang Ruoxi also came over. Seeing Dabao's cute appearance, she couldn't help but reach out and gently poke his little face: "Look at this little guy, he's so smart!"
The second and third babies were also attracted and looked over here, babbling louder, as if they were vying for mom and dad's attention.
Lu Tingxiao and Jiang Ruoxi quickly went to tease Erbao and Sanbao again. The room was filled with laughter and a warm atmosphere filled every corner. A new day quietly began in this sweetness and happiness.
The days pass by quietly like a gurgling stream, in warmth and busyness. In the blink of an eye, Lu Tingxiao's vacation came to an end. With a deep attachment to his wife and children, he returned to the military camp.
At the same time, Father Lu and Father Jiang also ended their short vacation. Although they were reluctant to leave the new life at home and their busy wives, they had to return to Beijing to continue their work due to their work responsibilities.
When they left, the two fathers looked at their grandchildren in their cradles with eyes full of love and expectation. They respectively told Mother Lu and Mother Jiang to take good care of Jiang Ruoxi and the children, and to call them anytime if they had any problems. When they returned, they would call Tingxiao and tell him the names that Grandpa Lu and Grandma Lu had given the babies, along with the names they had given them.
From then on, only Lu's mother and Jiang's mother were left at home to take good care of Jiang Ruoxi during her confinement. Every morning, before the first ray of sunlight fully illuminated the room, the two mothers were already busy in the kitchen.
They carefully selected ingredients and cooked various nourishing soups with heart, from the nutritious crucian carp soup to the fragrant and mellow pig's trotter soup. Each bowl was filled with earnest hopes for Jiang Ruoxi's recovery.
Aunt Chen and Aunt Lan are still there to assist, helping to prepare three meals a day, cleaning the rooms, and keeping the house in tidy order.
Jiang Ruoxi rested and recuperated in this warm care. In her spare time, she would sit by the bed and watch Lu's mother and Jiang's mother teasing the children, her heart filled with happiness and gratitude.
The two mothers skillfully fed the babies, changed diapers, and bathed them, while they kept talking about parenting tips and sharing the fun experiences they had when raising children. Jiang Ruoxi listened carefully and asked questions from time to time, and the room was filled with laughter.
In the afternoon, the sun shines into the house through the windows, and Lu's mother and Jiang's mother take turns pushing the stroller and taking the babies for a walk in the yard. The fresh air and the green flowers and plants made the babies very excited. They waved their little arms and babbled words that only they could understand.
At night, after Jiang Ruoxi finished feeding the babies, Lu Tingxiao would help them sleep. He rocked the crib gently and hummed a soft lullaby, and soon the babies fell into a sweet dream.
At this time, Jiang Ruoxi would sit with Lu Tingxiao, chatting about family matters and sharing the little interesting things in their daily lives. Although Lu Tingxiao was not around during the day, Jiang Ruoxi never felt lonely, because this strong family love always warmed her heart.
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