were no arguments.
* * * * *
She slept until three, which was when David once again climbed the stairs and went into her room. Though still lying on her stomach with the blanket tucked up to her chin, sometime during her nap she had pulled Bear into a one-armed embrace and her thumb was back in her mouth. Occasionally her soft lips would move around it as she suckled once or twice, then relaxed again.
David shook his head. What that thumb must be doing to her teeth...
"Wake up, baby girl." He reached into the crib, gently stroking her back, rubbing between her shoulders as he coaxed her back to wakefulness. "Come on, sweetheart. It's time to get up."
Her brows drew down over her closed eyes. She pulled Bear that much tighter against her body. But although it looked as though she might still be asleep, her mouth betrayed her-working that thumb in earnest now.
"Rise and shine." He rubbed her shoulders a little more firmly and peeled back the blanket.
The sound she made at the back of her throat was more like a growl than a groan.
Oh dear, he smiled. His baby woke up grumpy.
But she did awaken. In fact, she came back to a sleepy kind of awareness the instant he unbuttoned the drop-seat and once more took it down.
Bear spilled from her embrace when she snapped a hand back, palm up to ward off his blows, and wailed, "I'll be good!"
"Shh," he shushed as he moved her hand, pinning it back up and out of his way again. "It's all right, Meg."
"No more spankin', Daddy," she whimpered.
"No more spanking," he agreed. "I just want to check the damage. I tried not to leave bruises-stop squirming, Meg! Relax your bottom-looks like you've got two small ones anyway. Right here." His finger traced a small purplish patch on the underside of her left cheek, then drifted lower down to prize her bottom cheeks apart. He caressed a tender spot just below and to the right of her anus. "And interestingly enough, right here. I don't remember catching you there. That must have been when you were thrashing so hard."
"It hurt," she said, relaxing slightly when, instead of spanking, he stroked the backs of her thighs.
"It's supposed to."
"It still does. A little bit."
"That's because hairbrushes give good reminder spankings. The sting tends to last for a while. You're going to have a sore sit-upon probably until tomorrow, perhaps longer." Almost reluctantly, he withdrew his hand and refastened the seat of her pajamas. "Come here, baby."
Crawling up onto her knees, she reached for him and yawned as he lifted her from the crib.
"Do you want Bear?"
When she nodded, he reached back into the crib and handed her the teddy bear.
"What about comfort blankie?" he asked.
She nodded again, rubbing her eyes.
He handed that to her as well. Pausing just long enough to snag a pair of pull-up pants from her top dresser drawer, he carried her downstairs. "Do you need to go potty?"
When she nodded, he took her into the bathroom and put her down by the toilet. After taking her pajamas all the way off, he said, "Stay right here. I'll be back in a minute."
Leaving her to relieve herself in private, at least for this first time, he went to the kitchen. He poured a little orange juice into a child's two-handled sippy cup and screwed the lid down.
When he returned to the bathroom, Meg was standing up in front of the toilet and sleepily trying to pull her pajamas back up over her hips. She hadn't yet realized the sleeves had somehow gotten twisted behind her. Setting the cup on the sink, David helped to pull the pajamas back up over her arms, but then removed her leggings.
"Here." He knelt in front of her and held out the pull-up diaper. "Put your hands on my shoulders and step."
Though expecting an argument-or at the very least-a whimper of protest, David was surprised when she only leaned against him and clumsily, one foot at a time, stepped into the adult-sized pull-ups. She was still too sleepy and, as he replaced her leggings and zipped her back
* * * * *
She slept until three, which was when David once again climbed the stairs and went into her room. Though still lying on her stomach with the blanket tucked up to her chin, sometime during her nap she had pulled Bear into a one-armed embrace and her thumb was back in her mouth. Occasionally her soft lips would move around it as she suckled once or twice, then relaxed again.
David shook his head. What that thumb must be doing to her teeth...
"Wake up, baby girl." He reached into the crib, gently stroking her back, rubbing between her shoulders as he coaxed her back to wakefulness. "Come on, sweetheart. It's time to get up."
Her brows drew down over her closed eyes. She pulled Bear that much tighter against her body. But although it looked as though she might still be asleep, her mouth betrayed her-working that thumb in earnest now.
"Rise and shine." He rubbed her shoulders a little more firmly and peeled back the blanket.
The sound she made at the back of her throat was more like a growl than a groan.
Oh dear, he smiled. His baby woke up grumpy.
But she did awaken. In fact, she came back to a sleepy kind of awareness the instant he unbuttoned the drop-seat and once more took it down.
Bear spilled from her embrace when she snapped a hand back, palm up to ward off his blows, and wailed, "I'll be good!"
"Shh," he shushed as he moved her hand, pinning it back up and out of his way again. "It's all right, Meg."
"No more spankin', Daddy," she whimpered.
"No more spanking," he agreed. "I just want to check the damage. I tried not to leave bruises-stop squirming, Meg! Relax your bottom-looks like you've got two small ones anyway. Right here." His finger traced a small purplish patch on the underside of her left cheek, then drifted lower down to prize her bottom cheeks apart. He caressed a tender spot just below and to the right of her anus. "And interestingly enough, right here. I don't remember catching you there. That must have been when you were thrashing so hard."
"It hurt," she said, relaxing slightly when, instead of spanking, he stroked the backs of her thighs.
"It's supposed to."
"It still does. A little bit."
"That's because hairbrushes give good reminder spankings. The sting tends to last for a while. You're going to have a sore sit-upon probably until tomorrow, perhaps longer." Almost reluctantly, he withdrew his hand and refastened the seat of her pajamas. "Come here, baby."
Crawling up onto her knees, she reached for him and yawned as he lifted her from the crib.
"Do you want Bear?"
When she nodded, he reached back into the crib and handed her the teddy bear.
"What about comfort blankie?" he asked.
She nodded again, rubbing her eyes.
He handed that to her as well. Pausing just long enough to snag a pair of pull-up pants from her top dresser drawer, he carried her downstairs. "Do you need to go potty?"
When she nodded, he took her into the bathroom and put her down by the toilet. After taking her pajamas all the way off, he said, "Stay right here. I'll be back in a minute."
Leaving her to relieve herself in private, at least for this first time, he went to the kitchen. He poured a little orange juice into a child's two-handled sippy cup and screwed the lid down.
When he returned to the bathroom, Meg was standing up in front of the toilet and sleepily trying to pull her pajamas back up over her hips. She hadn't yet realized the sleeves had somehow gotten twisted behind her. Setting the cup on the sink, David helped to pull the pajamas back up over her arms, but then removed her leggings.
"Here." He knelt in front of her and held out the pull-up diaper. "Put your hands on my shoulders and step."
Though expecting an argument-or at the very least-a whimper of protest, David was surprised when she only leaned against him and clumsily, one foot at a time, stepped into the adult-sized pull-ups. She was still too sleepy and, as he replaced her leggings and zipped her back
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