Brigette got stronger every day, and toward the end of their first week of parenthood, George and Amelia decided it was time for the pollywog’s first bath.
They were nervous at first. She was going to be slippery when she was wet, after all. But it was time. So they ran a tub of water and ever so carefully lowered little Brigette into the warm water.
“Pollywogs are natural swimmers, you know,” George said.
“Hold onto her,” Amelia said.
“If we were living in a pond, she’d be swimming from birth,” George said.
“Hold onto her, George.”
“Water is her natural environment,” George said.
And Brigette wriggled free of her father’s grasp and splashed happily in the tub.
“George! Grab her!” Amelia cried. Brigette might be a natural swimmer, but Amelia was a mother. And while Brigette just wanted to wriggle in the water the way her instincts told her to, Amelia’s instincts were primed to keep her pollywog safe.
There was much splashing, Brigette whisked from one end of the tub to the other three or four times, and George ended up soaked from his waist on up, but he did get a hold of Brigette again.
“Baby steps, Brigette,” George told her, but he smiled proudly. “She really is a natural swimmer!”
And Amelia was forced to agree. But her heart was pounding all the same. Brigette might be ready to swim, but Amelia needed a little more time.
George decided it was time for a date night. I say that George decided this because Amelia didn’t feel ready yet. She didn’t think a single cell in her body would allow her to turn her back on her pollywog. But George missed Amelia. They used to spend all of their time together, just the two of them, and now there were three of them.
It was wonderful, but sometimes a frog needs some time alone with his wife. So he convinced Amelia that if she was babysat by BOTH grandmothers at once, she would be absolutely, positively safe. And both grandmothers were delighted to have a chance at babysitting their little grandwog.
Now, the grandfathers were not about to be left out, so on a Wednesday evening, George’s parents and Amelia’s parents both arrived at six o’clock sharp. They came forearmed with cameras, baby toys, and photo albums of both George and Amelia when they were pollywogs, too, so that they could compare Brigette to the pictures of her parents.
“It will be just fine,” George told Amelia.
At first, they stayed outside the door, listening to hear of Brigette would cry. But she didn’t. There was a lot of baby talk going on from the grandparents, though.
And at long last, Amelia and George went out to a coffee shop, got two lattes to go, and found a nice place to sit on a quilt together.
“Can you believe we’re parents, Amelia?” George asked.
“I know!” Amelia said. “Do you think we’ll ever get a solid night’s sleep again?”
“I hope so,” George said. “I have to go back to work tomorrow.”
They had a wonderful time, just the two of them. Honestly, they talked about Brigette the entire time, but they were very happy doing it. No one else wanted to hear all the little things they talked about, because no one loved that pollywog like they did. And when they’d finished their lattes, they gathered up their quilt, and they headed back toward home.
When they let themselves back into the apartment, they found both grandfathers sleeping with their hands folded across their bellies, and both grandmothers were chatting at the kitchen table, sharing some cookies between them. Brigette was fast asleep in her little crib.
“How did it go?” George whispered.
“Wonderfully,” Amelia’s mother said. “Any time you want babysitters, you’ve got four of us willing to do it again.”
It really had been just fine, Amelia realized. She cast George a smile.
Everything was different, but one thing stayed the same. George was still her favorite guy in all the world.
George did go back to work. His colleagues were so very happy for him, and they all asked to look at pictures of Brigette. And while he was showing his boss yet another photo of the sweet little pollywog, Amelia sent him a new text.
“George!!!!” she texted. “Look what Brigette did!!!!”
It took another minute, but the photo came through. It was a very sweet photo of Brigette drinking her bottle on a blanket.
“She’s drinking her bottle!” George said, and he showed his boss. He was very proud that Brigette could drink her bottle. He’d been the one to get her started on in, after all.
“Look closer,” his boss said.
“What?” George did look closer and his heart skipped a beat.
“Oh my goodness!” George gasped. “She grew legs!”
Of course, he had to call Amelia right away.
“Amelia! She grew legs?” George said.
“She grew them during her nap!” Amelia said. “I couldn’t believe it either! Changing her diaper just got harder, I can tell you that. She’s got a big, strong tail, and two wriggling little legs now.”
“Call your mother!” George said. “Get her to come help you. Call my mother, too! And our fathers!”
“I’m fine, George,” Amelia laughed. “I changed her diaper.”
And that was a relief.
“If she grows anything new, call me right away,” George said.
And Amelia promised she would. But for now, George had to get back to work. But his boss gave him a hearty clap on the back.
“Those are a fine set of legs,” his boss said jovially.
And they were. George was very proud.
I hope you are enjoying the Knitted Newlyweds. I’ve been asked if I’m writing a children’s book, but no, I’m not. These little stories are just my way of giving my readers some free and fun to read. If you love my knitted frog stories, you just might enjoy my romance novels. You should definitely check them out!
Happy reading!
❤
Patricia Johns 
Your comments make me feel warm and fuzzy. Seriously!