Phoebe
"Wakey wakey little one," I whispered, caressing Jess's cheek. She whimpered and her eyes flickered open.
"Morning mama," she groaned, stretching.
"Are you excited for today, princess?" I giggled, kissing her exposed belly. She giggled and nodded enthusiastically.
Today, Carter, Jess and I were going to go to the aquarium. Jess loved the aquarium and Carter had booked us tickets hoping it could help Jess mentally. It's a whole day for her to be small and enjoy the day out with her mummy and daddy and hopefully, all the stimulus will keep her mind occupied.
I picked her up, carried her to the changing table and began getting her ready for the day. I put her in her favourite dinosaur print top which also had purple camo spots and then put her denim overalls over the top. I put her in a pull up.
"Mummy," she whispered, holding her teddy close.
"Yes baby?"
"I had bwad dweam."
"Oh," I replied sadly. "What was it about, princess?" I sat her up and began brushing her hair from the front.
"About my dad, mummy," she sighed, fiddling with her hands.
When Jess was about six years old, she and her dad were involved in a severe car accident. He was left paralysed from his chest down. Jess had a few broken bones but nothing as serious. I pulled her into my arms and kissed her head.
"I miss him mummy."
"I know you do baby," I replied, stroking her back and holding her close to me. We stayed cuddling for a little while longer.
I carried Jess downstairs once she was ready and Carter was in the kitchen with breakfast for us on the table.
"Daddy!" Jess cheered happily, reaching for him. Carter giggled and took her from me before kissing her cheeks over and over and over again. Carter had been super busy with work recently so this was the first time she'd seen him in over a week.
"How's my little princess feeling today?" Carter asked, setting Jess into her highchair.
"I soooooo sited daddy!" she giggled, clapping.
"I'm soooooo excited too, my little lady!" Carter replied, clapping his hands also. I smiled and grabbed Jess's breakfast and placed it in front of her then grabbed my own.
"Eat up nicely, munchkin."
Once we were all ready to go with everything in the car, I picked Jess up from her play den and stuck her on my hip.
"Mummy," she mumbled, gripping my top. I stopped at once, her voice and actions worrying me.
"Yes baby?" I said, moving some hair from her face.
"I nervwous," she whispered.
"That's okay princess. Daddy and I will be with you the wholeeee time," I smiled and kissed her cheek three times. She looked at me with a pouty face but I just kissed her again.
The whole way there, Jess was chatting about all the things she was going to see at the aquarium. She was yabbing on and on and Carter and I couldn't get a word in edge ways. Therefore, when getting to the aquarium, she wasn't prepared for the reins about to be put on her. Before Carter or I got her out, I got them out of her bag and held them in my hand.
"Good luck," Carter mumbled to me as I opened Jess' door. I rolled my eyes at him and smiled at Jess.
"Mummy out- no mummy. No dem," she whimpered, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Yes baby, please. Mummy wants to make sure you don't get lost," I said to her, prying her arms apart.
"No no no no no!" she huffed, beginning to fuss.
"Jess if you're going to be like this, we aren't going in at all. We will all get back in the car and drive home," I warned sternly. She whimpered and looked at me and then over at the aquarium entrance she could see from her seat.
"I no wike dem," she whispered, eyes filling with tears.
"You need to wear them just this once. Perhaps I'll let go from time to time in the less busy areas but its just to keep you safe- not to stop you having fun munchkin." I moved some hairs from her face and caressed her cheek.
"I stwill see everyfin?"
"You'll still see everything you want to see, princess. You're the guide today. Mummy just needs to make sure I'm with you at all times."
Thankfully, after that she hopped out of the car and let me put her reins on. It was a chest harness and it kept her safe and secure and close to me. She wasn't too giddy thankfully and actually held my hand going through the car park. However, when we entered the ticket area, she screeched and ran around to the middle of Carter and I before grabbing onto both of our hands as tight as she could. It was a lot busier than I expected. Carter smiled and wrapped his arm around Jess' shoulder as we walked towards a line for online bought tickets. Thankfully, it seemed to be moving pretty fast.
"Mummy," Jess mumbed from my side. I looked to her and she put her arms up slightly, "up?"
"Mummy can't pick you up here munchkin," I said softly, caressing her cheek.
"Mummmmy," she whimpered, looking around hastily.
"Hey, it's okay," I whispered and turned her face so she was looking at me and only me.
"Mummy and daddy are right here baby. No one is going to do anything. We aren't going anywhere okay. Once we get our tickets, it will calm down but for now, we need you to be a brave little girl and hold onto our hands really tight okay?"
She nodded softly, blinking back tears.
"That's it. My brave princess," Carter whispered too. He leaned down to kiss Jess' head and I smiled as she grabbed his arm and then my hand super tight.
"Good girl," I praised. Her feet were shuffling and her eyes were darting all over the place but I knew she'd be okay.
Thankfully, as anticipated, once we got into the actual aquarium, the crowds thinned down significantly.
"Right munchkin, what do you want to see first?" I said to Jess, showing her the map. She pointed at the star fish and Carter and I began leading the way. She skipped along beside me, gripping my hand. I smiled and occasionally chatted to her but she seemed so content in her own little world with her eyes on the low, blue toned lights and watching the cool displays go past.
"This is it!" Carter said as we entered a room. All around the edges were tanks which were open at the top. Jess giggled and ran to the nearest one. The tanks were full of rock and seaweed and things and scattered around were starfish!
"Mummmmmy, did you know dat if dere arms wall off dey grow back!?" Jess explained, looking at me with her big doe eyes.
"I didn't know that princess. Thank you," I giggled. I kissed the top of her head as she watched them. They obviously weren't moving but she was content.
Next, we visited the shark tank and then we watched some feeding shows before deciding it would be a good time for lunch.
"Come on then baby, let's go to the bathroom and get you changed," I mumbled, pulling her towards the toilets. However, that didn't sit well with her.
"No mummy. I wan de fishes," she grumbled, pulling back with her reins.
"No. It's lunch time now, you can have the fish back later," I said, grabbing her hand.
"Noooo," she cried out, trying to get free from me. I sighed, picked her up and took her into the changing room.
"Mummmmmy!" She groaned, discontent and flicked her legs as I sat her on the changing mat.
"The quicker you stop fighting the quicker we can get food then get back to the fishes!" I tried to explain but she kept kicking and fighting against me.
"Nooo," she screeched and cried, throwing about her hands. I just stopped fighting back and let her have her tantrum. She wiggled and moved away from me and then, shockingly, still flapped her hands about.
"No."
"I'm not doing anything baby," I shrugged. I just stood there, holding her new pull up. She stopped crying and looked at me.
"I fwishes?" She whimpered, pointing to the door.
"Fishes once you've got a clean bottom," I shrugged. She groaned and flapped her hands again. However, the bathroom was only small and her arms were longer than she realised so her hand went smack into the hand dryer. She screeched and gripped it before bursting into even more tears.
"Oh baby," I sighed and moved closer to her. She leaned towards me and cried heavily into my shoulder.
"This is why we don't throw tantrums, munchkin." I caressed her back and moved some baby hairs from her face.
"Let mummy see." I took her injured hand in mine and inspected it. It was red and most likely going to bruise but it wasn't too bad.
"You'll be okay baby," I kissed it and then kissed her head. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes and I gave her a tissue.
"Let's get you changed," I whispered and began undoing her dungarees. She just nodded and let me do it all.
Once I'd gotten her changed, she was extremely quiet and kept looking at her hand. I just held her close to me for a couple of minutes and assured her I loved her.
"Ready for some food baba?" I asked, helping her down. She just shrugged and held my hand.
"You're okay baby." I walked us out of the bathroom to see Carter waiting there for us.
"What took so long?" He asked, opening his arms for the sad looking Jess.
"Tantrums and injuries, she hurt her hand," I explained, picking it up from Jess' side. She whimpered as I brushed my fingers over the bruise.
"Oh, silly baby," Carter chuckled and picked Jess up onto his hip. She snuggled into him sadly. I giggled, rubbed her back and walked into the nearby cafe. Carter followed whilst holding Jess and was mumbling to her.
We sat down at a table by the fish tank wall so Jess could still see the fishes and I handed her a menu, as she sat next to Carter.
We all read our menus and Carter and I chatted. However, Jess gasped suddenly and put her finger on the menu hard.
"Mama! Dey swell fwish!" She announced. I giggled and shrugged.
"People like fish, baby, what can you say?"
"I-I-it no wight! De fwishes watch de people eat dere bwofers an sisters!" Her mouth was open and she was exclaiming her discomfort very loudly. Carter just chuckled and pulled Jess into his side before kissing her head. She squirmed and moved away, huffing.
Once lunch was eaten, we headed further into the aquarium. Jess was a lot quieter and more reserved and I couldn't quite put my finger on why. There were a few possible reasons such as she hasn't had her nap, she's bothered about how many people are here or she's just still upset she hurt herself but she hasn't displayed obvious discomfort about any of them. SHe's just lagging behind on the reigns and not really being as vocal.
"Is she okay?" Carter whispered into my ear. We both looked back at her as she peered into the octopus tank. Her eyes didn't seem to be marvelling like previously; instead they were sad and I could almost see the cogs turning in her brain. I shrugged, honestly, to Carter, unsure on how to approach it.
"Do you think she's maybe just tired?" he suggested.
"I don't know, she's usually whiny and cranky when she's 'just tired'." He just put his hand on my shoulder.
"Maybe it's home time?"
"No. No, I don't want to put her in a confined space for an hour if she's going to be struggling mentally. I want her to have the distraction," I said. Jess looked over to us and I smiled and waved slightly. She scurried over and grabbed onto the bottom of my t-shirt. I wrapped my arms around her and held her head close to my chest.
"Are you okay, precious?" I asked her. She just nodded in response before looking up at me with her soft, doe eyes. I kissed her lips gently and pulled away to see an innocent smile on her face.
"We swee de turdwes?" She mumbled, fumbling with my t-shirt.
"Yeah, we can go and see the turtles," I smiled. I took her hand and we walked quietly through the aquarium. Her legs were shorter than mine so she was always lagging a little bit behind but I didn't mind.
An hour later, Jess was getting whinier and rubbing her eyes, concluding she was tired.
"Ma," she mumbled once reaching me. She lifted her arms and pouted. I giggled and picked her into me my arms- I loved when she called me Ma.
"I think it's time to head home, girlies," Carter declared. I nodded, agreeing.
"But de fwishes?"
"We can see the fishes again another day, Angel. Let's head to the gift shop and then we can go!"
"Gwift shop?" Jess mumbled, excited.
"Yeah baby! Do you want to go look in the shop?"
"Mhmm I do dwaddy!" Jess wiggled from my arms and reached for Carter's hand. They walked ahead towards the gift shop.
Jess sat in the back of the car, snuggling her new octopus stuffie and her new fish covered sippy cup and was swaying her head in rhythm to the classical music. Carter was driving and had one hand on my thigh and I was just content with the day out. It had been a great day and I was overjoyed with how well Jess had handled it. Yeah, she'd had her moments but overall, her anxiety has handled it pretty well! I was proud of her and tonight, I was going to make sure she knew it!