Amanda has a hunch

Dear Readers,

Hope you´re all doing well.

Today´s story is a continuation of the previous one when Amanda and Glenn went to the Country Market.

Hope you like it!

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Instead of going straight back home, Glenn suggested Amanda to go for lunch at "The Blackurrant Café". 

"All this shopping made me really hungry" Glenn said.Actually,Glenn always has an excuse to have something to eat. He has a good appetite.

Amanda was a bit tired and she was starting to feel hungry too. 

"Good idea Glenn!. Let´s go"

On their way to the café they bumped into The Truffles.Even though The Splashys´ have just moved recently to Sweet Berry Valley they have already met most of the villagers.They were all so friendly that Amanda and Glenn  enjoyed having a chat with them.

Amanda´s pregnancy and parenthood was the main topic of conversation when they met their neighbours.

Victoria Truffle, who used to work as a midwife in Town until she moved to Sweet Berry Valley, offered Amanda her help and gave her some advice.

"Come to our place one of these days and we´ll have a chat" Victoria said.

Eustace and Glenn were talking about the prospect of becoming a father for the first time.

"How did you react when you were told you had twins, Eustace?" Glenn asked out of curiosity.

"To be honest with you, I couldn´t help but cry, Glenn. Believe it or not, I cried of joy.You´ll see when you hold your little one in your arms.Being a parent is challenging but very rewarding,my friend" He said in his husky voice.Eustace looked tough and almost intimidating on the outside but he was really genuine and kind-hearted.

Amanda and Glenn really appreciated all the parenting advice they could gather from their friends and neighbours. After chatting with the Truffles, they kept walking until they arrived at the Blackcurrant Café. It was lunch time and the place was totally crowded.

Luckily, there was a free table outside and Glenn asked Alex Periwinkle if they could take it.

"Of course! I´ll be with you in a minute!" At least, that´s what Alex intended but he was really busy.

When Amanda entered the café, she saw a family she hasn´t met before. The cute baby triplets caught her attention. "There are so many multiples in this village". She thought to herself.

After a while, Alex approached their table and apologized.

"I´m really sorry for keeping you waiting but I´m on my own and the café can get very busy, especially at lunch time. Things were different when my wife was here but now she has to stay at home". 

"Oh! I´m sorry! Is she sick? Amanda asked. 

"No, not at all! She´s fine! It´s just that she has to take care of our babies.You moved here recently so probably you didn´t know we had twins a few months ago." 

Glenn and Amanda congratulated Alex and then they placed their order. Definitely, there was a big baby boom in Sweet Berry Valley.

"Enjoy your meal" They were both very hungry.

Alex was going back to the café when Adrianne Hopkins told him: "Alex, you have visitors! Look who´s coming!".

Alex turned his head and was delighted to see his wife and his baby twins.Once again, the two cute baby girls caught Amanda´s attention and Glenn´s too.

"It´s so good to see you Kate". Alex said before kissing his wife.

"And how are my favourite little girls? Are you happy to see your daddy?" The babies giggled when Alex took them in his arms.

Amanda and Glenn couldn´t take their eyes off the happy family encounter.

Suddenly, Amanda felt the urge to tell Glenn something which has been rattling around in her head all day.

She swallowed hard and said,"Glenn, I have something to tell you.You might think I´m a bit crazy but I´ve got a hunch.I have a feeling we´re going to have twins! Glenn´s eyebrows rose in surprise and his mouth dropped open slightly but he just let his wife keep talking."Look Glenn, my belly is too big for someone who´s only four months pregnant, doctor Murdoch was surprised at the strong heart beat,maybe two little hearts were beating at the same time instead of just one.My great-great- grandmother had twins and I´ve seen so many twins and triplets since we arrived at this village that today I just came to this conclusion and I think I´m 
totally right. What do you think Glenn?Anything to say?" Amanda took a deep breath and waited nervously for Glenn´s answer.

Glenn was too stunned to utter a word but when he thought of the conversation he just had with Eustace and after looking at Alex and his twins, he gave his  wife a big smile and said:" Twins, you say? Then, double the joy,Amanda. Double the joy!"

Amanda felt very relieved to share her hunch with her husband but even happier at his positive reaction. She thought Glenn was going to feel overwhelmed or even frightened at the idea of having two babies at the same time but she was pleasantly surprised.

"That´s the spirit,Glenn!"

"You´re going to be such a good father!". 

"I really hope so! I´ll try my best!" Then,he stood up and kissed her.

Amanda felt the babies kicking inside her belly. It seemed they were also happy.

The Splashy go to the Country Market

Dear Readers,

Todays´s picture story is a continuation of Amanda´s prenatal appointment.
As soon as Amanda and Glenn left the Cottage Hospital they headed to the Country Market in order to buy the supplements doctor Murdoch prescribed Amanda to take during her pregnancy. 
When they arrived, a poster on the window caught Amanda´s attention. 

"Look, Glenn! They have baby stuff for sale!"

The Country Market offers special sales throughout the year and due to the recent increase in the birth rate in Sweet Berry Valley, Carol and Arthur Osborne have put up for sale a wide range of baby products at a discounted price.

When the Splashys´ got into the shop, Amanda couldn´t hide her excitement at the idea of starting buying things for their baby.

Before starting browsing around,they greeted Maurice Chantilly, who had just bougth a new baby bottle and some nappy rash cream.
"How is baby Jacques?" Amanda asked.
"He´s fine, thanks. He´s an easy baby so far but I´ll keep my fingers crossed. Esme was a colicky baby and she used to cry for hours."
Glenn also crossed his fingers. He really hoped his upcoming baby was easy to raise. The idea of a baby crying for hours was too much to handle.  

When Maurice left the shop, Carol offered them her help. 
"Feel free to look around and let me know if you need any help".

Amanda was oohing and aahing over all the cute baby stuff. She couldn´t resist buying an outfit for her little one.

They also bought their baby´s first toys. 

It was easy, especially for Amanda, to get carried away when buying baby stuff for the first time.
"Glenn, why don´t we buy a crib? It´s a must and it´s a good deal. We should take adventage of the sales."
Even though Glenn thought it was a bit early to start buying stuff for their baby he recognized his wife was right.This was a good opportunity to save some money. 

Carol, who overheard The Splashys´ conversation, handed them a catalogue in case they wanted to have a look.
"We just have three cribs on display but there are more to choose from this catalogue. We don´t usually have so many baby products at the store but you can always place an order from our catalogue"

Amanda had already seen a crib that she really liked. She was sure Glenn was going to like it too. Those cute little fish added such a nice touch.

"Have you considered buying a bath? They´re half price". This time it was Carol the one who encouraged them to keep adding things to their baby shopping list.
"Oh yes!I like the pink one" Amanda made up her mind easily as pink was her favourite colour.

With all the excitement, Amanda had almost forgotten the reason they went to the Country Market.

"Have you got the prescription?" Glenn asked her.
"The prescription?...Oh, yes! It´s in my bag.Can you believe it completely slipped my mind?." She said with a little giggle.

Arthur gave them the medicines while Carol was putting the stuff in the carrier bags. 
"The crib and the bath will be delivered to your place in a few week´s time" Arthur said when they paid for their shopping.
There were still a few months left for the baby´s arrival but Amanda was already looking forward to having the crib next to her bed.

Before leaving the store Carol gifted Amanda and Glenn with a book."A complete guide to care for your baby" Carol said.
" A must-read,especially for first-time parents". Arthur winked his eye to Glenn who seemed a bit overwhelmed with all the stuff they need for their baby. 
Truth be told, shopping wasn´t Glenn´s cup of tea.
However, seeing his wife so excited with all the baby stuff, made him happy.

They were about to leave when Daisy Buttercup and her youngest son, Cheddar, came into the Country Market.
"AMANDA AND GLEEN!. It´s so good to see you!.How is your pregnancy going?" Amanda didn´t even have time to answer when Daisy had already asked her a new question.You all know the way she is…
"Do you know expectant mothers should drink plenty of milk , don´t you? I think you haven´t registered for milk delivery yet? I can guarantee you won´t find better milk.I´ll tell Hornbull to leave a bottle of milk at your doorstep tomorrow morning.The first one is for free!"

"Did you have milk for breakfast? Well, just in case you didn´t, here you have some".
Suddenly, Daisy  took a small bottle of milk out of her bag and handed it to Amanda who was a bit intimidated but amused at the same time by Daisy´s personality.

"Come on, drink a little bit. You´ll see how nice it is."

"Carol!, tell them who sells the best milk in the village" Daisy can be very insistent some times. 
"There´s no doubt you do sell the best milk not only in Sweet Berry Valley but in the whole Sylvania" Carol knew that compliment would make Daisy feel proud enough to stop boasting at least for a while.

Daisy wasn´t expecting a baby but she just wanted to have a look around the shop.
"Aww,how cute is that little cat! It looks like baby Jacques. I´ll get it for him".Could you bring it down,please?"

"Sure, Daisy. I´ll take the ladder". Arthur kindly offered to reach the toy cat.
"You know Carol, I´ve got some juicy gossip for you… Did you know that..." Daisy whispered. 
"Turn back, Daisy!" Carol interrupted her.

"Oh! My little piece of cheese! Where do you think you´re going? Come here with mummy!"
Once Cheddar climbed down the ladder, Daisy kept Carol up to date with the latest news and innocent gossip. No big scandals ever happened in Sweet Berry Valley.

We´ll let Daisy have a gossip with her friend Carol and let´s go back to Glenn and Amanda.
When they left the shop they met Barbara Dale who was also pregnant with her fourth child.Looking at the size of her belly I would say she must be due very soon. 

Nancy and Betty, who were enjoying a chat over a cup of tea, congratulated Amanda on her first pregnancy and wished Betty everything went well.
"You make me so envious, girls" Nancy Waters said to the two mothers-to be.She would love to have a baby but she hasn´t met her other half yet.

Amanda and Glenn said good-bye and headed to the nearest bus stop. Amanda left the store feeling thrilled with her first baby stuff shopping experience but she was also a bit tired to walk all the way back home. Glenn just wanted to relax and have some lunch.Shopping always made him hungry, even if he wasn´t buying groceries.

I´ll tell you what happened next in another post.Otherwise, this story would be too long.

Hope you have enjoyed shopping at The Country Market with Glenn and Amanda.This is one of my favourite shops and the first one I bought along with the Blackurrant Café.I have so many good memories of the day I received such a wonderful package.

I can anticipate that you´ll see the The Splashys´ at the Blackurrant Café in my next story.

Have a lovely day!

Hugs!