Sunday 19 August 2012

Time will save the day

Round 34: June 2039 (Winter)

last update/next update

Amar Hamilton is 38, Adrienne Novak is 32 and Beau is 1.
(Naomi is 64, Zane and Chloe are 28)
Narrated by Amar Hamilton

A few weeks ago, my brother Zane told me that he and his wife Chloe are expecting a baby in January. Beau was born in January, so I can confirm that January babies are pretty great.

Zane and Chloe are both really excited. They’ve just moved into their first house and now they’re about to have their first child.

Buying the house and furnishing it has really hurt their bank account, unfortunately. They have to get a nursery ready for the baby and they’re not really sure where they’ll find the money.

I know Zane wasn’t hinting at anything but I told them I’d take care of it. Get them a crib and a changing table, pass along a few of Beau’s things that he’s done with.

Zane tried to turn it down but since when do older brothers need to listen to what their little brothers tell them to do? I insisted.

So the next weekend, I came over with all the stuff and helped Zane put it all together.

They still want to paint and lay down some carpet but at least they've got the basic stuff ready for the baby now.

While we worked, Adrienne kept Chloe company in the living room.

They don’t really get along that well, but they had Beau as a buffer for when they ran out of things to talk about.

Beau adores his aunt and uncle and he has done since we introduced them when Beau was still a newborn.

Zane says Beau has really helped him prepare for having his own kids.

Zane is 10 years younger than me but he is way more ready for kids than I was at 28. I don’t think I was really ready a minute before Adrienne got pregnant.

Had it happened earlier, I think I would have resented giving up being able to go out whenever I wanted and spend my free time however I chose to. But I was ready to let that all go.

I occasionally miss being able to drop everything and head to a bar but Beau is such an awesome little kid. He pretty much makes up for that.

His temperament is a lot like mine. He’s only 18 months old but you can already tell. Really laid back, just like his dad. And he's gentle too. I wasn't sure what he'd be like with a dog but he and Hancock are good buddies.

So far, he hasn’t been particularly clingy or needy. He hasn’t even had one of those screaming tantrums I’ve seen other kids his age have.

According to Naomi, if he took after Adrienne, he would have had several of those by now!

Adrienne wasn’t too amused by that. Not that I said anything but Naomi was probably right!

Even now, Adrienne gets in her little moods and it’s best to just stay out of her way. I can only imagine what she would have been like as a completely irrational toddler!

I was really excited about having a baby from the word go, even before Adrienne got pregnant.

Once Beau was born, I jumped right into everything and I feel like I adapted to parenthood really well.

Adrienne was a lot more apprehensive about the whole thing and I did worry initially that she wouldn’t bond with Beau.

She’s always loved Beau but when he was younger, she’d often sit back and let me take over completely if I was around. She still does that every now and then.

But that is improving all the time and Adrienne is so much better with Beau than she was in the beginning.

Beau’s first word was “Mama” and Adrienne got such a kick out of hearing him say that!

These days, Adrienne is more likely to go see him in the morning or jump up to attend to him when he cries.

I’m glad they’re developing that closer relationship but I’m also glad to be getting a bit of a break.

I was doing 75% of the baby stuff for a while there. It’s hard work.

We’re feeling like more of a family these days, which is good. It's all a lot more wholesome than anything I ever saw myself doing though, I have to admit!

This year is the first time Beau has been old enough to enjoy the snow and it’s been fun watching him play around in it.

He tries to eat it, which is kind of disgusting. We really need to stop him doing that but he seems to love the stuff!

Adrienne and I have talked about having another kid. Not this year, with Beau still being so little but maybe next year or the year after.

I don’t want to wait too long though. Zane and I are close now but when we were younger, we weren’t. Being 10 years apart, we just had nothing in common as kids. If Beau has a brother or sister, I’d like them to be a little closer in age.

Adrienne hasn’t ruled out a second child but she’s not totally on board with the idea yet either. She thinks we got unbelievably lucky with Beau (which I’d agree with) and that maybe we should quit while we’re ahead!

I think she’ll come around to this easier than she did before Beau. She’s really starting to enjoy Beau now and I could see her wanting to do it again.

Or at least, I hope so. I’d really love us to have another one day.

Maybe we can talk about it again after we get married. Adrienne and I talked about marriage for a couple of months and finally, we just decided to do it.

I never, ever thought I’d get married but it just doesn’t seem as scary as it once did these days. I can’t see myself wanting to be with anyone other than Adrienne.

It already feels like we’re married kind of. We live together, we’re not seeing other people, we have a kid together. Why not make it official?

We haven’t set a date yet but we’ll get around to it soon enough.

Once we tell Adrienne’s grandparents, we might be forced to get cracking on that immediately. They’ve been hinting that we should get married for so long now and they’ll be very pleased we’re finally getting around to it!

Notes:
  • Title is from Time Will Save The Day by Ben Kweller.
  • Naomi rolled up this interesting want when she came by:
  • Someone asked me a while back if Adrienne ever rolled wants for Sylvia and I said that no, she didn't, which is true. But it appears Naomi has been thinking about her biological granddaughter of late, which surprised me. She's not a Family sim and she had far less to do with Sylvia when she was little than Adrienne did.
  • This was one of those updates which was pretty much all gameplay. Adrienne was very standoffish with Beau, which changed over the course of the play session, starting with her suddenly wanting to teach him to talk. Amar was right into it; he's a really great daddy!
  • I love how it worked out though. It fits that Adrienne would be a little weird about motherhood, considering Sylvia and everything. But they did try once for another baby, so I think at least a part of her would like another.
  • And the engagement! Yes, I was stunned when Adrienne rolled up a marriage want, because I really didn't think she would. Amar has actually had it for quite a while. I locked it but promised myself I wouldn't let him fulfill it unless Adrienne jumped on board too. I don't always require a marriage want from both sims but with these two, I decided it would be necessary. I don't see either of them being in a mad rush about it though, so I'm not sure when I'll do the wedding. :)

25 comments:

  1. I am so glad that both Beaus's parents are fully on board with parenthood. It is understandable that after Sylvia Adrienne was a little cautious but I'm so happy she is finally coming round and there may even be the possibility of another baby for these two!
    That is a pretty surprising want from Naomi, especially as Adrienne herself has no real wants towards Sylvia. I remember when Sylvia was younger Adrienne did used to visit but I can't seem to remember why that stopped? Or was it just a one-time visit... I don't have the best memory!
    I am so excited that you are having yet another wedding! With so many weddings and new babies in your hood it must be pretty exciting. I'm excited and its not even mine! Haha

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    1. Adrienne's reticence was understandable but I'm glad she's coming around to motherhood now. Beau needs his mother and his father!

      And yes, Adrienne used to visit with Sylvia a little when she was younger. The adoption was open (well, still is), so that was allowed. Adrienne never really showed much interest towards Sylvia though, which made me think she'd be happier just letting Sylvia live her life with Rose and Joanna. I don't think she ever had any real maternal feelings towards her. Not surprised you don't remember though, as I don't think I ever explained that!

      It was a fairly quiet round last round, in terms of weddings and babies, so all this excitement is quite nice, lol!

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  2. What is amar's tattoo of ??

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    1. Amar has three tattoos, actually. The one you're probably referring to, on his bicep, is of a snake wrapped around a sword but he also has a geisha girl on his forearm and what I believe is a dragon on his calf (you can kind of see the one on his calf in one of the pics in this update). :)

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  3. Whoa, I can't imagine these two getting married. Wow, time does change personalities it seems. Can't wait to see what you do with the wedding and what a good big brother Amar is helping his younger brother with the cribs and such. So sweet.

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    1. I couldn't really imagine it myself until Amar rolled up the want and I started wondering "hmmm, maybe". Even then though, I was prepared to let them live in sin forever if Adrienne never rolled up the want. I don't see her as the kind of girl who would get married unless she was truly and completely sure she wanted to.

      Amar has acted like a jerk at various times throughout the years but at heart, he's a good guy. He would definitely help his brother out, especially with something important like this.

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  4. Wow, Adrienne and Amar are getting married. I thought we'd never see the day! It makes sense though that they would make it official, it's like they're half-way there already.

    Beau is such a little cutie. I'm glad Adrienne is getting more involved in parenthood. It's quite understandable that she'd be a bit apprehensive at first, it must make her think how things would have been with Sylvia if she kept her.

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    1. It's quite a surprise for both Adrienne and Amar, isn't it? They've been together for a long time now though and are already a little family, so marriage doesn't seem quite so scary for them now.

      Beau is such a sweet little boy, so I'm sure that's gone a little way towards helping Adrienne want to get more involved with him. If he was a really difficult kid, I think it would make it that little bit more overwhelming for her.

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  5. Awww! I'm so glad Adrienne rolled up the marriage want and they're now engaged. It's a big step for both of them, but in a good way. ;)

    Beau is adorable! He's lucky to have such an attentive father. I really didn't expect it from Amar, but it's definitely endearing. Good thing Adrienne is finally on board, too. I think they're going to be a nice little family.

    How strange about the Sylvia want! Things are kicking up with babies and weddings, though. So maybe that's got Naomi thinking about family. ;)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I'm glad too! Now that Amar and Adrienne have had a kid and have been together so long, it probably doesn't seem like quite as big a step to them.

      I was even more surprised by Amar gunning for father of the year than I was about the engagement actually! It's incredibly sweet though, especially now that he's not doing it all on his own. They're doing well.

      Yeah, I can only imagine becoming a grandmother again, this time for real, is what has stirred up those feelings about Sylvia in Naomi. Still a very surprising want though, I have to say!

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  6. Your weddings are always super lovely,so I am excited and can't wait for the next one.I've always been puzzled with romance sims, but now they are quickly becoming my favorite aspiration.I like how Amar is ready to settle down, but was just waiting for Adrienne---that's sweet.

    I like how Amar was able to provide his brother with Beau's old toys and crib.I am at the point in my hood where my sims don't have any relatives outside of my founding families, so they have to take out loans.But I may have neighbors kindly help out.Anyway, I like your idea.

    As for Adrienne's daughter Sylvia, did you remove her families time and add them to her adoptive family?

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I'm glad everyone is as excited about all these weddings as I am. I'm such a nerd that I designed an invitation for Audrey and Jack's last night. I stole the idea from Sari at Wellington!

      Having more extended family around really does enhance your game play, I find. I was happy Amar could afford to provide all those basics for his brother. I don't know how long it would have taken Zane and Chloe to pay off a loan!

      And yes, Sylvia is no longer related in any way to her bio-family. She was placed into the actual adoption pool as a baby and the EA social worker brought her to Joanna and Rose. Adrienne and her family did get the opportunity to get to know Sylvia though, especially during her year in foster care (she lived with Tate and Zelda but during that time, she was still legally Adrienne's daughter). It was interesting that the want came up after years of no interest though!

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  7. Hey Carla! I know there isn't a picture of one in this update, but where can I get the infant toys (swing, dangly mat thing..etc) thanks! Love your blog! :)

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  8. Also, one other question. How long does your game take to load usually, because I can see ALOT of downloads :) Do you have any tips on being able to use custom content without destroying the whole game? Cuz I just went on a spree, and downloaded alot (but still probably less than you have haha), and I couldnt even play afterwards! It was slow, and actions would cancel out..etc So, yes. Help please? Thanks!

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    1. You can actually see the DangleMeister at the bottom of one of the pics of Zane and Chloe's nursery. Maybe that's what reminded you of the baby toys. They are from the now defunct Sims 2 Store, which Aussies could never buy from anyway, so I got them and a bunch of recolours from here.

      I do have a lot of downloads. I have probably between 12-14GB at this point. It takes me approximately half an hour to load the game. I have no real tips for you, unfortunately. This computer just happens to have enough power to handle that much CC. On my old computer, I had a similar amount of CC but my game took almost 2 hours to load. Often times, you just have to make a choice whether you want a fast-loading game or a lot of custom content. Even when I had a slower computer, I chose the CC but others may make a different choice.

      Actions dropping out of the queue would suggest that you ended up with a hack conflict or something though. Simply having too much CC is unlikely to cause that particular problem.

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  9. I never thought these 2 would get married, so the engagement was kind of a surprise for me! It's kind of like Amar said, they are practically married, now it's just making it official. I'm really excited about it!!

    I don't know why but I kind of see these 2 as a couple that just has one child! Though I wouldn't mind seeing another one from these 2, Beau is just so adorable!

    It's nice that Amar was able to help his brother out with the babysupplies, and I love how you worked that in to the update!

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    1. All my Romance sims seem to want to settle down eventually but Amar and Adrienne still surprised me a little! I don't think getting married will change their lives as much as it once would have, so it's not quite as scary any more.

      I can actually see these two having only one child too. I'm not going to force it on them. I'm just going to let them woohoo whenever they want and see if they try for a baby. And then if they conceive. Adrienne will be 34 next time I play them, so her fertility is declining already.

      LOL, I just really needed to get Chloe and Zane's nursery done and they're both Hoarders, so I knew they wouldn't take out a loan. I could see Amar insisting that he'd take care of it though, so that's what I went with!

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  10. Wow! A wedding! How fun is that! I totally didn't expect it so soon, I figured one day, sure maybe hwen Beau is 7, they might roll the wants mutually. I think this is great though, shows how much a kid can change things, I think.

    Amar is SUCH a good Daddy! I loved seeing him in that role, and how sweet he was with Beau. And I think it fits with Adrienne being more reserved with Beau. I am glad she ended up coming around, and that it was gameplay, it fits her personality so well, but they don't always act the way you think they should.

    What a sweet guy Amar is too with giving them some stuff for Zane's nursery, and yes they should paint the walls! I hope you share a picture when it's complete. I really like this whole brother combo you have going on with them.

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    1. Amar and Adrienne have surprised everyone! Me included, really. I'm more surprised Adrienne rolled it than Amar. She didn't have quite as much "fun" before meeting Amar as Amar did before he met her but I guess she's content with that now.

      Amar is an awesome daddy. I actually had a feeling he would be. He really, really adores Beau. I'm so happy with how it all worked out for Adrienne, gameplay wise as well. My game knows way better than I do sometimes.

      I'm so glad I went ahead and added a brother for Amar. It's added a whole new dimension to him. He feels less like he just sprung out of nowhere and I love how Zane is Amar's polar opposite, yet they still get along. I often see that sort of thing with siblings!

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  11. Amar is a very good father. I'll admit when Adrienne got pregnant, I was a bit worried, but it looks like I had nothing to worry about. I'm glad Adrienne came around too. My thoughts drifted to Sylvia too, but I didn't remember that any of the family had any interaction with her. I wonder if that would make Naomi reach out, or if it's just an idle thought. And them getting married just boggles my mind. I never saw that coming, but as Amar said, might as well.

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    1. I was never worried about Amar, I have to say! I thought there was a good possibility that he'd end up one of those "cool" dads, who never bothers much with discipline but I knew he'd love the kid. And even though I wasn't sure how Adrienne would take to motherhood, I was fairly certain she'd have no compunction about putting a stop to any behaviour she didn't like, so she'd pick up Amar's slack in that area, if necessary. Regardless of all that though, I'm happy with how it's all worked out in gameplay.

      I'm yet to play Naomi this round but I want to deal with the Sylvia want when I do. That family is actually going to have quite a busy update but I hope to fit it in somewhere.

      I wonder if anyone was expecting Amar and Adrienne to get engaged this round! Most of my unmarried parents seem to want to get married before the kid turns 5 but Adrienne surprised me too!

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  12. It's still a little strange to see Amar and Adrienne settling into so much domesticity. They were both so wild when they were younger, and now they're parents together and about to get married! It's like Luc and Asha all over again. :)

    I hope they do have another! Beau is so cute!

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    1. Babies change everything, I guess! It's odd for me too, to be honest, but they both seem pretty happy with the state of affairs. Especially Amar, lol. He very much reminds me of Luc but Amar is much nicer than Luc is. Adrienne and Beau have it pretty good with him.

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  13. I just have to SQUEE!! Again! Beau is just too stinking cute! Love the pics of him in the snow. Actually, I love him in all the pics. Those little cheeks and blue eyes. So adorable! I’m so glad that Amar is such a great daddy and really enjoys it. Also glad Adrienne is starting to bond with Beau a lot more now. I can’t imagine what it must feel like for her. And yay! Another wedding! So much excitement! I like how some sims take their time with the whole marriage thing. Hopefully they will be ready for another baby once they “make it official” :). Although, after others have mentioned it, I could see them with only 1 kid, too. Have you had any 1 child families in your game yet? I can't remember.

    And wow! I didn’t even realize that Amar is darn near 40! When’d that happen??

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    1. Beau is a little sweetheart, isn't he? I really didn't imagine Adrienne and Amar's genes would mix as well as they have! I can't wait to see him as he grows up.

      The whole family is coming together quite nicely now. It just took Adrienne a little time to come around, understandably.

      I have had very few one child families. Madelyn is an only child and Joaquin Miguel, one of my playable NPCs, is an only child at the moment and looks set to remain one. Phoebe Jacobson will possibly end up one as well but we'll see about that.

      I know! Finn, Victoria, Claudia, Jacob and Amar are all very, very close to 40. I'm hardly used to Lia and gang being 40, lol!

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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