Saturday 26 April 2014

You said something

Round 35: July 2041 (Winter)

Jack and Audrey Benton are 29.
(Jonas is 62, Tatiana is 58, Dominic is 31, Edward and Lucy are 26, Brendan is 18 and Oscar and Stella are 17 months)

Narrated by Audrey Benton


Jack and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary in April and married life is treating us very well!


I love coming home and having him there waiting for me. Especially seeing I work so late. 

My performances are all in the evening, so I don’t get home until past ten o’clock, which is really too long for Jack to wait to eat dinner. But sometimes he does anyway, which I secretly love.

I inherited my cooking skills from my mother and grandmother, so Jack does all the cooking too. 

I'm an extremely lucky woman, I know!

Not that Jack and I haven’t had our issues but in the grand scheme of things, they’re minor. The main one is Jack’s arcade machine, which I hate. It’s so ugly. 

His parents got it for him when he was a kid and he’s very sentimental about it. When I married Jack, I basically married this machine as well. 

It was in storage at his parents’ place for months, just because I didn't want it here but we ended up with it anyway. We compromised by keeping it in the garage.

I was fine with that but since it’s turned cold, Jack has been wanting to move it inside and is making his point by going out there in his coat and scarf every time he wants to play.

He’s just going to have to suck it up for the winter, because that machine is not moving to the living room. We have games inside anyway, if it’s that cold.

They do say women often end up marrying men like their dads and I think I've done that with Jack, at least it comes to gaming. Dad and Jack totally bond over video games.

Our house has become the usual family get together venue. It’s not so close to Mum and Dad’s place but it’s more convenient for everybody else.

Especially Brendan, who comes all the way from campus. He’s only come home a few times since he started uni, because even our house is still pretty far.

Mum is always extra happy when Brendan comes home for the weekend. It’s been a bit tough for her having her final baby leave the nest.

She’s happiest when she has the entire family around her. 

I've been really enjoying being an aunty for the first time to Oscar and Stella.

I'm an aunty to Jack’s nieces and nephews by marriage, of course, but it’s a little bit more special to me now that my brother has kids too.

Jack is a very experienced uncle already but the kids in his family are all older now. He’s really loving being around little kids like Oscar and Stella again. 

They really love Jack too, which makes me smile. He’s going to be such an amazing dad one day!

I've been hoping spending lots of time with Oscar and Stella would soften Jack into wanting a baby sooner rather than later. 

Right after our wedding, I was ready to start a family but Jack wanted some time to enjoy being married first, just the two of us.

Jack really never said anything that made me wonder if he was even thinking about babies. Then he just turned to me one night in bed and asked if I thought it might be time.

Yes, it was definitely time! As far as I'm concerned, it was time a year ago! 

We said goodbye to the birth control pretty soon after that.

Just a few weeks later, I started experiencing what I assumed was morning sickness, all the while wondering if I really could have got pregnant so fast! I thought it would take a lot longer than it did.

I didn't really believe it until we had it confirmed by a doctor. 

To be honest, hearing that we were actually, really going to have a baby made us both a little nervous! It was just a lot to take in! It’s a big deal, learning you’re going to be parents.

But Jack and I both like Dr. Moretti a lot and feel very confident she’ll steer us through this pregnancy in the best way possible.

We’re still getting used to the idea but we’re both incredibly excited about this baby as well. 

We have a great space upstairs for a nursery and we’re already planning what we might do with it.

We might have even started working on it if I could stay awake long enough! I'm taking afternoon naps any time I can squeeze one in.

Mostly though, things are good. Jack and I can’t wait to meet our baby.

The only complication, apart from the morning sickness and general nerves and fatigue, is Lucy and Edward’s wedding, which is in December.

It wouldn't be a huge deal, except for the fact that Lucy has asked me to be one of her bridesmaids, along with her sister and Leslie

I said yes but I'm not sure how it’s going to work out. I'm going to be pretty pregnant by December!

Jack is really set on not telling anyone until I get to 12 weeks but he agreed that it might be necessary to tell Lucy a little earlier, before she picks a dress totally unsuitable for an expanding belly!

So I told Lucy and gave her the option of relieving me of my bridesmaid duties, if she’d rather not have the trouble.

But Lucy wouldn't hear of that, unless I thought I wouldn't be up to it by December. She was just very excited for me and Jack.

She’s not set on any one idea for a bridesmaids’ dresses right now and she’s positive it’ll be no trouble to choose one that could accommodate me. She even had a couple of ideas in mind already.

I'm so relieved Lucy was okay about it. I do feel a bit guilty about telling Lucy before my parents or my brothers though.

I'm hoping that when they do find out, they’ll be happy enough for us that they won’t mind too much. 

Notes:
  • Title is from You Said Something by PJ Harvey.
  • So yay, Audrey and Jack are having a baby! She is due in April 2042. Not sure if I want a boy or a girl yet. It might depend on what Amber Miguel has, because she could even things out a bit.
  • Jack does not currently have a baby want but I took them off BC anyway and they tried on their own. So...they did choose this, lol! Also, Jack wants 7 kids (not gonna happen, buddy!), and I imagine he would see the practical side of starting early. ;)
  • I'm shopping for maternity bridesmaids' dresses - I have a couple of possibilities already but I have a while to go! I was just saying on someone's blog (Tanja, maybe?) how cute pregnant brides are but I think pregnant bridesmaids are pretty adorable as well. I think the last one I had was Lia, who was pregnant at Olivia's wedding. 

24 comments:

  1. I love pregnant brides(maids)! I might have a pregnant bride myself and I am SUPER giddy over it, I haven't had one since Caroline married Reed. And eek !! I'm so excited that they are having a baby!! I'm guessing their little ones will have freckles, and be totally adorable, cannot wait! Is there a chance for red hair, or is Audrey totally dominant on that? So excited for her to be pregnant at the wedding, hope she isn't miserable like Erin at Lorelei's wedding, it is a lot of work in real life and as a sim to be pregnant! Love their house too, it's so rich and inviting on the main floor, and totally perfect for her huge family to visit.

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    1. Oooh, you have me curious about your possibly pregnant bride now! But I'll focus on my pregnant bridesmaid in the meantime. ;) I'm expecting Audrey to be a tired little sim by the end of the day.

      It's definite that the baby will have freckles - the only mystery is how heavy they'll be! Red hair is not a guarantee but it's a possibility. Audrey is carrying a red hair gene from her great-grandmother (Gina Clarke) and Jack obviously has two, so they have a good chance of a redhead.

      Thanks for the compliments on the house. It should be big enough for Jack's huge family to visit as well. He has one less sibling but more nieces and nephews. :)

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  2. Oooh she's pregnant!! I'm so excited about this baby, possibly even more than any other baby so far :) I have to say I scrolled through the update to see if there was a baby announcement anywhere, I've been wanting these 2 to have a baby for quite some time now :)
    I'm sure both grandparents will be thrilled with the news as well.
    I'm curious to see this one, even more now that I know there is a very minor chance the baby might have red hair.

    And yes, you said on my blog that you love pregnant brides :) I like pregnant bridesmaids too, but that might have something to do with my last (and possibly only) pregnant bridesmaid in my game, being one of my favourite sims, Jo Penninkmeijer :)

    Saw the house on N99, and I have to say that I like it a lot! The colors are so warm and inviting, and it's also spacious enough for a large family, which I do hope they'll have one day, maybe not the 7 kids Jack wants, but still ... :)

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    1. Yes, the grandparents don't know about the baby yet but they are all going to be thrilled when they find out, I'm sure. Jack would have been copping a bit of heat about it since he got married - from both sides, most likely. ;) It's a very family-oriented family.

      Ah, thought so! Yeah, whatever our favourite sims do seems just that much extra cuter, lol!

      Oh, I can't even tell you how much Jack is not getting 7 kids! It's a big house but not that big. Audrey wants four and four kids in here is definitely doable. She might not get her four either but it's a possibility.

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  3. The bit about the arcade machine was funny. My dad has a record player and stereo system that he got in his early 20s, a few years before he married my mother. I pointed out to her once that she knew he and the record player were a package deal when she married him. She retorted that even a stepchild would have gotten a job and moved out by then, but the record player was still sitting taking up half the living room 20+ years later.

    Also, BABY!

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    1. Ha, your mum is funny and totally speaking the truth! The arcade machine bit was partly inspired by me remembering the stupid thing and going "oh, yeah, Jack's going to want it in the house BUT IT DOESN'T GO WITH ANYTHING!" and partly by my parents. My mum and dad have had similar disputes about certain hideous things my dad owns and won't part with!

      :D I already can't wait to have this baby be born already! I'm biding my time by waiting until October, when I can give Audrey her first little baby bump!

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  4. So exciting that they're having a baby, now it makes sense why she wouldn't change a bedroom into a dance studio. Maybe they can renovate the garage to be part man cave with arcade machines and part dance studio. Can't wait for the baby!

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    1. I do like the idea of a dance studio in the garage but it's really not big enough. It's barely big enough for the arcade machine and there's not really any space to extend it either. They have a long driveway in front of the garage but it's deceiving, as they don't seem to be able to get into a car parked on the driveway (probably because of the slant). So the garage really needs to be used for the car!

      I am super-excited about the baby as well, as you may have guessed. :D

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  5. Woo hoooo! A baby for this couple :) seriously excited!

    I loved seeing them with their nieces and nephews but seeing them as parents is going to be even better.

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    1. Me too! I can't wait for Jack and Audrey to be parents. They've been having tons of fun with their nieces and nephews over the years and now it's their turn. :)

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  6. This us so exciting, great news! It sounds hard to be patient for! Meanwhile, the party about jack going out in his coat and scarf and Audrey putting her foot down is so funny...but i can't imagine that thing in that beautiful elegant living room.

    It will be really fun to see what you do with that cool looking space for a nursery, and of course, the pregnant brides maid dresses.


    Doctor Morettis office looks great too. And Oscar and Stella are adorable especially with their auntie and uncle jack

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    1. I'm pretty impatient but I have some other big events happening in the mean time that will tide me over. I've got a playable NPC having a baby in October and Lucy and Edward's wedding December. Then January birthdays. Then it'll only be a few more months until it's time for Audrey and Jack's baby.

      I've already picked out the bridesmaid dresses! Such a nerd - I haven't even picked the wedding dress yet, lol. I'm trying to decide what kind of style Lucy would go for. Something fairly simple, I would imagine.

      That's actually not Dr. Moretti's office, even though she's used it twice so far! She's my obstetrician but I haven't decorated the OB's office yet! The office you see here is Josie's, the GP. The OB's office should probably be the next room I do but I am stuck on doing everything in order and that office is upstairs and I still have one room to do downstairs.

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  7. Ha, this update made me think of Lana Del Rey's song Video Games. lol Men and their video games tho, it's so true! That's how I got into the Sims via my boyfriend, don't think I'd be simming if it wasn't for him. ;)

    Anyway, congrats to the happy couple! :) Hows does your birth control work? Do you roll dice for when to take them off it or only if they roll a want to have a baby? I wonder how that would work in TS3? Sorry for the questions!

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    1. I can't say too much about men and their video games, as I play a fair few myself! Though I did eye roll about how much money my sister's boyfriend recently spent on ONE GAME for his WiiU. My sister is lucky he's not into vintage arcade machines or she might have a similar situation to Audrey's!

      I have a system for deciding which sims can use birth control and which sims can't. I follow that system religiously and under it, both Audrey and Jack can use BC. I don't have nearly as rigid a system for deciding when sims go off BC and can try for a baby. It's often just whatever I feel like doing. I like to say I require both sims to have a baby want before I take them off BC to try for a second but honestly, I break that rule often enough that it's not really a rule!

      As for TS3, I don't know! Is there even a mod that allows BC in that game? I've never seen the option in the Woohooer and it's a shame. A BC option would make that mod perfect to me. I have autonomous try for baby on but the sims seem to go a little nuts with it! I'd like to be able to force them to stop with the baby making after a while.

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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    2. Haha, yes I've played a few but not nearly as much now since my boyfriend doesn't own his video games store anymore. The good thing was I didn't have to pay for them! lol

      After posting my comment I saw straight after your link your post about BC. It makes sense it would depend on the sims traits for who would or wouldn't use it. I may just have to list the TS3 traits to see which ones would sway with the BC. I do like the idea of BC in game.

      You have so many great ideas too and I've been reading up on some of your info posts, hope you don't mind! I've decided to change to the rotation system for my story but won't be posting for a little while yet. Still got a few loose ends to tie up first. ;)

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    3. My cousin's fiance used to manage an EB Games and not being a gamer, she never took advantage. Such a waste!

      I'd be very interested to see what kind of system you come up with for BC in TS3. I haven't looked too deeply into it or seen anyone else who has. And nope, I don't mind at all if you take ideas from my info posts - that's what they're there for!

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  8. I'm certainly excited about those two having a baby now. They'll both be great parents. And their house is fantastic. Maybe I'm just lucky that my husband was willing to part with the stuff I wasn't crazy about when we moved in together.

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    1. I'm glad you guys are all as excited as I am! I think Audrey and Jack will make awesome parents as well.

      And yeah, talking to the women I know, I think you got very lucky with your husband, lol!

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  9. Yay! Baby! I hope everything goes smoothly for them, and I can't wait to meet the little one!

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    1. I'll make sure to take extra special care of Audrey over the coming months. :) I'm not taking any chances with this baby, after Hope miscarried in the third trimester. :(

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  10. I wouldn't be surprised if doctors borrow or share l offices sometimes!

    My g p in finale is sharing with the part time counselor

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    1. Oh, yeah, I'm positive doctors share offices fairly often! I'm a bit finicky about it in my game though, so I definitely want Cara to have her own office. It'll mean I can personalise it with a couple of family photos too.

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  11. I think that Audrey and Jack are gonna have the cutest little baby (or babies). I can't blame Jack as I hold onto unnecessary things too and I love games too. Can't say that I'd hold onto an arcade though but I can definitely relate. At least Audrey isn't going too crazy over it.

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    1. I think it'll be a pretty cute baby as well! And it will be a singular baby, unless she sneaks some cheesecake on a community lot or something, lol.

      Jack is lucky he's married to Audrey and not some of my other sims. Someone like Hope would probably be carting the thing down to the dump herself. ;)

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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