?????????

𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭
─────── ⚡︎ ───────

" I think your wake up calls are getting earlier and earlier each day my baby " Taylor cooed to the wide awake and alert newborn, who was staring at Taylor from her bassinet, eyes wide as she sucked her paci.

It was only 4:30am, and Phoebe was awake like she had a 9 to 5 job to get going, no care for the her parents sleep schedule, if she was awake she was making sure at least one of them was too, if not both of them. Phoebe was a week old today, her adorability and cuteness growing more and more each day. Yesterday, she sneezed, and a high pitched, squeaky sneeze, startling her whole body and Taylor had melted right in front of her, finding it utterly delightful at the big noise that left her tiny body. Now however, Taylor was tired, the lack of sleep catching up on her.

" think we can maybe try to go back to sleep with a little feed, bubs? That'd be good " Taylor lifted the newborn into her arms, who scrunched in response, tucking her into her chest as she latched on, her little eyelids fluttering.

And eventually, they did fall back to sleep thankfully and by the time Taylor woke up again, she could see that Travis had taken the morning feed, his side of the bed cold and the bassinet empty, she could only assume they were downstairs somewhere. Taylor slipped her robe on, despite the weather becoming increasingly warmer, and she padded her way into the kitchen, to her surprise finding it empty. However, she could hear the silly little cooing coming from Travis, leading her to the garden, Travis sat on the outdoor table, Phoebe in his arms as he pulled funny faces in her direction.

" morning loves " Taylor wrapped her arm around Travis' neck, kissing his cheek as she peered at the baby from over his shoulder.

" oh look Pheebs, mommy is finally awake " Travis joked, earning a playful tap on the shoulder. " we decided to come out here and catch some of the early morning sunlight, she seems to like it " he explained, eyes fixed on Phoebe's curious face.

The couple decided on some breakfast, eating hands free as Phoebe slumbered in her swing. Whilst Travis cleared up, Taylor headed up to the shower to get herself ready, whilst she was still bleeding quite a lot and had a bit of a bump, she was definitely feeling more like herself now at 7 days postpartum. Travis did the same after she returned downstairs, her body clad in a simple crewneck that said "mama" on it and some black leggings. Travis was a lot faster in the shower than Taylor had been, but that was to be expected really, and when he returned, it was clear that Phoebe had just been fed again – her mouth had a milk rim around it. He sat beside Taylor on the couch in the living room, Phoebe was nestled peacefully in her arms, Travis leaned back with a tired but content smile on his face. His eyes traced the way Taylor carefully rocked their daughter, humming softly a melody he could never quite place but knew was filled with love and probably just made up on the spot.

" I can't believe she's already a week old " he said, his voice full of wonder. " they mean it when they said time flies by " Taylor smiled, her heart full as she looked at the tiny face in her arms.

" i know, it feels like just yesterday we were pacing this room whilst I was in labour, unsure of what to expect. Now, here we are, already falling into the rhythm of our new life " she said, rubbing her hand down the Phoebe's tiny arm.

They had quickly realized how much their world had shifted in such a short time. Gone were the late night award shows and impromptu trips– not that they had done much of that for a while because Taylor definitely didn't want to do it when she was pregnant – replaced with quiet moments like these, filled with the soft sounds of baby breaths and the warmth of their little family. Travis reached out and gently tickled the Phoebe's tiny foot, causing her to scrunch her face and give a small gurgle.