#rivervale_lodge

"So little..." She agrees.

"He'll grow, soon enough. But I'm pretty sure your mother is glad he wasn't any bigger."

Still, she is very cautious about moving that other hand.

"Oh yeah."

"I still can't believe he was only eight pounds and change" She admits

SUPER delicate drool-dabbing.

"There you go. See, if you can do the delicate carving you do, you can hold him without hurting him. You're fine," Kerri declares.

She nods, though she is still sitting up very straight and carefully. "Uh-huh."

Kerri gives Tove a wink. She'll get the hang of it.

She touches a little curl with a blue fingertip.

Tove smiles proudly

The hair is so soft

Well, Dagmar is officially in love.

And those big blue eyes begin to shut. After all, being bathed and dressed is exhausting work

Kerri grins. "Well, looks like he's ready for a nap. That probably means you get twenty minutes of free time, Tove."

She adds, "And you should get up and about a bit."

"I'll probably be back in fifteen just staring at him" She smiles fondly "Heck, I.. oh.. Dagmar, don't move..shh stay right there"

Nod-nod.

She leans and says something "Dad could you..."

And torins' voice and then footsteps, hurried

Dagmar is statue-still, in quiet adoration.

Kerri, meanwhile, quietly tidies a bit in the room. She'll get Siv's retroactive approval for the use of her room later.

Tove will later feel embarrassed that Siv hasn't even entered her mind...despite this being her room

And Dagmar doesn't seem aware of anything other than Baby.

"You've got enough baby clothes, Tove?" Kerri asks quietly.

"Did you know Anne Marie knits?" As if in answer

A chuckle. "I did. So yes, you're fine in that department."

And Torin bounds up the steps, "Here you go..." and he hands his daughter the camera

Before Dagamar can really grasp what's going on. Her mother takes a picture of Dagmar holding CJ

"Huh? She looks up, belatedly.

"Nicely done," Kerri murmurs. "Now, let's put CJ down for that nap." A little temporary crib has been arranged...an empty drawer, layers of towels.

"I can hold him. I won't move...."

"Oh Dagmar, you are so sweet" Tove says at her daughter's kindness "But it's okay"

"You're sure?"

"It's probably better to let him sleep flat for a bit, but would you mind keeping watch over him for fifteen minutes or so while your mother gets a bit of a walk?"

"I... okay..." Reluctant but agreeing.

Tove kisses her daughter on the forehead as she does "You are the best "

"Okay, let me help you move him," Kerri 'spots' Dagmar as she stands and moves over to the 'crib'..."now, lay him on his back. That's safest."

Nod-nod. The big girl is so careful.

"I... will leave you to it" Tove so wants to micromanage, to over see.. but she knows from her it might just make her daughter nervous and she swallows, craddles the picture and camera... and slips out to get a walk

"I'll go with you, Tove, hang on." Kerri bundles up some laundry. "Dagmar, he'll be fine, but go ahead and read or talk to him while he sleeps, if you want."

Nod-nod.

And Kerri slips out, ushering Torin out as well.

Torin almost pouts but yes

Leaving Dagmar with a snoozing baby

And Kerri makes sure that Tove gets down the stairs, out in the sun, around the blooming garden....

Jack has done a good job gathering cabbages

"Oh, we'll be having cole slaw for DAYS."

And perhaps they run into The Men.

Indeed...to the men.