110. Two Week Check Up

Disclaimer: I don't own it. Although, that would be nice.

Happy (almost) July 4th to those of us in the U.S! :)

The rain pounded down on the roof of the car as Derek pulled into the closest spot he could find to the front entrance of the hospital. He cut the engine, then looked over at Meredith. "How do we do this? Do we just make a run for it?" he asked, contemplating the best way to get from the car to the hospital without getting soaked with the fat rain drops that fell in sheets.

Meredith chewed on her lip, glancing to Lilly in the backseat. She sucked her thumb, watching the rain with fascination as it rolled down the window glass. "We live in Seattle. Why don't we keep a freaking umbrella in the car?" she said. "We should probably take the whole car seat in with us. I'll climb back there and unclip it from the base, then you can carry her in it. I'll grab her bag."

"Okay."

Meredith unbuckled her seat belt, then twisted around in her seat. She could feel Derek's eyes on her as she raised her ass in the air, preparing to slide her knee onto the cushion of the backseat. "Are you checking out my ass?"

"It's an inch away from my face. How can I not?" Derek asked, smiling back at her when she finally twisted around again to a sitting position next to Lilly.

"Mommy's post-birth celibacy is driving Daddy crazy, Lilly," she said, unclipping the seat from its holder. She kissed the baby's nose, then pulled the visor down to shield her from the rain. "Okay, all set."

"Alright," Derek said. He opened his door, got out, and had the backseat door opened a second later, pulling out the car seat that held Lilly and walking as carefully and quickly as he could with her to the automatic doors.

Meredith hit the lock button with Derek's keys, slung Lilly's bag and her own over her shoulder, then she ran to meet up with the two of them. Only braving the elements for mere seconds, the wet ends of her hair still dripped with rain water before the doors closed behind her. "We really need to invest in hoodies, too. Umbrellas and hoodies," she said.

"I know," Derek laughed as they walked to the elevator. He set Lilly's car seat down and pushed the up button.

Meredith knelt down to check on Lilly, pushing back the visor. She smiled in relief when she saw that at least her daughter was dry, even if they weren't. "Hi, peanut. Was that fun?" she asked. She unbuckled her, then scooped her out, along with the blanket wrapped around her. It may have been a humid June day outside, but with the cool air blasting inside the building, Meredith wasn't going to take any chances. She held Lilly close to her chest and kissed the top of her head.

"You could've kept her in there," Derek said, stepping aside once the elevator doors opened so Meredith could get on first.

"That thing weighs twenty pounds by itself. I figured I'd lighten the load," Meredith shrugged.

"Oh, yeah. All six pounds of her," Derek joked, pressing the button for the third floor.

Meredith smiled. "Shut up. She's all squishy and warm. Plus, I have mommy brain. I can't help it."

The elevator ascended, and Lilly looked around curiously at her surroundings. "This is called an elevator, Lilly. Mommy and I like elevators."

"Yes, we do," Meredith agreed. "We can't make out this time, though."

"Says who?" Derek joked.

"Says the two week old baby I'm holding," Meredith replied, rolling her eyes playfully at him.

The elevator doors parted, and they stepped off and into the hallway, making a beeline for the OB department where they were scheduled for a checkup with Dr. Halloran. They were running late already, and as much as they appreciated the oohs and aahs of the hospital staff, they didn't want to be tardy. They approached the nurses' station, and were greeted by Cynthia, one of the OB nurses.

"Hello, Dr. Grey, Dr. Shepherd," she said with a smile. "Here to see Dr. Halloran?"

"Yeah. Our daughter, Lilly, is scheduled for an eleven o'clock appointment," Derek said.

"Okay, she'll be right with you," Cynthia said. "She's adorable, by the way."

"Oh, thank you," Meredith replied, gently patting Lilly's bottom with her hand.

Dr. Halloran rounded the corner and smiled when she saw them. "Oh, good. I was just going to check to see if you were here yet. You can come on back," she said as Cynthia handed her Lilly's file.

"Okay, great," Derek said, putting his hand on the small of Meredith's back and following the doctor back to one of the exam rooms.

"So, how are you? How's Lilly doing?" Dr. Halloran asked after they entered the room. She set the file down on the counter, then washed her hands. "I see she already looks a little bigger."

"Yeah, she's had no issues with nursing," Derek said proudly. "She's such a good baby. Eats, sleeps, poops. She's amazing."

"Good, good," Dr. Halloran smiled. "Sometimes, babies have a hard time adjusting to schedules, and getting used to what the outside world is all about; but you guys seem to be handling everything remarkably well. The calmer you are, the calmer she'll be. I'm sure you notice that with her."

"We always try to keep things calm, even when we have no idea what we're doing," Meredith said, sighing amusedly. "She only cries when she needs something, and she only wakes up at night to eat."

"She's very easy breezy and laid back," Derek chimed in, smiling at Meredith. "She gets that from me."

Dr. Halloran laughed. "Well then, sounds like you two got very lucky," she said. "So, no signs of colic?"

"None. She does spit up sometimes after she eats, but that's... I mean, that's normal, right? All babies spit up," Meredith rambled, bouncing on her heels out of habit like she always did whenever she held Lilly.

"Oh, absolutely. As long as it's not every time, and she's not throwing up or showing any signs of pain, there's nothing to worry about," the doctor assured her. "How often does she eat?"

"Every three-ish hours, usually," Meredith said. "She does the whole rooting thing, and she never has problems with sucking."

"And she's not a fan of the pacifier, but she does suck her thumb," Derek said. He went to speak again, but stopped himself. "This is all normal, isn't it? And we're just sounding like obsessive new parents?" he laughed.

"Completely normal on both counts," Dr. Halloran responded. "You two are clearly very observant, which means she's well taken care of. Let's just do a little checkup, get some measurements and make sure she's on track, which I'm sure she is. We can weigh her first, if you'd like. Is her diaper dry?"

"It should be. We just changed her before we left," Meredith said, quickly peeking inside it to make sure. "All dry. Do you still want me to take it off?"

"If she's dry, we don't need to. Sometimes, wet diapers add on false ounces, and I'd like to get an accurate weigh-in," Dr. Halloran said. "Just her outfit would be fine."

Meredith nodded, lying Lilly down on the padded exam table. She pulled off her pair of pink stretch pants and then her tee shirt with a cupcake on it, leaving her in her diaper and socks. Lilly looked up at her, a puzzled expression on her face.

"You can just lay her down right here," Dr. Halloran said, gesturing to the scale.

Meredith gently laid Lilly on it, hoping she wouldn't protest. "It's okay, peanut," she said. The scale calculated Lilly's weight, and the number flashed in red letters. "Wow. Seven pounds, one ounce."

"Almost a full pound," Derek said. "Is that normal? Or should she weigh more?"

"Many babies decrease in their birth weight during the first few weeks while they learn how to eat, and their bodies get into the rhythm of digesting food, and then their weight starts to pick up again, so she's right where she should be," Dr. Halloran said as she measured her. "Eighteen and a quarter inches. So, she grew a quarter of an inch in two weeks, which is also just fine."

"Okay, good," Meredith sighed in relief.

"Fourteen inch head circumference, also right on target," Dr. Halloran recorded, along with Lilly's weight and height. She flexed Lilly's legs with her hands, and Lilly kicked them back. "Good girl. Can you grab onto my fingers?" she asked, offering Lilly both of her index fingers. Lilly wrapped her tiny hands around each, and Dr. Halloran gently pulled her up to see if Lilly could hold her head up briefly. "You're very strong, huh?"

"Yes, she is," Meredith laughed. "Her hands have an iron grip. She doesn't like to let go."

"That's good. She has strong muscle tone," Dr. Halloran said. "Does she respond to stimuli, like loud noises or voices?"

"Both," Derek said, picking her up off the scale and holding her close to his chest. "She hates thunder... a lot. And she turns her head when we talk or when the dog barks; you know, things like that."

"And she follows you with her eyes?" the doctor asked.

Meredith nodded as she wiggled Lilly's legs back into her pants while Derek held her. "Yes, she does. She's very attentive to us, the dog, other people. She was even watching the rain this morning."

"Excellent," Dr. Halloran replied, putting her stethoscope in her ears. "I'm going to take a quick listen to her heart."

"Okay," Derek said, sitting Lilly on his arm. The doctor pressed the stethoscope to Lilly's chest and listened for a few moments, nodding in approval. "Very good. Around 140 beats per minute. Lungs sound good, too. Any signs of sleep apnea?"

"No," Derek said, while Meredith weaved Lilly's arms back through her tee shirt. "She's a good sleeper, too."

"She's sleeping with us, still. But don't worry, we have one of those safe sleeper things," Meredith said.

"Oh, that's fine. A lot of babies prefer closeness, especially to their parents. So if it helps her sleep, I don't see a problem," Dr. Halloran said. "How about her digestion?"

"Yes; we always make sure to keep track. She hasn't had any problems with constipation or anything. Everything that goes in comes out," Meredith said.

"Okay, great," Dr. Halloran nodded.

"So she's perfect, just like we thought?" Derek chuckled, kissing the top of Lilly's head.

"Yes, she is," Dr. Halloran agreed. She smiled at Lilly. "I didn't realize how blue her eyes are. She's a beautiful baby."

Meredith smiled. "Thank you."

"Do you two have any questions for me?" the doctor asked.

"I don't think so," Meredith said, looking to Derek. "Do you?"

"No, I think we're good," Derek replied.

"Okay, then. Meredith, I'll see you in four weeks for your six week checkup. But just briefly, how have you been? Any cramping or bleeding still? Anything?" she asked.

"There was for the first few days after we came home, but not since then. I feel fine now," Meredith said.

"Okay, good," Dr. Halloran nodded. "And there's been no sexual activity since the birth, correct?" she asked.

"No, none," Meredith said, shaking her head. "It's been hard for him, I'm sure, but we—" she stopped herself, putting her hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to sound dirty. I just meant that we, uh, no. We haven't. We haven't had sex."

Derek pursed his lips, trying to bite back a laugh. "Nope, no intercourse," he echoed.

"Okay, just making sure," Dr. Halloran said with a smile. "So I'll see Lilly again in six weeks for her eight week checkup," she said as she finished taking down notes in Lilly's patient file.

"Okay," Meredith said.

"It's great to see you again. You too, Lilly," Dr. Halloran said, gently shaking Lilly's hand. "Feel free to call any time if you have questions or concerns."

"We will," Derek said. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," the doctor said. She closed Lilly's file and stepped out of the room, leaving them alone.

"Really? It's been hard for me?" Derek asked with a grin on his face.

Meredith shot him a look as she fixed Lilly's headband. "Shut up," she said. "I wasn't talking about your penis."

"Porny."

"Your dad is twelve," Meredith told Lilly, kissing her forehead before taking her into her own arms. She draped the bags over her shoulder. "Ready?"

Derek picked up the car seat. "Yeah," he said. He opened the door and let Meredith leave first, following behind her. They rounded the corner on their way back to the elevators. When they got there, the door was open, and they quickly got on so they wouldn't have to wait for it to make its way through all the floors before it reached them again.

Owen stood there in a bloodied trauma gown, smiling in surprise when he saw the three of them. "Hey. Haven't seen you in a while," he said, smiling at Lilly. "So this is the baby I see on my fridge every morning," he laughed. "Even more beautiful in person."

"On the fridge?" Meredith asked.

"Yeah, Cristina put a picture of her on there. One of her nursery ones. She calls Lilly her little protégé," Owen said. "I would ask to hold her if I wasn't all blood-splattered. Rain check?"

"You got it," Derek chuckled. "Big trauma downstairs?"

"Multiple MVCs. It's a mess. I was just coming up here to make sure some ORs were freed up. You know how it is; if you don't do it in person, the nurses ignore you. Hey, if you've got a minute, do you think you could come down to the pit and do a consult? I know you're on leave, but I'd really like a second opinion on some head CTs," Owen asked.

Derek looked at Meredith and she nodded. "Leave or not, you're still the fancy neuro god. Go. I'll just hang out in the cafeteria. It's lunchtime anyway," she said.

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," she said, kneeling down to put Lilly back into her car seat. The elevator doors opened and she grunted as she picked up the car seat, both bags slung over her shoulder. "Mommy's getting a workout today, Lilly," she said. She smiled at them. "Just call me when you're done," she told Derek.

"Are you sure you're okay with holding all that?" Derek asked again.

George walked past the elevator just as Meredith was getting off, and he stopped when he saw her. "Hey," he said.

"George is here. He'll help," Meredith laughed. "Go. Have fun."

"Okay. Love you," Derek said as the elevator doors shut again.

"Hi, you," George said in his baby voice as he knelt down to see Lilly. He rubbed his finger over her cheek and smiled. "You look just like your mommy," he told her.

"You think so?" Meredith asked. "Most people say she looks like Derek."

"Him, too. But yeah, there's definitely lots of you in her," George said. "Where are you headed?"

"Cafeteria while Derek does a consult," Meredith said.

"Oh, good. I'm going there now," George said, picking up the car seat. "Did she have her checkup today?"

"Yeah. She's perfect. And she didn't even cry," Meredith said proudly as they walked into the cafeteria.

Izzie flagged them down as soon as she saw them, waving them towards the table where she, Alex and Cristina were seated. "Hey. What are you doing here?" Izzie asked.

"Lilly's checkup was today, and Owen asked Derek for a consult, which is actually good, because now I can talk to all of you," Meredith said, taking a seat at the table. "Thank you for carrying her, George."

"No problem," George replied, unbuckling Lilly from her car seat and picking her up. He sat down next to Meredith, a curious Lilly looking at each of their faces.

"Talk to us about what?" Cristina asked, biting into her sandwich.

"Lilly's baptism is this Saturday, which I know is really short notice," Meredith began before Izzie cut her off.

"This Saturday? As in the 25th?" Izzie clarified.

Meredith bit her lip. "Yeah."

"I guess I should take off that day, then?" Cristina asked.

"Well, you're her godmother, so I'd appreciate that," Meredith laughed, smiling when she saw George making faces at Lilly.

Izzie smoothed out a clean napkin and clicked her pen. "Alright, what time is this, and what should I bring?" she asked, ready to take down notes.

"It's at ten, and you don't need to bring anything," Meredith answered. "Derek and I are ordering food, and his mom wants to help. She's flying in this week."

"Well, I need to bring something," Izzie insisted. "How about a cookie tray?"

"That would be great. Thank you," Meredith said to appease her.

"Why so soon?" George asked.

Meredith shrugged. "We just didn't want Derek's mom to have to fly out again in a few weeks. Plus, when I go back to work, it might be harder to plan it. So while we have time, we just figured we'd do it now. So, yay or nay? Head count?"

They all raised their hands, and Meredith smiled. "This is why I love all of you. Thank you," she said.

"Of course we'll be there," Izzie said, reaching for Lilly as George regretfully handed her over. "Does she have a dress?"

"Derek and I are going to the store when we're done here. We're not getting her anything frilly; just a little, white sundress, that way she can at least wear it again," Meredith said. "No muss, no fuss. Just getting her baptized. It's not going to take very long."

Alex laughed. "At an actual church?" he asked.

"Yeah. One of Bridget's brothers is a priest over at St. Mary's, so we're just going there," Meredith said, looking to Cristina. "You and Mark just need to recite some stuff, saying that if Derek and I die, you two are in charge."

"Oh, I'd get her," Cristina replied, licking the lid of her pudding cup.

"Sloan might fight you for that," Alex pointed out.

"I already called dibs as godmother to the next kid. So at some point, you two need to have another one," Izzie said, letting Lilly look over her shoulder.

"One day, I promise. You know, once I'm actually allowed to have sex again," Meredith said, stealing a fry off of George's plate. "By the way, if you happen to see Dr. Halloran, let me know, so I can avert eye contact."

"Why, what happened?" George asked.

"I made an erection joke by accident," Meredith said, sighing. "I guess my subconscious mind is horny, even if I'm not."

"Really? I thought you'd be bouncing off the walls by now. You two are so used to going at it twenty-four-freaking-seven," Alex joked.

Meredith laughed. "Yeah, well, not so much with a newborn. I mean, Lilly is a good sleeper, but not 'eight hours straight' good. Between the diapers and laundry and breastfeeding, I'm exhausted. Not that I would change any of it. I love Lilly so much."

"On the upside to the exhaustion, your boobs look awesome," Alex complimented, earning him a nudge in the side from Izzie. "What? It's the truth."

"You should totally wear something low-cut to this baptism... show off your assets while you have them," Cristina said.

"Yeah, I'll be sure to do that," Meredith said as she rolled her eyes playfully. "After we find something for Lilly, I have to scour my closet for something that doesn't make me look like a porn star. A few days ago, I put on one of my tank tops, and Derek asked me where the stripper pole was. He loves them."

"Of course he does," Cristina said.

"Oh, can one of you let Lexie know the baptism plan? And Bailey?" Meredith asked. "That reminds me, I need to call my dad. And I'll have Derek call the Chief."

"Does Shepherd's mom know about this?" Alex asked, smiling at Lilly when she looked at him.

"Yeah, Derek called her last night, then she spent the next hour reminiscing with him about his own baptism. She's so excited to meet Lilly," Meredith said.

"So you're not freaking out over the impending mommy visit?" Cristina asked.

Meredith shook her head. "No. I love his mom. And I especially love that she'll insist on me taking a nap. Probably multiple naps. And I know she's going to kick Derek and me out of the house and make us go out to dinner or something. Not sure how I feel about that. I've never been away from Lilly. Ever," she said.

"I'm sure you could survive for an hour or two. You should go and have fun," Izzie encouraged as she patted Lilly's bottom.

"Lilly is fun," Meredith said.

"A pooping, crying infant is actually fun to hang out with?" Cristina asked, sipping on her straw.

Meredith cocked her head at her friend. "That pooping, crying infant is your goddaughter. And yes, she is. Diapers, baths, all of it. A few years ago, I was totally anti-motherhood. And now, it's like I don't know what I would do without her."

"Oh, God. You're a full-blown mommy, Mer. It's a miracle, Lilly," Izzie said, speaking to Lilly who turned her head toward Izzie's chest and nuzzled her face into her scrub top. Izzie laughed. "I've got boobs, sweetie; just not the kind of boobs you need."

Meredith felt along her chest, which was starting to feel heavy. "I should probably go feed her before Derek gets done," she said, taking Lilly when Izzie handed her back over. "Thanks for agreeing to come to the baptism, too. I know it's short notice."

"Of course we'll be there," George said. He waved to Lilly after Meredith strapped her back into her car seat. "I'll see you on Saturday. You're gonna look so cute."

"As long as I can find her a dress in time, I think we're in good shape," she laughed, putting the bags on her shoulder and picking up Lilly's car seat. "Ugh," Meredith grunted. "That's the last time I take the car seat out of the car."

"Need some help?" Alex asked.

"No, I got it. Thanks," Meredith said. She waved at them with her free hand. "See you guys later."

"If you need any help with the baptism, call me!" Izzie said as Meredith trudged out of the cafeteria with Lilly.

Meredith turned around and smiled. "I'm gonna hold you to that, you know."

...

The noise of Lilly nursing was the only sound coming from the attending lounge. Unlike the resident lounge, constantly strewn with people constantly coming in and out, this place was quieter. With most of the attendings down in the pit, Meredith decided it would be best to nurse there. And given that Derek had the keys in his pocket, and hers were at home, she was locked out of his office. Rather than bother him, she granted herself access, took a yogurt from the mini-fridge, and sank down onto the plush leather couch.

Lilly nursing in her left arm, and her snack on the end table, Meredith carefully leaned over the armrest of the couch and spooned some of the mixed berry yogurt into her mouth. "I hope this was Daddy's, Lilly. I mean, really, who else would eat non-fat, probiotic yogurt but him?" she said as she read the label.

The door handle clicked open, and Meredith turned around, smiling in relief when she saw that it was Derek, but it dissolved when she saw Mark trailing behind him. "Crap," she said, trying to cover herself.

"Whoa," Mark said, covering his eyes when he realized she was nursing. "I didn't see anything."

"My boob is out. Of course you did," Meredith countered.

Derek rummaged through Lilly's bag and pulled out a blanket, gently draping it over Meredith's shoulder to shield her. "Sorry. I didn't know you'd be nursing," he said, kissing the top of her head.

"You knew I was in here?" Meredith asked.

"I knew you didn't have your keys, so you couldn't get into my office. I figured you might be," Derek said.

Mark kept his head averted as he walked over to the other side of the room. "Just getting some coffee. I won't look," he promised.

Meredith laughed. "Too late now, the damage is done. Do you have to go into surgery?" she asked Derek.

"No, Nelson and a few other neuro guys are gonna take care of it. Lots of close head injuries, but nothing they can't handle," Derek said.

"Okay. Oh, and I talked to everyone. They can come on Saturday."

"Good," Derek nodded. "I saw Richard in the elevator on the way up here. He and Adele can make it, too."

"How dressed up do I have to get for this?" Mark asked before taking a sip of his coffee.

"A suit would be nice," Meredith said.

Mark pursed his lips in thought. "I don't have to color coordinate with Yang, do I?"

"This isn't a prom, Mark," Derek laughed. "She doesn't have to pin a corsage on you or anything."

"Well, I just wanted to make sure, so I wasn't forever known as the guy who ruined Lilly's christening pictures by showing up wearing the wrong tie," Mark defended, taking a seat on the opposite couch. "By the way, what color tie should I wear?"

"As long as it's not neon or polka dot, I don't care," Meredith shrugged.

"How about blue? Everyone likes blue, right?" Mark asked.

Derek laughed. "Blue is fine."

Lilly pulled off Meredith's breast and looked up at her, a peaceful expression on her face. As she was mid-yawn, she stretched out her tiny limbs, shaking off her sleepiness. Meredith smiled at her. "Hey, Lillybug. All done?"

"I'll burp her, then we can go," Derek offered while Meredith covertly fixed her shirt under the blanket he had draped over her shoulder. After she tugged her shirt back down, Meredith handed Lilly to him, and he kissed her cheek. "Hi, beautiful. Can you burp for me?" he asked, holding Lilly to his chest so that her chin rested on his shoulder.

"Where are you headed after this?" Mark asked.

"We need to get Lilly a dress for Saturday. Nothing with frills and no pantyhose," Meredith said, eating another spoonful of yogurt. "She's only going to wear it for a few hours. I want her to be comfortable. And pantyhose are not comfortable."

"Mer usually skips the pantyhose when we need to get dressed up for something. It's easier that way," he said with a grin, looking over at her as he patted Lilly's back.

Meredith rolled her eyes. "I'm not wearing pantyhose to this either. And I'm off sex for another month, so don't think you're getting lucky."

"If you two want to have some naked time, I don't have to be in surgery for a half hour. I could take Lilly. You could go into Derek's office, have some 'above the belt' fun on that pull-out couch..." Mark suggested.

"That's very sweet, but— " Derek said before Meredith interrupted him.

"Are you serious?" Meredith asked.

"Wouldn't have offered if I wasn't," Mark said.

Meredith turned to Derek and bit her lip, and he raised his eyebrows at her. "Wait, you're serious, too?" he asked.

"I mean, he offered. Think about it. Thirty minutes, with no threat of pending diapers or crying," Meredith tried to cajole him. She smiled at Lilly. "Not that we mind, of course."

"Yeah?"

"We could," Meredith said.

Derek laughed. "Alright, then. We'll take you up on that," he told Mark, getting up off the couch. He kissed Lilly's head, then handed her to Mark. "Don't worry, Lilly. You're in good hands. Can you finish burping her?"

Meredith shuffled through Lilly's bag and grabbed a burp cloth. "She doesn't normally spit up, but keep this handy just in case," she said. "Try to get three or four. Walk around if you have to."

"Tick tock," Mark said, already burping Lilly over his shoulder.

"Okay, we're going," Derek said. He put his hand on the small of Meredith's back and they walked toward the door. "You sure you don't mind?"

"She's my niece. We're fine. Now go, get your non-sex freak on," Mark replied.

"Thank you, Mark. We love you, Lilly. We'll be back," Meredith said, giggling when Derek took her hand and led her out into the hall.

The door clicked shut behind them and Mark sighed. "Your parents are like horny teenagers, kid. Ooh, good one," he said, smiling when he heard her burp. "My guess is, you'll have a new sibling before they potty train you."