174. Liam's First Few Hours

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's. But I do share custody of Lilly and Liam with their parents. I love those babies dearly. ;)

It's time for me to sound like a broken record again: so, so, so sorry for the wait. Real life got in the way. Hopefully the update after this one comes much sooner. Enjoy!

Baby's Name: Liam Christopher ShepherdDate of Birth: March 18thTime: 7:18 AMWeight: 6 pounds, 9 ouncesHeight: 18 inches

The information was written on the blue name card Dr. Halloran had left for them, a keepsake that would be placed in Liam's baby album.

Only an hour old, and the tiny baby on Meredith's chest felt like he'd been a part of their family forever. She smoothed her fingers through his light brown hair, still in disbelief that she'd given birth to a child that looked like her, let alone a son.

Meredith kissed the top of Liam's head. "I can't stop looking at him."

"Me, either. I still can't believe it all happened so fast. You... God, you were amazing," Derek said softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore, kind of tired, but in a good way. Like I just gave birth to a perfect, little boy, which makes all of the pain and the pushing totally worth it," she answered. "It's nice being home, too. Getting to lie in our bed, use our shower, having Lilly around."

"You did so good today, Princess. And guess what? When Liam is older and asks us about the day he was born, you get to tell him you were here," Derek told Lilly.

"Mommy couldn't have done it without you, Lilly. You know that?" Meredith said.

Liam yawned as he woke up, and blinked sleepily at his sister, who tentatively touched his arm. "Hi, Liam."

"We picked a good name that Lilly can actually pronounce. Imagine if we'd named him something like... I don't know, Sebastian?" Derek teased.

"I just brought a life into the world. You don't get to mock me," Meredith countered.

"Not mocking, just pointing out a fact. He looks much more like a Liam than a Sebastian. Don't you, Liam?" he asked.

"Come in," Meredith said when she heard Izzie knocking on the bedroom door.

Izzie smiled at them, armed with her stethoscope and blood pressure cuff. "Hey, sorry to interrupt. I just needed to get a set of vitals on you guys, and make sure your uterus is staying contracted, all of that fun stuff. I'll be quick," she promised.

"Yeah, that's fine," Meredith nodded as she waved her into the room.

"Thanks," Izzie said. "So... does he have a name?"

"He does," Derek replied.

Izzie looked at them in surprise. "Seriously?"

"Liam Christopher," Meredith said, the name rolling off her tongue like she'd been saying it all her life. "You're the first one we've told."

"I love it," Izzie said, her face lit up in a smile as she rubbed the baby's hand with her finger. "Hi, Liam. Such a handsome name for a handsome boy."

"We think so, too," Meredith agreed, shifting Liam so Izzie could take his vitals.

Deciding she may want some privacy while Izzie examined her, Derek scooped Lilly into his arm. "Come on, Princess. Let's go change your diaper and get an outfit for Liam."

"Can you bring in his bath stuff, too? I want to get him washed up," Meredith requested.

"Yeah," Derek said. He propped Lilly on his hip and the two left the room, much to Lilly's displeasure.

"Liam?" she asked with a serious expression.

Derek kissed her cheek as they walked into her nursery. "Liam is with Mama. We need you to help pick out his first outfit. That's your first important big sister duty," he told her, laying her on the changing table.

"I sissy," Lilly said proudly.

"Yes, you are. Do you want to wear your Big Sister t-shirt today?" Derek asked as he changed her.

"I wear."

"Okay, then," he chuckled, securing the tabs on her fresh diaper. He pulled her pajama shirt over her head, then reached for her pink Big Sister shirt from the laundry basket. "Do so big."

Lilly lifted her hands in the air, and Derek slipped the shirt over her head, weaving her arms through the sleeves. She looked down at the large, colorful letters printed on it, and smiled wide. "Big sissy."

"That's right. You're Liam's big sister forever and ever. Isn't that cool?" Derek said, brushing her curls into two sides. He secured one half of her pigtails in a hair bow, then the other, nodding at his work in satisfaction. "I've mastered the girly daughter stuff. Do you think the skills will transfer for your brother?"

"No."

Derek laughed at her response as he shimmied a pair of purple leggings on her. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Lillybug."

Once she was dressed, he set her on her feet in front of the laundry basket with her and Liam's clothes. "Can you pick out an outfit for Liam?"

"I do," Lilly nodded. She knelt over the basket and rummaged through the freshly folded clothes until she found the outfit she considered worthy for her brother. "Fishy, Dad," she said, holding up the blue onesie pajamas with little fishes and boats printed on them, one of the few boy outfits they'd gotten from the baby shower.

"Fish and boats. That's an excellent choice. Dada approves," Derek grinned, taking her hand. "Come on, let's go get the stuff for Liam's bath."

"Tubby?" Lilly asked.

"Liam is too little for the bathtub, so we're just going to clean him with some washcloths, the same way we used to give you baths," Derek explained, the two of them walking into the bathroom down the hall.

He took the basin from under the sink, and let it fill with a few inches of warm water while he gathered the bottle of baby soap and a few towels. "Can you hold the soap for me, Lilly?"

Lilly took the purple bottle from him, eager to help with big sister duties. "Liam soap."

"That's right. We're going to give him a bath with the soap," Derek said. He draped the towels over his shoulder, then turned off the sink faucets once the basin was filled. "All set. Ready to go see Mommy and Liam?"

"Mama Liam!" Lilly said, running ahead of him across the hall into the bedroom.

Derek followed behind her and smiled at Meredith when he entered the room. "Hey, how's it going in here?"

"Good. Both of our vitals are stable, my uterus is staying contracted, and I'm not bleeding more than normal," Meredith said, wincing when she leaned over the bed to pick Lilly up. "But still forgetting that I pushed a person out of my body an hour ago."

"I got her," Izzie offered as she easily scooped Lilly up and placed her on the bed.

"Thanks, Iz," Meredith said before kissing Lilly's forehead. "Hey, you. I love your Big Sister shirt."

Lilly handed Meredith the pair of pajamas she'd picked out for the baby, who was lying on the bed between them. "Liam!" she said.

"And you picked out clothes for Liam? Thank you, peanut," she said, laughing when she noticed the print on the pajamas. "Fish and boats, huh? Did Daddy suggest these?"

"All her, I swear. The love of the great outdoors is in the Shepherd DNA," Derek boasted as he sat down on the bed. "How are you doing, buddy?"

"Healthy as can be," Izzie said, recording the hourly vitals in her electronic chart. "I'll leave you guys alone. I have breakfast cooking for you downstairs."

"Karev better get used to living alone, because we're never letting you leave," Derek chuckled. "Thanks, Stevens."

"Of course," Izzie said as she left the room, closing the door behind her.

Derek picked Liam off the bed, smiling at the way he scrunched his nose the same way Meredith did. "Hey, Liam. Are you ready for your first bath?"

"I hope so. When I took him off my chest so Izzie could examine him, he wasn't happy," Meredith said.

"Boob man, just like his dad," Derek grinned.

Meredith rolled her eyes. "Mhm, lucky me," she played along. "Okay, Liam. Let's get you cleaned up before you need to eat again."

Derek set the basin of water on the bed, and after mixing in the soap, he handed Lilly a washcloth. "Here you go, Princess. You can help."

Liam fussed when Meredith unwrapped him from his blanket, but she still held him close to keep him warm. "Let's start with his face and hair, then work our way down," she said.

The baby's wavy, light brown hair stuck out in all directions, which Meredith tamed with her fingers. "I don't know what surprised me more, Liam. The fact that you're a boy, or that your hair matches mine. My genes must have battled the Shepherd genes hard to win that fight."

"Told you," Derek said. He gently wiped Liam's face with the washcloth, and the baby squirmed, trying to bury his face into Meredith's chest. "I know, buddy. I'll be quick, I promise."

"I do?" Lilly asked.

"Yeah, let's wash his hair. Do what Dada does," Derek showed her as he patted Liam's head with the wet cloth.

Lilly followed his lead and sopped her washcloth over Liam's hair, while Derek quickly wiped away stray water droplets from getting into his eyes. Liam looked at both of them with a grumpy expression, annoyed at being disturbed, making Meredith laugh. "He looks like me, but he has your angry face, Derek."

"I don't have an angry face," Derek argued.

"You do, and your son is making it right now," Meredith upheld, patting Liam's face and hair dry once it was cleaned. She laid him on the heated mattress Izzie had left behind to keep him warm while bathing the rest of his tiny body, and although he preferred the warmth Meredith provided, he only fussed for a few seconds before quieting. "You're doing so good, Liam."

"I forgot how little they are when they're first born. All wrinkles and fat rolls," Derek chuckled, washing the creases of Liam's neck and underarms.

"The most handsome wrinkles and fat rolls ever," Meredith cooed to the baby.

"I keen," Lilly said proudly, cleaning one of Liam's arms while Meredith did the other.

"Yeah, you're making him nice and clean. That's what big sisters do," Meredith praised, admiring Liam's hands and fingernails. "You both have surgeon hands, too."

Derek smiled at Liam's long fingers, and nodded in agreement. "Oh, yeah. Those are surgeon hands. Maybe I'm biased, but they look like neurosurgeon hands to me."

"Bain?" Lilly asked.

"Yeah, I think you're both going to be operating on brains one day," Derek said, wringing out the washcloth after dipping it back in the basin. "Think about it; they could open their own practice together. Shepherd and Shepherd, brother-sister neuro dream team."

"You've thought about this quite a bit, haven't you?" Meredith accused as she cleaned Liam's torso, careful not to irritate his cord clamp.

"Maybe," he admitted, trying not to get splashed when Liam kicked his legs. "You've got soccer player legs, little guy."

"Nine months of practice kicking me from the inside," Meredith teased. "Right, Liam? You have skinny chicken legs, but they're powerful."

Liam spread his toes as Lilly cleaned his wrinkly feet, and she smiled at his pea-sized appendages. "Paint, Dada?"

"I'm sure my sisters asked my mom the same thing when I was born," Derek chuckled. "Maybe when he's a little older, Lillybug."

"Kate and Nancy painted your toes?" Meredith asked.

"Oh, yeah. Up until I was four or five, and could fight back. Dress up clothes, Barbies, tea parties, I did all of it. And since Lilly can get me to do all of that stuff even now, I think Liam is in for a few years of big sister torture," Derek predicted.

"Are there pictures of that? If so, I need to see them," Meredith said.

"Probably. My mom took pictures of everything, especially blackmail pictures she thinks are cute," Derek sighed, tossing his washcloth in the basin. He leaned over the bed and took a fresh diaper and wipes from the bassinet.

Meredith peeled back the tabs on Liam's diaper and pulled down the front to clean him. "You peed! Good job, Liam," she praised before realizing she was in the line of fire. "Should I cover his... you know what in case he pees again?"

"It's good to have a peepee teepee nearby just in case, or at least a towel," Derek said, gently cleaning Liam's little bottom.

Lilly stared at Liam's boy parts for a few moments, tilting her head in curiosity. "Dat?" she asked, pointing to the body part in question.

Her parents froze, neither of them sure of how to respond. "That's, um..." Meredith stalled, glancing at Derek. "There was a fifty-fifty chance we were having a boy. How come we never planned for this?"

"Because we both secretly thought you were having another girl," Derek answered.

"True," Meredith admitted, biting on her lip in contemplation. "Okay, well, the books say to use the right words to avoid confusion. Just put it out there, plain and simple, and don't make a big deal out of it."

"Okay."

Meredith looked at him in expectation, but when he said nothing, her eyes grew wide. "Oh, come on. You're going to make me say it?"

"I can't say that word in front of my daughter," Derek said.

Meredith rolled her eyes. "Fine. I pushed a baby out of my body today. May as well do this, too," she decided. "Lilly, Liam is a boy, so he has a penis."

"Penis," Lilly repeated.

"Clear as day. Every father's dream," Derek sighed.

"Very good, Lillybug," Meredith said, patting Derek's shoulder. "Remember this moment, because sixteen years from now, you're the one who's showing him how to put a C-O-N-D-O-M on a cucumber, not me."

Derek nodded in agreement. "Deal."

"Liam penis," Lilly pointed as Meredith slid a fresh diaper under Liam's bottom.

"That's right," Meredith said, fastening the diaper around the baby's waist. "Now that he's all clean, let's get him dressed."

Lilly eagerly handed Meredith Liam's pajamas. "Fishies."

With the questions about Liam's boy parts answered and appeased, Derek breathed a sigh of relief. "Once we dress Liam, you get to hold him."

"I hold," Lilly said.

"Yeah, how's that sound?" Derek asked.

Lilly smiled up at him. "Waffles."

"Wow. Really not letting up on the waffle thing, huh?" he laughed. "Yeah, then we can go have waffles."

Meredith carefully wove Liam's arms and legs into the onesie pajamas, in awe of how little he really was, and that Lilly had once been that small. After snapping the pajamas, she picked him up and hugged him to her. "Can you stay this size forever? Lilly grew up way too fast."

"I big," Lilly said.

"Yes, you are. Next to Charlotte, you look five. But next to Liam, you look like a teenager," Meredith said, feeling Liam root around her chest with his mouth. "Okay, let's get a picture with your brother. I need to feed him again soon."

Derek scooted Lilly toward the pillows on the bed, placing one behind her back and one on either side of her. "Are you ready to hold him, Princess?"

"I hold," Lilly nodded.

"Just like you hold your dolls," Derek said, making the motion with his arms.

Lilly eagerly followed his example, doing a cradle hold, and Meredith carefully laid Liam in her arms. She held his head until Derek was able to support it with the crook of Lilly's elbow, only letting go when she was sure the two were settled.

Lilly and Liam stared at each other in quiet fascination, and before Meredith let herself get wrapped up in watching them, she nudged Derek's side with her hand. "Get a picture," she whispered.

Derek pulled his phone from his pocket and quickly snapped a photo of them looking at one another, capturing the moment with seconds to spare before Liam sneezed.

"Bess you," Lilly said.

"That was so sweet, Lilly," Meredith praised. "Can you say cheese for Daddy?"

Lilly flashed a proud smile at Derek, genuine big sister joy all over her face. "Cheese!"

"That's the best picture I've ever taken," Derek said as he saved it to his phone, then added it to the ongoing group text. "Now we're going to send it to a hundred people and tell them what his name is."

"We can Skype you mom after breakfast if you want. I'm sure she's anxious to see him," Meredith said.

"Be prepared for waterworks when she realizes who Liam's named after," Derek said, knowing how much naming Liam after her father would mean to her.

"Gammy?" Lilly asked.

Meredith nodded, picking Liam up when he started to fuss. "Yeah, we're going to call her after we eat waffles."

Once the text was sent out, Derek reached for Lilly and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Waffles, Dada."

"Okay, let's go," Derek chuckled.

Meredith slowly swung her legs over the side of the bed, Liam against her chest. If her stomach weren't growling with the need for food, she would've happily laid in bed with her son all day, her body worn out from delivery.

Derek noticed her wince when she rose to her feet, and he frowned. "You okay?"

"Yeah, except my hoo-hoo isn't happy with me right now," she teased.

"Hoo-hoo," Lilly echoed.

"Oh, God," Derek sighed, bouncing Lilly in his arm. "Learning a bunch of new words today, aren't you?"

"Are you going to be chatty like your big sister, Liam?" Meredith asked the baby as she followed Lilly and Derek down the stairs.

"Hey," Izzie greeted. "I'm just getting ready to leave. Breakfast is made, laundry is folded, and I finished all of the postpartum paperwork for you and the baby. Are you still feeling okay? Any dizziness, excessive vaginal bleeding, clots, anything out of the ordinary?" she asked.

Meredith shook her head. "No, I feel pretty good," she said, letting Izzie palpate her abdomen one last time.

"Good. And your uterus is staying contracted," Izzie said. "How's the little guy doing?"

"He ate, he peed, probably going to sleep soon once I feed him again. He's perfect," Meredith said, smiling at Liam, who was looking up at her with sleepy eyes.

"He looks pretty perfect to me, too," Izzie agreed. "Okay, then, I feel comfortable leaving you guys on your own. But if you need me for any reason, call me right away."

"We will," Meredith promised. "And thank you again. For everything."

Izzie smiled. "You're very welcome. I'm just happy I got to be here. Congratulations on your handsome, little man."

"Thanks, Stevens," Derek said gratefully.

After they said their goodbyes and Izzie left, Lilly was finally able to get her hands on the homemade waffles she'd been craving since waking up many hours ago.

"Yummy, Ma," Lilly approved, licking syrup from her fingers.

"They are yummy. They even rival Daddy's," Meredith said.

Derek looked up from his plate, a scowl on his face. "What?"

"I'm just kidding. You both make good waffles. I just wanted you to make your angry face to compare it to Liam's. Same face," Meredith replied.

"How's he doing? Still eating?" Derek asked.

Meredith glanced at Liam, who was trying his best to stay awake to nurse, though his eyes kept slipping shut. "Kind of. He's still getting the hang of it. I think all he wants to do is sleep."

"Let me know when you want to sleep. Lilly's been up most of the night, too, so I could take Liam while you two napped," Derek offered, pouring more water into her glass.

"Making me nap and keeping me hydrated? So I guess the hovering didn't end when my pregnancy did," Meredith guessed.

"After nine months, it's a hard habit to break," Derek admitted.

"I guess I can deal with it a little longer if it means I get to sleep. How's that sound, Lilly? Should we take a nap after we call Gammy?" Meredith asked.

"Mama bed?"

Meredith smiled at her daughter. "Yeah, in Mama's bed."

"She's not even two, and she knows how to compromise. We're in trouble," Derek teased.

"Probably, yeah," Meredith nodded, carefully standing up from the table so she wouldn't disturb Liam, then walking over to the cereal cabinet. She moved the box of Muesli out of the way and found the gender envelope Derek had hidden there a few weeks ago. As tempted as she'd been to rip it open since the day Dr. Halloran handed the envelope to them, she wouldn't trade the genuine, overjoyed surprise of finding out she and Derek made a little boy for anything.

After sitting back down at the table, she opened the top fold of the envelope, then pulled the sonogram picture from inside. "Oh, wow. No wonder Dr. Halloran found the gender so fast that day," Meredith told her son, whose boy parts were unmistakable in the 3-D image.

"Can I see it?" Derek asked. Meredith handed him the picture, and as soon as he saw it, a grin spread over his face. "Look at that. He's a Shepherd. We've gotta frame this."

"I'm sure he'll love the sonogram picture of his penis framed on the mantle when he's sixteen," Meredith played along.

"Why not? Show it off," Derek said. "I can't wait to show this to Mark."

"Once he sees you with your son, he'll ask Bridget to have another baby, so he can have one, too, you know," Meredith predicted, holding Liam upright against her chest to burp him.

Derek nodded. "Oh, yeah. He always has to have what I have."

"Well, Liam's pretty perfect, so I can see why," Meredith said as Liam let out a hiccupy burp. "Oh, good one, buddy," she cooed to him. "He has less of a cone head than Lilly did."

"Well, you pushed for forty-five minutes with her. Liam flew out at warp speed in just under ten minutes," Derek said.

"Passing those shoulders didn't feel like it happened at warp speed," Meredith countered, kissing Liam's soft forehead. "So worth it though. Every second."

Lilly took a sip of water from her cup to wash down her waffles, then looked at Meredith. "Gammy?" she requested.

"Yeah, let's go call Gammy," Meredith agreed.

Derek wiped Lilly's hands with a washcloth, then set her on her feet. "You guys go get set up. I'll clean up in here."

"Okay. Come on, Lilly," Meredith said, extending her free hand. As she walked into the living room with Liam and Lilly, it hit her for the first time what it was like to have her hands full, metaphorically and literally. Lilly held her left, and Liam occupied the right. Years ago, the mere thought would've sent her into a panic, but now, she couldn't imagine life without these two little people that depended on her and Derek for everything.

Lilly climbed up onto the couch and patted the cushion next to her. "Mama sit," she instructed.

Meredith took the laptop from the coffee table, then set it on her knee after sitting down. She managed to set up Skype and log into the account with her one available hand, and continued to burp Liam with the other. "If Dada gets me pregnant with a third baby, I'm going to need octopus hands, Lilly."

"Occapus," Lilly echoed.

"Yeah. I got pretty good at the one-handed thing when you were born, but I've been out of practice since you learned how to walk," Meredith said, smiling when Lilly curled up next to her.

Liam stretched his tiny limbs and let out a reverberating burst of gas from his lower half, the loud sound making both Meredith and Lilly jump. "Whoa, Liam. That was impressive."

"Liam poop?" Lilly asked.

"Not yet, but I think that was a warning sign," Meredith laughed.

"Was that him? I heard that all the way from the kitchen," Derek said as he entered the living room.

"Yeah. He's all boy, just lets it out," Meredith replied, passing the baby to Derek, so Lilly could sit on her lap. "I set up the Skype chat. We just need to dial."

Derek hit the call button on the video screen, and it dialed his mother across the country. She accepted the call after the first ring, eager to be introduced to her newest grandson, and she smiled wide when she saw the four of them.

"Hey, Ma," Derek greeted.

"Hi, sweetheart," Linda replied, waving to them over the screen. When she caught a glimpse of Liam curled in Derek's arm, her breath hitched in her throat. "Oh my goodness, would you look at him. He's beautiful."

"Liam, Gammy!" Lilly said excitedly.

"Yeah, you've got a little brother named Liam! He's as handsome as your daddy," Linda said, unable to take her eyes off of her grandchild. "None of us can believe it was a boy. I thought I was hallucinating when you sent that text."

Derek chuckled. "We can't believe it either. Still doesn't feel real."

"We're all so thrilled. The Shepherd family needs more men," Linda teased, though given how off-kilter the girl-boy ratio was, Liam helped even the score.

"Eleven granddaughters, eight grandsons. The boys may take the lead eventually," Derek boasted.

"Liam penis," Lilly told her grandma.

Derek's face turned a deep shade of crimson at the new word Lilly shared with his mom, but Mrs. Shepherd handled it like a pro, unfazed by her granddaughter's anatomy lesson. "You're right; he does have one of those. You're so smart, Lilly."

"Very smart and very chatty," Derek nodded.

"And soon enough, she'll be able to share her knowledge with her brother. He looks just like you, Meredith. Hair and all," Linda complimented.

Meredith smiled at her mother-in-law. "Yeah, neither of us saw that coming."

"Liam is such a beautiful name, too," she added.

"Yeah, we wanted you to be the first to know. The name Liam is a shortened form of William. We named him after Grandpa Will," Derek said.

"You named him after my dad?" Linda asked, the joy on her face mirrored on Derek's.

"Yeah. We wanted to give him a name that meant something. After dad died, Grandpa Will was always there for us... me, Mark, the girls. He stepped up, and he made sure we got to make all the memories Dad wanted to make with us. I'm still so grateful for that, and I know Dad would've been, too. He was a good man. We know Liam will make him proud," Derek said sincerely.

Linda nodded, wiping at her eyes with the side of her hand. "He will, sweetheart, just like you've made me since the day you were born," she said. "My dad held you that day. He was so excited to have a grandson. It was one of the few times in my life that I saw him cry."

"Yeah?"

"Mhm. If he were here, he'd be honored to have his great grandson named after him," Linda said as she leaned in closer to the screen. "Goodness, you two make beautiful babies. So... Lilly and Liam. You know if you have a third, you'll need to continue the L theme, right?"

"If we have a third, Gammy's gonna have to move to Seattle to help us," Derek teased his mom.

"Don't tempt me. You know I would," Linda reminded him.

Derek grinned. "Because I'm the favorite, I know."

"Oh, stop. You know I love all of you. I just wish I got to see you more. The four of you, Mark, Bridget, Charlotte. It's hard being so far away, especially on days like today," she said.

"You're welcome to come visit any time," Meredith offered, combing her fingers through Lilly's hair. "Seriously, I mean that. My Mom isn't around, and um... it's just nice having you here. You've always been so supportive and kind to me. I really appreciate that."

"You know I love you, sweetheart. I'm always happy to help," Linda said genuinely. There's nothing I haven't been through after raising five kids, six if you include Mark, which I think I've earned the right to do. He and Derek have been putting me through the ringer since they were in kindergarten."

Meredith laughed. "Good, because having a boy is foreign to me. I'm used to princesses and tea parties, not digging for bugs in the dirt of whatever it is boys do for fun. I honestly have no idea."

"The hotline is always open. Day or night, you can call me," Mrs. Shepherd promised.

"Thank you," Meredith smiled.

"For the record, Mark was always the mastermind. I just tagged along because it was more fun than playing Barbies with the girls," Derek defended.

Meredith patted his thigh in feigned support. "Yeah. Okay."

...

With Meredith and Lilly upstairs getting some much needed sleep, Derek and Liam were having their first of many father-son moments, even though Liam was sleeping, too.

Derek stared down at the six pound little boy in his arm, soaking in his new son. The long, light brown eyelashes that fanned out over his chubby cheeks, the matching waves of light brown hair on his head, the pink hue of his pouty lips, and the tiny hand that wrapped around Derek's finger. Like Lilly, every detail of Liam was perfect.

"God, you look so much like Mommy. I mean, I figured you would. It's only fair, since your big sister is a mini-me who wears a lot of pigtails and tutus. Not sure whose personality you have, though. You seem pretty laid back, which is good. Mommy and Lilly rule the kingdom around here, so it'll be good to have an ally," Derek chuckled.

"I can't wait to watch you grow up, find out what your interests are. Like your sister, she loves tea parties. Can't get enough of them. Her favorite color: toss-up between pink and purple. Her favorite movie: Finding Nemo. Favorite animal: squirrels. Not sure why. Maybe because she lives in the enchanted forest. That's what your Aunt Cristina calls our land."

Liam scrunched his nose in his sleep, and the little gesture made Derek melt. "Yeah, she's a piece of work. So is Mommy. Although, I did convince her to live out here, which I consider one of my greatest accomplishments. When you're old enough, I'm going to teach you and Lilly how to fish off our dock, how to play baseball, all of that stuff. Which reminds me, I need to buy you a Yankees shirt. Lilly has one, too, and Mommy gets annoyed every time we wear them. It's great."

"I heard that," Meredith said from behind him.

Derek turned around and smiled at her. "Hey. Up already?"

"Yeah, it's been two hours. My boobs are about to burst. Lilly's still sleeping, though. I had to tiptoe out of the room," she replied, taking a seat next to him on the couch. "How's he doing?"

"He's good. We're just discussing father-son topics," Derek said as he wrapped his arm around her.

"And recruiting him to your Yankee fan club?" Meredith added. "He's going to be a Red Sox fan. One of my kids has to have Boston pride."

"We'll see," Derek teased.

Meredith smirked, holding out her arms. "I need to hold him. Two hours is too long."

"Here you go," Derek said as he gently transferred Liam to her. "I'll grab a diaper, so we can change him before you nurse again."

"Okay."

While Derek was retrieving the changing supplies from the bin from under the bookshelf, Meredith held him against her, feeling his warm breath hit her skin with every exhale. "You're the new favorite man in my life, Liam," she said, loud enough so Derek could hear.

"So I've been dethroned?" he asked in good humor.

"Yes."

"You're a lucky guy, Liam. Mommy's the best there is," Derek said, spreading out the changing pad on the couch cushion.

Meredith rolled her eyes. "You know you're not getting laid for six weeks, right?"

"Doesn't change the truth."

"Mhm, very sweet," Meredith said as she laid Liam on the changing pad. She unsnapped his outfit and pulled his legs and feet from the lower half, watching as he wiggled his tiny feet. "He has your toes, Derek."

"How can you tell?" he asked.

"Both of you have those wide big toes and curvy fourth toes. Lilly has them, too. Look," Meredith said, holding up Liam's foot to show him.

Derek laughed at the observation. "Is that a good thing?"

"I think it's adorable," Meredith promised. She peeled back Liam's diaper tabs and pulled down the front, her eyes widening at what she saw. "Someone pooped."

"Good job, buddy," Derek praised.

Meredith took a wipe from the pack, but stopped before cleaning Liam's bottom. "Okay, dumb question. But how do you... maneuver his parts? Do you wipe around it?"

Derek held back a laugh at her uncertainty, and took hold of Liam's legs to help her. "Yeah, under and around."

"I can see you laughing," she accused as she wiped Liam.

"You're doing good. Just get his butt clean first, then get a new wipe to clean his boy parts," he coached.

Meredith followed his instructions, then slipped a fresh diaper under Liam's bottom. She secured it around his waist, redressed him in his outfit, and scooped him up before he could fuss. "You did so good, sweetpea."

"See? Not so bad."

"After a few more changes, I'll be a pro. I just need to get used to penises," Meredith said, quickly amending her wording before Derek could do it for her. "Baby penises, I mean. The only penis I'm used to handling is yours, and for an entirely different activity."

"Clearly you're very good at that, or we wouldn't have two kids," Derek pointed out.

Liam yawned wide as he started to wake up, looking at his parents from his cozy spot in the crook of Meredith's arm. "How am I supposed to get anything done when you stare at me with those big, blue eyes, Liam?"

"He's a heart breaker like his sister," Derek agreed.

"Yes, he is," she said softly, running her fingers over the soft skin of Liam's hand. "Remember how scared we were of losing him when I first found out I was pregnant?"

Derek nodded at the memory, one that would always be etched in his mind. "Yeah, I do. Now look at him, nine months later. He was always meant to be here."

"I love him so much. And Lilly. And you," Meredith said softly.

Derek leaned in and kissed her, Liam between them. "I love you, too."

When Liam began to fuss, Meredith glanced down at him and smiled. "Either you don't like parental PDA, or you're hungry," she said, passing him back to Derek, so she could undo the buttons on her shirt.

Derek laughed, offering Liam his finger until Meredith was ready to nurse. "I'm glad you got up when you did, then. Because if he's hungry, my nipples are no use to him."