Premie Twins Summary: Twin six year-olds are kept as babies. Chapter 11 Once the girls had finished feeding their baby jack-o-lanterns, Chrissie fetched Kate's Polaroid camera from the closet. "I want a picture of this...Jessie, you can hold them on your lap." The twins were lifted from their highchairs, "burped", and then posed on Jessica's lap, with each straddling one of her legs. "Hold still now" said Chrissie, "'trick-or-treat' on three...one...two..." "Trick-or-treat!" "Let's get another one for you, Jessie...and this time, don't hold them up by their crotches--I want their diapers to show." Meanwhile, Maggie, who had changed out of her frilly clothes, stomped her feet as she trudged the two loaded diaper pails to the laundry room; with the prissy Megan (who would have nothing to do with handling the twins' stinky diapers) following behind at a distance, holding her nose. "Oh, Chrissie!" Jessica asked, "Can I get a picture of them as little cowboys?" "Sure!--I'll get their boots and bandanas; you take off their costumes, I'll have to hand-wash those bibs." After Jessica unsnapped their bibs, and pulled the "pumpkin lids" from their heads, she rolled each boy on his back at her sides, and began making grabbing motions toward their feet, threatening to gobble up their little "piggies". The twin were soon kicking and screaming, and Jessica observed that the fronts of their diapers were beginning to swell up with pee. "These'll slow those legs down" said Chrissie, holding a pair of little cowboy boots in each hand. She had Jessica hold the twins, as before, on her lap while she slipped the boots on their bare feet. Once the bandanas were tied around their necks, Chrissie noticed through the view-finder that the twins' diapered crotches appeared considerably larger than before. "Looks like we got a couple wet baby buckaroos here... their pacifiers!--they must have their pacifiers," laughed Chrissie, poking a pacifier in each boy's mouth. "Okay, now we're ready...say 'cheese' on three...one...two..." "Cheeezze!" Chrissie snapped another shot, and suggested the twins play out back on their hopping balls while she and Jessica had breakfast. As the boys shuffled toward the back door, Chrissie shot another picture of them from behind, noting that their Pampers were still wedged tightly between their butt cheeks. "No point in changing them now," said Chrissie, "might as well wait until their messy." While the girls ate, they laughed as they watched the twins bouncing on their hopping balls, as if they were rodeo riders on bucking broncos, stopping at intervals, and standing on the toes of their boots toward the fronts of the balls, rocking their hips; pressing the puffy pee- soaked fronts of their diapers against the handles. At one such interval, Chrissie noticed that the back of Sammy's diaper was no longer creased in; but quite the opposite: it was obvious by his bulging rear-end that his baby formula had had its predictable effect. "Look at your baby buckaroo, Jessie...he probably doesn't even feel that mess in his diaper, the way you plastered his little butt with baby salve!" So slippery was Sammy's little behind, in fact, that some of the poopy mess had shot right up the crack of his butt, and had begun oozing out of the top of his diaper. Little Alec was not in much better shape: his poopy mess went in the other direction, and Chrissie could see that some of it had squished out between his legs, making his inner thighs stick to the top of his hopping ball. Neither boy seemed to mind, however, their Pampers still feeling a lot lighter than their usual messy cloth diapers. Chrissie, on the other hand, instantly regretted not wrapping their little behinds in their thick diapers and rubber pants. Maggie and Megan emerged from the laundry room, each carrying one end of the laundry basket piled up with damp, clean diapers. "Do we have to hang these too?" "I'll give you a choice, Maggie," Crissie said, "you can either hang the diapers or change your brothers' messy Pampers." "No thanks!" said Maggie, we'll hang the diapers. The girls weren't the only ones watching the twins bouncing around on their hopping balls. Standing on their toes and peeping through knot- holes in the privacy fence, were two eight year-olds; the aforementioned Tommy, and his pal, Cody, both of whom had witnessed the now famous "buggy-race". "Get a load of the diaper-twins in their potty-pants and cowboy boots!" said Cody, "and their wittle 'Mommys' hanging their dee-dees on the clothesline. "Yeah," said Tommy, "but look at all the cool stuff they got." "Ah, that's baby stuff! laughed Cody, "hopping balls...their wittle sandbox...their baby swimming-pool..." "Still," said Tommy, "I wouldn't mind..." "Get out! I wouldn't be caught dead playing with those two big babies!" Chapter 12 Chrissie warmed the twins' tea while Jessica went out back to help the girls hang the dozens of diapers and numerous rubber pants on the clothesline. Tommy had grown tired of standing on his toes and sat against the fence, sucking his thumb as he often did while daydreaming. "Stop sucking your thumb like a baby and check out the hooters on their babysitter!" Cody said in a loud whisper, as Jessica bent over to pick up a diaper. "I can't very well bring them inside...as messy as they are," thought Chrissie, "I'll have to clean them up on the deck." "Sippy cups, boys...c'mon, let's get you cleaned up for the park...Jessie, I'm going to need your help." The twins slid off the backs of their hopping balls, and came running for their sippy cups. Maggie and Megan both made fists and pulled them down with a "yay-ah!" The twins' running in their cowboy boots had the effect of weighting down their diapers even more, so that by the time they reached the deck, their Pampers barely clung to their hips. Chrissie had Jessica hold up each boy from behind, lifting his shoulders as she slipped the boots off their feet. Next to go were their bandanas and T-shirts, and finally, their Pampers were untaped, dropping to the deck with a "splat". "Jessie, turn on the hose," Chrissie said, adjusting the nozzle to the "gentle rain" setting. The twins squealed and danced around while their poopy messes rolled down their legs and through the gaps of the deck boards. Maggie couldn't believe it. "My Mom would kill her she saw this," she muttered to Megan. The novelty of the situation was not lost on Sammy, however, and planted a smack on Jessica's butt, crying: "you're it!" It took the efforts of all four girls to corral the pair, who had crawled under their "Jungle-Jim", still squealing with laughter. Chrissie ended up holding Alec upside-down by his ankles, making him walk on his hands;--while Jessica had slung Sammy over her shoulder, playfully smacking his bare bottom. "Who's 'it' now, 'Buster Brown'?" At length, Crissie had the twins in the nursery, diapered (in their usual half-dozen cloth diapers and rubber pants), and dressed in white T-shirts, fire-engine red shorts (which the boys had slightly outgrown), and white socks;--while Jessica applied mascara and lipstick on Maggie (who had since changed back into her prissy outfit) and Megan, making them look more like "grown-ups". "Don't they look adorable in their little red shorts!" gushed Jessica, once Chrissie had led the twins down the steps. Maggie scooped up one of the boys and held him on her hip, with her hand beneath his padded bottom. Pulling the pacifier from his mouth, she asked: "Which are you, 'adorable' one?" "I'm Alec," he replied. "Well, Alec, Megan and I want to play pretend 'Mommys', and take you and Sammy to the park...do you promise to mind?" "Sure!" he replied, kicking his legs with excitement. "Chrissie," Maggie asked, "can we take them in their baby buggys?" "Oh, Maggie!" Chrissie laughed, "they haven't been in their baby buggys for years!" "Were too!" Alec blurted out, "remem..." Maggie plugged his mouth with his pacifier. "Take them in their strollers, Maggie, they look like big baby strollers anyway." Chapter 13 The twins were buckled into their strollers, with the center strap drawn tightly up between their legs, pulling their shorts up high over the legbands of their rubber pants; showing that they were thickly diapered. Their seats were reclined back so that their knees were nearly as high as their chins, and the boys pumped their legs in what looked like baby car-seats on wheels. Chrissie had poured their tea into plastic baby bottles which the twins drained eagerly along the way. The combination of the calming tea and their reclining positions had both boys napping, with their thumbs in their mouths by the time the girls reached the park. That they were motionless and identical added to the impression that the dressy girls were really strolling their two big baby boy dolls. This drew some stares and laughing, but the girls held their powdered noses in the air. "This is a good time to get their shoes on," said Maggie, stopping at a park bench. With the tugging at their feet, the boys began to stir, and as if by reflex, pulled back their legs, and began kicking them, writhing their hips and grunting, as they pressed against the tight center-straps between their legs. "Whoa, there, sweetums," said Maggie, holding Sammy's ankle, "let's get these shoes on." At length, both boys had their shoes laced, were given pacifiers, had their "seat-belts" unbuckled, and were stood upright. The legs of their shorts were still creased up above their rubber pants, and Maggie could see that some of their diapers had been pressed outside the legbands. "I can see my babies are wet, already," she said as she tucked their diapers back inside, and pulled the legs of their shorts over their rubber pants. "Go play now," she said, giving each a pat on their padded behinds. Both boys skipped toward the playground, but Alec stopped and turned around, looked at Maggie, and pointed toward the swings. "Okay, I'll swing you," Maggie said, telling Megan to keep an eye on Sammy. She hoisted Alec up into a baby swing, and he was soon propelling himself upward, pumping his legs while rocking his hips in his snug-fitting baby seat. Sammy was on the smaller slide, coming down while pulling his knees tightly to his chest with his arms, and raising his feet, so that any boy or girl near the front of the slide could look right up his little shorts and see the rubber pants and diapers between his legs. Tommy and Cody were hanging out down the hill by the tire swing, which depended from a rope tied to a branch of a tall oak. Tommy spotted Sammy's red shorts, and instantly recognized the twin. He told the others he was going to get a drink on the playground. "This is my chance," he thought. Chapter 14 When Tommy reached the top of the hill, he stood in front of the smaller slide, in time to see Sammy coming down and landing squarely on his butt; sitting spread-eagled in a cloud of dust. "Here, let me help you up," Tommy said laughing;--pulling Sammy up by his hands, and seeing that the legs of his shorts had ridden above the legbands of his rubber pants. "Here," he said again (acting as if Sammy were his baby brother), "let me fix these for you;" and pulled the legs of his shorts back down; feeling a little dampness between the legs. "What's your name, little guy?" "I'm Sammy" (as he had replied countless times). "I'm Tommy...would you like me to take you on the big slide?" "O-okay," he replied, a little hesitant. "Here," he repeated again, "let's get the dirt brushed off your butt;" and turned Sammy around; sending clouds of dust in the air with each swat of his hand. Tommy climbed below Sammy on the ladder, and could clearly see that the back of his shorts under his butt were indeed soaked; no doubt, he thought, from landing on his wet, diapered butt. Tommy straddled his legs around Sammy's at the top of the slide, while holding him around the waist;--and shoved off, sliding down together, with Sammy kicking his legs and squealing with laughter. Sammy's familiar squeal caught Megan's ear, and, glad to wee an older boy playing with him, went back to admiring Jessica's make-up job in her compact mirror. "Let's go again!" cried Sammy, also glad to be playing with someone other than his twin brother. Tommy straddled his legs as before at the top of the slide, this time holding Sammy's legs up with his hands on the backs of his inner thighs; rolling his young friend into his lap, and, in that fleeting moment, became almost intoxicated by the closeness of Sammy's combination smells: his sweaty hair; his baby powder; his pee-soaked diapers... Down they went. "Wheeee!" Tommy cried, with Sammy again squealing with laughter. Tommy's ecstatic moment was to be cut short: before them stood Cody, smirking as usual: "Who's your little playmate, Tommy?" "This is Sammy...you know..." "Sammy!--the twin!--of course! Well Sammy, how would you like to play on the 'big-boy' swing?" "Uh...I don't think..." Tommy started. "C'mon, he'll love it...just for a minute." "Oh, alright...I just hope his sister doesn't..." "She's clear over there with the other one on the monkey bars. C'mon!" At the tire swing (which was an oversized tractor tire), Cody lifted Sammy from behind, but instead of allowing him to swing his legs through the ring, thrust him through head-first, leaving him bent over the tire with his butt in the air, unable to reach the ground with his hands or feet. This happened so fast that Tommy was dumbstruck. "No!-- you can't!--I wont let you!" cried Tommy, lunging at Cody. "Get back, you little twerp!" Cody said, shoving Tommy to the ground. Cody and another boy spun the tire around, winding the rope tighter and tighter. "Okay--hold the tire, let's give little potty-pants here a ride!" said Cody, yanking Sammy's shorts below the back of his diapers, and shouting: "Let 'er rip!" as he delivered a wallop to Sammy's upturned behind. At that point, Tommy delivered a shoulder-tackle to Cody's waist, sending him to the ground on his face. It was then that Maggie returned with Alec to where Megan sat. "Where's Sammy?" she asked. "He was over there on the big slide...another boy was playing..." Maggie scanned the playground, trying to spot anything red. "There he is! Maggie cried, seeing Sammy's red shorts below his diapers; spinning around on the tire. "Why, those little..." Maggie tore off her dress shoes, hiked her long skirt, and shot down the hill, seeing two boys wrestling on the ground, and another, who took off running when he saw her coming. She stopped the spinning tire and lifted Sammy to his feet. In his dizzy head, he was still spinning, and dropped to his butt. Maggie cradled him in her arms and kissed his head, apologizing for what she had allowed to happen, and laid him down. Now furious, she pulled the larger boy off the smaller by his hair and flung him to the ground. She saw that the other had a bloody nose. "You leave me alone!--you hussie!" Cody shouted, in tears, and stumbling backward. "I'm still gonna get you, Tommy!" he yelled as he ran down the hill. "I...tried to stop them...really," Tommy said, holding his nose. "C'mon, Tommy, let's clean up your face," and pulled him to his feet. She then stood Sammy upright and looked at his shorts still hanging under his butt. "Look at these shorts!...they're all dirty...and wet...and the waistband is torn!...you can't ride in your stroller in these," and stepped Sammy out of his shorts. "You're going to need bigger baby pants too," she said, tucking his wet diapers back inside his rubber pants. "Did you lose your pacifier?" Sammy looked under the tire swing. "There it is," she said, picking it up, wiping it off; and stuck it in her mouth before returning it to Sammy's. "What happened?" asked Megan, seeing Maggie walking with her arm over Tommy's shoulder and holding Sammy's hand. "Where's Sammy's shorts?" "Oh, nevermind, Megan...aside from Tommy's bloody nose, here, nobody got hurt. "Nobody but Cody," Tommy laughed. "Tommy," said Maggie, "why don't you come over for supper? It's Saturday, you can even spend the night if..." "Can I?" Tommy gasped, "I'll have to stop by my house first, to get my...night clothes.' Chapter 15 Tommy's heart pounded with excitement. At home, he hurriedly gathered up his "night clothes", which for him, amounted to a T-shirt and a diaper: a "Goodnights" pull-up, which his mother bought after too many mornings of him waking up in wet bed-sheets. He had few if any friends, and received little or no attention at home, despite being a gifted boy who could draw pictures better than any other eight-year-old he knew. Being accustomed to spending long hours by himself, he naturally jumped at the chance to spend time with the twins, whom he knew were only a couple of years younger than he;--boys who received all the care and affection usually given only to babies. He stripped down to his socks, pulled up his diaper, then some baggy boxer shorts, followed by another pair of shorts. "No one will know," he thought, figuring he could simply dispose of his wet diaper in the morning. He found a long T-shirt that mostly covered his bulky shorts, slipped on his shoes, grabbed his toothbrush, and bolted out the door. "Have fun, Tommy," said his mother, seated on the porch-swing with her boyfriend. "I will!--bye Mom!" and went skipping down the street. Tommy was greeted at the door by Jessica: "You must be Sammy's friend, Tommy; come in sweetie; Maggie told us how you fought off that mean boy; aren't you just adorable!" Jessica gushed, smoothing down Tommy's hair with her hand. Tommy blushed;--no one, that he could remember, had ever hold him he was 'adorable'. He was in love. "Are you hungry dear?" Jessica asked, still fixing his hair. "I'm always hungry," he replied. "Well, we gotta put a little color in them cheeks" she said, pinching his cheek. Tommy again blushed, hoping she only meant his face. "How about a chocolate milk-shake, then, sweetie?" she asked, ushering him to the kitchen. "That sounds great!" he replied, hoping she couldn't hear the rustling sound of his diaper. "Chrissie's giving the twins a bath...they'll be down in a little while," she said, pouring cultured milk in the blender. She then added the powdered chocolate, honey, vanilla, and, not knowing any better, two heaping scoopfuls of the twins' vitamin and mineral powder. Tommy was, as he would say, "blown away" by what he saw around him: the two highchairs, the baby-walkers, a large play-pen, a toy piano, and heaps of toys and children's books lining the shelves in the rec room. The music being played was a CD of Mozart's greatest hits. "I can play that!" Tommy exclaimed through his chocolate moustache; hearing a chorus of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." "That's wonderful, dear! You'll have to play it for us. The twins love this music;-- Chrissie says it calms them down and makes them smarter at the same time."* Tommy thought he was in heaven. * It's really true. Chapter 16 Once Tommy had finished gulping down his milk-shake, he let out a big "burp" as the CD ended. "Here, I'll show you!" he said, as Jessica wiped off his milk moustache with a dish towel. He crouched in front of the �baby� baby grand piano (which had only eight keys), and plunked out the melody of "Twinkle", which the twins, now being diapered in the nursery, recognized as "Bah, Bah, Black Sheep", and began singing a chorus in unison. "Sounds like our little visitor is here," Chrissie said, "let's dress you up for the occasion." She dressed the twins in their off-white baby playsuits, each having a two-snap crotch, and four snaps up the front, with the uppermost snapping at the left collar. These were also becoming small on them, so they held the boys' diapers up tightly about their slippery bottoms. They were usually reserved for school, and each had a name tag embroidered in red atop their left breast; and, like painters' pants, each had a side-ways loop sewn on just above the seat, making it easier to rein them in from behind, if necessary. Tommy was still crouched in front of the little piano, playing a variation on "Chop-sticks", when Chrissie brought the twins downstairs. "Baby painters!--aren't they precious!" Jessica exclaimed, unable to resist picking Alec up by the loop above his butt and with her hand around his breast; finally perching him on her hip, and then pretending not to notice his hand cupping her "boo-boo". "Tommy!" Sammy cried, and ran over and gave him a hug, bowling him over onto his side, with Tommy winding up on his back and Sammy on top of him. The girls both laughed, and Chrissie pulled Sammy off the boy by the loop above his behind and had him standing on the balls of his feet, still holding up the loop. "Jessie, would you mind taking the twins out back?...let them jump on the trampoline." "Oh boy!" cried Sammy, now practically dancing on his toes. [Even though it was surrounded by a tall nylon mesh, Kate had insisted that somebody always watch them on the trampoline.] "That sounds like fun!" Tommy said, "Can I go, too?" "In a bit, honey; "first let me tidy up these shaggy locks of yours." Chapter 17 "How about some root beer, Tommy?� �I love root beer!" he replied, astonished by all this sudden intimacy. Chrissie cut the twins' hair; and her idea of a haircut was as if she had simply placed a bowl over their heads, and trimmed around the rim. "Step right up, sweetie," she said, showing him to a highchair. "Let me help you, dear," and lifted him into the snug seat. She then snapped its tray in place, and noticed his worn, dirty sneakers. "And why are you still wearing your shoes?" she asked, unlacing them and pulling them off. "Poor baby," she said, poking her finger through a hole in the toe of his sneaker, "we're gonna have to see about getting you some new shoes.� �Phew! When was the last time these socks were washed?� �I..." he tried to speak. "Look at these feet!" she exclaimed, after pulling off his socks, "You're going to need a bath tonight, honey." Chrissie then snapped a wide bib around his neck; the same she used for the twins' haircuts. Tommy began experiencing all sorts of novel sensations. He didn't need a mirror to know he was blushing, and at the same time, felt a gripping, or cramping in his gut. He tried to raise his butt from the seat, but could barely move his hips because of the highchair tray pressed over him. He felt some relief after raising his butt slightly, and releasing a fart which vibrated his butt cheeks. Sitting back down, however, he quickly realized that was no ordinary fart. "Oh no!" he thought, "I'm gonna have to sleep in this messy diaper! I sure hope she doesn't smell it!" Tommy pressed his knees together (as if that would do any good) when Chrissie brought his root beer in a sippy cup. "Here's your root beer, sweetie. The twins love it too. Kate says it makes them stronger.* I'll get the hair shears." Tommy really felt like a big baby now: sitting in a baby's highchair (from which he knew getting out of were nearly impossible); wearing a bib; barefoot; drinking from a sippy cup; and worst of all, sitting in a messy diaper. He again blushed and began to feel the gripping sensation. Chrissie wetted down his hair with the plant sprayer: "Hold still now, dearie," she said, "this'll only take a minute" As he watched his hair drop into the bib, he found it increasingly difficult to "hold still". "I think I have to go..." Tommy started to say, but by then it was too late, and began filling his diaper with a squishy mess, and, if that weren't bad enough, began peeing, so much so that he could feel the mess oozing out of his diaper between his legs. "Tommy! did you just go poo-poo in your pants?� �In...my diaper," he said, his eyes welling up with tears. "Your diaper?!" she exclaimed, but then immediately caught herself, seeing Tommy now beginning to stick out his lower lip. "There, there, sweetie," she said, wiping the side of his eye, "poopy diapers are nothing new around here...I'll change you in a minute...just about finished...try to hold still now." *Kate's home-made root beer was made with sarsaparilla root, which contain sterols that mimic testosterone, the hormone for strength, hair growth, and, of course, sex. Chapter 18 Tommy was again dumbstruck: no one had ever "changed" him before. "There...perfect! Chrissie said, turning his head from side to side with her hand on his chin, as if everything otherwise were completely "normal". Having his hair look "perfect" was the last thing on his mind. At length, after Chrissie lifted Tommy from the highchair, he stood before her in a kind of half crouch; his heavy diaper causing him to stick out his butt. "Turn around, honey," she said, "let's have a look at this messy diaper.� �But..." he said, trying to hold back tears. "It's alright sweetie," she said, and tried to make him feel better by telling him how much she loved him for protecting her little Sammy. She helped him step out of his wet shorts and messy boxers. She then rolled up the wet tail of his T-shirt over the top of his bulging diaper, and saw the mess between his legs. "Oh my!" she said, feeling the weight of the heavy diaper with her hand, "we'll have to get you in some clean diapers right away!" "Diaper-s?" he thought, his face now turning a beet red, and thinking, if anything, that he would've just taped up one of the twin's Pampers before bed; and of course, he had no idea of just what he would be wearing in the meantime. Just then Jessica came in: "Chrissie, the twins are playing in the sand...box...Tommy!" (Chrissie raised her finger to her mouth, making a silent "Shhh". "Why Tommy," Jessica said, "don't you look cute in your new haircut...why, you look just like one of the...� �Jessie," Chrissie interrupted, "I'm going to need your help again." If matters could possibly get any worse for Tommy, Maggie and Megan popped in the front door. "Hi Chrissie...Tommy!...what? we have baby triplets now?" (Chrissie gave Maggie a stern look.) "I mean...your haircut...looks just like one...� �What's up, Maggie?" she asked. "Can Megan spend the night? We can both sleep in my bed.� �Sure...maybe she can help you clean up your room," Chrissie signaled, tilting her head toward the stairs. Tommy was, at best, hopelessly resigned;--crying would do him no good; none of the four girls were making fun of him standing there in his T- shirt and diaper; he was just accepted as part of the family; which was all he wanted in the first place. "C,mon, stinky poo-butt, let's get you outside," Chrissie laughed, patting his soggy bottom. Seeing Tommy being led out to the deck, the twins climbed out of the sandbox, curious to see what a "big-boy" diaper looked like. "Up we go," said Chrissie, lifting Tommy's T-shirt over his head and arms. "Little ATV riders," Jessica exclaimed, seeing the prints on his Goodnights diaper, "that's darling!� �Jessie, honey, bring me the hose," Chrissie said, helping Tommy step out of his heavy diaper. Embarrassed as he was, he still felt better having some help out of his sticky situation;--he was more worried that Cody might be snooping around: "I'll be dead..." he thought. The hose had been lying in the sun all day, so that the water Chrissie sprayed on Tommy's bare butt caused him to jump. "Ow, that's hot!" he cried, releasing still a little more pee. "It'll cool down, babycakes, now spread those legs and bend over," Chrissie laughed, and thought: "Kate would kill me if she saw me doing this," but thinking it was better than having to wipe it off the stairs. She put the "gentle rain" nozzle up close to his butt-hole and between his thighs, and watched his poopy mess go sliding down his legs. She then folded up a white sun-bathing towel, and had him hold it up between his legs, as if it were a big terry-cloth diaper. "Time for baby's bath, let's go sweetie." Chapter 19 "I can give myself a bath," Tommy said, climbing the stairs; still holding up his towel "diaper". "Yeah, right, honey!" Chrissie laughed. "I could tell that by all the dirt and crud behind your ears.� �But..." he protested. "No 'buts' about it, dearie;--baby's gonna have a real bath this time," she laughed, giving him a pat on his "diapered" bottom. In fact, Tommy couldn't remember the last time he had a bath; he only showered in the morning to rid himself of the smell of pee. Now sitting in an ocean of bubbles, he winced as Chrissie dug wax and crud from inside and behind his ears with a Q-tip. "See what I mean?" she demanded, showing him the crusty tips of the cotton swabs, "now let's see those feet." Tommy sat back on his hands and put his legs on top of the side of the tub, and began kicking and splashing while she lathered up his ticklish feet. After washing his hair with baby shampoo, she had him play with the toy boats while she got his clothes together. She counted out nine diapers, and laid them out on the bassinet along with one of the twins' "bibs';--short overalls with straps which stretched like suspenders. These came to a "Y" in the back, with its center held together by a leather patch emblazoned with the face of the smiling "Tweetie" bird. The overalls (which had little if any legs) had vertical red and white stripes, with snapping sides. "C'mon, honey, lets get you diapered for din-din," Chrissie said, helping Tommy step out of the tub. "But..." he said, couldn't I just wear one of the twins' regular underpants until bed?� �Oh, no! dearie," she said, toweling him off, "their regular baby pants would be too small on you;--yours are bigger and have snaps on the sides.� �A...Pamper, then?" he asked, blushing. "Not after your last "accident," she said, "how do you know it couldn't happen again?" (Chrissie didn't know that Jessica had given Tommy over four times the amount of the vitamin and mineral powder given each twin in their baby formula.) "C'mon, you'll be fine;--let's go tweetie-pie," she laughed, giving him a smack on his bare bottom. Tommy's jaw dropped and eyes widened at the sight of the twins' nursery;--and in particular when he spotted the big baby bassinet with a stack of diapers piled on its plastic cover. "Up you go," she said, lifting Tommy onto the bassinet and having him lay on his back. While she spread the baby salve over his diaper area, he developed a "stiffie" like he had never felt before, and fell into a daydream, beginning to suck his thumb. "Don't suck your thumb, honey;--Kate says it'll make your teeth stick out like 'Bucky Beaver'...here, baby, suck on this," she said, poking a pacifier in his mouth. When Chrissie began dusting him with baby powder, his mind at once flashed back to that dream-like moment with Sammy on the slide. "Why, Tommy!" she exclaimed, pretending surprise, "look at this little 'Woody Woodpecker of yours!" So sensitive was his "woody" at this point, he jerked back when she spread the powder over its tip. "Oh, I'm sorry, honey," she laughed, "it's just that my other babies' don't get quite so big." As Chrissie pinned up his diapers, Tommy thought: "So this is what it feels like to be one of the twins...they aren't the least bit embarrassed about wearing diapers all the time...given everything a big baby boy could ever want...� �Up we go!" said Chrissie, jarring him out of his blissful daydream, "let me see if I can find you a T-shirt and socks." "That's all?" Tommy thought, now sitting up, "she's not gonna make me walk around just wearing a T-shirt and these diapers...and can I even walk at all?...or do I have to crawl around like a baby?� �I think these'll fit you, sweetie," Chrissie said, slipping one of the twins' taller white socks over his foot. "There," she said, after putting on the other, "now try on this T-shirt." The white T-shirt was a little snug around his neck, making him feel as though he were wearing a bib, but otherwise almost fit, although it only came down to his belly button. Once Chrissie lifted him down from the bassinet, he caught a side glimpse of himself in the full-length mirror on the door. He could scarcely believe his eyes: "I really do look like one of the twins!" he thought, seeing his new haircut and pacifier in his mouth; standing there like the Rugrat in his big baby diapers. Chapter 20 As strange as he appeared to himself in the mirror, nothing could prepare him for what was to follow. "Let's see if these fit you, tweetie," Chrissie said, holding up the striped baby bib overalls. "She's got to be kidding," he thought, finding it hard to imagine anything looking more babyish. "C'mon, let's try 'em on," she said, helping him step into the bibs, then raising them up through his legs and over the top of his diapers. "So far so good," she said, pulling the straps over his shoulders and stretching them down to meet the button-holes at the bib. "Kate got these for the twins' birthday party last year," Chrissie said, now snapping the sides at his hips. "My birthday was last week...I didn't have a party...or anything," Tommy said, now dangling the pacifier on his finger. "Not even any new shoes?!" she blurted out. "My God!" she thought, "what's wrong with his Mother?" "Poor baby," Chrissie said, "don't worry, honey; we'll fix you up. I bet you didn't even get your birthday spanking either." This caused Tommy to blush, but not nearly as much as when she had him stand in front of the mirror. Again, he could scarcely recognize himself. By all appearances, he had gone from a scruffy looking ragamuffin to a spiffy toddler in diapers. "Let's go, birthday boy," laughed Chrissie, patting his bottom, "it's time for your din-din." As Tommy stepped gingerly down the hall, feeling as if someone were holding his diapers up between his butt-cheeks, Maggie came out of the bathroom. "I knew it!" she said, "baby triplets now!" (Chrissie gave her "the look") "I know," Maggie laughed, "it just means more dirty diapers to wash." The obvious suddenly dawned on Tommy, who blushed as he thought: "There's no way I'm gonna be able to use the bathroom now.� �Maggie," Chrissie said, "there is something you can do for me;--you and Megan come downstairs when you can;--we're gonna throw a birthday party for our little 'tweetie' bird here." Downstairs, the twins were busy piecing together contraptions made from wooden Tinker Toys; while Jessica painted her toe-nails, and was, predictably, all agush when she saw Tommy. "Why Tommy...look at you! Aren't you just the cutest...� �Jessie, honey, brush Tommy's hair while I get the boys their bottles. We're gonna celebrate Tommy's birthday tonight;--he just turned eight!" (The irony of her words were not lost on Tommy) "I'm supposed to be getting older," he thought, "not younger." "Sit on my knee, birthday boy," Jessica said, "I'll get the brush." The twins both looked up (for reasons which shall be explained later) when they heard the words: "get the brush."