Mary had to think about this for a few seconds, “Babies suck their thumb. You should suck your thumb.” Jeff scoffed at the notion, but Mary insisted since she was in charge. “You have to suck your thumb, I dare you.” Jeff thought this was harmless and hoped Mary would tire of the game soon, so he stuck his thumb in his mouth without trying to suck. What he didn’t expect was his tongue and cheeks betraying him as his mouth involuntarily started to pull the thumb in and out. Jeff tried to remove his thumb but his now older sister put her hand in front forcing it to stay in. As Jeff’s mouth and tongue pulled on his thumb he began to relax and feel more secure.” After a minute Mary removed her hand, Jeff continued to suck his thumb for a moment before stopping. “See I told you were a baby!” Jeff would have cringed from the comment however after peeing his pants, getting his first diaper change and then being told the new house rules he realized that sucking his thumb was pretty much what he was supposed to do.
Mary grabbed the TV remote and found Sesame Street, “At least its not Barney.” Jeff thought to himself and went over to sit down beside Mary. The couch was huge to Jeff, as he stood there. The seat was half way up his chest however with his slender 25 lbs he was able to scale the couch with little difficulty. As he sat down the diaper crinkled heavily and the smell of baby powder wafted around him. Jeff poked at his diaper trying to get used to his new form, he found it warm and humid however it also somehow made him feel secure. Distracted he looked up at the TV and got caught up in a skit with Big Bird. After 15 minutes Jeff was thoroughly into the program and did notice as his hand slowly moving up in front of his face and depositing his thumb back in his mouth.
After an hour Margaret came back down stairs to see the two kids watching TV. Mary was squealing and giggling at the cartoon while Jeff was lying back on the couch sucking his thumb. To Margaret Jeff had become the epitome of an adorable baby. His blonde hair, big dimples and protruding belly melted Margaret’s heart, having another baby in the house and somehow made it much more warm and loving.
“Jeffery, it’s time for your nap.” Margaret sang as she walked in the room. “Awww come on it’s the middle of the afternoon. I really don’t need to go to bed.” Margaret picked him up and carried him upstairs. “It’s a crib not a bed honey and yes it is time for your nap.” Jeff was dreading the moment, a crib was as much a cage, just made to look nicer. As they entered the nursery most of the renovations were done. Along with the crib and changing table, there were drawers for clothes, a shelf with a few baby products although he figured it would be full soon.
Margaret dumped her baby in the crib then turned to get an outfit from the drawers. Jeff grabbed the bars and stood up looking over the side of the crib. His chin rested on the railing while he watched his former wife. “I’ve taken most of the clothes downstairs to wash but this will do for now.” She presented Jeff with a plain yellow one-piece sleeper and rested it on the rail while she stuck two fingers down the front of his diaper. “Hey, if I’m wet I’ll let you know!” Jeff protested but Margaret didn’t listen, “No honey I have to check your diaper. Actually it’s a little damp but you will be fine for your nap. Now give me your arms and we can get the sleeper on.” Jeff didn’t resist and assisted as best he could for an uncoordinated two year old. Margaret finished tucking Jeff in under the covers. “Now you go to sleep, if there are any problems I have the baby monitor with me, just shout or cry if you need me.”
As the door closed Jeff looked around the crib. The foot and backboards were painted with bunnies and one of Bobby’s stuffed toys, an elephant, had been placed at the head of the crib. Jeff was left to ponder, “I’m not even tired why can’t Margaret get past my size and realized I’m not a baby. This is ridiculous, when I get up from my nap I’m going…I’m going to have…have words with…zzzzzzzzz. With that Jeff fell fast asleep. Margaret smiled as she heard his snores through the monitor.
Jeff was woken by Margaret as she entered the room. “Time to get up sleepy head. If you keep sleeping all afternoon you won’t go to sleep till way after your bedtime. Come on let’s get you changed into something presentable.” With that Jeff was undressed and lowered onto the changing table. Once the sleeper was off it was obvious, Jeff’s diaper hung low on his hips. Jeff realized his accident when he was placed on the changing table and his diaper squished underneath him. Jeff immediately reached down and squeezed the diaper to be sure and groaned at his incontinence. Margaret then changed Jeff, placed him in a dry diaper, then proceeded to put him in a red shirt, blue pants, socks and little shoes.
“There we are. Let’s get going we have a big afternoon of shopping.” Mary picked Jeff up and carried him downstairs. “Shopping! You can’t take me out in public like this. What if I’m recognized?” Margaret just laughed. “No honey, no one could recognize you, if someone did they would automatically assume you’re your own son.” Mary stopped in the kitchen to give Jeff a quick drink of water as babies usually wake up thirsty after they sleep. Margaret gave him a plastic cup with water, “Honey drink this carefully as I don’t have any sippy cups or other stuff for you to drink from and I don’t want to change your clothes again if you spill. Jeff gladly accepted the cup and carefully lifted to take a drink, immediately pouring water on his shirt. Margaret bent down and helped him drink the rest of the water, then dried off his shirt.
Margaret grabbed a backpack and took Jeff’s hand as they walked out to the mini-van. When the car door opened he noted that Mary’s old car seat had already been installed behind the driver’s seat. With his diminutive physique Margaret easily lifted him into his new seat and was strapped in securely. Margaret got in and they were off. “Jeffery, I need you to act a little more childish when we are in public. I have no problem discussing world events when we are at home but in public you have to act your age.” Jeff shrugged and agreed, he wouldn’t want to jeopardize the secrecy of the DNAM experiments. “You will need to shorten your sentences and use a very limited vocabulary, remember the kids only had about 50 words when they were your age. Jeff smiled “more milk!” then he giggled “dydee poopy!” Margaret turned her head quickly. “You can’t be serious, I just changed you.” Jeff laughed at the joke he played on her. Margaret turned her attention back to the road and smiled at Jeff’s acceptance of his new role in life.
Margaret’s surprise reseeded but her serious tone continued, “And one more thing from now on you have to call me Mommy or Mama, not honey, sweetie pie or Margaret, babies your age only know a few words and they all address their mothers as Mommy.” Jeff agreed, “Okay I’ll call you that in public. ” Margaret cut him off, “No, you should call me Mommy all the time, it’s more appropriate.” Jeff started to squirm, “But you’re my wife not my mother.” She wasn’t about to budge on the issue. “Not until your older. If I have to change your diapers, feed you, cloth you and care for you 24/7, then you will call me Mommy. The rest of the family are treating you like their younger brother, it’s time I did the same.” All Jeff could do is sit in his child car seat and listen. “You not only have to act the part of a toddler, you have to accept that you can no longer do the activities of an older person. Am I clear baby?” Jeff was stunned by her demands and tears began to trickle down his cheeks as he sat there. “Yes, I understand.” But that wasn’t enough for Margaret, “That is not was asked from you, what do you say?” Jeff was almost of the verge of tears. He was being forced to give up last vestiges of his adulthood and accept he was no longer a husband and father by the smallest and least responsible member of the family, it was almost to much to take. “Yeth, Mommy.”
After a while, Jeff ‘s tears dried and it was quickly replaced with boredom. Due to his stature, the windows were too high to look out of. Instead of seeing buildings and other cars, all Jeff saw was sky and the occasional 18-wheel truck they passed. Boredom was soon replaced by curiosity so he decided to see what Margaret had put in the knapsack beside him. As he unzipped the top and looked inside Jeff groaned when he saw a couple of disposable diapers, baby wipes, baby powder and an extra shirt and pants. Obviously it was the start of his diaper bag, he knew that eventually it would be replaced with a proper large baby blue diaper bag and filled with every baby product available.
A few minutes later Jeff assumed they had arrived at their destination as he could feel the mini-van turn hard into what was probably a parking lot. Margaret parked, got out and opened the side door. She then threw the knapsack over her shoulder, unbuckled Jeff and rested the child on her shoulder. As they walked through the parking lot Margaret carried Jeff patting him on his cushioned butt, with every touch his diaper it crinkled. Jeff was continually reminded with each hit that he was small child and when they walked into the store he would be seen as Mommy’s diapered little child. He tucked his head into the crook of Margaret’s neck as he tried to hide from the impending stares from everyone in the store.
- to be continued.