Tale as Old as Time

Chapter 29

After that ultrasound I relaxed significantly. I know logically there's no reason to be less worried than I was before. Or that I should have been as worried as I was after I had been assured that we should be able to have kids just fine and all our bad luck in the past was just that; bad luck.

I think there were two factors. The first was, I'd passed the point things had gone bad in the past. The bigger thing was, I could feel her now. Her kicks just kept getting stronger. Plus she got the hiccups all the time. Which was so fucking cute. Oh my god, feeling the constant little flutter in my tummy as my baby girl hiccuped away. Sometimes Chris could even see the little spasm of my baby bump. He loved that so much. He'd rest his head on my tummy giggle every time it twitched.

Chris took to reading or singing to my stomach. He did it every night. No matter how late he was home. Even when he was away shooting on location overseas he'd call up and read a chapter from Winnie the Pooh or sing a Disney song. I didn't think I could fall in deeper love with Chris than I already was. I was so, so wrong.

Lying back on the bed, with Chris' head on my stomach as he read or sang. How he gently caressed my tummy and told his baby how much he loved her already. I was so head over heels it was like it was all fresh and new again, only with that added depth of having known each other for a long time.

We started taking birthing classes. We were opting for a hospital birth but in a delivery room that was more like a birthing centre. It had a shower and a bath. All the medical equipment was tucked away unless needed. There were exercise balls and you could play music and use scented lotions. As far as places to try and force a giant baby head out your vag were concerned it seemed like a nice place.

Chris was really into the classes. Me not so much. Turns out, other expectant parents are really fucking annoying. The ones that recognised Chris (which, given that he was mid filming Captain America, so he looked like Cap, was most of them) were really sycophantic towards Chris. I dunno if they saw us and were like 'future famous in laws' or something. They just felt super fake and if I had to to get advice about birthing plans from another person who had never had a baby, I was going to lose it.

Chris was just remarkably upbeat and patient with everyone. I guess that's one of the reasons why I loved him though. He was such a people person. Honestly though I don't think there was anything bringing him down from this pregnancy high he was experiencing.

The bigger I got the more excited he got. He was a buzzing mess of excitement about our daughter's impending arrival. He had lists of names and he was reading all the books. I had thought at some point I might start feeling unattractive. I never did. Chris looked at me like I was literally a work of art. A really tactile piece of art. He couldn't keep his hands off me.

One thing that only got worse the larger I got (well besides the fact I kept banging my belly into things because I'd forget it was there), was fucking Atlanta. The heat was killing me. I was okay inside in aircon but as soon as I went outside it would kill me. I'd want to tear my skin off.

The other problem was I seemed to be running hot. If Chris was with me he'd always say he was freezing and turn up the temperature on the aircon. Drove me crazy.

"What about Aurora?" Chris asked. He'd been at this for about twenty minutes now. Just sitting at the desk drinking a beer and going over potential Disney names we could use.

I sat on the end of the bed, feeling sweat start to bead on my skin. "Do you want to say that name out loud and then try and guess what my answer will be."

Chris laughed. "So... what I'm hearing is no?"

"Well done." I pulled my t-shirt off over my head and got up. "I'm just going to get some ice. If you suggest Lady when I get back we're going to have words, my friend."