Starting Over – Chapter Twenty Five

After getting all packed up, Chris and I head over to the house that we found near his job. It was almost dark when we got to the house.  

When we finally get all of our stuff put away, Chris comes up behind me, putting his arm around my shoulders. I look over and see that Chris didn’t waste any time getting dressed for bed. 

Our bedroom is located on the second floor of our new house. Although we share a bedroom, we each have our own separate beds. Chris settled for a twin size bed that he has a perfect place for in the bedroom. I wanted a bigger bed for when my belly got bigger. “This will be the first time we have shared a bedroom. Are you sure you don’t mind?” Chris asks me as he pulls the covers down on his bed. “I would prefer you to be here with me. I can sleep better when you are close to me,” I tell him. “I’m glad, it is comforting that you are close to me too,” he says with a smile as he climbs into bed. 

The next morning I wake up, Chris has already got up and made his bed without me knowing. I haven’t slept that good in a long time. I get dressed and head downstairs to start breakfast. I find Chris typing away at his computer at the kitchen counter. “Why are you up so early?” I ask. “I slept well, so I decided to get an early start on getting appointments made and some work done,” he tells me. “What appointments?” I ask. “I want to take you to the doctor so we can get both of you checked out. I want to make sure everything is ok with your pregnancy,” he says.

All of a sudden, I become sick to my stomach. I grab my stomach and my mouth, I let out a groan. My morning sickness had eased up, but not today. 

“Are you ok?” Chris asks me. I hold up one hand as I dash in the direction of the bathroom. 

I barely make it before I’m on my hands and knees in front of the commode heaving. 

When I come out after cleaning up, I sit down in front of the tv on the floor. Chris was busy at his computer, so I decided to find something to watch to pass the time. Chris shuts down his laptop, then walks over to me. He kneels down behind me, wrapping his arms around me from behind.”Feeling better?” he asks. “Much,” I reply. 

He pulls me up off the floor, then leads me to the couch. We sit down together as he explains what appointments he has made. “How do you know what doctors to see?” I ask. “I had a sister that was pregnant once. I use to go to her appointment with her because the baby’s dad didn’t care about them,” Chris explains. “I never knew you had a sister,” I say. “She passed away from an accident many years ago. The accident killed them both; she never got a chance to be a mother. When she died, she was seven months pregnant,” he tells me. I sit there in shock, he never told me the story of what happened to his family, I’m not sure what to say. “It’s ok, it was a long time ago,” he says with a gentle smile.

Later that evening, we decide to head outside to enjoy the nice weather and the beautiful beach. We pull the lounge chairs on the back porch facing the beach. It’s so peaceful as the sound of the waves crash on the seashore. This is the perfect fresh start both of us needed.

”Walk with me,” Chris says as he stands up, taking me by my hand. He leads me down to the beach. He turns to me with a gentle smile on his face. 

 “Can I?” he asks as he looks at my belly. “Yeah,” I reply. He places his hand on my stomach with a gentle touch. He looks so fascinated as he rubs my belly. “Did it move?” he asks as he looks up at me with wide eyes. “Yes,” It’s a crazy feeling. It started off as small flutters to now I can feel the baby move,” I tell him as he watches my stomach with pure wonder. 

After a few days have passed, I get ready for my first doctor’s appointment while Chris reads the paper.

When we arrive at the doctor’s office, I sign in then take a seat in the waiting area.   

They call me in and take me into an exam room. A nurse takes my vitals and a sample of my blood and urine. 

She walks back into the room. “You’re pregnant, we now just have to get some measurements and an ultrasound to see how far along you are,” she tells me as she helps me lay back. 

A woman rolls in with a machine. “I’m here to get an ultrasound of your baby. “Ok,” I reply as I lay down on the examining table. “I’m going to put some gel on your belly, it may be a little cold,” she says as she reaches over to get a bottle and a towel. She squirts some gel onto my belly then takes a device that is attached to the monitor to get a picture of the baby. The sound of the baby’s heartbeat fills the room as a picture of a baby appears on the screen. I have never seen anything like it before. I watch my baby move it’s arms and legs as the women take measurements of the baby. I can’t believe there is a little human in my belly. “Do you want to know what you’re having?” she asks. I think about it for a moment. “I want to wait till it’s born,” I reply. She finishes up then wipes the gel off my belly.

After she’s all done with me, I sit upon the table. “Wait here and the doctor will be with you in a moment,” she says.

A young doctor in his early thirty’s comes in. “Let’s take a look. According to your ultrasound, you are six months pregnant. The baby looks really healthy,” he adds. 

He takes us to his office to discuss the results of my tests. “So, I already told you that you were six months pregnant. Your blood work looks good, and the baby is a little small but seems to be healthy. “Have you been having a lot of morning sickness?” he asks me. “I have, I thought it was stress for a long time, I didn’t realize I was pregnant until recently,” I tell the doctor. “I’m surprised you didn’t realize you had missed any of your periods and the sickness. Did you not notice any changes in your body?” he asks. “My periods were never regular. “Try to minimize your stress for the health of your baby. The nurse told me that you wanted to wait to find out what the baby is, are you sure you don’t want to know what you’re having?” he asks. 

I look over at Chris, who raises an eyebrow at me. I know he’s really supportive, but this makes it so real. A little baby is growing in my belly. “So, do we want to know?” I ask Chris. “I would like to wait if that is ok with you. I think it would be nice to find out what the baby is when it is born,” he says. 

I think about it for a minute.”I think we will wait to find out what we’re having,” I tell the doctor. He nods and writes something down in my chart. 

“Congratulations again, if you have any problems just let my office know. Here is your next appointment,” he says as he hands me a card. Chris and I leave the office with good news. I still can’t believe I’m six months pregnant. 

Nice weather has set in as Chris, and I have settled into a simple life. When I join Chris in the pool, he splashes me with water, taking me by complete surprise. 

I give him a dirty look, which makes him pout. I can’t keep the smile off my face as he pouts even bigger. 

The nice weather is a boost in spirits. Chris and I decide to hang out on the couch. He loves to cuddle as we watch tv. 

I feel myself getting tired, and instead of heading upstairs to lie down, I use Chris as a personal pillow. He doesn’t seem to mind as he plays with my hair. I’m out before I even realize it.  

 I figure I have napped for a while as I look up to see I haven’t moved in over an hour. I look up at Chris who is watching tv. I stretch out, then sit up. “How long have I been asleep?” I ask him. “Not long, maybe an hour at the most,” he says. 

I stand up stretching my legs. “The baby is moving,” I say as I rub my belly. “Can I?” he asks as he points to my belly with a grin on his face. “You don’t have to ask, you can rub my belly as much as you want,” I say as I giggle at Chris who starts to rub my belly. I watch his eyes light up as the baby kicks under his hand. “That is amazing, the baby is getting stronger by the day. I can feel a whole foot,” he says. At six months, my belly has grown to a cute little bump. The baby has started to really move now. 

“It’s going to be so neat having a little one running around here,” he says as he rubs my belly once again. 

It’s getting late, and Chris wants to head out and watch the starts. What a hopeless romantic he has become. I never thought he was so sweet even after all the years that I have known him. I look at this man and see how much he truly cares about me. It moves me in ways that I could never imagine.