CAITLYN
My heart hammers as we pull into the parking lot of the antenatal clinic.
I’m torn between excitement and worry. We get to see our baby!
I can’t wait. But part of me worries something might be wrong.
Things have been so perfect for me and Josh since he rescued me from David, and part of me is scared it’s all about to come crashing down around us.
Sensing my concern, Josh reaches across and takes my hand, “I’m sure it will be fine.”
“How are you not even the tiniest bit worried?”
“Oh, I am, but I’m keeping it together for you. Besides, Alicia and Erin both agree this is the best antenatal clinic there is.”
That’s one bonus about having a baby with one of the Braddock brothers, we can afford the best antenatal care there is.
On Erin and Alicia’s recommendation, we’ve booked an appointment with a private clinic in Southampton, which offers the best medical care in the area.
We’ve decided to make a long weekend of it in Southampton, and after the appointment, we’ve booked a room at the spa we stayed in last time for the next four days.
But, before our mini vacation, we get to see our baby for the first time.
Joshua gets out of the car, walks around to the passenger side and opens the door for me. As he offers me his hand, I say, “You know, you don’t always have to help me up. I’m not made of glass.”
Josh chuckles. “I know, but my parents taught me to respect the woman you love.”
He leans in and presses a kiss to my cheek.
“And I appreciate that,” I say, looping my arms through his.
We enter the small, white building that from the outside looks more like a stately home than a medical center. In fact, it reminds me of the spa a little.
Inside, the reception area is very similar to the spa’s, with marbled flooring and sleek furniture. There’s a small waiting room where another couple -- the woman looks about eight months along -- sit, as they wait to see the doctor.
“Hey, I’m Caitlyn Jackson. I have an appointment for a pre-natal check with the obstetrician, followed by an ultrasound scan.”
The receptionist, whose name badge says ‘Shirley’ smiles and asks, “And do you have a urine sample, and your medical notes for your regular G.P with you?”
I pat my purse and reply, “Yes, all here.”
“Very good. Please take a seat then. Doctor Lennox will call you when she’s ready to see you. There’s only one other couple before you, so the wait shouldn’t be long.”
“Thank you.”
Joshua and I settle in the waiting room, and the other couple offer us a friendly smile.
Soon, Doctor Lennox calls them in for their appointment, leaving Josh and I alone.
Josh looks around the waiting room with interest, taking in the details of the various posters and models that show the different stages of pregnancy.
“Can you believe our baby is already the size of a peach?!” he says, his eyes glimmering with excitement.
Although my figure has filled out a little in the last few weeks, and my breasts have grown in size -- something Josh loves -- I don’t have a visible baby bump yet, and it’s hard to imagine I have a little, peach sized person growing inside me.
From what Alicia and Erin have told me, I should probably ‘pop’ and start showing around twenty weeks; right when we have the second ultrasound and can find out the baby’s gender if we’re lucky.
“It still doesn’t seem real,” I tell Josh. I have all the symptoms of pregnancy, but the concept that I have a person growing inside me is still difficult to get my head around.
“I bet it will feel different when we actually see them though.” He can’t keep the grin off his face, and I know he’s just as excited as I am about becoming a parent.
“I’m sure it will. I can’t wait.”
It isn’t long before the first couple leave Doctor Lennox’s office, and are then greeted by the ultrasound technician, who introduces herself as Nicki. Then me and Joshua are called in to see the obstetrician.
“Hey, you’re Caitlyn, right?” Doctor Lennox asks with a friendly smile. She’s about Ryan’s age, early thirties maybe, with short dark hair and warm honey-colored eyes.
“Yes, that’s right. And this is my partner Josh,” I say, as Doctor Lennox leads us to her desk, and we all sit down.
Doctor Lennox extends her hand for each of us to shake. “Great to meet you both. And how have you been feeling, Caitlyn?”
“Not too bad. Better now I’ve been given some tips about controlling morning sickness.” Doctor Lennox raises her brows, and I go on. “Two of Josh’s brothers also have partners who’re pregnant too. They’re the ones who recommended you to us, in fact.”
Doctor Lennox smiles. “I’m glad my reputation is such a positive one.” She stares at Josh intently, then asks, “Your surname doesn’t happen to be Braddock, does it?”
Josh grins. “Got it in one.”
“I thought so. You look very much like your brothers. I trust they and their partners are doing well?”
“Yes, everyone is great, thanks.”
“Glad to hear it. It’s nice that you’re all so close, so the children will grow up together.”
“Yeah, we thought so too,” I agree.
“So, do you have your urine sample and doctor’s notes with you, please, Caitlyn?” Doctor Lennox asks, and I hand them over.
Doctor Lennox tests my urine sample and informs me the protein levels are normal. “I’d like to take a blood sample, too, please. It will need to be sent to a lab for analysis, but we’ll call you in a few days with the results.”
“That’s fine I say, rolling up my sleeve so that she can draw blood.
“Do either of you have any questions or concerns?” Doctor Lennox asks, as she slips my blood sample into a medical envelope, seals it, and writes my details on the front.
“No, not really. We’ve been reading up online, and my doctor prescribed me folic acid as soon as I went to them to confirm the pregnancy test results.”
“Excellent.” Doctor Lennox smiles. “Okay, if there’s nothing else, I’ll hand you over to our ultrasound tech, Nikki. But please, if anything changes, you start bleeding, or feel anything unusual, call me immediately.”
“Thank you. We will.”
Joshua and I leave Doctor Lennox’s office, and Nicki is waiting outside to take us to the ultrasound room.
“Just take off your shoes, and hop up there onto the bed,” Nicki says, as we enter the darkened room. “Dad, you can take a seat nearby.”
I remove my shoes and get on the medical examination table like Nicki asks, while Josh sits close beside me. He takes my hand, we both stare at the monitor, which is currently black.
“Can you lift your shirt up to just below your bra line, and push your pants down to your pubic line please?” Nicki asks, as she takes the medical probe and covers it in gel.
Then she spreads the gel on my stomach and starts rolling the probe around.
I watch the monitor, riveted, as a black and white picture of my growing baby appears on screen. I can make out its tiny head, body and four limbs. The sound of a strong and steady heartbeat can be heard through the monitor.
I glance at Josh, who is staring at the image of our child, his eyes wide in awe. “It’s so amazing,” he whispers reverently.
“I know!” I whisper back, tears rolling down my cheeks.
Nickie rolls the robe around my stomach for a while longer, typing in data on the keyboard, and then turns to Josh and I with a smile. “Baby is growing well. You’re just coming up to thirteen weeks pregnant, based on the size. Would you like a picture?”
Josh grins. “Absolutely.”
Nicki prints off two pictures, one for me and Joah, and another I plan on giving to my mom.
I’ve only recently told her about the pregnancy, along with the news that David and I broke up, and that I’m seeing Josh.
We plan to go visit her in New Haven, Connecticut in a few weeks’ time, but until then I know she’ll love a picture of her first grandchild.
We take the pictures from Nicki, and then ask Shirley to book another appointment for us with Doctor Lennox when I’m twenty-weeks pregnant.
“Okay, you’re all booked in, and we’ll give you a reminder call the week before your appointment,” Shirley says.
“Thank you,” I reply, as I entwine my fingers with Josh’s, and we head back to the car.
“What do you feel like doing now? Do you want to go to the spa and rest?” he asks, as he starts the ignition.
“Actually, I thought we could take a look around the shops, and maybe grab some lunch. Now we know everything with the pregnancy is okay, I can’t wait to start buying baby stuff.”
Josh smiles. “Great minds think alike. I wanted to do the same thing but didn’t want to overwhelm you if you’re tired.”
“Actually, I feel great.”
We drive to the downtown area of Southampton, park the car, and then stroll around the shops.
It doesn’t take long to locate a baby boutique, which makes sense, given there’s an antenatal clinic near-by, I imagine lots of expectant parents go for their check up, and then come here to buy baby supplies, like Josh and I plan to.
As we look around the store, the scope of everything we need starts to dawn on me, and I worry a little about mine and Josh's living situation. I’m living with him, but it’s not official, and well, Tucker is still there.
Won’t it be awkward raising a baby when Josh’s younger brother is bringing women home?
I’m thinking about all this, as I look at baby clothes, when Josh comes racing over, an excited grin on his face.
“I just found the most adorable set of baby furniture. There’s a crib, changing table, and a chest of draws. Come see,” he tugs on my hand, and leads me over to the furniture section.
The things he’s found really are gorgeous, and I start mentally planning the nursery, when Josh blurts out, “Move in with me?”
I giggle. “I pretty much have, haven’t?”
Josh laughs. “Well yeah, but let’s make it official. When we get back home, I’ll speak to my lawyer about having you added to the property's title deed, and I’ll talk to Tucker about him moving out. We can even turn one of the guest rooms into a nursery. What do you think?”
My eyes fill with tears, and I can’t believe I’m about to break down crying in the middle of a baby boutique. To stop myself from making a fool of myself, I press my lips to Josh's.
When I break away from the embrace, Josh tracks down the store owner, and puts a deposit down on the nursery fornicate, along with a few other items, like a rocking chair for feeding, and a playhouse for when the baby gets older.
We also open a gift registry, so that our friends and family can buy things for the baby too, if they wish.
“I’m so excited about planning the nursery,” I say, as we leave the baby boutique. We look around the various cafes and restaurants in the downtown area, as we try to decide what we want to eat. Finally, we settle on a cute little cafe, and as the weather is so nice, we eat outside.
As we enjoy lobster rolls, we browse the internet, planning on how we’ll decorate the nursery. We both decide we don’t want to find out the gender of the baby until it’s born, so we pick out paint in natural shades.
Finally, with lunch over, and all our shopping done, we head to the spa and check in.
The receptionist, whose name is Andrea, recognizes us and welcomes us back warmly. By a stroke of luck, we’re able to have the same room we had on our first trip here.