This Is The Time-Chapter 15
Title: This Is The Time-Chapter 15
User: bluangleyes75
Pairing: Rob and Kristen
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The baby is overdue and Rob and Kristen are willing to do anything to start labor…
Disclaimer: I don’t own then, I don’t even know them, but a girl can dream. All mistakes are mine.
Previous Chapters:
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14)
Stretching Rob’s t-shirt over her belly, she lifted up onto her knees and shimmed down his body until she could drag one leg over him and collapse on the bed next to him.
“Umpf,” she heaved as she curled onto her side and tried to calm her ragged breathing.
Reaching across the mattress lazily, he brushed her belly with just his thumb. She wanted to push herself closer to him, but she was overheated and too exhausted to wrangle herself across the bed.
“Better?” He croaked.
“Yeah, I think so,” she giggled.
“What the hell was that?” He asked, turning his head to look at her and raising an eyebrow.
“Um…I…I…well,” she stammered and reached out to tease her fingers against his abdomen. “Hormones?”
“Whatever! That was more than hormones!” He laughed and poked at the baby in her womb.
“It was?” She sang, trying to convince him.
“You read the book about what might help start labor, didn’t you?” He poked her again, crinkled up his nose as he nodded.
Knowing she was busted, she bit her lip and widened her eyes as she slowly nodded. Laughing, he rolled towards her and pecked her quickly on the lips before sliding out from under her touch and jumping from their bed.
“Are you upset with me?” She asked, gripping the blankets in her fist and twisting them as she peeked at him from under her eyelashes.
“What? Mad?” He sounded shocked. Plucking his discarded underwear and pants from the floor, he sat on the edge of the bed and bent to redress. “Why would I be mad? Making love to my wife is on the top of my ‘favorite things to do’ list. We can do it again and again and again, if you think it would help.” He stood and bounced on his toes as he tugged his jeans over his hips.
“Yeah?” She smiled.
“Anything for you,” he abandoned buttoning his jeans in favor of leaning forward and planting his hands flat on the bed to support him as he dove down to kiss her again.
“Whatever,” she snorted and nipped at his lips as she swatted playfully at his chest. “Now, help Shamu up!”
“Kristen,” he grumbled at her making fun of herself. “You’re…”
“Yeah, yeah…I know what you’re gonna say, but seriously…Help a girl up, I think I’m stuck!” She threw her hands up in the air and waited for him to grab them.
Bracing himself with his knee, he pulled her into a sitting position before releasing her and ducking towards the floor to retrieve her panties. Shooting them at her, he sniggered as he walked into the bathroom and shut the door. Wrestling to get free of the pillows and blankets, she huffed and puffed until she was sliding off the edge of the mattress and leaning to redress herself. Breathing heavily after exerting all of her energy just putting her panties back on, she flopped back onto the bed and drug her shirt up and off her belly.
With her knees bent over the edge of the mattress and her legs dangling off the bed, she stroked her tight skin and poked and prodded at pieces and parts of the baby. Running her hands low and around the bottom of her belly, she cradled her stomach and applied pressure with the heels of her hands, trying to see if she could feel the baby’s head. Feeling what she thought was the head, she continued to explore her own body, trying to decipher which limbs were arms and which were legs. When she came across another large round bulge, she poked harder and giggled when the baby moved. Convinced that she’d found the baby’s bottom, she pushed again then tapped her fingers repeatedly in the same spot.
The quiet of the room and her blissful state of mind, compliments of her husband, left her in tune with her body and she was mesmerized. As she scrutinized herself and the baby she carried within, she became so lost in her own thoughts and touches that she didn’t notice when Rob emerged from the bathroom and walked over to her. It wasn’t until his shadow fell upon her and his hand reached out to touch her stomach that she became aware of him. Smiling, she reached forward and grabbed his hand, bringing it to her bare skin; she set it down gently before pressing against it in order to show him what she’d discovered. Quietly she muttered the body parts of the baby they were feeling as they came across them, but she didn’t look at him, only continued to watch their hands moving across her body.
“So…Wow…” he breathed, dropping to his knees on the floor next to bed.
When she was done giving him a tour of their child and her body, she patted his hand and finally picked her head up slightly to look in his eyes. Smiling, he winked and her and slowly moved to bring his lips against her skin, brushing them gently around her belly button before he stilled and breathed. Just when she was sure he was going to kiss her again, she felt him speak. The vibration of his words tickled her slightly, but the baby must have liked it because the more Rob spoke, the more the baby moved.
“Sing to him,” she requested, sliding her hand from her belly and into his hair, scratching his scalp gently with her fingertips and holding him against her stomach.
“Hmmm,” he hummed while he thought of a song. The baby kicked and moved fiercely, causing Rob to pull his face back slightly and Kristen to chuckle.
“Sing,” she begged and tugged on his hair.
“Okay,” he dipped his head again and started to sing. “You are my sunshine…My only sunshine…”
The baby rolled, causing Kristen’s stomach to come to life. Her skin puckered and rippled as the baby adjusted inside of her and Rob continued to sing quietly. “You make me happy when skies are grey…”
Kristen sighed and closed her eyes, wanting to focus on what she was feeling. She was so ready to be done with the pregnancy and meet her child, but she wanted to take in this moment and remember what it was like to carry them inside of her. With Rob singing and their baby blissfully happy in her womb, she was content to just be and take in the moment. Telling herself to commit this very minute to memory so she would never forget, she felt their baby move again as Rob crooned the last bit of the song and puckered his lips to kiss her tummy again. Opening her eyes, she peered down her body at him, and let the happy tears that had collected behind her closed lids fall freely down her cheeks.
“Don’t cry, Love,” he sat up and reached to brush the tears from her face, but she rolled her head from side to side to keep him from wiping them away.
“It’s okay, Baby, they’re happy tears. I am just being emotional, thinking about what it’s gonna be like when I don’t have this little one with me all the time anymore.” She explained as she massaged her stomach. “I thought I was ready to be done and to let him go, but I’m not so sure.” She confessed.
“Woah, wait…you wanna say that again, let me get it on record,” he teased and dropped to the floor next to the bed.
Straining to look at him, she twisted slightly and snickered until he took her ankle in his hands and started to massage.
Mhhm,” she moaned. “What are you doing? That’s soooo…ahhh,” she let her eyes roll to the back of her head and relaxed into his touch.
“There are supposed to be pressure points back here that you’re not supposed to massage because it can cause contractions,” he explained and continued to rub. “But, since you are hell bent on having this baby, I guess it’s worth a try.”
“If you were carrying this,” she laughed and poked at her abdomen, “you might be hell bent too. I thought I was human, not an elephant,” she mumbled as his fingers dug into her cankles with just the right amount of pressure.
“Elephants are pregnant for two years, Kristen, you’re not even close to that,” he snickered and shook his head.
“Yeah, well, I signed up for forty weeks and I have done my time,” she laughed and waved her other foot in his face, wanting him to lavish the same attention on it as he did on the other.
“Forty weeks and one day,” he laughed and drew her other foot into his hands.
“Ahh, Jesus…that feels…” she abandoned her words in favor of expelling a long-drawn-out sigh.
Smiling, he pressed his fingers into the spot on the back of her ankle that was supposed to induce contractions and held it for a minute before lessening the pressure and rubbing it briskly.
“You know what else they say could help with inducing labor?” He asked, with a whimsical air to his voice.
“Hmm?” she answered.
“Nipple stimulation,” he stilled his striations and peeked over the edge of the bed at her.
“Yeah?” She met his eyes and smiled.
“It’s worth a try,” he wagged his eyebrows and gently set her leg down against the side of the bed. Getting to his knees, he extended his hand out to her and pulled her into an upright position when she had a firm grip.
“Yeah, maybe, but I have to pee first,” she shrugged and lumbered to her feet.
“Really? You’ll let me stimulate you?” He sat back on his knees and stared at her incredulously.
“Yeah, really,” she laughed as she toddled to the bathroom door, only turning to wink at him over her shoulder before she went inside and closed it gently.
****
Standing in the open closet in the baby’s room, she slid the hangers against the rod and searched through each outfit, one by one. She wasn’t exactly sure what she was looking for, but she hoped she’d know when she came across it. Flipping hangers aimlessly, she took inventory of every tiny outfit perched on them. Part of her couldn’t believe how tiny the clothes were; while the other part of her couldn’t imagine that the child who would be wearing the clothes had grown in her own body for the past nine months. Sniggering at her own crazy meandering thoughts, she plucked a cream colored outfit from the rack and held it out in front of her as she contemplated whether this could be the outfit she brought the baby home in.
Rob said her name as he stepped into the room so he wouldn’t startle her. Turning in his direction, she worried her lip as she studied the sleeper before looking up to him. He stood in the middle of the room with a pink gift bag hanging from one hand and a blue bag hanging from the other on his outstretched arms.
“What are you doing?” She giggled.
“Well, I was admiring your ass for a minute, but now…I’m giving you gifts,” he winked.
Reaching to tug her shirt, she shook her head at his absurdity and laughed. “What about this outfit for the baby to come home in?” She asked, holding the hanger up in her hand so he could see.
“How about you come open these and then you can decide,” he shook his head and rolled his eyes, teasing her.
“Awe, what did you do?” She asked as she replaced the outfit in her hands to the overstuffed closet and tottled over to where he stood.
“Sit down.” He motioned to the chair with a jerk of his head.
“No, I need to do jumping jacks, not sit. I’ll open them at the changing table,” she directed and walked past him.
“You’re so stubborn Kristen,” he sighed and brought her gifts to her.
“Yep, and don’t expect that to change until I go into labor,” she warned with a wink.
“Beyond that, I’m sure.” He snickered and leaned against the crib, crossing his ankles and his arms across his chest.
“So true, so true,” she giggled as she studied both bags, trying to decide which one to open first.
Glancing at him, she checked to see if he was going to tell her, but he only shrugged and pursed his lips, waiting for her to make a move. Moving her hands over the bags, she giggled as she ripped the tissue paper out of each bag at the same time. Rob laughed out loud and shook his head. “You are sooo…” He started to say, but stopped when she dropped the paper on the floor and reached to push the bags together so she could look into them at the same time as well.
Peeking from one bag to the other, quickly, she worried her bottom lip momentarily before digging one hand in each bag and pulling them out with an outfit in each one. There was a blue sleeper with ‘Mommy’s Prince’ embroidered on it and pink sleeper with ‘Daddy’s Princess’ embroidered in the same spot. Smiling widely, tears of joy welled in her eyes as she turned to hold them up to show Rob.
“I know, Love. I bought them,” he laughed. “I know you wanted to avoid yellow and mint green and I know we bought everything in neutral, so I thought I would get you something gender specific, just in case you wanted to make a statement when we leave the hospital.”
“Awe, look! They’re so cute and they’re so boy and so girl! We can bring the layettes too, can’t we?” She set the sleepers on the changing table and opened a draw to find the layette sets he’d given her.
“Yep, bring whatever you want. If you want to bring the outfit you found in the closet, we can do that too,” he encouraged. “Just give me those, so we can wash them before we pack them.”
Kristen absentmindedly handed over the new clothes to him as she continued to dig in the drawers and pull things out. Filling the top of the changing table with blankets, onsies, sleepers, baby mittens, caps, socks, burpy cloths, and random necessities, she worked intently as Rob watched, his eyes growing larger with every item she added to the pile.
“Love, do we need all that?” He asked, shocked at the sheer amount of stuff she wanted to pack.
“Well, I guess. We need to bring the pacifiers too. Did you sterilize them?” She asked as she sifted through her chosen items.
“Yeah, but do we really need all that? Won’t the hospital have everything we need?” He tried to bring her back to reality. “Just the outfits you want to bring the baby home in, some blankets, the car seat, and the pacifiers should be enough…Right?”
“I guess?” she looked to him for guidance. “Where’s the damn book with the checklist?”
Bursting out into a deep laugh, he tossed the outfits he was holding into the crib and stepped forward to envelop her in his arms. “Bring whatever you want; you can never have too much when it comes to a baby, Right?”
“That was my thought, but…” she second-guessed herself as she breathed him in.
“But nothing, do you want me to get a suitcase for her stuff?” He offered and vibrated with laughter.
“No,” she laughed with him.
“Can we just get this done so I can play with your nipples now?” He laughed harder and rocked her in his arms.
“Oh my god,” she giggled and buried her face in his chest. “Fine!”
“Fine?” He sounded shocked and stepped back so he could see her. “You’re gonna let me?”
“Whatever stops you from asking! Let’s get his bags packed and you can do whatever it takes to start my labor,” she attempted to keep him on task.
“This could be fun,” he sounded excited and waggled his eyebrows at her. “Really fucking fun!”
“Oh, Lord help me,” she laughed and face planted into his chest, wondering what the hell she’d gotten herself into.
****
The exercise ball rolled away from Kristen every time she tried to sit on it. Her front-heavy body and impaired ability to move herself gracefully made it impossible for her to sit on it. Grunting and groaning, she continued to try, hoping that the physical exertion alone would help induce her labor. When Rob stepped into the room holding a bowl of freshly cut pineapple, he stopped dead in his tracks and promptly drew his lips between his teeth into a thin line in order to keep from laughing.
“Fuck, shit, damn,” she mumbled under her breath as she fought to control the large inflatable ball enough to plop down on it. Leaning precariously, it appeared as if she might finally have it figured out, but just as she was about to sit, the ball moved to the side and she immediately popped back up onto her feet. Not being able to contain himself any longer, he let his laugh escape, drawing her attention across the room to him.
“I hate these things when I’m not pregnant,” she declared as she tried to save face.
“I know you do,” he tried to be empathetic and tone down his laugh to a chuckle. “Want help?”
“No! I’m ready to say fuck it and just do jumping jacks!” She grumbled as she swatted her hair out of her face.
“No hands above your head, Love,” he reminded her.
“Wive’s tale, Babe,” she challenged.
“You, My Dear, are not jumping around with my baby, so…let’s get you on the ball,” he smiled.
“Whatever!” She crossed her arms against her chest and pouted.
“Besides, I have your pineapple and you can’t eat it if you’re jumping around all Willy-Nilly,” he added.
Giving him the stink eye, she suddenly snorted and shook her head as she planted her face in the palms of her hands.
“What?” He asked, sounding genuinely befuddled.
“Willy Nilly, Rob? Really? Willy Nilly?” She shook with laughter.
“Whatever!” He rolled his eyes at her and waved his hand in the air to brush her off.
He sauntered across the living room and set her fruit down, grabbing a discarded hair tie from the table on his way to her. As she continued to laugh at his choice of words, he haphazardly gathered her hair in his hands and moved to secure it on top of her head, so it wouldn’t be in her face.
“Thanks,” she sighed as she blew a few straggling strands out of her eyes.
“Sure,” he answered, cupping her face and blowing at them too, before leaning to drop a kiss on her forehead.
She eyeballed the exercise ball with disgust when he released her face. Slowly letting her eyes wander to the table where her pineapple sat waiting, she licked her lips before she turned her attention back to the ball and scowled. “What if it pops?” She worried and looked at him with puppy-dog eyes.
“The only thing we want to pop is you!” He chuckled and bent to roll the ball closer to her. “Here, sit!”
Wrapping her hands around her belly to protect the baby, she backed up to the ball and started to squat, but hesitated and stood straight up again.
“I’ve got it,” he tried to contain his amusement.
“It’s not the damn ball I’m worried about. If you have it, who has me when I fall on my ass?” She teased.
‘Sit!” He held the ball steady and looked up at her with a smirk.
“Okay, here goes nothing,” she breathed and backed up to the contraption again, trapping it between her legs and Rob’s. Easing onto it, she felt unsteady again, but fought the urge to retreat. Taking a deep breath, she bit the bullet and settled her whole weight on the ball and braced herself for the fall. Rob held it steady and let out a huge sigh of relief once she was seated.
“Secure yourself,” he warned her.
Wiggling around, she got situated by spreading her legs wide and sitting up straighter in anticipation of having to balance on the inflated ball.
“Kay, I’m good,” she nodded and braced to control herself when he let go.
Removing one hand and then the other, Rob stood by and waited to catch her if she toppled over. When she was okay, he stepped away and smiled back at her when she started to rock and sway comfortably.
“Please let this work,” he mumbled and reached to hand her the bowl of pineapple.
“Why do you say that?” She looked at him with a slightly sad face.
“Only because I don’t know what else to do if the pineapple and exercise ball don’t work,” he quickly tried to explain before she got upset with him.
“Oh,” she whispered and furrowed her brow. “Call your mum and see if she has any ideas.”
“My mum?” He sounded a little nervous at the prospect of discussing matters of childbirth with his mom. “You should call her!” He sounded hopeful presenting his new found idea.
“Um, hands are full. Call her and put her on speaker!” Kristen winked and bit into a chunk of fruit.
“What if she asks what we’ve tried?” His eyes widened and he drove his hands through his hair.
“Oh Lord, Babe! Just call her!” She laughed and tried not to choke on her food.
“Fine.” He shook his head and dug his cell out of his pocket.
Kristen watched him with a satisfied smirk on her face as she rolled on the ball and ate her pineapple. When Claire’s voice filled the room with a cheerful hello, both Kristen and Rob answered her in unison, “Hi Mum!”
“Do we have a baby, Loves?” Claire’s excitement was palpable through the speaker.
“No!” Kristen snapped and shook her head as if her mother-in-law could see.
“Ahh, are you miserable, Sweetie? The end can be so hard,” she sympathized.
“I am,” Kristen admitted, “But, that’s why we’re calling. Any ideas about how to get labor started?”
Rob buried his face in his hands and shook his head as he waited for an answer.
“Sex,” his mom bellowed into the phone.
“Oh, Jeez,” he muttered into his hands, making the women in his life laugh.
“Robert, we all know that this baby was not an immaculate conception,” his mom reminded him, making Kristen laugh even harder.
“I know, but really, Mum?” He whined.
“Okay, okay, Rob…” his mom laughed. “Castor oil and a little orange juice,” she continued.
This time it was Rob’s turn to laugh and Kristen’s turn to cringe.
“Eww, NO!” Kristen spoke up and stopped rocking to stare at the phone in disbelief.
“Not the whole bottle, Sweetie,” Clair explained hurriedly before her daughter-in-law freaked out. Just a few tablespoons mixed in a large glass of juice.”
“Really?” Rob asked, sounding intrigued, as he looked at Kristen. “That might not be too bad, Kris!”
“Really? She gave him an over-the-top surprised look and an evil smile. “Then you try it first, let me know how it tastes, what it does to your body, and then I’ll consider it…Not!”
Claire’s laughter filled the room again as Rob and Kristen stared each other down from opposite sides of the room. “Or not,” her sweet voice filtered through the speaker, breaking the tension and drawing the couple’s attention back to the phone and away from each other.
“Walking,” Claire tried again.
“Paparazzi,” Kristen sighed.
“Bumpy car ride?” Rob’s mom continued to brainstorm out loud.
“Paparazzi,” Rob answered again.
“Okay then…ummm…”Claire stalled as she thought. “Well, ummmm…Sex!”
“Mum,” Rob scolded and brought his hands to cover his face again.
“What? Son, you better enjoy it now, because you’re about to hit a dry spell,” Claire chuckled slightly and Kristen broke into a fit of full-blown giggles.
“Christ! I’m done!” Rob stood and turned to leave the room, his blush obvious across his cheeks.
“Why don’t you call your dad,” his mom offered.
“I don’t need advice about se…That!” His voice came out higher than he anticipated.
“Okay, okay, sorry,” his mom tried to reel in her own chuckles while his wife continued to laugh freely as she rocked with more vigor.
“Oh, the other line is ringing, Kids. I’ll call you back later,” Claire sang into the phone.
“Bye Mum,” Rob rushed out, relieved that he’d been saved.
“Bye, Mum,” Kristen giggled as the phone disconnected.
“Ugh, so not okay, Love,” he shook his head at his wife and shuddered in an effort to clear his head.
“Well, at least we know she gives solid advice,” Kristen giggled and braced herself as she reached to set her empty bowl down.
“Yeah, but we’ve tried that already…twice!” He stepped to her and bent to grab her bowl and offer her a silly smile.
“Yeah?” She rocked and massaged her belly.
“Well, how long does it take?” He pouted.
“I don’t know, but I would think more can only be better. Don’t ya think?” She offered him a sly smile.
“Yeah?” He responded cautiously with a lop-sided grin.
“Well, I think Momma knows best. Who are we to argue with your Mum?” She laughed and arched her back.
Rob moved to where she sat rocking on the ball and leaned down to hold it firmly in place so she could safely stand. She stood and twisted and turned gently to try and loosen her tight back muscles. Reaching her fists around, she pressed them into her lower back and kneaded in an effort to relief the ache.
“Do you hurt? Want me to massage?” He offered.
“No,” she shook her head, turned her hands more vigorously and pressed harder.
“No?” He asked shocked.
“Is it going to put me into labor?” She inquired.
“Probably not, but if it makes you feel better, Love,” he offered sweetly.
“Well, if there is something else you can do that might start labor, I would rather you do that first and then we can talk about the massage,” she craned her neck so she could look at him over her shoulder.
“I see how I rate, now. Am I nothing but a stud to you?” He teased.
“Until I go into labor and get this baby out, Yeah…probably,” she winked.
“Meh, I think I can live with that,” he shrugged and wrapped his arms around her. “What about after the baby’s born?”
“Yeah, like your mum said, be prepared for a dry spell,” she laughed and pulled out of his arms, dangling her hand behind her back for him to grab. When their fingers were locked together she continued, “And if you think you’re ever coming near me again without at least double protection, you have another thing coming!”
“Ever?” He chuckled.
“Ever!” She gave a firm nod to show how serious she was. “So, you want to take advantage of your freedom before I change your life forever?”
“Yeah,” he shrugged, “But, you’re kinda taking all the fun out of it.”
“I’ll ask you about that in about an hour and see if you feel the same way,” she giggled and tugged him towards the stairs.
****
Tossing and turning, she signed and thought about giving up on sleep all together. Rolling to her back, she rubbed her upset stomach and stared at the ceiling. Lilting her head to the side, she watched Rob sleeping peacefully beside her and reached a hand out to brush through the tips of his hair.
The peacefulness of the moment was interrupted by her rolling stomach and a small wave of nausea. Cursing the pineapple she ate earlier, she fumbled to sit up and reach for her Tums. After chewing two tablets and washing the chalky taste away with a gulp of water she was ready to lie down again when she was overcome with an intense cramp. She glanced at the clock and noted the time. Sitting in the dark, she quietly stroked her belly and ran back over her night in her mind. They’d gone to bed three hours ago and though she felt as if she hadn’t slept at all, she knew she’d at least dozed off and on because she remembered checking the clock several times upon waking. Concentrating hard, she tried to recall what the digital clock had told her and was finally able to surmise that she’d woken every twenty to thirty minutes over the past three hours.
Rob rolled away from her and she debated waking him, but decided against it. Slipping out of their bed, she padded to the bathroom, sat on the edge of the tub and waited. The minutes crept by slowly and just when she was convinced that she was overreacting and ready to go back to bed, another cramp spread across her lower abdomen and pelvis. It was a little uncomfortable, but bearable, so she sat calmly and waited for it to subside.
Cracking the door, she peeked at the clock on her bedside table and noted it was almost exactly 20 minutes since the last time she checked. Her heart rate increased with excitement and her stomach rolled with nervousness. Closing the door quietly, she flipped on the light and wandered around the oversized bathroom, rubbing her belly and running her hands through her hair, until she felt another cramp. Peeking back out to the bedroom, she noted the time again and turned to rest her hands on the vanity.
“Twenty minutes,” she whispered to herself and leaned into the mirror to study her own reflection. She looked tired, but her cheeks were flushed and she thought she looked more swollen. Taking a deep breath, she rubbed her hands over her crampy abdomen and stilled.
“Here we go,” she sighed, before reaching to turn off the light.
She tiptoed through the bedroom into the hall and waited for the dogs to follow before pulling the door shut so she wouldn’t disturb Rob. Once downstairs, she made a cup of peppermint tea, hoping it would calm her nausea and took it to the back patio with her cell phone. Sitting at the table, she leaned forward and rubbed her furry babies down, stopping only to sip her tea, and breathe through her cramps. The dogs tired of her attention and lay at her feet and the tea in her mug grew cold, but the pains in her belly grew a little more intense and started coming closer together.
Deciding that sitting probably wasn’t doing her much good, she wandered back into the house, leaving the door ajar for the dogs and started walking large circles around the main floor. She rubbed her back as she waddled around, stopping every now and then to glance out a window or study a picture that she rarely took time to notice in a normal day. She tried hard not to think about what was happening and fought harder not to get too excited, in case she was wrong. Mostly though, she was fighting not to panic. Pushing all thoughts about giving birth out of her mind, she walked and thought about anything not baby related to help her pass the time. She thought back to when she first met Rob and filtered through her memories of all the crazy experiences they shared in order to keep herself entertained and calm.
When her cramps morphed into pains and she noted that they were about 12 minutes apart, she quietly climbed the stairs and slipped back into the bathroom to shower. She turned the shower head to massage and planted her hands on the shower wall in front of her. Swaying to relieve the pressure she felt around her middle, she let the water massage her lower back. She wanted so badly to hold her breath, as if her stopping breathing would stop the pain, but she concentrated on breathing more deeply instead. Between contractions, she washed her hair and body and tried to shave her legs the best she could. When the water started to cool and she was contraction free, she stepped out and wrapped herself in a large bath sheet. Traipsing across her room, she stepped into the closet and dressed quietly before making her way to the nursery and turning on the small lamp to see. She fingered the tangles out of her hair and checked to make sure the bags were ready.
As she was going through her mental list of what they needed, what they’d packed, and what they could have forgotten, a much stronger pain gripped her middle and took her breath away completely. Bending forward, she gripped onto the front rail of the crib and dropped her head forward. Staring at the floor, she rocked her weight from foot to foot and swayed gently. She was so consumed by the new intensity of the contraction that she didn’t hear Rob come in the room behind her.
“Kris?” He sounded groggy and confused.
Unable to answer, she continued to rock, but was able to unclench one of her hands from the baby’s bed to signal to him that she needed a minute. Creeping up slowly behind her, he reached forward and placed his hands on her lower back, rubbing firm circles where he knew she’d been experiencing tightness. They continued to work together until the pain faded. When she was finally able to breathe normally again, she straightened and turned to look at him. Smiling slightly, she ran her fingers over the crease marks the sheets had left across his face and brushed his tousled hair with her fingers. His worried eyes darted across her face and his hands went gently grip her belly.
“You okay?” He asked, arching a brow as he waited for an answer.
“Yeah, I think I’m in labor though,” she told him as she searched his face and pushed up on her toes to pant at kiss on his chin.
“Shut-up,” he laughed and rubbed the tip of his nose against hers.
“What?” She sounded exasperated. “I’m serious. I’ve been up for hours. I just didn’t want to wake you until I was sure.”
“Seriously?” His eyes shot open and he stepped back slightly so he could look her over from head to toe.
“Seriously,” she giggled.
“Oh Shit!” He exclaimed and jerked back towards him so he could crush her against his chest. Wrapping his arms around her tightly, he held her close and fervently dropped kisses on top of her head. “You should have woken me!”
Laughing, she wound her arms around him the best she could, the bump hindering her slightly. As he calmed, his grip loosened and his demeanor mellowed. Soon they were gently rocking and tracing their fingertips across one another’s bodies. The quiet of the early morning hour was only broken by their breathing.
“I love you!” He whispered into her hair.
“I love you too,” she mumbled into his chest.
“Are you ready for this?” He asked, genuinely concerned.
“Yes and no,” she admitted.
“Thank you,” he spoke almost too softly for her to hear.
Pulling back minimally, she tilted her head and looked up at him with a questioning glance.
“You know, for having my baby,” he shrugged and offered her a cheeky smile.
“Oh, Yeah, that…Pffft,” she feigned nonchalance. “Whatever, Babe, No biggie.” She shrugged and tried to smile, but was hit with another contraction that caused her to bend, push into his chest and moan.
“I guess now isn’t the time to ask you how far apart they are?” He tried to joke, but his voice sounded nervous?
Shaking her head against his chest, she moaned and started to breathe in and out deeply as she twisted her body back and forth and clenched his arms tightly.
“Yeah, Okay…Fuck!” He held her and felt helpless as she worked through the pain.
When she was able to breathe again and lift her head, she peeked up at him and offered a weak smile. “Not close enough…are you ready for this?” She asked, suddenly looking tiny and exhausted.
“Are you?” He volleyed her question back at her.
“Nope, but it looks like He is,” she giggled.
“Yep, SHE’s ready to make her grand entrance,” he laughed and winked.
“Ugh, we’ll see, Babe. Sooner rather than later I think,” she breathed as she squeezed her eyes closed tightly and bent forward again, gripping her belly with one hand and his wrist with the other.
User: bluangleyes75
Pairing: Rob and Kristen
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The baby is overdue and Rob and Kristen are willing to do anything to start labor…
Disclaimer: I don’t own then, I don’t even know them, but a girl can dream. All mistakes are mine.
Previous Chapters:
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14)
Stretching Rob’s t-shirt over her belly, she lifted up onto her knees and shimmed down his body until she could drag one leg over him and collapse on the bed next to him.
“Umpf,” she heaved as she curled onto her side and tried to calm her ragged breathing.
Reaching across the mattress lazily, he brushed her belly with just his thumb. She wanted to push herself closer to him, but she was overheated and too exhausted to wrangle herself across the bed.
“Better?” He croaked.
“Yeah, I think so,” she giggled.
“What the hell was that?” He asked, turning his head to look at her and raising an eyebrow.
“Um…I…I…well,” she stammered and reached out to tease her fingers against his abdomen. “Hormones?”
“Whatever! That was more than hormones!” He laughed and poked at the baby in her womb.
“It was?” She sang, trying to convince him.
“You read the book about what might help start labor, didn’t you?” He poked her again, crinkled up his nose as he nodded.
Knowing she was busted, she bit her lip and widened her eyes as she slowly nodded. Laughing, he rolled towards her and pecked her quickly on the lips before sliding out from under her touch and jumping from their bed.
“Are you upset with me?” She asked, gripping the blankets in her fist and twisting them as she peeked at him from under her eyelashes.
“What? Mad?” He sounded shocked. Plucking his discarded underwear and pants from the floor, he sat on the edge of the bed and bent to redress. “Why would I be mad? Making love to my wife is on the top of my ‘favorite things to do’ list. We can do it again and again and again, if you think it would help.” He stood and bounced on his toes as he tugged his jeans over his hips.
“Yeah?” She smiled.
“Anything for you,” he abandoned buttoning his jeans in favor of leaning forward and planting his hands flat on the bed to support him as he dove down to kiss her again.
“Whatever,” she snorted and nipped at his lips as she swatted playfully at his chest. “Now, help Shamu up!”
“Kristen,” he grumbled at her making fun of herself. “You’re…”
“Yeah, yeah…I know what you’re gonna say, but seriously…Help a girl up, I think I’m stuck!” She threw her hands up in the air and waited for him to grab them.
Bracing himself with his knee, he pulled her into a sitting position before releasing her and ducking towards the floor to retrieve her panties. Shooting them at her, he sniggered as he walked into the bathroom and shut the door. Wrestling to get free of the pillows and blankets, she huffed and puffed until she was sliding off the edge of the mattress and leaning to redress herself. Breathing heavily after exerting all of her energy just putting her panties back on, she flopped back onto the bed and drug her shirt up and off her belly.
With her knees bent over the edge of the mattress and her legs dangling off the bed, she stroked her tight skin and poked and prodded at pieces and parts of the baby. Running her hands low and around the bottom of her belly, she cradled her stomach and applied pressure with the heels of her hands, trying to see if she could feel the baby’s head. Feeling what she thought was the head, she continued to explore her own body, trying to decipher which limbs were arms and which were legs. When she came across another large round bulge, she poked harder and giggled when the baby moved. Convinced that she’d found the baby’s bottom, she pushed again then tapped her fingers repeatedly in the same spot.
The quiet of the room and her blissful state of mind, compliments of her husband, left her in tune with her body and she was mesmerized. As she scrutinized herself and the baby she carried within, she became so lost in her own thoughts and touches that she didn’t notice when Rob emerged from the bathroom and walked over to her. It wasn’t until his shadow fell upon her and his hand reached out to touch her stomach that she became aware of him. Smiling, she reached forward and grabbed his hand, bringing it to her bare skin; she set it down gently before pressing against it in order to show him what she’d discovered. Quietly she muttered the body parts of the baby they were feeling as they came across them, but she didn’t look at him, only continued to watch their hands moving across her body.
“So…Wow…” he breathed, dropping to his knees on the floor next to bed.
When she was done giving him a tour of their child and her body, she patted his hand and finally picked her head up slightly to look in his eyes. Smiling, he winked and her and slowly moved to bring his lips against her skin, brushing them gently around her belly button before he stilled and breathed. Just when she was sure he was going to kiss her again, she felt him speak. The vibration of his words tickled her slightly, but the baby must have liked it because the more Rob spoke, the more the baby moved.
“Sing to him,” she requested, sliding her hand from her belly and into his hair, scratching his scalp gently with her fingertips and holding him against her stomach.
“Hmmm,” he hummed while he thought of a song. The baby kicked and moved fiercely, causing Rob to pull his face back slightly and Kristen to chuckle.
“Sing,” she begged and tugged on his hair.
“Okay,” he dipped his head again and started to sing. “You are my sunshine…My only sunshine…”
The baby rolled, causing Kristen’s stomach to come to life. Her skin puckered and rippled as the baby adjusted inside of her and Rob continued to sing quietly. “You make me happy when skies are grey…”
Kristen sighed and closed her eyes, wanting to focus on what she was feeling. She was so ready to be done with the pregnancy and meet her child, but she wanted to take in this moment and remember what it was like to carry them inside of her. With Rob singing and their baby blissfully happy in her womb, she was content to just be and take in the moment. Telling herself to commit this very minute to memory so she would never forget, she felt their baby move again as Rob crooned the last bit of the song and puckered his lips to kiss her tummy again. Opening her eyes, she peered down her body at him, and let the happy tears that had collected behind her closed lids fall freely down her cheeks.
“Don’t cry, Love,” he sat up and reached to brush the tears from her face, but she rolled her head from side to side to keep him from wiping them away.
“It’s okay, Baby, they’re happy tears. I am just being emotional, thinking about what it’s gonna be like when I don’t have this little one with me all the time anymore.” She explained as she massaged her stomach. “I thought I was ready to be done and to let him go, but I’m not so sure.” She confessed.
“Woah, wait…you wanna say that again, let me get it on record,” he teased and dropped to the floor next to the bed.
Straining to look at him, she twisted slightly and snickered until he took her ankle in his hands and started to massage.
Mhhm,” she moaned. “What are you doing? That’s soooo…ahhh,” she let her eyes roll to the back of her head and relaxed into his touch.
“There are supposed to be pressure points back here that you’re not supposed to massage because it can cause contractions,” he explained and continued to rub. “But, since you are hell bent on having this baby, I guess it’s worth a try.”
“If you were carrying this,” she laughed and poked at her abdomen, “you might be hell bent too. I thought I was human, not an elephant,” she mumbled as his fingers dug into her cankles with just the right amount of pressure.
“Elephants are pregnant for two years, Kristen, you’re not even close to that,” he snickered and shook his head.
“Yeah, well, I signed up for forty weeks and I have done my time,” she laughed and waved her other foot in his face, wanting him to lavish the same attention on it as he did on the other.
“Forty weeks and one day,” he laughed and drew her other foot into his hands.
“Ahh, Jesus…that feels…” she abandoned her words in favor of expelling a long-drawn-out sigh.
Smiling, he pressed his fingers into the spot on the back of her ankle that was supposed to induce contractions and held it for a minute before lessening the pressure and rubbing it briskly.
“You know what else they say could help with inducing labor?” He asked, with a whimsical air to his voice.
“Hmm?” she answered.
“Nipple stimulation,” he stilled his striations and peeked over the edge of the bed at her.
“Yeah?” She met his eyes and smiled.
“It’s worth a try,” he wagged his eyebrows and gently set her leg down against the side of the bed. Getting to his knees, he extended his hand out to her and pulled her into an upright position when she had a firm grip.
“Yeah, maybe, but I have to pee first,” she shrugged and lumbered to her feet.
“Really? You’ll let me stimulate you?” He sat back on his knees and stared at her incredulously.
“Yeah, really,” she laughed as she toddled to the bathroom door, only turning to wink at him over her shoulder before she went inside and closed it gently.
****
Standing in the open closet in the baby’s room, she slid the hangers against the rod and searched through each outfit, one by one. She wasn’t exactly sure what she was looking for, but she hoped she’d know when she came across it. Flipping hangers aimlessly, she took inventory of every tiny outfit perched on them. Part of her couldn’t believe how tiny the clothes were; while the other part of her couldn’t imagine that the child who would be wearing the clothes had grown in her own body for the past nine months. Sniggering at her own crazy meandering thoughts, she plucked a cream colored outfit from the rack and held it out in front of her as she contemplated whether this could be the outfit she brought the baby home in.
Rob said her name as he stepped into the room so he wouldn’t startle her. Turning in his direction, she worried her lip as she studied the sleeper before looking up to him. He stood in the middle of the room with a pink gift bag hanging from one hand and a blue bag hanging from the other on his outstretched arms.
“What are you doing?” She giggled.
“Well, I was admiring your ass for a minute, but now…I’m giving you gifts,” he winked.
Reaching to tug her shirt, she shook her head at his absurdity and laughed. “What about this outfit for the baby to come home in?” She asked, holding the hanger up in her hand so he could see.
“How about you come open these and then you can decide,” he shook his head and rolled his eyes, teasing her.
“Awe, what did you do?” She asked as she replaced the outfit in her hands to the overstuffed closet and tottled over to where he stood.
“Sit down.” He motioned to the chair with a jerk of his head.
“No, I need to do jumping jacks, not sit. I’ll open them at the changing table,” she directed and walked past him.
“You’re so stubborn Kristen,” he sighed and brought her gifts to her.
“Yep, and don’t expect that to change until I go into labor,” she warned with a wink.
“Beyond that, I’m sure.” He snickered and leaned against the crib, crossing his ankles and his arms across his chest.
“So true, so true,” she giggled as she studied both bags, trying to decide which one to open first.
Glancing at him, she checked to see if he was going to tell her, but he only shrugged and pursed his lips, waiting for her to make a move. Moving her hands over the bags, she giggled as she ripped the tissue paper out of each bag at the same time. Rob laughed out loud and shook his head. “You are sooo…” He started to say, but stopped when she dropped the paper on the floor and reached to push the bags together so she could look into them at the same time as well.
Peeking from one bag to the other, quickly, she worried her bottom lip momentarily before digging one hand in each bag and pulling them out with an outfit in each one. There was a blue sleeper with ‘Mommy’s Prince’ embroidered on it and pink sleeper with ‘Daddy’s Princess’ embroidered in the same spot. Smiling widely, tears of joy welled in her eyes as she turned to hold them up to show Rob.
“I know, Love. I bought them,” he laughed. “I know you wanted to avoid yellow and mint green and I know we bought everything in neutral, so I thought I would get you something gender specific, just in case you wanted to make a statement when we leave the hospital.”
“Awe, look! They’re so cute and they’re so boy and so girl! We can bring the layettes too, can’t we?” She set the sleepers on the changing table and opened a draw to find the layette sets he’d given her.
“Yep, bring whatever you want. If you want to bring the outfit you found in the closet, we can do that too,” he encouraged. “Just give me those, so we can wash them before we pack them.”
Kristen absentmindedly handed over the new clothes to him as she continued to dig in the drawers and pull things out. Filling the top of the changing table with blankets, onsies, sleepers, baby mittens, caps, socks, burpy cloths, and random necessities, she worked intently as Rob watched, his eyes growing larger with every item she added to the pile.
“Love, do we need all that?” He asked, shocked at the sheer amount of stuff she wanted to pack.
“Well, I guess. We need to bring the pacifiers too. Did you sterilize them?” She asked as she sifted through her chosen items.
“Yeah, but do we really need all that? Won’t the hospital have everything we need?” He tried to bring her back to reality. “Just the outfits you want to bring the baby home in, some blankets, the car seat, and the pacifiers should be enough…Right?”
“I guess?” she looked to him for guidance. “Where’s the damn book with the checklist?”
Bursting out into a deep laugh, he tossed the outfits he was holding into the crib and stepped forward to envelop her in his arms. “Bring whatever you want; you can never have too much when it comes to a baby, Right?”
“That was my thought, but…” she second-guessed herself as she breathed him in.
“But nothing, do you want me to get a suitcase for her stuff?” He offered and vibrated with laughter.
“No,” she laughed with him.
“Can we just get this done so I can play with your nipples now?” He laughed harder and rocked her in his arms.
“Oh my god,” she giggled and buried her face in his chest. “Fine!”
“Fine?” He sounded shocked and stepped back so he could see her. “You’re gonna let me?”
“Whatever stops you from asking! Let’s get his bags packed and you can do whatever it takes to start my labor,” she attempted to keep him on task.
“This could be fun,” he sounded excited and waggled his eyebrows at her. “Really fucking fun!”
“Oh, Lord help me,” she laughed and face planted into his chest, wondering what the hell she’d gotten herself into.
****
The exercise ball rolled away from Kristen every time she tried to sit on it. Her front-heavy body and impaired ability to move herself gracefully made it impossible for her to sit on it. Grunting and groaning, she continued to try, hoping that the physical exertion alone would help induce her labor. When Rob stepped into the room holding a bowl of freshly cut pineapple, he stopped dead in his tracks and promptly drew his lips between his teeth into a thin line in order to keep from laughing.
“Fuck, shit, damn,” she mumbled under her breath as she fought to control the large inflatable ball enough to plop down on it. Leaning precariously, it appeared as if she might finally have it figured out, but just as she was about to sit, the ball moved to the side and she immediately popped back up onto her feet. Not being able to contain himself any longer, he let his laugh escape, drawing her attention across the room to him.
“I hate these things when I’m not pregnant,” she declared as she tried to save face.
“I know you do,” he tried to be empathetic and tone down his laugh to a chuckle. “Want help?”
“No! I’m ready to say fuck it and just do jumping jacks!” She grumbled as she swatted her hair out of her face.
“No hands above your head, Love,” he reminded her.
“Wive’s tale, Babe,” she challenged.
“You, My Dear, are not jumping around with my baby, so…let’s get you on the ball,” he smiled.
“Whatever!” She crossed her arms against her chest and pouted.
“Besides, I have your pineapple and you can’t eat it if you’re jumping around all Willy-Nilly,” he added.
Giving him the stink eye, she suddenly snorted and shook her head as she planted her face in the palms of her hands.
“What?” He asked, sounding genuinely befuddled.
“Willy Nilly, Rob? Really? Willy Nilly?” She shook with laughter.
“Whatever!” He rolled his eyes at her and waved his hand in the air to brush her off.
He sauntered across the living room and set her fruit down, grabbing a discarded hair tie from the table on his way to her. As she continued to laugh at his choice of words, he haphazardly gathered her hair in his hands and moved to secure it on top of her head, so it wouldn’t be in her face.
“Thanks,” she sighed as she blew a few straggling strands out of her eyes.
“Sure,” he answered, cupping her face and blowing at them too, before leaning to drop a kiss on her forehead.
She eyeballed the exercise ball with disgust when he released her face. Slowly letting her eyes wander to the table where her pineapple sat waiting, she licked her lips before she turned her attention back to the ball and scowled. “What if it pops?” She worried and looked at him with puppy-dog eyes.
“The only thing we want to pop is you!” He chuckled and bent to roll the ball closer to her. “Here, sit!”
Wrapping her hands around her belly to protect the baby, she backed up to the ball and started to squat, but hesitated and stood straight up again.
“I’ve got it,” he tried to contain his amusement.
“It’s not the damn ball I’m worried about. If you have it, who has me when I fall on my ass?” She teased.
‘Sit!” He held the ball steady and looked up at her with a smirk.
“Okay, here goes nothing,” she breathed and backed up to the contraption again, trapping it between her legs and Rob’s. Easing onto it, she felt unsteady again, but fought the urge to retreat. Taking a deep breath, she bit the bullet and settled her whole weight on the ball and braced herself for the fall. Rob held it steady and let out a huge sigh of relief once she was seated.
“Secure yourself,” he warned her.
Wiggling around, she got situated by spreading her legs wide and sitting up straighter in anticipation of having to balance on the inflated ball.
“Kay, I’m good,” she nodded and braced to control herself when he let go.
Removing one hand and then the other, Rob stood by and waited to catch her if she toppled over. When she was okay, he stepped away and smiled back at her when she started to rock and sway comfortably.
“Please let this work,” he mumbled and reached to hand her the bowl of pineapple.
“Why do you say that?” She looked at him with a slightly sad face.
“Only because I don’t know what else to do if the pineapple and exercise ball don’t work,” he quickly tried to explain before she got upset with him.
“Oh,” she whispered and furrowed her brow. “Call your mum and see if she has any ideas.”
“My mum?” He sounded a little nervous at the prospect of discussing matters of childbirth with his mom. “You should call her!” He sounded hopeful presenting his new found idea.
“Um, hands are full. Call her and put her on speaker!” Kristen winked and bit into a chunk of fruit.
“What if she asks what we’ve tried?” His eyes widened and he drove his hands through his hair.
“Oh Lord, Babe! Just call her!” She laughed and tried not to choke on her food.
“Fine.” He shook his head and dug his cell out of his pocket.
Kristen watched him with a satisfied smirk on her face as she rolled on the ball and ate her pineapple. When Claire’s voice filled the room with a cheerful hello, both Kristen and Rob answered her in unison, “Hi Mum!”
“Do we have a baby, Loves?” Claire’s excitement was palpable through the speaker.
“No!” Kristen snapped and shook her head as if her mother-in-law could see.
“Ahh, are you miserable, Sweetie? The end can be so hard,” she sympathized.
“I am,” Kristen admitted, “But, that’s why we’re calling. Any ideas about how to get labor started?”
Rob buried his face in his hands and shook his head as he waited for an answer.
“Sex,” his mom bellowed into the phone.
“Oh, Jeez,” he muttered into his hands, making the women in his life laugh.
“Robert, we all know that this baby was not an immaculate conception,” his mom reminded him, making Kristen laugh even harder.
“I know, but really, Mum?” He whined.
“Okay, okay, Rob…” his mom laughed. “Castor oil and a little orange juice,” she continued.
This time it was Rob’s turn to laugh and Kristen’s turn to cringe.
“Eww, NO!” Kristen spoke up and stopped rocking to stare at the phone in disbelief.
“Not the whole bottle, Sweetie,” Clair explained hurriedly before her daughter-in-law freaked out. Just a few tablespoons mixed in a large glass of juice.”
“Really?” Rob asked, sounding intrigued, as he looked at Kristen. “That might not be too bad, Kris!”
“Really? She gave him an over-the-top surprised look and an evil smile. “Then you try it first, let me know how it tastes, what it does to your body, and then I’ll consider it…Not!”
Claire’s laughter filled the room again as Rob and Kristen stared each other down from opposite sides of the room. “Or not,” her sweet voice filtered through the speaker, breaking the tension and drawing the couple’s attention back to the phone and away from each other.
“Walking,” Claire tried again.
“Paparazzi,” Kristen sighed.
“Bumpy car ride?” Rob’s mom continued to brainstorm out loud.
“Paparazzi,” Rob answered again.
“Okay then…ummm…”Claire stalled as she thought. “Well, ummmm…Sex!”
“Mum,” Rob scolded and brought his hands to cover his face again.
“What? Son, you better enjoy it now, because you’re about to hit a dry spell,” Claire chuckled slightly and Kristen broke into a fit of full-blown giggles.
“Christ! I’m done!” Rob stood and turned to leave the room, his blush obvious across his cheeks.
“Why don’t you call your dad,” his mom offered.
“I don’t need advice about se…That!” His voice came out higher than he anticipated.
“Okay, okay, sorry,” his mom tried to reel in her own chuckles while his wife continued to laugh freely as she rocked with more vigor.
“Oh, the other line is ringing, Kids. I’ll call you back later,” Claire sang into the phone.
“Bye Mum,” Rob rushed out, relieved that he’d been saved.
“Bye, Mum,” Kristen giggled as the phone disconnected.
“Ugh, so not okay, Love,” he shook his head at his wife and shuddered in an effort to clear his head.
“Well, at least we know she gives solid advice,” Kristen giggled and braced herself as she reached to set her empty bowl down.
“Yeah, but we’ve tried that already…twice!” He stepped to her and bent to grab her bowl and offer her a silly smile.
“Yeah?” She rocked and massaged her belly.
“Well, how long does it take?” He pouted.
“I don’t know, but I would think more can only be better. Don’t ya think?” She offered him a sly smile.
“Yeah?” He responded cautiously with a lop-sided grin.
“Well, I think Momma knows best. Who are we to argue with your Mum?” She laughed and arched her back.
Rob moved to where she sat rocking on the ball and leaned down to hold it firmly in place so she could safely stand. She stood and twisted and turned gently to try and loosen her tight back muscles. Reaching her fists around, she pressed them into her lower back and kneaded in an effort to relief the ache.
“Do you hurt? Want me to massage?” He offered.
“No,” she shook her head, turned her hands more vigorously and pressed harder.
“No?” He asked shocked.
“Is it going to put me into labor?” She inquired.
“Probably not, but if it makes you feel better, Love,” he offered sweetly.
“Well, if there is something else you can do that might start labor, I would rather you do that first and then we can talk about the massage,” she craned her neck so she could look at him over her shoulder.
“I see how I rate, now. Am I nothing but a stud to you?” He teased.
“Until I go into labor and get this baby out, Yeah…probably,” she winked.
“Meh, I think I can live with that,” he shrugged and wrapped his arms around her. “What about after the baby’s born?”
“Yeah, like your mum said, be prepared for a dry spell,” she laughed and pulled out of his arms, dangling her hand behind her back for him to grab. When their fingers were locked together she continued, “And if you think you’re ever coming near me again without at least double protection, you have another thing coming!”
“Ever?” He chuckled.
“Ever!” She gave a firm nod to show how serious she was. “So, you want to take advantage of your freedom before I change your life forever?”
“Yeah,” he shrugged, “But, you’re kinda taking all the fun out of it.”
“I’ll ask you about that in about an hour and see if you feel the same way,” she giggled and tugged him towards the stairs.
****
Tossing and turning, she signed and thought about giving up on sleep all together. Rolling to her back, she rubbed her upset stomach and stared at the ceiling. Lilting her head to the side, she watched Rob sleeping peacefully beside her and reached a hand out to brush through the tips of his hair.
The peacefulness of the moment was interrupted by her rolling stomach and a small wave of nausea. Cursing the pineapple she ate earlier, she fumbled to sit up and reach for her Tums. After chewing two tablets and washing the chalky taste away with a gulp of water she was ready to lie down again when she was overcome with an intense cramp. She glanced at the clock and noted the time. Sitting in the dark, she quietly stroked her belly and ran back over her night in her mind. They’d gone to bed three hours ago and though she felt as if she hadn’t slept at all, she knew she’d at least dozed off and on because she remembered checking the clock several times upon waking. Concentrating hard, she tried to recall what the digital clock had told her and was finally able to surmise that she’d woken every twenty to thirty minutes over the past three hours.
Rob rolled away from her and she debated waking him, but decided against it. Slipping out of their bed, she padded to the bathroom, sat on the edge of the tub and waited. The minutes crept by slowly and just when she was convinced that she was overreacting and ready to go back to bed, another cramp spread across her lower abdomen and pelvis. It was a little uncomfortable, but bearable, so she sat calmly and waited for it to subside.
Cracking the door, she peeked at the clock on her bedside table and noted it was almost exactly 20 minutes since the last time she checked. Her heart rate increased with excitement and her stomach rolled with nervousness. Closing the door quietly, she flipped on the light and wandered around the oversized bathroom, rubbing her belly and running her hands through her hair, until she felt another cramp. Peeking back out to the bedroom, she noted the time again and turned to rest her hands on the vanity.
“Twenty minutes,” she whispered to herself and leaned into the mirror to study her own reflection. She looked tired, but her cheeks were flushed and she thought she looked more swollen. Taking a deep breath, she rubbed her hands over her crampy abdomen and stilled.
“Here we go,” she sighed, before reaching to turn off the light.
She tiptoed through the bedroom into the hall and waited for the dogs to follow before pulling the door shut so she wouldn’t disturb Rob. Once downstairs, she made a cup of peppermint tea, hoping it would calm her nausea and took it to the back patio with her cell phone. Sitting at the table, she leaned forward and rubbed her furry babies down, stopping only to sip her tea, and breathe through her cramps. The dogs tired of her attention and lay at her feet and the tea in her mug grew cold, but the pains in her belly grew a little more intense and started coming closer together.
Deciding that sitting probably wasn’t doing her much good, she wandered back into the house, leaving the door ajar for the dogs and started walking large circles around the main floor. She rubbed her back as she waddled around, stopping every now and then to glance out a window or study a picture that she rarely took time to notice in a normal day. She tried hard not to think about what was happening and fought harder not to get too excited, in case she was wrong. Mostly though, she was fighting not to panic. Pushing all thoughts about giving birth out of her mind, she walked and thought about anything not baby related to help her pass the time. She thought back to when she first met Rob and filtered through her memories of all the crazy experiences they shared in order to keep herself entertained and calm.
When her cramps morphed into pains and she noted that they were about 12 minutes apart, she quietly climbed the stairs and slipped back into the bathroom to shower. She turned the shower head to massage and planted her hands on the shower wall in front of her. Swaying to relieve the pressure she felt around her middle, she let the water massage her lower back. She wanted so badly to hold her breath, as if her stopping breathing would stop the pain, but she concentrated on breathing more deeply instead. Between contractions, she washed her hair and body and tried to shave her legs the best she could. When the water started to cool and she was contraction free, she stepped out and wrapped herself in a large bath sheet. Traipsing across her room, she stepped into the closet and dressed quietly before making her way to the nursery and turning on the small lamp to see. She fingered the tangles out of her hair and checked to make sure the bags were ready.
As she was going through her mental list of what they needed, what they’d packed, and what they could have forgotten, a much stronger pain gripped her middle and took her breath away completely. Bending forward, she gripped onto the front rail of the crib and dropped her head forward. Staring at the floor, she rocked her weight from foot to foot and swayed gently. She was so consumed by the new intensity of the contraction that she didn’t hear Rob come in the room behind her.
“Kris?” He sounded groggy and confused.
Unable to answer, she continued to rock, but was able to unclench one of her hands from the baby’s bed to signal to him that she needed a minute. Creeping up slowly behind her, he reached forward and placed his hands on her lower back, rubbing firm circles where he knew she’d been experiencing tightness. They continued to work together until the pain faded. When she was finally able to breathe normally again, she straightened and turned to look at him. Smiling slightly, she ran her fingers over the crease marks the sheets had left across his face and brushed his tousled hair with her fingers. His worried eyes darted across her face and his hands went gently grip her belly.
“You okay?” He asked, arching a brow as he waited for an answer.
“Yeah, I think I’m in labor though,” she told him as she searched his face and pushed up on her toes to pant at kiss on his chin.
“Shut-up,” he laughed and rubbed the tip of his nose against hers.
“What?” She sounded exasperated. “I’m serious. I’ve been up for hours. I just didn’t want to wake you until I was sure.”
“Seriously?” His eyes shot open and he stepped back slightly so he could look her over from head to toe.
“Seriously,” she giggled.
“Oh Shit!” He exclaimed and jerked back towards him so he could crush her against his chest. Wrapping his arms around her tightly, he held her close and fervently dropped kisses on top of her head. “You should have woken me!”
Laughing, she wound her arms around him the best she could, the bump hindering her slightly. As he calmed, his grip loosened and his demeanor mellowed. Soon they were gently rocking and tracing their fingertips across one another’s bodies. The quiet of the early morning hour was only broken by their breathing.
“I love you!” He whispered into her hair.
“I love you too,” she mumbled into his chest.
“Are you ready for this?” He asked, genuinely concerned.
“Yes and no,” she admitted.
“Thank you,” he spoke almost too softly for her to hear.
Pulling back minimally, she tilted her head and looked up at him with a questioning glance.
“You know, for having my baby,” he shrugged and offered her a cheeky smile.
“Oh, Yeah, that…Pffft,” she feigned nonchalance. “Whatever, Babe, No biggie.” She shrugged and tried to smile, but was hit with another contraction that caused her to bend, push into his chest and moan.
“I guess now isn’t the time to ask you how far apart they are?” He tried to joke, but his voice sounded nervous?
Shaking her head against his chest, she moaned and started to breathe in and out deeply as she twisted her body back and forth and clenched his arms tightly.
“Yeah, Okay…Fuck!” He held her and felt helpless as she worked through the pain.
When she was able to breathe again and lift her head, she peeked up at him and offered a weak smile. “Not close enough…are you ready for this?” She asked, suddenly looking tiny and exhausted.
“Are you?” He volleyed her question back at her.
“Nope, but it looks like He is,” she giggled.
“Yep, SHE’s ready to make her grand entrance,” he laughed and winked.
“Ugh, we’ll see, Babe. Sooner rather than later I think,” she breathed as she squeezed her eyes closed tightly and bent forward again, gripping her belly with one hand and his wrist with the other.