Here's the next one everybody!
The difficulty the second time around was not finding a donor since they already had one; the problem was Jane was being a bit more stubborn than usual. Maura had warned her with plenty of time in advance what she would have to give up during pregnancy and what changes she was going to need to get her body prepared for implantation. It wasn't going to be easy and pain-free, that was for certain.
Jane couldn't decide what was worse: giving up alcohol or giving up caffeine; to her they were equally important and equally necessary to function normally in her everyday life. Maura had advised that though it wasn't entirely necessary to stop drinking either before she was pregnant, it would be advisable to start getting used to not having it instead of having to go cold turkey.
"Jane, I'm not telling you to give it up altogether. Start easy love, drink one cup of coffee and one beer less a day. That way, when the positive pregnancy results finally come, giving it up entirely won't seem as bad."
"You've told me that already Maur! I don't know how I'm going to do this! How am I supposed to function properly at my job without caffeine?!" Jane questioned her wife. "How am I supposed to relax once I get home from work?"
"No one said it would be easy Jane. I can think of plenty of other things you can do to relax when you get home, but you're going to have to find an alternative to be more alert while at work. Drinking caffeine can be harmful to the baby and you don't want to risk it having problems, do you?"
"Of course I don't. I don't know Maur, I just wish this was simpler…" Jane said with a frown as she sat down on the sofa, beer in hand.
"Are you changing your mind about this? Are you having second thoughts about being the one to carry our next baby?" Maura's eyes didn't water but betrayed her as they began to show signs of distress.
"No Maur, I'm not having second thoughts. I do want to be the one to carry our baby; I'm just complaining is all. I'm sure that I can get used to anything. Besides, it'll only be for 9 months right?"
"Well if you decide to breastfeed our baby like I'm doing with Matteo…"
"Don't push it, ok? Just placate me for now; we can deal with specifics when that time comes."
"But then that would be lying…"
"Maura!"
"Yes Jane. It will only be for 9 months until we decide if that will change later."
"Thank you."
Jane grabbed Maura's hands in hers and began to rub circles on the blonde's palm. "Maur, what's it like? Being pregnant?"
"Well at first it is very uncomfortable with the morning sickness and the constant nausea. It will take a while to get adjusted to your schedule because you will be even more tired… but when all that goes away, when you adjust, it is the most rewarding experience in the world, love. I can't describe into words how great it feels, to have that connection with the baby. When you feel it kick for the first time, when you hear that first heartbeat and know that it is coming from inside you, when you realize that the little person before your very eyes is one half of you… it's amazing. There's nothing else in the world that feels quite like this. I know that it will be difficult for you, but I also know that you're going to enjoy it when the time comes. You're going to be as wonderful a mother to this baby as you are to Matteo, I just know it." Maura had a smile the size of Texas by the time she was done. Her eyes shone brightly with pride at the mention of their baby and it made Jane all the happier for it.
"When can we start the insemination process?" Jane asked.
"I'll make an appointment to see the doctor this week. They'll run the necessary testing and we can go from there, alright? You are in great shape Jane and healthy. I doubt it will take long before we can start trying."
"I wish we could start now… I want to be pregnant already."
"Have you thought about what this is going to mean for you work-wise?" Maura questioned lightly.
"Yes I have. I've put a lot of thought into it. The guys, being as protective of us as they are, will probably put me on desk duty the moment they find out I'm pregnant."
"Are you going to be alright with that?"
"Probably not. I know there will come a point in time in which I'll HAVE to be behind a desk, but I thought it would come later, once I start showing at the very earliest."
"But Jane…"
Jane stopped Maura. "I know Maura… I know exactly what you're going to say because I've been thinking about it too. My line of work is too dangerous and I'm a klutz to top it off. I don't want to put our baby in any unnecessary danger so I'll probably give in when the time comes. I'm sure Lt. Cavanaugh will be on their side too."
"You've no idea how much it means to me that you're willing to do this for our baby… that you're willing to take a step back in your job and stop going into the field for a while. I know how much you're giving up Jane; I know how much you love your job." Maura in turn switched and now it was she who began to rub circles on Jane's hands.
"I love you and our family more Maura. It's not like I'm retiring early. I'll be back once the baby is old enough."
"It will go by only too quickly love."
"I know. When you were pregnant time flew by."
"I'm sure it's going to be the same case with this pregnancy too," Maura finished.
"Make the call tomorrow Maur. I want to go in as soon as possible. It's time we start trying for a little girl."
"What if it's a boy?"
"Well then we may just have to try again, won't we? Jane said with a smile as she leaned in to kiss her wife.
Sorry for the delay everyone. If you follow me you'll know I've been working on ASJII. I update stories depending on where creativity sends me. Hopefully I can work on this one a little more frequently. I'll try to update more often for you all. Aside from Jane's pregnancy, anything else you all want to read about?