18 weeks journal (part 2)

The baby is kicking quite a bit lately.

The baby began moving at 16 weeks. It feels weird, and different… at fist it might feel like she's popping, or swimming. Sometimes it feels like she's dancing even! And sometimes, it feels like those butterflies's I get…

Like when Eli ran over my glasses…

Or when he ran into me in door, walking out of Ms. Dawes class,

Or when he kissed me in the library…

Or when we talked at school after we broke up, and I tried to get him to take me back,

Or when we I.M.'Ed each other all night afterwards, after he took me back,

Or that afternoon at his house, when we made love for the first time, and every time after.

She kicks a lot, so one day when she didn't kick a lot, I was worried, so I told our doctor, but she said nothing was wrong.

Let's fast forward to right now.

"Mom, did you tell anyone yet?" I asked through the phone, eating my orange.

"No, I didn't tell anyone except your father," she said.

I felt a REAL butterfly this time, no baby.

"How did he take it?"

"Oh, he was mad, not happy at all, but I told him where you are and how happy you are, and how good you guys are right now… OH did you figure out any baby names? Felt anything? Any troubles?"

"We thought of a few, Ivy, Imogen, Clio, Grace, Faith," I winked at Eli from behind.

"Aw, those are such cute names! I vote Grace!" she replied. I just giggled.

"What about kicks? Feel anything yet?" she asked in anticipation.

"Yeah, I've definitely felt some things," I replied.

"Oh, like what? How does it feel?" she asked. This woman has A LOT of questions for me.

"Well, like popcorn popping, something swimming, even like she's dancing."

"Aw, I remember you and Darcy felt A LOT like that, too."

I giggled again.

"So, there's nothing wrong is there?"

"Well…" I looked at Eli again. He was behind me, watching me as he cut up some ribs and fruit.

"Well?" she asked worried.

"Eli and I think that maybe I might slightly be a little…" She cut me off.

"Clare Diana Edwards, if something is wrong with my granddaughter, I expect you to tell me," she told me in her grow-up-and-let-it-go-I'm-going-to-find-out-anyways tone.

"… We think I might be anemic."

"Oh honey, I'm sorry, I was anemic in both of my pregnancies too, and it was definitely a hold-me-back."

"Well we called the doctor; I'm going to get checked next week."

"Good! Now you make sure you eat some beans, some lettuce, some meat…" she said.

I turned around, and Eli was doing exactly that… making us salads, making barbeque ribs, and some pinto bean soup.

"No problem mom, Eli's got it covered." I giggled.

He didn't take his eyes off his work, but he smirked.

"Eli's such a nice boy… Tell him I wish you both good luck!"

"Ok mom, I'm going to go. I love you!"

"I love you to sweetheart, bye!"

"Bye."

"Mom wished us good luck," I said, hopping off the counter and walking so that I was facing Eli, but to his side.

He raised his eyebrows and cocked it head.

"That's one person."

"We'll get through it though, Eli," I put my hand on his. It was more of a question then a statement.

"I know, I know," he said, still working.

"So, I still have to tell my family, and I assuming you do, too?"

He opened his eyes wide and rolled them.

"I forgot about that. How fun," he smiled, but of course, it was sarcastic.

I just sat back on the couch, and watched TV.

"Do you think we should just wait then?" I called over the TV.

"Till when?" he asked.

"I heard people wait till 3 months," I said while he brought the food over.

"Yes, but your already 4 months," he said, going back for his plate.

I turned around.

"Well, do you want to tell everyone now?"

"Right now?" he asked, worried.

I turned back around.

"Well we don't have to say it. We can show it," I said the last part while he sat down.

"Show? How?" he asked.

"How about after dinner, I'll show you!"

"Ok…" he just looked at me.

I smiled and wave, knowing that would get him.

He smiled and sat back, and we ate our meal together in peace.

After dinner, we went to the dollar store, and bought some pink and blue balloons and some cards that announce pregnancies.

Then we went to Wal-Mart and got the movies Nine Months, Junior, Juno, The Back-Up Plan, and She's having a baby.

We also got some cardboard boxes from behind the store. Shhhh!

We put one balloon of each color, one card, and the movies in each box, signed it, labeled it, and even went to Fed-Ex so they could ship them overnight.

The next day…

I was awakened by Eli shouting on the phone.

"Yes, I kno… Yes I ge… Yes, I understand were in high school… No, I'm not going to leave it! Wha… why would I leave her? I love her!"

I slowed my breathing so I could hear him.

"No, I'm not leaving her... I told you why...I didn't, we thought it would be easier…Yes, more shock, but that's not what we… Yes, I know that teen pregnancy is a big of enough shock…Look. I just would have thought that maybe after you claimed you loved me so much and how much you obviously pretended to care, I thought you would of. Thought maybe you would want be to be happy, and being with Clare and having a house in California and having a baby makes me happy, even if I am in high school."

There was silence.

"Nothing to say?" he asked in his threatening tone. Mild, but threatening.

"You know what? Forget it?" I heard him slam the phone down and walk back, but I was distracted.

By the time he came back into the bedroom, I was having dry heaves. I ran into the restroom, and a couple seconds later, Eli came in behind me, and rubbed my back and stomach. I noticed he was dressed.

When I stopped, I turned to him.

"What are you doing?" I asked him.

"What do mean?"

"You're dressed…"

He smirked.

"I went out before you woke up," he hugged me from behind.

"Why?" I asked, turning around some more.

"I got you some stuff…" he said, handing me some bags.

I looked at the bags in my hand.

"Awwww!" I let out.

I went through the bags.

There was sour hard candies, which I immediately popped into my mouth, and some medicine's (that Eli made sure were ok for the baby, of course), and even some ginger tea.

He also had a printout of tips for morning sickness in the bags he got from the doctor.

He also had a few pregnancy books from Barnes & Noble's. There were a lot…

Your Best Birth

Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy & Birth

The Official Lamaze Guide

Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth (Eli said this one fit me… aww!)

Taking Charge of Your Fertility (This one too… Smug bastard)

We moved to the bed while I went through the rest of it.

The Birth Partner

The Nursing Mother Companion

The Pregnancy Book

Birthing From Within

"Eli, how did you find all of this?"

"Well, you know how my mom is an editor at that one woman's magazine?" he asked.

"Yes?" I was suspicious.

"Well, she wrote an article about the top pregnancy books. I called her, and she dug up the article at her work."

"Wow, that's really nice of her," I said, shocked, looking at all the books he got.

Eli looked at me weird.

"Too much?" he asked, putting his hand on my stomach, and she did one of those weird swoosh things.

"No, it's just, really nice. And surprise. I didn't expect anything like this…" I admitted.

He looked at me again. I sighed, and sat up.

"I'm serious Eli, it was nice, very sweet, just a surprise," I said. Then I put my hand on my stomach while Eli laid his head right next to my hand.

"Like her," I said, smiling. Smart one Clare, smart one.

"Yeah, she was a nice surprise," he replied. Then she kicked. HARD.

"Woah," me and Eli said at the same time.

We giggled, and then watched my baby bump.

Every once in a while, we would see a bump show up while she kicked.

"Oh, by the way, Cece's coming in half an hour," Eli said, looking at his watch about 15 minutes later.

"WHAT THE HELL ELI?" I shouted, springing up from my bed.

"Uh, yeah, when I called her, we made plans," he scratched his head and got up.

I stood there, and then I finally let out a loud grunt.

I ran into the bathroom, and quickly put on some eyeliner, mascara, blush, gloss, and some translucent powder. I pulled my hair back, and it was a little like ponytails. They were JUST long enough.

Then I ran into our bedroom and put on a black strapless shirt and flowed all the way to my knees, and some grey cargo's that went to mid-calf. I put on some pink ball ear rings, and my tennis shoes.

Eli left his hair messy… Oh Lord, thank you. He had a black button up top with a black jean cargo jacket, then some plain black skinny jeans. He also put on his dress black shoes.

An hour later…

Eli, Cece, and I were sitting in an Applebee's when Cece handed a notepad to use with different stuff written on every page.

"What is it?" we both asked.

"Just flip through it," she said, looking over her glass that was held up to her cherry lips and smiled.

The first page had a bunch of scraps of paper glued to it, each advertising a parenting class nearby.

The second page had a list of websites that talked about delivery options and medications.

A list a pediatrician's that we should check out in about two months was one the third page.

There was even a list of things to pack before going to the hospital. I read it.

Nightgowns and slippers

"Wouldn't they supply that?" I asked, pointing to it.

"Clare, you're going to be in labor for a few hours, and then be in the hospital for a few days… You'll want your own nightgown and slippers," Cece explained.

I felt stupid.

"Right," I said, feeling my cheeks blush. I looked at the list again.

Toiletries, including: toothbrush, container, toothpaste, and floss, comb/hairbrush, shampoo, body wash, and conditioner, deodorant, two different nail clippers for self and for baby, mirror, and washcloth.

Clothes' to wear home… clothes from 6-8 months pregnant and that fit easy and loose.

Clothes for the baby to wear home… an onesie, undershirt, etc.

Receiving blanket.

Baby wipes.

Camera and video camera.

Nursing bra and pads.

The last page had in big letters: DON'T FORGET THE BABY SEAT!

I giggled.

"Thanks, Cece," I said,

"Mmm, anytime, Clare!" Cece said.

"Oh, and Eli, Aunt Julianne called…" she said turning to Eli.

"She said she's sorry and that she didn't mean it like that, and that you would talk to her soon," she said.

Eli shook his head.

"Yeah, fine," he said, drinking from his glass of Cherry Pepsi.

I put my hand on his thigh.

"Is that who you were talking to this morning?" I asked.

He grunted and shook his head no, but I knew he meant yes.

Later, we went shopping at Toys-R-Us and went to the baby section, and then a bunch of no name baby stores… we've been doing that a lot lately, really lowing are expectations…

We bought EVERYTHING we would need.

We got a cherry 4-in-1 DaVinci parker crib with toddler railings.

Then we got stripped blue bedding set, even though it's a girl. It looked like a sky of clouds!

We got a light pink bassinet.

Then we grabbed a half pink and half blue gliders.

We got a changing table that matched the crib.

We also got a blue and pink dresser. The outskirts were blue, and the drawers were pink.

The bookshelf matched the dresser.

For sleep soothers, we got a Baby Einstein aquarium, and a prince Lionheart.

We even got a wall decal that was brown and pink dots!

For the wastebasket, we go a cute lady bug one. For the hamper, we got a pink monkey.

Then we got a musical mobile. It had Disney characters, like Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet… all that stuff.

Then we got 12 different hanging picture frames, each blue, brown, and white, but with 5 different designs, so that we could add pictures every month all the way up to a year. Then we got 9 silver frames, so every month up till labor we could put pictures in.

We got a pretty a chandelier and matching wall lamps.

We got a thick pink curtain.

Finally, we got a cheetah print rug.

We decided to get some maternity clothes while we were there.

Just a few long sleeved plain t-shirts in white, beige, and black, and every shirt had a matching nursing bra. We got some diaper bags, some fetal development systems, fitness cd's, some full body pillows (Eli just LOVED that…), some stretch mark lotions, and pre natal vitamins.

Then we headed over to the car seats and grabbed a plain one that was pink. Baby daddy Eli even got a baby carrier… like, the vest one's you put on you and they sit on the front. We also got a highchair that was pink and had umbrellas, and finally a cute fun baby bouncer.

And with that, my 18 week's were done.:)


So this one was like 2,500 words, but I skipped a few weeks in the pregnancy, and 18 weeks is a big milestone. Keep in mind, im not going to this for every week! This would be a long story if I did.