YAY, IT'S FIXED! I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO POST THIS UPDATE SINCE FRIDAY! (BUT THE SITE WOULDN'T LET ME.) I HAVE A FEW OTHER UPDATES IN THE WORKS (FOR OTHER STORIES) AND WILL TRY TO GET THEM OUT SOON. I WAS TRYING TO GET AT LEAST ONE MORE FINISHED, BUT IT HAS BEEN A VERY BUSY WEEKEND (AND MONDAY.) ANYWAY, HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOY IT!
~ Detective Olivia Stabler ~
Playing House
(Chapter Twenty Two: Extended Family)
NINE WEEKS LATER…
Olivia sighed as she stared at her reflection in the mirror as she buttoned her blouse. The small bulge of her pregnant belly seemed to grow larger every day and there was hardly anything in her closet that could conceal it.
"Knock, knock," Elliot called from the front of the apartment.
"I'm back here!"
"You are still getting ready? We're gonna be late, Liv," he said as he leaned against the door frame to watch her. "How are the two of you doing on this beautiful morning?"
Olivia smiled as she shrugged her shoulders and pulled a sweat shirt down over her belly.
"We're good. I think I am finally getting past the morning sickness."
"That is always good."
"Yeah, now I just have the heart burn, insomnia, bursting into tears at any given moment and the fact that nothing in my closet conceals my baby bump anymore."
"Well, it is probably a good thing that all of our friends and co-workers already know then."
"You are probably right," she said with a smile. "We should get to see the baby today. They are gonna do another ultrasound."
"Do you think we'll be able to tell the sex?" Elliot asked as he stretched out across her bed.
"They are going to try. Sometimes they can tell at twenty weeks. Sometimes it takes a little longer."
"Am I the only one excited to find out if we are having a son or a daughter?"
"I'm excited. About the baby, I mean," she said smoothing her hands over her belly. "I'm just not completely sure if I want to know the sex."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I mean it could be kind of exciting to wait until that moment in the delivery room when the doctor holds the baby up and says it's a boy or it's a girl."
"It is exciting. But it is still exciting if you know."
Olivia sat down on the edge of the bed beside him as she moved a brush through her hair.
"So you and Kathy chose to find out with the kids?"
"With Maureen, they could really only guess. The technology wasn't as good as it is now and it wasn't as dependable. She was a boy until the moment she was born."
Olivia laughed.
"And the others?"
"Kathleen was the first one we knew for sure."
"And you still didn't get your boy."
"No. But Maureen got the baby sister she wanted. With the twins we found out early on that there were two. And we could tell they were fraternal. We knew there was a girl for sure, but they couldn't really see well enough to predict the sex of the second baby."
"So Dickie was a surprise."
"A big surprise. Kathy had to have a cesarean and we waited as the doctor delivered the first baby. We were expecting a little girl. Instead, we got a big boy."
"He was a big baby?"
"Dickie was delivered three and a half minutes before Elizabeth. He weighed just over six pounds and she a little over five. They were healthy and beautiful and they both screamed like crazy."
"Five and six pounds, that is really good for twins."
"Yeah, well, they didn't want to come out. The doctor had to go in and get them."
"And Eli? You knew he was a boy, right?"
"Yeah. We actually found out pretty early with him. Kathy was so excited to be having another little boy."
"It really is a shame she didn't get to know him. He is such a wonderful little boy. You have done a really great job with him, with them all, she would have been proud."
"No, Liv. We have done a great job. I never could have done this without you."
Olivia smiled as she placed her hands against her shirt and smoothed it over her belly. "And I couldn't have done this without you," she said softly.
Elliot smiled as he stared lovingly into her eyes. Olivia smiled back at him, then turned shyly away.
"I guess we do make a pretty good team."
"Yes, we do," she agreed.
"Now we'd really better get going or we're gonna be late."
"Just give me a second," she said with a smile. "I have to pee."
"I was thinking after the appointment we could go out for lunch, maybe do a little shopping for the baby," Elliot said. "If you don't have other plans….."
"I don't have any other plans," Olivia replied as she lowered her sunglasses to block the glare. "I took the day off, but don't you have to go back to work?"
"I have my phone if Cragen needs me. This is more important."
"You know, you could find out the sex of the baby if you want. And just don't tell me."
"I don't think I could keep a secret from you for that long. Especially a secret this big. If you want to wait, we can wait."
Olivia laughed.
"Alright," she agreed. "You can help me pick out a crib and bedding. Gender neutral, bedding."
Elliot pulled into a parking space and put the car into park. He was attempting to play it cool, but deep inside he was excited as a child just waking up on Christmas morning about the chance to see their baby. He walked around the car and opened the door for Olivia.
Inside they sat for a few moments while Olivia filled out some paperwork. Once a nurse had shown them back to the little examine room, Olivia changed into a paper gown and settled onto the table.
Elliot stood nervously beside her as the doctor helped Olivia raise place her feet in the stirrups.
"Are you okay?" she asked noticing Elliot was holding his breath.
"Fine. Just, this part makes me a little nervous."
Olivia rolled her head around to look up at him.
"You can wait outside if you want to. I'll be alright. Then you can come back in when we start the ultrasound."
Elliot bit his bottom lip as she offered him her hand.
"It isn't so bad," she assured him. "You don't have to be nervous."
He smiled at her attempt to soothe him with her maternal voice.
"No, I'll stay. I want to be here for you, with you. All the way."
Elliot locked his fingers between hers. He watched as she stared at the ceiling while the doctor examined her.
"Any cramping or bleeding?" the woman asked.
"No," Olivia answered as the doctor helped her to slide back on the table once more.
"How are you doing with the nausea?"
"Much better."
"I see you are finally starting to gain some weight."
"Six pounds," Olivia said proudly. "Well, six that I have been able to keep on since the morning sickness has calmed down. I am actually starting to get a noticeable belly," she said with a smile.
"Impressive," the doctor said with a smile as she pulled a sheet over Olivia's lower half and raised the gown to expose her baby bump. "Are we ready to take a look at this little guy or gal?"
"Wait," Olivia said looking back at Elliot, "our kids met us here and they're out in the waiting area. Do you think they could come in and watch? I think they would really like to see the baby."
The doctor smiled as Olivia.
"I don't normally allow more than one or two people back here during an ultrasound. But I think I could make an exception this one time. As long as we keep it quiet and no other patients are disturbed."
"They won't be, I promise. El, go get the kids."
"Are you sure? I mean, this is kind of a private moment," he said pointing to her sheet.
"I'm sure," she laughed. "This should be a family moment. This will be the first really good look we get at the baby. I think the kids should be a part of this. If they want to be."
"Of course they'll want to be a part of this," he said leaning forward to kiss her forehead. "I'll be right back."
"We'll wait for you," she promised.
Elliot returned a few moments later with the five older children. The stood quietly and watched as the doctor moved the wand around on Olivia's belly to find the baby inside.
"Wow," Elizabeth said as the loud whomp whomp sound of the infant's heartbeat filled the room. "The baby is so little."
"The baby is nine inches long from head to toe and weighs about nine ounces."
"Aww, she's sucking her thumb," Maureen pointed out as she leaned closer to show little Eli.
"It could still be a boy!" Dickie insisted. "Right dad?"
"It could be," Elliot agreed.
"How long until you can tell for sure?" Elizabeth asked.
"Actually, the baby is being very cooperative today," the doctor informed them. "I can tell you the sex right now, if you are interested."
The kids began to grow louder in excitement.
"Hold on guys," Elliot injected, "Liv and I have decided that we don't want to find out the sex of the baby."
"Why not dad?" Kathleen asked. "It might be easier to shop for baby stuff if you know for sure."
"I think it would be cool to wait and let it be a surprise," Maureen said with a smile.
"Why don't we take a vote?" Olivia suggested.
"Vote? I thought you had already made up your mind?"
"I kind of did. But this isn't just my baby. This baby belongs to all of us, so I think we should all get to decide. I personally would like to wait. But I am willing to find out if that is what you guys want."
"I agree with Olivia," Maureen said. "I think it would be nice to wait."
"I would rather find out," Kathleen said.
"Me too," Dickie agreed.
"Elizabeth, sweetheart? What about you?" Olivia asked.
"I really want to know if I have a baby sister in there."
"What about you, dad?" Maureen asked.
"Your father has wanted to know since the day I told him I was pregnant," Olivia said with a smile. "That settles it," she said smoothing her hands over her belly hoping to feel some kind of movement. "We would like to know the sex of this baby," Olivia said with a smile.
"Well," the doctor began, "I am very proud to say that you do infact have a baby sister in there," she replied smiling at Elizabeth.
"Yes!" she squealed.
"It's a little girl?" Elliot asked.
"A very healthy little girl," the doctor added.
Olivia watched as a proud smiled crossed Elliot's face.