Love at First Sight

Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight. All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement intended.

Happy New Year and all the best for 2012

Chapter 52


EPOV

Phil wanted to try out the state of the art gym in the hotel since we got here but with all the activities we had over the weekend he didn't get a chance. This morning when the women decided to watch the Rose Parade, it gave him the perfect opportunity. We decided to go with him – not that vampires need to go to the gym but it was a way of spending time with Phil. After our workout, we went to the pool to do laps. We pretended to race with him. It reminded me of High School gym class when we had to hold ourselves back – we could never use our full strength in front of humans but Phil got his workout and he enjoyed the company.

When we got back to the room, the connecting door between the living room and Renee's room was opened and I could hear her talking with Bella. I decided to shower and watch TV to give them some privacy. Phil and Renee are leaving in a couple of hours and Bella wanted to spend as much time as she could with her mother.

Bella didn't tell Renee about the baby. Unlike Charlie, Renee doesn't suspect we are different and Bella wants her to remain oblivious. This makes it difficult to explain a fast pregnancy and a rapidly growing baby. After the birth, we'll have to come up with a story to explain a child in our lives. We wouldn't be able to send Renee pictures for a while because she'll notice the rapid growth.

We went downstairs with Renee and Phil to see them off. Bella was very excited about something and as soon as we got back to our room, she started talking a mile a minute about the parade. How interesting the floats were, how the theme for this year's parade was so ingenious. On and on she went.

"Then it hit me, a knight in shining armor, a Cinderella coach pulled by a white horse, the church, the bible, teddy bears, kids' toys, it was like watching my life unfold in front of me." After this sentence, she jumped up, throwing her hands in the air.

"Don't you see….." that's all she got out as she collapsed. Thank God I have quick reflexes. I was able to catch her before she fell and hit her head on the coffee table. It was the weirdest thing. One minute she was so animated, then the next, she was almost lifeless.

I took her to the bedroom, loosened her clothes and called Carlisle. With my medical background, I know what to do but I was too agitated to trust myself with her care. While I waited for Carlisle, I pushed her hair off her forehead, and kept caressing her face. I just had to keep touching her. Her heart beats and her pulse were steady. I knew I just had to wait for her to wake up but I was very anxious. For an instant, I felt an irrational dislike for the baby but that soon passed. Her life wasn't at risk yet. I pushed that feeling out of my system. I couldn't let it contaminate the joy we felt about the baby.

Carlisle came with the rest of the family and they hovered around while he examined Bella and confirmed what I already knew. It was a result of the changes her body was going through. I explained what she was doing when she fainted and we agreed it was due to the sudden change in position from sitting to standing. We asked the women if she ate anything during the parade but they said no, she planned to have lunch with Renee after she finished helping her pack. I hope she did.

After Carlisle examined her, he called someone about chartering a plane. Jasper when online to find a company that could transport the cars to New Heaven because no one wanted to drive back to Forks after this. They all left to pack and check out of the hotel and make whatever other arrangements had to be made for when Bella woke up.

After they left, I took up my vigil on the bed. I put my hand on her stomach and decided to talk to the baby. I know he/she couldn't hear me but it would make me feel better.

"Listen little one, both your mom and I are excited about you being conceived but I will not tolerate you putting your mother at risk. I love her too much to let you hurt her. Don't make me have to choose between you and her because she will win. Now be a good little baby and behave yourself." After my speech, I kissed her little stomach then went back to talking to her and caressing her face. I didn't know if she could hear me but I was hoping she could and that the sound of my voice will be a guide to get her back faster.


BPOV – 2 weeks later

Carlisle decided it was safe to leave with the others for the weekend. I still didn't have any morning sickness, in fact, the only pregnancy symptoms I have besides eating everything in sight and being tired more than usual are the frequent trips to the bathroom, my breasts are a little tender and I was a bit moody. My moods reminded me of how Edward used to be when we first met.

Before they left, Edward went hunting so he wouldn't have to leave me alone for the weekend. For all the frustration and strain he's been under over the past two weeks, I decided he needed to relax. The last time we had wild uninhibited sex was in our cottage. I enjoyed the gentle lovemaking we had in Seattle but I wanted more. I knew he was capable of so much more so why should we deprive ourselves? We haven't been alone in the house since we got here and he's using that as an excuse to keep from doing more than touching, caressing and oral. I feel like we were starting all over. This is how it was before our first time. As much as I love to feel his hands and mouth on me and those magical fingers in me, we definitely need to go further this weekend. I couldn't be sure but I'll bet my bad moods had to do with lack of sex but everyone else blames them on pregnancy hormones.

I was anxious for us to get our love life back on track. If he keeps this up, it will only get worse the further along the pregnancy gets. I decided to take a page out of his book and plan a romantic night for us. Alice saw this and decided to help me. As soon as Edward left, I got to work.

With the roses Alice picked up and pulled apart earlier, I made a path from our bedroom door to the bed. Just in case he decided to use the door to the balcony, I did the same thing from that door too. I formed joined hearts in the middle of the bed. Solid red petals forming the center of the heart, a ring of white petals around that then more red petals on the outer edge. Both the big heart and the smaller heart were the same design. I plan to sit in the chair next to window and watch his expression as he enters the room.

I wanted to light lots and lots of candles around the room. I called Alice and Rosalie to help light the candles else I'd be lighting candles for the rest of the night. We had scented candles in large jars so I decided to use some of those along with unscented votive candles because I didn't want the scent to be too overpowering. In a flash, they dashed around the room placing the candles all over, then lighting them. When we were done, I looked around at the soft flickering glow of the flames and felt satisfied with our efforts. We even placed a few on the nightstands. After the candles were lit and everything was in place, the girls left me to do my finishing touches. As soon as Edward gets to the house, they'll be leaving.

I had already said my goodbyes to the family so I went into my closet, changed into something I knew would drive him crazy, took a picture of myself and emailed it to him. With a poem I found online.

No Greater Love Than Ours

Your smile awakens my soul,

As the sun awakens the day.

A kiss and my life is yours,

It seems a fair price to pay.

Your touch arouses my senses,

As the moon arouses the night.

Hold me and win me forever,

In your arms all things are right.

Your heart endures all emotion,

As the sky endures all the stars.

Love me and we'll have eternity,

There is no greater love than ours.

I took a comforter and curled up in the chair in my outfit, waiting for him to come find his present. I must have dozed off because I woke up groggy to find him kissing all over my face. He was very exuberant.

"What got into you?" I giggled teasing him.

"You know what got into me. I saw that picture." He peeled off the comforted to reveal my wicked lingerie. A replacement of one of the baby doll outfits he destroyed on our honeymoon. I had them all replaced but I was saving this one for a special occasion.

"When I saw that picture, I flashed back to our honeymoon. I was excited before but seeing you in it again makes me want to be buried deep inside you." While he talked, he made quick work of undressing me.

"The room looks beautiful but it can't compare to you in that outfit."

With those words and the feel of his deft fingers, all the grogginess from my nap left me. I was eager to let him show me how much he loved his surprise. He walked over to the bed and pulled the comforter off, tossing rose petals all over the room. I took a deep breath. The mixture of the scent from the rose petals and the candles created a wonderful aroma. I took a good look at his lithe body, he was completely naked and his cock was standing like a flag. My blood felt like lava as it rushed to every nerve in my body, making me hot with need.

He leaned down and kissed my lips gently, sucking my lower lip then my upper; savoring the taste, inflaming me even more. My heart was already pounding in anticipation. He walked over to the bed and deposited me in the middle.

"I barely made it through the rest of my hunt. Only the thought that I needed to be well fed when I see you in that outfit, kept me from abandoning the hunt completely." he murmured against my lips before coaxing his tongue into my mouth.

I was on fire. The aromatic scent of the petals and the candles, his words, the sight of his nakedness, the feel of his smooth cold skin gliding against mine and his taste all combined to make me crazy. I wiggled my hips as I enjoyed the taste of him – his tongue then his lips, finally having to stop to grasp for breath. I hooked my leg around his hips trying to get closer to him.

He kissed me again. This time it was hard and demanding taking what he wanted, I couldn't hold anything back. I was matching the ferocity of the kiss. My tongue dueling with his; giving him what he wanted and demanding what I needed. I was making mewling sounds deep in my throat. My body was writhing beneath his. My hands attached themselves to the hair at the back of his head, holding him there so he couldn't stop that all-consuming kiss.

When he placed his hand on my ass and held me against his erection, grinding into me, I was lost. All coherent thought left my brain. I became an animal. I wanted him desperately. I had to feel him inside me soon or I would lose my mind. My one goal was to get to the promise of the great sex that was only minutes hopefully seconds away.

I finally broke the kiss letting out a loud moan. He continued kissing me. Making the trail along my jaw. Kissing, sucking and nipping; up to my earlobe so he could suck them into his mouth, back down to my lips to nibble on them, tantalizing me with the tip of his tongue. Moving down my neck to his favorite spot, the pulse in my neck; licking and sucking.

He stopped and looked at me with those black eyes, "Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to keep myself from fucking you senseless right now?"

"What's stopping you?" We were alone, what was holding him back? I decided it was time to take control. He had to stop that. I know the fainting scare all of us but we have that under control and I've been fine for the past two weeks.

"Edward, remember our first time when you made me promise to tell you if I felt any discomfort or pain? If anything happens, we'd stop and I'm willing to forgo sex for the duration of my pregnancy." I reassured him.

He grinned at me, "That's one of the best days of my life. I'll take that promise any day."

I wiggled my hips again. That was all the sign he needed to continue. He positioned himself between my legs and I felt the head of his cock at my entrance. We gazed at each other as he slid very slowly, teasingly, all the way in. I gripped his arms, feeling the strain in his muscles as he held himself off me.

He started with long and slow thrusts. I matched him move for move. I wanted this as much as he did. This will set the tone for our sex life for the rest of my pregnancy. He held on to my hips; driving into me, each thrust sending pleasure soaring through every cell in my body.

Then he started thrusting with rapid and very short strokes. Angling his thrusts, hitting all the places inside me that make me lose control. Over and over he angled that magnificent cock. I was soaring. This was like an outer body experience. Every time I felt I was on the brink, he would slow down. Grinding into me, taking his hands off my hips to caress me, kissing all over my face and neck, massaging and sucking my breasts and licking my nipples then kissing me breathless before he returned to the sensuous movements of his hips. It was sweet agony. Intense and pleasurable torture.

Over and over and over and over, this continued. Long deep strokes. Short quick strokes. Bumping and grinding. Taking me close to my peak but holding back just a little. Lava was flowing through my veins incineration me. I was moaning, groaning, gyrating and begging. I was willing to do anything to get to the next level. Every touch, every kiss, even the feel of his breath on my body was making me crazy, increasing the pleasure cursing through my body.

"Please, please." I begged. It was a litany on my lips.

I was ready to go to my bag of tricks when he picked up his pace a little. He leaned down to kiss me once more before staring into my eyes as he pushed me over the edge. My muscles stiffened; I grasped and arched my back off the bed as the ferocity of the orgasm slammed into me. A guttural animalistic scream came from deep inside me as I abandoned myself to this exquisite euphoric feeling. I opened my mind to him, letting him experience this with me.

I giggled when I heard him curse as he gripped me tighter, pumped a few more time, then buried himself deeper and spewed his seed. I slumped back onto the bed. I was on cloud nine. He laid next to me, taking me in his arms, whispering sweet nothings to me. My heart felt like a sledge hammer in my chest. WOW. Once again I was staggered at his control; at his ability to play my body like the keys on his piano and keep from losing control but I have my tricks for unraveling him and now I had a new one to add to my arsenal.

He nibbled on my lips, "You think that was funny do you?"

I couldn't help but giggle again. I know he'd make me pay for it soon but for now, I was safe. I snuggled closer into his chest, placing small kisses there before I laid my cheek against him and closed my eyes and sighed. I was content. I was relieved that everything worked out well.

He said the day I fainted was the worst day of his life and I believe him because he has been treating me like an egg since then. That's why I had to get him over his fear. I had to show him that vigorous sexual activities would not bring on another episode. After his initial fear, it wasn't about me being pregnant, or the effect the pregnancy was having on my body, it was just us. The two of us making hot passionate love, riding the wave of that electrical euphoric moment; at least, that's the way it seemed to me, it was pure ecstasy. Knowing him, there was still the need to protect me prevalent in the back of his mind. I remembered him saying my blood was like a drug to him. Was it heroin? Well making love or having sex with him was my heroin. I would do anything to repeat this feeling, this high that he takes me to – baby or no baby. How could he expect me to give this up for any length of time?

It took a while to get to this state of bliss. The past two weeks have been really crazy. Filled with memorable moments and moments I wish to forget completely. It all started in Seattle. I went back to that day, to the first memory I had after I fainted.

XXXXXXXx

"Bella" There was an angel calling my name. I just wanted to stay with him. His voice was so soothing. It made me feel calm.

"Sweetheart, can you hear me." I wanted to tell the angel yes, I can hear you but I couldn't see him. It was so dark in here.

"Sweetheart, please come back to me." Come back. Come back from where? Why couldn't I stay here with him?

I tried to open my eyes. It took a few tries but I finally opened them, blinking to focus. I looked around; I was laying on the bed. Edward was leaning over me looking worried. Then it hit me. All the memories from earlier came rushing back making my head spin. I reached up to caress his face. Why did he look so sad?

"What happened?" I asked. The last thing I remembered was our conversation in the living room when I was telling him about my epiphany.

"You fainted."

"What? How?" I didn't know which question to ask first. I tried to sit up, but he pushed me back on the bed, putting a few pillows behind me to elevate me a little.

"Some women experience dizziness and sometimes even fainting spells during pregnancy." He explained.

"Is that normal? Is this going to happen often? Will it affect the baby?" Again, I was talking a mile a minute.

"It's normal, we don't know if it will happen often and no it will not affect the baby." He rushed to reassure me because I was getting frantic.

"There are lots of reasons why this happens but there are precautions you could take to prevent it from happening again. Get up slowly from either sitting or lying down – just before you fainted, you jumped up from the couch, please don't do that again. I don't think my heart could take it. You really scared me; at first, I didn't know what happened, one minute you were all animated, if I wasn't used to talking at rapid fire speed with my family I wouldn't have made out half the things you were saying and the next you collapsed like a balloon someone took all the air out of."

"I'm sorry I scared you, I'll try to be more careful. Anything else I should know?" We could as well get it all out now so I don't make a habit of this.

"Yes, you should eat regularly and stay hydrated. When was the last time you ate?"

I didn't have lunch. I was so wound up, I didn't think of food. "Breakfast," I mumbled under my breath, as if that would save me.

I actually saw the fire in his eyes and I cringed. I knew he'd be angry, I prepared myself for his wrath but he surprised me. He got up and called room service, ordering enough food to feed six people before coming back with chocolate and an apple from our tour of the market. I gladly took it and ate some so he would be satisfied. Once I started eating, I realized I was starving but I had to save room for all the food he ordered.

"Sweetheart, you have to remember to eat. There's so much going on in your body, you need the nourishment and you have to keep your blood sugar level; please avoid long periods between meals. Soon it would be dinner time and you only had one meal today." He cupped my face in his hands so I had to look at him and promised to eat more frequently.

"I was so excited I completely forgot food, then I was with Renee and neither of us mentioned food, which is strange because lately I've been eating constantly. Anything else I should know?"

"There are more things that cause fainting but we could discuss that later. I spoke to Carlisle; he'll check your blood to see if you're anemic. This way we could pinpoint your trigger and eliminate it." I nodded to let him know I understood.

"Everyone was worried. After Carlisle examined you, he insisted they leave us alone once we had you settled comfortably."

He called Carlisle to let him know I was awake. Before the food got here, the room was filled with concerned faces. I tried to reassure them that I was fine. I don't think it worked because Carlisle pulled out his phone and called someone about a plane and insisted we would leave for the airport as soon as I was steady enough to get out of bed.

I called Charlie to tell him I would be going straight to school. I basically told him the truth but not the reason that necessitated it. There was no use worrying him. I already had to deal with the seven overprotective people in this room; we don't need the chief in the mix.

The flight back was uneventful. After I was settled in our room, Carlisle checked my blood and I was not anemic – one less trigger to worry about but he insisted I eat lots of iron rich foods and drink lots of water. He also wanted me to start exercising, he said I had to build up my stamina and exercising will give me more energy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The door leading into the nursery was pulling me like a magnet. I couldn't resist going in there the first opportunity I got. Edward insisted that I should be resting but I had to see the changes they made.

I got out of bed with Edward hovering at my side, I walked into the room and came to a stop just inside the door. On every wall of the room, Alice painted big trees with forest animals under the trees and birds sitting on branches. There were even puffs of clouds. She used the animals from the theme I picked and a few other animals. Each wall was a little different because she painted different birds in the trees including the owl and different animals under the trees. The paintings started a few feet from the floor going almost to the ceiling.

On one wall, there was a baby deer laying down, a raccoon on his hind legs next to it and a rabbit on the other side of the tree. The rabbit looked like it was chasing a yellow butterfly; on that tree was a pair of blue birds. Other animals from the theme were scattered around the other walls. The scene went around all four walls but one wall was even more spectacular.

On the wall between the windows was a more detailed picture of the same design but this mural went from floor to ceiling. She painted more baby animals into this scene even a baby fox standing behind a tree stump. The chorus from a song was written on that wall.

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful:
The Lord God made them all.

Cecil Francis Alexander

From the design of the room we did on Esme's computer, I know that's where the crib will be placed. Our baby will be waking up to this beautiful scene every day. When I planned the theme, I never imagined it being depicted on the walls like this. The whole room looked alive. The ceiling in this room was similar to ours with the two levels. Where ours was painted grey around the light fixture, this one was pained in the palest shade of blue with more puffy clouds. Even the ceiling light fit in beautifully; it was a light blue like a sky with white clouds. Luckily it was a big room so it was not claustrophobic. It was a beautiful room for any baby – boy or girl.

"It's so beautiful. They did a fantastic job."

"Yes, it is, as you know, they are just as excited about the baby as we are."

The furniture and all the baby things we ordered came at the end of the week so Saturday morning, everything was set up. It was fun watching the room come to life as the crib and all the furniture were placed around the room. After all the work was done and the boxes and other garbage were removed, I stood there looking around in amazement.

The crib was next to the wall with the windows – next to the beautiful mural. We decided not to get a bassinette and chose a convertible crib because the baby will be growing fast, this way the crib will grow with the baby through all the phases. We found a state of the art crib; the first ever electronic crib, designed to move the crib mattress smoothly and gently up and down with the ability to stop the mattress height at any desired level. The crib was made of pinewood and it was lead-free. In addition to the technology, the crib could be converted to a toddler bed, toddler day bed and then a full size bed as the baby grows. We bought the optional bedrails to keep on hand so we would have it when the time comes to convert the crib into a bed. We'll just have to buy the mattress.

On one side was a bay window – for now the window ledge was empty but I could picture it filled with stuffed animals once the baby arrives. On the other side of the crib, was a floor to ceiling double window. Both windows provided lots of natural light so the room was bright and cheery. The crib was away from the wall so we could walk around it and since more than one person will be hanging around the crib at any given time, this gives us access to all sides plus it will not be blocking the beautiful wall. We thought of putting it in the middle of the room but with the windows and doors, there would be too much of a draft. Right next to the crib was a small chest of drawers which we plan to use as a changing table by putting a Naturepedic Organic Contoured Changing Pad on top of it. Again this was in keeping with furniture that grows with the baby in mind. The chest of drawers could be used for a child of any age.

On the wall that adjoins our room was an armoire on one side of the door; on the other, using the whole corner was a chaise. In front of that was a rug and on the opposite wall was the glider with an ottoman for feeding and relaxing with the baby. Between the chaise and the glider was a closet. Next to the glider was the door leading to the hallway and on that same wall was the entrance to the bathroom. In the middle of the room, was another area rug. When the crib was no longer needed, we plan to move the glider to our room or our little balcony and put the bed in that spot.

Sometimes I sneak away to walk around the room, touching the mobile, the diaper holder, the hamper and everything in the room. Dreaming of the day we would put our baby in the crib. We ordered a baby monitor, one with video as well as sound but I'm the only one who would need the monitor to know when the baby is awake. I doubt he/she will even be put in the crib for any length of time. I could picture everyone jostling for the opportunity to hold the baby. There is so much love waiting for this little life. This is definitely a very special child.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Edward took Carlisle's advice to heart and started cooking beets and dark green leafy vegetables the same day. I hated them so we went to buy a juicer. We had a fight when he decided I should stay in bed while he went to the store. I think by the end of this pregnancy, he's going to be bald – he kept pulling at his hair and dragging his hands through it when he gets aggravated with me. In the end, we all went to the store.

Besides the juicer, we needed bottles to store the juice and bottles for water. Since a water filtration system was installed in the kitchen with the original renovations for the refrigerator, we plan to keep a few bottles in the fridge so I could just grab a bottle when I'm leaving the house.

Edward found a company called Reduce that offered a line of eco-friendly/BPA free bottles in cool colors and designs. They even had kids sized bottles for when that time comes. That line was sold at Crate & Barrel so we were able to buy them without having to wait for shipping.

While we were shopping for the bottles, we saw hot and cold insulated items from their FIRE AND ICE line. I laughed at the name. Fire and Ice - like Edward and myself. How very appropriate. This gave Alice the idea to buy me an insulated lunch bag; she explained that it would be more practical and healthier to take my lunch to school than try to get something at the cafeteria between classes so we bought a vacuum flask and a food jar.

With that plan in mind, we went shopping ingredients to make soups, stews and pasta dishes that I could carry in my food jar. That led to the purchase of a slow cooker because someone saw a commercial extolling the virtues of a slow cooker especially for soups, stews and hardy one pot meals. The thought of bringing my lunch to school made me feel like a little kid brown bagging it but if this would make Edward more at ease with my decision, I'd do whatever I have to.

When I saw the bag Alice wanted to buy all though of kids and brown bags went out the window. I should have known that Alice would find the most ridiculous lunch bag. I decided to use my laptop bag for now. It was roomy and had different compartments. When they bring down the baby's stuff, I'll use one of the smaller diaper bags – which looked more like regular handbags, than diaper bags. She thought I was being difficult but once I explained this to her, it made her feel happier. At least one of her designer bags was going to be put to use.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The first time Edward made a batch of beet juice, we were all gathered in the kitchen watching him.

"That looks like blood," Emmett said and snatched the glass before Edward could stop him. He took a big mouthful which he immediately spat back out, spewing it in all directions. There was beet juice everywhere. The kitchen looked like the set for a horror movie. I was cracking up. Nobody else thought it was funny but I was bent over holding my side as I laughed. Rosalie and Esme made him clean the whole kitchen.

At first the juice tasted gross. I could relate to Emmett's reaction but this was for my health so I made a face and swallowed it. After that, Edward started adding apples and other fruits to make it taste better. He's like a mad scientist – having fun experimenting with different blends. He makes enough just to last a day and puts it in bottles in the refrigerator to keep fresh. Now instead of drinking regular juice or soda, I have a bottle of my specially made homemade juice blends.

Since we got back, I've been eating regularly, in fact, my whole family made it their duty to set up a regular schedule for my meals and I always have a snack with my bottle of water next to me or in my bag.

Carlisle called Tanya to tell her the good news. They were very excited. He told her he didn't want to leave me to go to South America but they still wanted to go. They wanted to do anything they could to help. Tanya said the more of us who know about Nahuel and his sisters; the better it would be if we need to convince the Volturi. None of them wanted to get into a fight with Aro and the others. If they had firsthand knowledge of their existence, Aro would be able to see this for himself. Like Carlisle, they wanted to take every precaution. Carlisle promised to send word through his friends down there, to see if the Danali clan could visit Nahuel and his aunt Kaure. The two of them had promised to help in any way they could. I know they wanted to visit the baby after the birth and for Nahuel, seeing me after the birth is his fondest wish. There are going to be tons of people here after the baby's birth.

All of Carlisle's friends he reached out to while doing research for Edward and I were intrigued at the prospect of seeing this baby. Apparently, vampire life gets very stagnant and predictable and according to Edward, even being with humans loses its appeal – that was true until they met me. Lucky me. I may not be making the first vampire/human baby but I feel like Eve; poised on the threshold of something new, something different, something exciting.

XXXXXXXXXx

The first delivery of blood came the day after we got here. Carlisle must have placed the call before we left Seattle. He was worried that if the baby doesn't get what it needs to develop, it would drain me and I would become malnourished. We know the baby will need blood so by giving me the transfusions and having me eat medium rare steak, we will be taking preventative measures.

By reminding myself that this was for both the baby's and my health I was able to put my aversion of needles aside and placed myself in Carlisle's capable hands. He explained that he would insert a peripheral IV line with a short catheter in my arm. He stressed that once the vein was located, the needle will be withdrawn and discarded and only the plastic tubing will remain. The tubing will be secured with waterproof tape. When this was in place, it would be easier to hook me up to the IV pole for the transfusions. Either he or Edward would monitor, clean or replace this as needed. For me, anything was better than getting a needle stuck into my arm everyday so I readily agreed to this plan.

I wanted the transfusions done while I was asleep but Carlisle told me he wanted to do the first one while I was awake so he could monitor my reaction to the blood. When the blood was done, he checked my temperature, blood pressure and heart rate. After that, Edward waited until I'm asleep to hook me up. For now, I get a little bag of blood every night but Carlisle said he'll increase it as the baby grows.

After the transfusions, Edward puts a huge waterproof bandage over the entire tubing so I could have my shower without having to worry about it. It's not noticeable under my sweaters, which is even better. On the weekends, we leave it open and rub vitamin E oil on my arm to keep the skin healthy. The baby has good timing so far – I can't imagine walking around with this if I was wearing a t-shirt. He also puts away the IV pole so it's not a constant reminder to me.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

We talked about school again. After that scare, Edward was even more paranoid. I even had to promise not to get in and out of the tub without him. I actually rolled my eyes behind his back. He was turning into a mother hen but I love him more than ever and I understand it's all because of his fear of something happening to me so I just took a deep breath and tried to smile. I rant and rave to Rosalie and Alice when he's not around to clear my system because I'm trying to minimize the amount of fighting we do over silly things.

I insisted on starting the semester. Even with Alice or Rosalie in each of my class, he was still not reassured. This is one thing I was not willing to compromise on. We went through this when I picked my classes and when we had our discussion in Forks. I told him the same thing I told him before; if I have to drop out, I will. In the meantime, I want to continue with my life. The only thing that kept him from tying me to the bed and holding me prisoner – although the thought of that was very stimulating – was our family.

The winter semester was from January 4 to March 7, then finals from March 10 to March 14. Both of my classes met Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I specifically picked those classes so I wouldn't have to go to campus every day. My first class was from 10:00-11:05 if one of the days fell on a holiday the class will be moved to Thursday from 12:00-12:50. My second class was from 12:30-1:35 with holiday make up classes on Tuesday from 1:00-1:50. A lot of planning went into picking these classes so the makeup classes didn't overlap. Plus I opted for the 65 minutes classes instead of the 110 minute classes which met twice a week because I thought it would be easier to survive just over an hour, if I got pregnant instead of the longer class. Once Edward realized I was not going to relent, he had no choice but to go along with the plan. We all had classes on those days so he would be only minutes away from me if anything went wrong.

Despite his fears, I made it through the first two weeks of school without fainting or getting any dizzy spells but it was not all smooth sailing. When his overprotective, domineering side emerges, I feel like stamping my feet and throwing a tantrum. When I feel like I'm ready to explode, I go for a walk in the backyard to relieve some stress. The isolation and the fresh air is usually enough to calm me down. I know he stands on our balcony and watch me but after our fight the first time he wanted to come outside with me, he contends himself with watching. I don't know what he thinks could happen.

My iPod is the only interference I tolerate on these walks. I listen to the playlist he made me with all the beautiful love songs, my lullaby and the other compositions he made. I also keep Rosalie's talk about his fear of losing me in mind. I kept telling him that I would never put myself in jeopardy but sometimes I think his fear clouds his judgment and he becomes irrational.

When I'm not in a rage, I usually love walking around the backyard with him and he knows that. The backyard is like a small park so when I'm with him he gives me a piggyback ride to the other end that borders the woods and we take our time walking back to the house. We use the time outside to talk about our day and how we're feeling. It's easier to talk outside away from our family with their super hearing. A few days ago, on one of our walks, I tried to apologize for my behavior.

"Honey, I'm sorry for being cantankerous and I try not to be but I can't help it. It's so easy for me to fly off the handle." I knew it was because of the pregnancy but it was scary and confusing.

"It's just the hormones. It will pass in a few months once your body adjusts." He reassured me.

"I wish it would happen soon, the fighting, then crying because I feel bad about our fights. I feel like I'm on an emotional rollercoaster and I can't get off." I took a deep breath. "I don't want to ruin our relationship because of the baby."

He hugged me. Then he took my face in his hands, kissing me lightly on the lips before continuing.

"Bella, I know it's just the pregnancy. Remember, I went to medical school. I know all the practical stuff. I'm sure I'm not helping by being so overprotective but it's the only way I know how to deal with this. I'll try to ease up a bit." His tenderness and understanding made me want to cry. I hate these hormones.

Thankfully, the majority of my time is normal. No ups and downs, just a calm tranquil flow of emotions. This is what makes my pregnancy easy to deal with. I treasure my time with Edward even more; our walks or cuddling with him while we watch a movie, listen to music or while I read my course material.

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Esme, Alice and Rosalie introduced me to Yoga, nothing serious yet, just stretching and relaxation exercises. They purchased a prenatal DVD and setup part of the sun room next to the library with a thick carpet so we could practice. They had the whole DVD memorized and they all did yoga at various times in the lives so they were able to help me through it. They said it would help with the stress with the added benefit of keeping me flexible.

Carlisle was checking my blood pressure and taking my pulse every few days. As I told Charlie, I'm as healthy as a horse. On January 12, after my last exam, he said he was going under the presumption that I was eight to twelve week pregnant. We know the baby will be born before nine months but we don't know what rate it will be growing at. He showed me pictures of babies at both stages and I could make out the shape at eight weeks but at twelve weeks the shape was more defined. He said if it was possible to use ultra sound, we could hear the heartbeat now and if this was the end of the first trimester, then the risky period was over. The baby was well entrenched.

I only had a little pouch but I've gained almost ten pounds and it's only been about a month since I found out I was pregnant. I blame it on all the food the family insisted on feeding me. I have three meals and three snacks, plus my homemade juices. All my snacks are healthy, fruits both fresh and dried, nuts, peanut butter sandwiches, protein drinks, milk shakes and fruit smoothies. The calories I consume are totally ridiculous. It's a good thing I get my exercise by walking around the backyard and yoga else it would have been twenty pounds instead.

As I started getting drowsy, I made myself a promise to get to the bottom of his fear and try to reassure him. He was fine before the fainting spell. We have to get back to that place. I hugged him tighter.

"I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart."

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When I woke up, we had an intense conversation. I reassured him as best I could that I was fine. I felt Ok. I'll tell him if anything changed. He finally seemed reassured. Maybe it was also the reminder of my promise from our first time; basically reminding him that I'll always let him know if I'm hurt. Plus the success from last night's activities.

After breakfast, he gave me a hot stone massage, which led to one of our sensual massages; each of us exploring every inch of the other's bodies. We ended up spending the rest of the day in bed. He bought all my food to the room and we had picnics in the middle of our bed in between making love.

The next day it rained so I couldn't go for my daily walk. Not that I couldn't go for my walk, we have enough raingear for an army but he didn't want me walking in the rain. I went to the bathroom and did my yoga breathing to calm down. The weekend was going well and I didn't want to spoil it.

I guess he knew how mad I was because he put on some really old music and coaxed me into dancing around the living room. I loved dancing with Edward so this was an enjoyable way to get my exercise. Compromising, that's what it's all about. We enjoyed it so much; we did it every evening, whether I had my walk or not. We talked about letting the others join us when they come back.

We were in our happy cocoon. I hoped that first night and the fun we had over the weekend will pave the way for the rest of my pregnancy. I think the time alone helped. No stress from my checkups, no references to our baby. In fact, we basically ignored the pregnancy as much as possible. Overprotective Edward was on hiatus for the most part. I still ate my required amount of food but instead of preparing my meals and watching me eat like a parent, I had more say in what I wanted to eat, when I wanted to eat and where I wanted to eat – that was when he wasn't feeding me and making an erotic game of it.

My moods were still all over the place and the littlest thing made me all teary eyed but the aggravation was minimal – a few minutes alone in the bathroom practicing my breathing exercises usually helped. I hope what we learned this weekend will be used to control his overprotective streak and my urge to blow up at him. Maybe the two are closely related. We'll see what happens when our weekend is over. For now, I'm enjoying this peaceful time and I hope this will be a turning point for us. We love each other and that's the most important thing.

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Poem found on – w w w . lovinghugs . c o m