Geez… this has to be AT LEAST the sixth time I have started this chapter. Eek!

I'm sorry for making all of you wait so long… things have been way too crazy around here! Mainly, my cousin had a seizure at our house a week ago, and they live three hours away, but they couldn't leave til they had some tests done, and so they finally left like 3 days late. Now, the tests are coming back NOT all clear, so my cousin is being put to sleep on Monday for more tests. Oh, did I mention she's 5? So, if you believe in praying, PLEASE PRAY FOR HER! She really needs it. And for my aunt (her mom) too… she's falling apart.

I get out of school on Tuesday for Thanksgiving break, so I'll try to write the next chapter then! Thanks for sticking with my story even through my long delays…

Sorry to any of you I confused with the phone thingy… it was just all the family calling to talk to them! (Re-read the note they sent to everyone)

This story is approaching 50 reviews! Yay! That excites me sooo much:)

be234therz

P.S…. I have an idea for my next story! And I'm already planning it… I can't wait!

Keely's POV

November 30th

Well, today we had our annual gathering with our neighbors and Phil and I's parents. So, yes, maybe it was Thanksgiving, but we were only 6 days late! I mean, we did have Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving Day, but I didn't feel too well, actually I threw up as soon as I smelled the turkey, so Phil and I just stayed for an hour or so then went home and curled up on the couch to watch all the parades on TV. ANYWAYS, today I felt much better, and we had been planning Thanksgiving with the neighbors since the beginning of October, so I just cooked more turkey and invited Phil and I's family over also. What an experience…

My mom was got to our house first, over an hour early, (big surprise), but Phil and I weren't ready yet. Phil made up some lame excuse about some clown coming and stealing the pumpkin pie, or something like that, for a pie in the face game at the carnival, and surprisingly she bought it. Then, Phil handed her a twenty dollar bill and sent her across town to the Pickford Pie District to pick up another one. That got her out the door fast!

Phil and I rushed about the house, finding all the things we needed for our surprise. We really love to surprise people during this pregnancy! By the time mom got back, all was ready, including Phil and both being showered and dressed. I had my brand-spanking-new maternity top on and I was singing as I pulled the turkey out of the oven.

Mom got back with twenty minutes to spare before the Diffy's and the Kelley's, our neighbors, were supposed to arrive. This time, we had everything right where we needed it to be. I made her a cup of coffee and invited her to chat in the den with Phil and I while we waited for the others to arrive. Thank goodness she agreed- I assumed she'd want to set the table or something and she'd ruin the surprise.

About fifteen minutes later, the Diffy's arrived. Just on time. Phil looked at me and tugged his earlobe twice, a secret code I insisted we had to have. Not really so I'd get the message, just because I wanted to relive the glory days in high school. At that time, my mom was describing some house she had recently put on the market (she's still a real estate agent) that she insisted Phil and I should move into when the baby is born. I quickly interrupted her with cheery "That's nice, mom! Now could you do me a favor and set the table?" which she quickly agreed to.

As mom bustled out of the den and into the kitchen to collect silverware, napkins, etc. I looked to Phil and took a deep breath. He stood up, then helped me up and held my hand, interlocking our fingers. He gazed into my eyes as I took a deliberate, deep breath and squeezed his hand. I could tell he was trying hard not to laugh, then he pulled me into a hug, leaned down and whispered in my ear "I love you Keely" then planted a sweet kiss on my cheek.

Right on cue, the doorbell rang, so Phil and I went to answer it. Before we could even say hello to the Diffy's, my mom screamed from the dining room. She had found our surprise. Lloyd quickly rushed past us, followed by Mrs. Diffy, who stopped to hug me and kiss Phil's cheek, then Pim and some complete stranger who she was holding hands with.

Phil and I knew there would be lots of questions, so we headed to the dining room after Pim. Phil opened the door for me, even though they would stay open all by itself, and escorted me through the entrance. We really had done a great job with the decorations. Streamers, balloons, signs, posters, placemats, centerpieces, everything was done up in pink, because, as Phil and I found out last week, we're having a girl.

Upon our entrance, my mom enveloped us in a bear hug, then pulled back and sighed a happy sigh. "This is so exciting!" She said, before moving to the side allowing us to talk to the Diffy's.

Barbara bounced over to us also, hugged Phil, then grabbed me, hugged me until I couldn't breathe, then giggled in my ear "A girl will be good for Phil!", and moved away.

Pim came up next, stranger in tow. "This," she said, shoving him forward, "is my new husband, Rich. Before you ask me all these questions, we've been dating secretly since I was a freshman in college, and we got married last week in Vegas. I really would have invited you two, but we didn't want a big ceremony with dresses and frills and everything." Rich nodded in agreement, then followed Pim off to where my mom was standing.

Upon them moving, Phil and I had a great view of Lloyd pulling a twenty out of his pocket, grumbling the whole time, and giving it to Barbara. When Barbara got a hold of it, she smiled, stuck her tongue out at Lloyd and started to stick it in her wallet. When Phil finally said "Uh, Mom?" Barbara was quick to reply "We were most definitely not betting on whether it would be a boy or girl!" and Phil and I just laughed.

Right on cue, the doorbell rang again and Phil went to answer it. A few seconds later, in paraded the Kelley's, our neighbors. First entered Steve, holding their two-year-old Maxwell, followed by Melissa, his wife, and their two girls, Stephanie and Elise, who were clad in matching dresses with little leaves and turkeys on them. I think one of the main reasons Melissa and Steve are so close to us is because they're 35, so they've already been through all the things we're currently experiencing. Stephanie, who is seven, instantly understood what all of the decorations were for and hugged me around my waist. Melissa and Steve also hugged me, then Phil, and told us how proud they were. Six-year-old Elise took a little while to understand the message, probably because she had just learned to read and kept pronouncing "girl" as "grill". However, when she understood the meaning of all the decorations, she did a dance and sang a little song as she moved around the room.

When all of the chaos had settled down a little, we all sat down to enjoy our feast. What a feast it was! Phil and I really outdid ourselves this time, because we didn't have to cook at all last week. Plates full of turkey, mashed potatoes, beans, rolls, stuffing… absolutely everything! And, of course, the pies my mom picked up.

All of us were seated at the table, holding hands, and Rich was getting ready to bless the food. Everything was silent. Our heads were bowed, and Rich had started blessing the food, when suddenly I felt a little tap tap tap. I opened my eyes and glanced to my left where Phil was sitting. His head was still bowed and he was quiet. He hadn't tapped me. I glanced to my right, where Pim was sitting, but her head was bowed too. She hadn't tapped me either. Then I felt it again, only this time it just felt like bubbles. It was coming from my stomach. I wasn't hungry, because I had eaten a sandwich only half an hour earlier in case I didn't feel good during the big meal. It was the baby.

I mean, the doctor had told me I should feel something like bubbles, or tapping, or just some serious butterflies sometime in the next few weeks, but I didn't know it would feel this amazing.

Of course, I started crying, but I seem to do that for everything now a day, so I guess everyone's kind of used to it. Stupid hormones. I tried to keep quiet through the blessing, but it just wasn't happening. Finally, Phil turned over to me and squeezed my hand. He let go of my mom's hand, which was on the other side of him, and wrapped his arms around me, rocking me back and forth. Yes, this all happened during the blessing.

He bent over a little bit and whispered in my ear, "Keely, baby, what's wrong? Do you not feel good? You can go lay down if you need to." Isn't he just great? I mean, he always puts others first.

By then, Rich had finished the blessing and everyone was officially staring at us, even Maxwell. I started laughing as I dabbed my eyes with my napkin, hoping to stop my mascara which I'm sure was running.

"I, I just felt the baby move!" I finally sputtered out.

Upon hearing this, everyone broke into cheers, Melissa leaned across the table and asked me what it felt like, Phil kissed the top of my head, Barbara and my mom high-fived, and everything broke out into loud noise again. Yes, this is exactly how I love my holidays.

It was around nine PM before everyone headed home. We had all stayed around and played games, listened to holiday music and just chilled. I was sitting at the vanity in our bedroom, brushing my hair and changing my earrings when Phil came up behind me and whispered in my ear "I'm thankful for you, Keely Diffy."

I turned around and grabbed him, giving him a passionate kiss. He pulled me up off the vanity chair and wrapped his arms around my waist, moving mine up to wrap around his neck. Then, he started swaying side to side slowly and humming softly our favorite love song as we swayed and danced around the bedroom. "I'm thankful for you, too." I whispered in his ear when he leaned down and kissed my cheek.

Then, I laid my head down on his shoulder and we continued dancing, me shedding soft, happy tears and him humming.