Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be, sure wish they were...
A/N: Thanks, as always, for the reviews! I've no idea how many chapters this story will end up being, but I do know I look forward to my computer time almost each day, and I look forward to seeing where the characters decide to take me - it's really neat, not to mention a great source of expression for me. I haven't written from personal experience since the very early chapters, but I'm able to write out things I'm dreaming of, and that's way cool.
SEE SPECIAL NOTE AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER!
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Chapter 31:
"You ready to go?" Harm asked Mac as he strolled into her office. "The appointment is in half an hour."
"I know" she answered. "I'm just trying to get this last little thing finished up before we go. I'm almost done."
"OK, I'll be back in exactly 5 minutes, and we're leaving whether you're done or not." said Harm with a smile.
"Yeah, yeah" mumbled Mac, not looking up from her laptop. She was determined to get the last paragraph of her report typed before they left for the appointment. They were seeing Dr. Mianni weekly now, and she knew each appointment could bring news that she wouldn't be returning to JAG for awhile, so she hated to leave anything unfinished.
"Time's up, babe" said Harm, popping his head around the doorframe.
"Just finished" replied Mac, powering down her laptop and closing it atop her desk. She grabbed her cover and purse and walked with Harm to the elevator.
"After the appointment" said Mac, "I'd like to go to Babies R Us and get a few things, OK?"
"Sure" said Harm. "Can we run by the house so I can change first?" Mac had civvies with her already, as she'd decided early on that her uniforms weren't conducive to OB appointments. It was still really strange using the term "the house" in reference to the home they now shared, but she was getting used to it.
"Yeah, that's fine" she said, "we need to go home and grab the gift cards anyway. I left them on the dresser."
"What do we need to get at Babies R Us?" he asked her as he mentally ran down a list of the infant paraphernalia that already filled their new home. He couldn't think of anything they were missing, but he knew there must be something because Mac wouldn't suggest going shopping if there wasn't.
"For starters" said Mac, "the car seat."
"Oh yeah" replied Harm, "we didn't get that at the shower, did we?"
"Nope, we're gonna get it with the gift card from your brother." answered Mac. "We also need some diapers, and I want to pick out a 'going home' outfit for the baby."
"More clothes?" exclaimed Harm. "Babe, have you looked in the nursery lately? The kid has more outfits than you do!"
"I know" said Mac, "but we never really chose anything special for the baby to go home from the hospital in, and I want to. We'll agree on a boys and a girls outfit, just one of each, and that'll be it."
Harm chuckled and smiled. "I love this."
"Love what?" asked Mac.
"All of this" he replied, "everything this pregnancy has shown me about myself, about you."
"What do you mean?" she asked him, a bit perplexed.
"I mean that I had no idea that SO much went into having a baby" answered Harm. "Set all the medical stuff aside - and for us there was even more of that than there should have been - there's all the planning and shopping and choosing and preparing, it's just a really awesome experience."
"Harm" said Mac with a little break in her voice, "that's so sweet."
"It's true" he said, "I'm getting so excited the closer we get to 'birth day', and I just can't wait until it's finally here."
"I know the feeling" said Mac as the pulled into the doctor's office parking lot.
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"Ok, Sarah" said the nurse as she walked towards the scale. "Let's get your weight."
"I hate this part" said Mac.
"Oh, don't worry about it, babe" said Harm. "After the baby comes, you'll get your figure back in no time."
"I hope so" said Mac.
"You will" encouraged Harm. "Don't give it another thought."
"I'll try not to" said Mac, "but I feel huge."
"Well" he said, "you look beautiful."
"Did anyone ever tell you you've got a way with words, Harmon Rabb, Jr.?" replied Mac.
"I think I've heard that before" he said, flashing her that smile, the one that could stop traffic in half a second, and they walked hand-in-hand to the exam room.
"Greetings" said the doctor as she entered the room a few minutes later.
"Hi" said Mac. "How are you today?"
"Very well, thank you for asking" said Dr. Mianni. "I hope the same goes for you?"
"I'm feeling good today" replied Mac. "I feel like a hippopotamus, but a good one!"
"Hey, you're at 36 weeks now" said the doctor, "only a few more and you might start to feel more human again."
"I'm ready!" said Mac. "Do you still think I'll deliver around the 12th?"
"Most likely" said Dr. Mianni, "but as we've talked about before, first babies, well, all babies really, oftentimes come several days or more past their due date, so don't get too hung up on the 12th."
"We're not too hung up on it" said Harm, "we're just ready for it to get here."
"Understood completely, Harm" said the doctor as she took the small Doppler unit out of her lab coat pocket.
"Let's have a quick listen here." Mac laid back on the table and lifted her shirt up, exposing her tummy. The doctor squeezed some ultrasound gel in the necessary spot, and pressed the Doppler wand against it. Soon after, the baby's heartbeat was heard, loud and strong as always.
"Sounds great" said Dr. Mianni.
"Yeah, it does" agreed Harm with a big smile on his face.
"Your weight is still right on track" said the doctor as she read over Mac's chart. "Let's see where you're measuring today." She pulled a tape measure from her pocket and placed it across the top of Mac's tummy, as she'd done at every appointment.
"Again" she said, "right on track."
"Really?" asked Mac.
"Oh yeah" answered Dr. Mianni, "you're right where you should be for 36 weeks, perfect."
"See, babe" said Harm, "you're not a hippopotamus, you're just a 36-week-pregnant mother."
"I know" said Mac. "It's just getting so much harder to move and sit and drive and pretty much everything, it makes me feel enormous."
"Like I said earlier, you're almost there" said Dr. Mianni. "Which reminds me, we need to go over a few things regarding your delivery."
"Oh yeah" said Mac. "We've got a birth plan written up, in fact I've got as copy in my purse for you."
"Good" replied the doctor. Harm reached into Mac's purse, fished out the paper and handed it to the doctor. Across the top was the heading "Sarah Mackenzie's Birth Plan", and following was a list of all the important points they wanted to make known:
1. We would like to experience as natural a birth as possible, and therefore ask that the nurses refrain from offering any pain medication. If we decide it's necessary, we will ask for it.
2. We would like to do as much laboring out of the bed as possible. We'd like to utilize the whirlpool and walk the halls to help labor progress.
3. We would like to keep the number of non-medical people in the delivery room to a minimum. Only our friend, Harriet Sims-Roberts, and our daughter, Mattie Johnson will be present. The rest of our family and friends will remain in the waiting area until we send for them.
4. We would like for Harm to be the one to announce the sex of the baby when it's delivered.
5. We would like the baby to be returned to us as soon as it is cleaned off and weighed and swaddled. We understand this may not be possible due to unforeseen complications, but it is our wish.
6. We do not want the baby to have any pacifiers, and will only agree to allow a bottle in the event breastfeeding isn't possible at any given time.
Dr. Mianni read over the plan from start to finish before commenting.
"Wow, you two put a lot of work and thought into this" said the doctor, "I can tell that with one look."
"Yeah, we did" said Harm. "Does it all look doable to you?"
"I don't see why not" answered Dr. Mianni. "You're not asking for anything unusual at all, and I see no problem with sticking with this plan so long as things go the way we want them to."
"You mean so long as there aren't any complications and/or we don't end up with a C-section, right?" asked Mac.
"Basically" said the doctor, "that's what I mean. There are other things that could impact parts of this, like if say the baby has trouble breathing once we get it out and we need to take it to the NICU to monitor it, you won't be able to have it right back after the birth."
"We're trying not to think like that" said Harm.
"I know" replied the doctor, "and chances are everything will go just perfectly, but since these points are important to you both, it's my duty to make sure you know that despite everyone's efforts, some of them might not pan out."
"Well, we'll just think positive" said Mac, "and if we have to adapt a few things along the way, we will."
"That's a fantastic way to look at it, Sarah" replied the doctor. "Is there anything else you wanted to ask me or talk about today?"
"I don't think so" said Mac. "Ok then, same time, same place next week" said the doctor. "Unless of course you decide to deliver before then!"
"I don't see that happening!" laughed Mac. "We'll see, though…"
They followed the doctor out of the room, and checked out at the front desk.
"Here you go, Sarah" said the nurse. "I've put you down for this same slot next week, OK?"
"Great, thanks" replied Mac, and she and Harm walked out of the office.
"I'm hungry" said Mac as they walked to Harm's vehicle. "I think while you're changing clothes, I'll make a snack."
"Why am I not surprised?" laughed Harm.
"Watch it, flyboy" said Mac. "I'll make a sandwich or something quick, then we'll go to Babies R Us and see what we can find in the way of cute little outfits."
"Oh, I have a feeling they've got a few" he said with a smile.
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"Too many choices!" said Mac. "How do they expect us to narrow it down when everything is so darned adorable?"
"I dunno, babe" said Harm, "but I do know that if we don't choose something soon, by the time we do the baby will be too big for it."
"Goofball" said Mac as she playfully slapped his shoulder. "OK, here are my two favorite little girl outfits. Which of these do you like the best?"
Harm looked at each one carefully. One was a yellow dress with a matching bonnet. It had lace around the sleeves and across the bottom, and tiny pink roses embroidered across the skirt. The other was a red checked romper, also with a matching bonnet. It had a white collar with watermelons on it, and the bonnet was in the same material as the outfit and had a big, white lace brim.
"I think I like this one best" he said, holding up the watermelon romper.
"Yeah, that's my favorite, too" smiled Mac. "Now for the boys" she said, holding up two different outfits. The first was a one piece, short-sleeved cotton outfit with airplanes on it. It came with adorable matching shoes. The second was also a cotton one-piece, but it had a puppy on the front and came with a baseball cap.
"Why don't you decide, babe?" asked Harm. "I like them both."
"Because" she said, "I narrowed it down, you get to make the final choice."
"OK" said Harm, carefully studying his choices. "This one" he said, indicating the airplane outfit.
"Somehow, I knew you'd choose that one" smiled Mac. "Was it the airplanes or the shoes?"
Harm smiled and laughed a little. "Both" he admitted. "I mean, come on, Mac, just look at those shoes!"
"I know" she said, "too cute, aren't they?"
"Indeed" he said. "Now that we've got that all figured out, let's go pick out the car seat and call it a night."
"I already know which one I want" replied Mac, " it's the one on our registry. Let's just hope they have it in stock."
They made their way over to the car seat aisle, and Mac eyeballed the display models to locate the infant seat they'd chosen when they registered.
"Can you reach that box up there, babe?" she asked Harm, pointing to the shelf above the display.
"I think so, lemme see" said Harm. Standing with his tiptoes on the bottom shelf, he reached up as high as he could and managed to move the box enough that he could get a hold of it.
"I dunno why they don't do a better job of keeping these things stocked on the lower shelves" he said. "I mean, I know there's not room for them all to be down there, but when the bottom shelves sell out, how hard would it be to move a few more down?"
"I know, babe" replied Mac. "But at least you're tall and handsome and you were able to get it despite it being up high."
"What does being handsome have to do with it?" asked Harm with a little gleam in his eye.
"I just hate to miss an opportunity to remind myself that I've got the most handsome fiance in the world" said Mac, the gleam in her eyes matching his. "If we have a boy, I hope he looks like you."
"You don't want a girl to look like me?" asked Harm, half kidding and half surprised.
"Sure I do" answered Mac, "but I can't picture that like I can picture how our son would look."
"Well, I'm hoping if we've got a girl in there" he said as he placed his hand on Mac's tummy, "she turns out to be the spitting image of her mother." Mac smiled and blushed just a bit.
"So you don't care if the baby ends up with my looks and my brains?" she teased.
"What more could I ask for?" answered Harm.
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HERE'S YOUR CHANCE to help me decide where the story goes! Please E-MAIL ME with your vote on whether the baby should be a boy or a girl! I'm leaning in a certain direction already, but if enough people say they think it should go the other way, I very well may change my mind. My email addy is in my profile, and I'd like to keep the votes as secret as possible, so PLEASE don't include your vote in a review! The birth chapter is coming soon, so cast your vote now!
Thanks!