Fireflower-Glad you liked the costumes! I have a thing for pregnant bellies-they make me smile! So why not paint on a pumpkin, and dress daddy the same:-)
I am sad to say the story is starting to wind down. I would have never imagined this for my little oneshot that could! You can expect to see this story through birth, and the little moments in between. I would love to continue their story, if I can find a good little plot bunny to bop me on the head. In the meantime, you can check out my Callie one shot "These Few Words I Have to Say". Also, I am seeking a few readers for my non-fiction books. I have enabled my email on my Author Page if you would like to contact me for more information:-)
In the aftermath of Billy's death and my goodbyes to my mother, I began to really appreciate everything that my friends were doing for me. Not that I didn't before, but things are always bright and shiny when you let go of that which is not.
Just a few days after our Halloween party, Alex packed up his things to move into a cozy two bedroom with Ava and Rebecca. It was then that I realized we had never even discussed what we were going to do with our little family. There was no way that we could fit three people into one room and it be okay.
I was suddenly ate up with nerves. Where would we put the baby? What exactly were we missing for the baby? Somehow in the shuffle, we kept putting off buying a crib until we had the space, and forgot to get the space. I thought the idea was romantic to wait until the baby is born to find out a gender, but now I thought it was stupid. My whole closet was swathed in white, jaundice yellow, and puke green. Maybe not so extreme, but that's what it felt like. I knew Louise would be coming to town that weekend, but it seemed like there would never be enough time to shop and prepare.
To make matters worse, even when it really shouldn't have, I thought of yet another creature I had forgotten about in it's entirety.
The Baby Shower.
I had never made an invite list, even though it would be short in numbers. I never called on anyone, no one had stepped up. It hadn't even been mentioned since I first found out that I was pregnant! This kid was imminent and I was in no way prepared.
I was so aggravated with myself.
George and I sucked. How can you overlook important things like this, when this is all you have been thinking about?
But the point of no return is where fate always intervenes.
I was just lucky we found that point a month and a half or so before the baby was born.
After a very stressful day of making To-Do Lists, and fretting, I finally arrived home.
Cristina quirked an eye at me.
"Why so glum Mommy Dearest"
"I'm not ready for this baby."
She looked to my middle.
"Isn't it a little too late to be figuring that out?"
"Yes."
"Then why now?"
"Because...I don't know! I am a bad mother already! I don't even have a home for my family!"
Meredith appeared from the kitchen.
"You live here. The baby will live here."
"I can't put that imposition on you! You ar a doctor. You need sleep. That will not happen with an infant in the house. And where would we put the baby? There is no room for all of it's little baby trappings!"
She and Cristina smirked at each other.
"We thought you would say that. Come on upstairs."
This, folks, is where I found out what friends are for.
On Alex's former doorway, there was a small placard on the knob that read "Shhh...baby sleeping!" When I opened the door, Alex and George were painting the walls a soft cream color. I had no option but to just cry. Never in a million years had I expected this.
Cristina nudged me.
"Dry up the waterworks. You'll have to try harder to breathe, and you'll get the kid high on fumes."
Meredith linked our elbows.
"Did you really think there was another option?"
Still speechless, I listened as Alex continued on.
"No one was going to put you out, and you've had a lot on your mind. Ava went out a couple of weeks ago and made you a registry. She said she knew what you would really need and it would be quicker for her to go it alone."
George stepped up and pulled an envelope from his back pocket.
"I don't suck that much, Izzie. I am a confident father! I was thinking and planning, even if I don't share your enthusiasm for the baby books. Open this, it came from my mom today in the mail."
Inside, I found the most beautiful, handmade card. On the front there was a picture of me standing to the side to show off my baby bulge. It was decorated artfully with ribbon threaded around in a milk chocolate color, on the heavy, cream cardstock. A banner below it read, "Our family is expanding!" When I opened it, the tags from Ava's registry fell loose to reveal the invitation.
Join Nana and the family at Joe's!
George and Izzie are having a surprise!
November 10th, 2007 at 2p.m. sharp!
Be late and you don't get cake!
Exceptions made for On-Calls and 911's!
RSVP with Nana, Auntie Cristina, or Auntie Meredith!
"When did she have time for this?"
George laughed out loud.
"Have time? She's been dying for this since you told her! Of course she wanted to see us, but she's really been coming into town to meet up with Joe!"
"There was more planning involved than my wedding ever had," Cristina snarked, "Only this time I only had to carry around a notebook for confirmations. That was pretty painless compared to what they did."
"How did I not know this was going on?"
"Well, you are pretty clueless, Iz. Plus we've been favoring out for the nurses so they wouldn't let the gossip get to you."
I smiled to Meredith for that.
"Pretty painful?"
"You have no idea. Let's just say that McSteamy has done his part as well!"
I laughed and looked around. Family and friends are made to catch you when you fall and dust you off when they can't. They love you unconditionally even when you don't love yourself. In the smiling faces in front of me, I had found that. From the bathroom floor to the baby shower, they had proven themselves time and again.
Appreciate isn't even a strong enough word.
Love doesn't sum it up.
No verb or adjective can ever compare.
I'm just plain lucky.
I went off to start preparing dinner.
I guessed that would be a good point to start the payoff.
