Yes, We're Pregnant!
If Eric was dreaming, he didn't ever want to be woke up. Seeing his daughter on the ultrasound screen was the most precious sight in the world. He didn't feel at all awkward or silly rubbing Calleigh's tummy or talking to the baby inside. If anyone who heard him thought it was strange, it was their opinion and they were entitled to it. A lot of people, majority of them, people his parents' age, who heard them or especially Eric say "we're pregnant" thought it was 'stupid.'
"She's pregnant, not him," was the most common statement they heard.
That didn't bother either of them, either. In their opinion, the pregnancy was their experience, not just Calleigh. Unfortunately only Calleigh had to go through the "really horrible" stuff and all Eric could do was be supportive of her and be a shoulder for her to lean on.
To his and Calleigh's relief, Eric's parents had warmed up the thought of the baby. Some friends of hers, who just a devout as she, had told her to "get out of the church and into the real world" and to "set her mind ahead a few decades."
"You have a beautiful granddaughter on the way by two people who love each other. You should be thrilled! It's nice that they are, but whocares if Eric and Calleigh are married or not!" One of them told her.
That seemed to wake Chlorinda Delko up although she still found her son's "we're pregnant" comment to be "dumb." But she had never seen Eric so happy so she wouldn't say anything to spoil that, just yet anyway. As the baby's only grandmother, Chlorinda Delko assumed she was going to be allowed in the labor and delivery room when Calleigh gave birth.
Eric was getting the feeling that she was thinking that way; but was waiting to say anything to contradict his mother since Calleigh wasn't due for another ten weeks. However there was no doubt that his mother was not getting into the delivery room. Repeat, no way. If Calleigh needed extra support or a "back-up coach" from someone who had been there before, that role was going to go to Alexx. All that was already arranged. Alexx planned to hang around the waiting room during Calleigh's labor, no matter how long it was, even before Calleigh asked her to come to the delivery room if she needed it. Alexx felt honored and said she would 'definitely' be there. The couple had double-checked and made sure that the hospital allowed two 'support' persons in the delivery room.
Calleigh confided in Alexx that she was praying she wouldn't start screaming and swearing at Eric when she was in labor. Alexx had talked to Calleigh's husband on this topic a few times. She told the father-to-be not to take it personally if there were points, during her labor "and there would be," where Calleigh screamed, swore at him or told him she hated him or not to touch her, or those last two in combination. The M.E. and mother of two told him honestly that giving birth was different for everybody but could be and ninety-nine percent of the time was very painful. It had been for her, both times. Hearing this Eric was glad, very glad, that his wife was going to be able to have quick access to pain relief if she needed it. And as far as him taking offense to anything Calleigh said or did in the labor room, he wasn't going to.
Eric had watched enough childbirth-related shows on the Discovery Channel in the past weeks and the expectant couple were enrolled to start prenatal classes shortly; Eric's idea, not Calleigh's. He thought they would be "informative." The mere thought of the classes made Calleigh uncomfortable, not to mention she thought "a bunch of huffing and puffing did squat" when you were in that much pain. Eric believed he wouldn't take anything Calleigh said or did in the labor room personally because if his body was going through that he'd be saying and doing much worse. He felt guilty when the thought crossed his mind thankgod I'm a man.
