Advice from Someone with Experience
Calleigh was definitely going to be talking to Alexx Woods about pregnancy advice. Calleigh wasn't sure what gave Alexx more of an "edge," being a doctor or having have given birth to two children herself. It was a given she was also going to talk to Aimee Caine.
Calleigh and Eric hoped to have more than one child and planned to have them close together. Aimee Caine could absolutely tell her how she kept up with a preschooler and a toddler while being pregnant. Alexx's children were close to five years apart. Calleigh hoped her family with Eric would be similar to the Caines. Both fathers-to-be had to work late the day Calleigh found out of her pregnancy. She dropped over to see Aimee and the girls and chatted with Aimee. Calleigh had a time holding back her laughter when she was Aimee that she had heard Horatio tell that Rachel had recently asked her dad how babies got into mommies' tummies and how he was struck trying to answer her after he said "ask your mom," and Rachel replied "I did. She told me to ask you." You two don't play that game when it comes to difficult questions, do you?"
"Yes, we do," Aimee said simply. "And we were both hoping to get that question first so we could deflect it."
"That's so... immature!"
It cracked Calleigh up some times how playful Horatio and his wife could be with each other.
"So?" Aimee said smiling. "Just 'cause you got kids doesn't mean you have to be mature all the time. That would be so boring! Besides, we normally only do it as a form of revenge. He pissed me off that evening."
"What did he do?"
"Took a can of Pepsi Max from away from me, the last one in the house. He's lucky I didn't give him a black eye!"
"Right. That caffeine thing. Eric started on that the moment I had the two words out of my mouth. I'm not sure how he's going to survive this pregnancy the first time he takes my morning coffee from me!"
"And a few more weeks I'll be able to help you move the body."
Both women laughed.
Daddy of two (soon to-be three) Horatio was telling first time daddy-to-be Eric about "the question" from Rachel and how he got stuck with it.
"I told Rachel I'd tell her after her bath and you know I wasn't so lucky for her to forget. I told Aimee I'm so getting her back for that and she just stuck her tongue out at me."
Eric laughed.
"You two can be like children you know. Whaddya do to make Aimee toss that question at ya?"
"I think it was when I took a can of Pepsi Max away from her. Told her a few more weeks she can have all the caffeine she wants. But not now."
"Ow. That's like taking caffeine from Calleigh. Risky business."
Horatio told Eric although at times pregnancy was trying on the partner's patience, it was a wonderful thing to experience together. Showing empathy was the most important thing. Even though it "took two to tango" the husband was a party to the condition and the mom would be feeling or going through what she was physically, mentally and emotionally if it wasn't for him. Horatio admitted to Eric that he almost cried the first time Aimee put his palm on her belly and he felt Rachel kick.
"Don't get me started on seeing them be born." Horatio was not at all embarrassed to admit, to anyone he "completely bawled" his eyes out at his daughters' births. He had no doubt in his mind he was going to be the same when his third child came into the world. In more regards to pregnancy Horatio said "I think not knowing it consciously and even after I was told she would need them I was hugging and kissing Aimee a whole lot more. The last thing it felt was forced. We both found ourselves enjoying it more than we thought."
Eric didn't know that Calleigh had been over to see Aimee. Both laughed heartedly talking about "the question" story.
"One of these days we're gonna be over there and one of the girls are gonna tell mom and dad they need a time-out," Calleigh laughed.
Aimee didn't tell Calleigh that when she and Horatio went to bed that night, when Horatio tried to put his arm around his wife she playfully pouted "don't touch me. You're a big meany!"