Moon Day (July 20th)
Penny grinned as she watched Howard and Raj bounce around the Gemini 11 space capsule like kids who had just eaten a handful of pixie stixs. Leonard and Sheldon were trying (with little success) to be more circumspect. Mark, Missy, Zack and Amy were standing off to the side, eager to get to the ecosystems part of the tour through the California ScienCenter. Bernadette and Priya were talking with the tour guide, a perky little redhead who hadn't stopped giggling since they got there.
Penny reached into her purse and pulled out the TUMS she had begun to carry with her. Morning sickness was strongest at night for her, but heartburn seemed to be a constant thing now. She was about four months along now, and starting to get a bit of a bulge. Not much of one yet, but surprisingly, she wasn't worried over it. In fact, she was actually pretty eager to see increasing evidence of the growing life inside her.
Mary Cooper was eager for them to "get the lead out" and get married, but Sheldon and Penny had agreed to wait and follow through with their original plans. A late October wedding, with all their friends and family present. They were going to be cutting it close, with their wedding set for two months before little Sheldon 2.0 was due, but that was the only time when everything lined up perfectly. Sheldon's vacation time, her boss wouldn't need her for a few weeks, her dad and mom would have the harvest in and the cows to market so they could take time away from the farm, and (most importantly) there was a special historical cross-country train trip that Sheldon was eager to experience. A honeymoon aboard a replica of the Orient Express. It was his dream.
More giggles from the tour guide brought Penny's attention back to the group. This was Raj's holiday and so far, everyone was having a blast. Surprisingly, so was she. She had been entranced by the Life Source exhibit. Maybe because she was pregnant herself, or maybe just because she was a woman, seeing as how the others girls in the group had wanted to linger, too.
Penny smiled as Bernadette joined her. "Our tour guide's name is Sarah," Bernadette said in a low murmur. "And she thinks Raj is, in her own words, cute as a speckled puppy at Christmas time." Bernadette glanced at their Indian friend who would occasionally glance at the tour guide and blush. "She said she has an hour lunch coming up soon. Feeling hungry?"
Penny grinned conspiratorially. "You know, I think I am."
By the end of the day, the group tentatively had a new member.