***Two days later***
Jonathan was at the office, and Jennifer had taken residence in the bed.
Jennifer was bored out of her mind. She was tired of laying around and doing nothing. Susan had called to check on her and reminded her to take it easy. Max was great at getting whatever she needed, but she was still ready to be off bedrest.
She was drinking as much water as much as possible and trying to eat enough calories.
She had written a few articles, and tried to read a book, but she was over all of it. She yearned to walk on the beach, and take a bubble bath, and go for a drive up the coast with Jonathan.
Around 11:30, she leaned over and grabbed the phone and called him.
"Hello, this is Jonathan Hart".
"Hey."
"Hey, is everything ok?"
"Yeah, I just needed to hear your voice. I'm so bored, darling. I'm so ready to be up and be active again. This is so hard".
"I know, but you are doing it for the best reason, darling. And as soon as this meeting is over, I will come right home, I swear it".
"Good. This house is too quiet without you here".
"I have a surprise for you. I'll bring it with me when I come home. Have you eaten anything today?"
"The cupboards are bare after my eating binge".
"Well, when I get home, Max can go to the market and restock. I know it's hard, but we will sit outside as soon as I get home, ok? I love you".
"I love you too".
She hung up and went to take a quick shower and get some more water.
Jonathan got home around 2 and had a couple big boxes with him.
"Hi, how are you feeling?"
"Bored. But happy beyond words to see you".
She leaned up and kissed him.
"Ok, surprise number 1-since you are supposed to drink lots of water, I got you a drinking station, so that it's right here next to you. And after bedrest is over, this will come in handy during the night, or whenever. Surprise number 2 is being delivered in about an hour, along with surprise number 3."
"Three surprises? Remember, we still have to open our wedding gifts".
"We will, I promise, as soon as surprise number 2 gets here".
Max came in their room.
"Mr. and Mrs. H-what do you two want I should make for dinner?"
"I don't care, Max, as long as it has grilled shrimp and sliced tomatoes in it. Make Jonathan whatever he wants though, I've made him eat enough shrimp lately".
"Whatever you want to fix is fine, Max".
"Mrs. H., can I get you anything?"
"Not at the moment, thank you".
He laid down on the bed with her and hugged her some.
"You feeling ok aside from the boredom?"
"Well, there was one point today where I was sure that I was beginning to sprout roots to the bed, but other than that, I'm fine. I would give anything to be able to run on the beach right now".
"All in due time, darling. I promise".
Max came and told them that dinner was ready.
He helped her up off the bed and they headed to the kitchen. She was overjoyed to be able to stretch her legs.
As they passed through the living room, something looked out of place.
"Jonathan, what happened to-"
"Nothing, darling. It's all there".
"Hope you two are in the mood for fajitas. I did steak and chicken for Mr. H., and shrimp and chicken for Mrs. H."
"Wonderful. Thanks, Max".
He put a plate of sliced tomatoes on the table as well.
"Max, want to eat with us?"
"No thanks, Mr. H. I got a poker game to get to, and if you don't mind me saying, I feel lucky tonight".
Jonathan and Jennifer ate, and then she sat there while he did the dishes.
Just as he finished, there was a knock at the door.
She went and sat on the couch, and he opened the door.
Surprise number 2 and 3 were here.
He walked back into the living room.
"Jonathan, earlier I asked you what happened in here and you said it was all in here. Now either my eyes are going bad, or there is a gaping hole where the loveseat was".
"The loveseat has been moved to the sunroom, to make room for your other surprise".
The workmen carried in a Laz-boy recliner, for two. He directed them on where to set it down, and then after it was ready, he picked her up and placed her in it.
"Comfy?"
"Oh, yes. This is nice".
She puckered her lips for a kiss and he happily gave her one.
"Thank you, darling".
The workmen went and brought in surprise number 3.
"Jonathan, what is that?"
"It's a chaise hammock swing, all in one. With a retractable shade. I figured we could put it on the deck, and you would still be able to sit outside. I sent a picture of it to Susan and she approved it, so long as we don't swing too vigorously".
"You're wonderful".
She stayed inside while the workmen assembled it, and then they wanted her to give it a try. Jonathan picked her up and placed her on the chaise, and she declared it to be comfortable.
"This will make bedrest so much easier to tolerate".
Jonathan tipped them double and thanked them and walked them out and then came back and joined Jennifer.
Her spirits were already lifted just from sitting outside.
"I love this".
"Yeah, it is pretty comfy".
They stayed out there watching the surf and listening to the waves for about an hour and then they headed inside.
Jennifer sat down in the lazy-boy and Jonathan brought the wedding presents to her.
"Ok, we are going to need a legal pad and a pen".
He brought all that to her, and brought her water bottle as well.
They opened the wedding presents one by one, and she directed him on where to put everything. Everything was a surprise because they hadn't registered for anything.
After all the presents were opened, he came and joined her in the recliner.
"Feeling better?"
"A little. I'm liking this change in scenery".
She snuggled up to him and he put his arm around her.
"Darling I'm sorry I've been so difficult".
"You haven't been difficult. This is hard on all of us, but most of all on you. We just have to remember that in the end, when our healthy baby Blaze or Baby Wilhelmina is born, it will all be worth it".
"I know. I just hope I don't get all fat and fluffy because I'm not able to work out. You deserve a cute and skinny wife, not a fat and fluffy flabby one".
"As long as my wife is you, I'll take you and love you whatever you look like".
He gave her a few kisses and then they watched a movie. Jennifer fell asleep at the very end. He picked her up and carried her to the bed and laid her down.
He went and locked the house up and got her a fresh cup of ice for her water, and then came back to bed with her.
She woke up when he climbed into bed.
"Hi, was I asleep long?"
"Just a few minutes, that's all".
"I'm sorry".
"That's alright. You're growing a human, you need your rest".
He wrapped his arms around her and held her for a few minutes.
"I love you, we will get through this. Just a few more days".
"I love you too".
A few minutes later, they were both asleep.
***Monday***
Jennifer had pretty much taken over the lazy boy. As soon as she got up in the morning, that was her go-to spot. Jonathan had moved the water station to the living room and put it right next to the recliner so she would be easily able to get some.
Today was her appointment with Susan.
Jonathan promised her he would come home in time to get her dressed and get her to the appointment.
"I love you, I'll be home soon".
"I love you too".
She gave him several kisses and then he left and headed to the office.
She had just gotten out of the shower when he got home.
She quickly got dressed and they headed to the appointment.
She held his hand in the car and tried not to be nervous.
They got to Susan's office and checked in.
They were immediately pulled back into an exam room.
Jennifer changed into the exam gown and laid on the table.
Susan came in a few minutes later.
"Hi. How are you feeling?"
"It was rough, but I made it through."
"What made it rough?"
"Well I like to go running, and I wasn't able to do that. And I like to get up and do things, and having to stay in one spot while the world went on around me without me, really got to me."
"Well, let's have a little look and then we will see what is going on."
She did the exam and then looked at her.
"I'm sorry, but your cervix has effaced even more than last week. So it seems as if our only option is a cerclage."
She explained the ins and outs of a cerclage.
"You will have to go to the outpatient surgery center though. I can meet you there."
"Why is this happening to me?"
"Well, is this your first pregnancy?"
"Yes, it is."
"Ok, so you could have a condition where your uterus is cone-shaped. Or this could be a result of your mother having been given doses of a particular medicine when she was pregnant with you, or before she was pregnant with you."
"She did miscarry before she had me."
"Then they probably gave her diethylstilbestrol during her pregnancy with you, in order to prevent miscarriage. At the time, they had no clue it would stay in the system as long as it did."
Jennifer nodded.
"Now, let's talk specifics. I can have them give you an epidural, that will numb you from the waist down and keep you from feeling anything. It will wear off in a couple hours, and then you might be in a slight amount of pain. I can give you some pain meds for that. Jonathan can take you home afterwards, but you will still need to be on bedrest for a couple days afterwards, to recover. But in a week or so, you will be able to resume your normal activities with a few modifications".
"Like what?"
"Well, you will be able to get up and walk around like you used to. But no running. I will allow 1-2 mile walks as long as they are slow and leisurely. I will also allow you to drive but I don't want you driving all day. Just quick errands, and back home."
"Not to sound argumentative, but if I don't do this, what happens?"
"You could miscarry or deliver early, before your child can be saved with medical intervention."
"What are the risks of this?"
"Well, around 36 weeks or so, we will take the stitches out, and then you will deliver when your body goes into labor."
She went and grabbed the calendar, and then returned to the exam room.
"Ok, so it's 12:45 now. How does 4:30 sound?"
"Good, I guess".
"Ok, I'm going to permit you to go home between now and then. You will want light, loose clothing to wear home afterwards, and if you have a pair of underwear that you don't care about, wear those. You will also want to stock up on pads if you don't have any. No tampons though, those will be too painful. And eat a good lunch if you can, because you will probably sleep all night after the procedure".
"Anything else we should stock up on?"
"Aleve, ginger ale, a heating pad if you don't have one."
"Got it".
She wrote out a prescription for the pain meds and handed it to Jonathan.
"Are these safe for the baby?"
"One or two won't hurt. But only take them if you absolutely cannot get the pain to subside any other way".
She stood up.
"Ok, so while I have you here, how is the other parts of your pregnancy going? You drinking enough water, getting enough rest?"
"Yes, I am. Jonathan got us a recliner and the chaise hammock swing, so I've been enjoying not being confined to the bed, even if I'm confined to the house".
"Glad to hear it. Ok, I have another patient, so I will see you two at 4:30 at the surgery center".
"Thank you".
Jonathan and Jennifer headed to the pharmacy and stocked up on everything she would need.
Afterwards, they headed home.
Max had made them some grilled shrimp salads and grilled chicken salads, so they sat down and ate.
Jonathan called Deanne and told her he would be out the rest of the day and he would let her know about tomorrow.
She tried to relax but found it hard to do so.
Around 3:30, she went and got ready and put on some black wide-legged capri yoga pants, and a tank top.
While she was changing, Jonathan and Max had a chat in the kitchen.
"Jennifer has to have a medical procedure. I have no idea when we will be home tonight, so don't worry about dinner for us. I'll just heat up leftovers or pick up something on the way home, whatever."
"Is she alright, Mr. H.?"
"Yeah. The doctor thinks that when Jennifer's mom was pregnant with her, she received doses of a medicine to prevent her from losing the baby. And it stays in the baby's system and the mom's, and now it's causing Jennifer to have complications, so they are doing a procedure to stop that. But they have to put her to sleep first. Also, the next two days she's supposed to lay around and she might be in pain, so we need to help her through that".
"No problem, Mr. H."
She came out of the bedroom then, and Jonathan went to change clothes.
Max stepped forward.
"I hope your procedure goes ok, Mrs. H."
"Thank you, Max."
Jonathan drove them in the land rover to the surgery center.
As they drove, she grabbed his hand and kissed it.
"I'm sorry, darling, I know this day has been a lot of female stuff thrown in your face".
"Oh that's ok. That kind of stuff doesn't embarrass me. Plus, your health and the baby's health is what matters".
"I guess we should start planning for the baby. We don't have anything".
"We will get whatever we need to, darling. But let's get moved into the house first, ok?"
"Deal".
They arrived at the surgery center and walked inside.
They signed in and were taken back.
Jennifer was told to put on a gown, open to the back.
The anesthesiologist came and talked her through the procedure of the epidural.
"I will put some numbing cream on the spot on your back, then after a few minutes when you are numb, I will put the needle in. You are going to lean forward and then I will stick the needle in."
She nodded.
He had her lean forward and put the numbing cream on her back.
Jonathan could tell she was nervous so he sat at the foot of the bed and let her hug him.
"That's perfect, Jennifer. Absolutely perfect".
She felt a big pinch, but it wasn't too bad and a few seconds later, they let her lean back.
Susan came in a few minutes later.
"Can Jonathan stay with me the whole time?"
"Absolutely".
He stood next to her and held her hand and smoothed the curls off her forehead while Susan prepped her.
"Ok, I'm going to touch your cervix, tell me if you can feel it".
Jennifer never spoke up.
"Great, great. Ok, I'm going to begin now. Just a few minutes and it will be over".
Jonathan and Jennifer chatted about all the stuff they wanted to get for the baby, while Susan stitched up her cervix.
About 10 minutes later, they were done.
"Ok, all finished. You are bleeding a little bit, so let's let you lay here some while that stops and then you can go home. Remember, pelvic rest for the next 4 days, which I'm sorry, I know is a blow to your newlywed status."
"We will survive, Susan."
"And let's hold off on the physical activity such as walking on the beach or anything above bedrest for at least the next 4 days. After that, listen to your body. You are going to want to use at least a light pad just in case. And don't panic if you see something, unless you bleed through more than one regular sized pad in an hour. If you get a fever, call me."
She stood up and put her hand on Jennifer's.
"And don't try to be superwoman-let this gorgeous husband of yours wait on you hand and foot, ok?"
Jennifer nodded.
"Thank you, Susan".
"Certainly. I'll see you in a week for a checkup, ok?"
"Ok".
Jennifer was discharged about 20 minutes later.
She was starving, so they stopped and got a to-go order and then headed home.
After they ate, Jennifer headed to the recliner and got comfy.
"How you feeling, Mrs. H.?"
"Fine, Max. Just fine".
"Darling, how about some pain meds?"
"Not just yet. I'm not really in pain just yet".
Jonathan got her some water, and then came and sat with her.
"You were a Rockstar today, Mrs. Hart".
"Thank you, Mr. Hart".
She leaned over and kissed him a few times.
They turned on a movie and started to watch. They were about an hour in when the phone rang.
Jonathan reached over and picked it up.
"Hello?"
He talked for a few minutes and then hung up.
"What is it?"
"Stanley called. He said that all the deals we are working on were about to fall apart. Turns out James Piedmont screwed with the files and the numbers before I fired him, probably at Elliott's command".
"Oh no. So what are you going to do?"
"They are splitting up the work and are pulling an all-nighter. I told him I would come in for a couple hours, after you are settled".
"Oh, darling, you can go now if you want. I'll be ok".
"Are you sure? I don't want to leave you if you are in pain".
"I'm fine, Jonathan. Honest. No pain whatsoever".
"Promise me you'll take something if you start to hurt?"
"Yes, I promise".
"I'll be back as soon as I can, but call me if you need something, ok?"
"Ok".
He sat down next to her in the recliner.
"I love you".
She hugged him and kissed him a few times.
"I love you too".
She rested for the remainder of the evening while he headed to the office.
As soon as the news was over, she got up and headed to bed.
She took a pain pill just before bed, and settled into a deep sleep.
Jonathan came in about 10 minutes later.
He settled into bed and wrapped his arms around her.
***Early morning***
Jennifer woke up around 5 a.m., in a lot of pain.
She got up and went to the bathroom and then headed to the kitchen to make some toast.
She came back to the bed and took a pain pill and settled in next to Jonathan.
He woke up as she was getting back in bed.
"You ok?"
"I'm in a little bit of pain, but I'll be alright. I just took a pill."
He wrapped his arms around her and they fell back asleep.
When his alarm went off, he quietly got up and got ready for the office.
Before he left, he wrote her a love note and left it on his pillow.
He was able to work through the rest of the tasks at the office without being disturbed, and came home around 1.
She was still asleep. He came and kissed her forehead and then sat in the den for a little bit.
She woke up around 4, and came out to sit with him.
"Hi".
"Hi. How are you feeling?"
"About the same. How long have you been home?"
"Just a little while".
She wrapped her arms around him and settled onto his shoulder.
"I missed you".
"I missed you too."
"Were you able to fix everything at the office?"
"Yes, I was. And I got a very interesting phone call".
"Oh? What about?"
"Elliott".