Thursday, May 5, 2022- 17 weeks

This is the third skirt I've tried on this morning. They fit, but I know their tightness will be too much to make it through a full day at work. I sigh, dropping it to the floor, stooping to retrieve it, and tossing it on the bed with my other rejected options. "Are you ready?" Sheldon stops in his tracks in the bedroom doorway. "Why aren't you wearing any pants?"

I stand from where I'd been digging through the second from the bottom drawer of my dresser. I pull a pair of leggings with me, sitting on the bed while tugging them up my legs. "Sorry. I just need a minute to find a different top. This one doesn't exactly go with these leggings."

"Leggings? I've never known you to wear leggings to work." He's already rehanging the skirts on the bed next to me.

"My skirts are all too tight. I need to go shopping for some maternity clothes."

Sheldon places the last skirt in the closet, pulling a top I rarely wear out when he turns around. "Here. Does this one work? You haven't worn it recently, but I recall it being looser."

It's not what I would have chosen, but we're running late and it will suffice for today. "Thank you." I slip the top on as I follow Sheldon down the hallway. He hates when I change clothes not in the bedroom or bathroom, although I have found he doesn't comment on those things as frequently as he did when we lived in the apartment. Maybe he's less worried about our friends coming in unannounced.

I need to wear leggings to work more often. I've never been this comfortable in my lab before. Sheldon is waiting for me next to the car when I exit the biology building. I don't know what I will wear tomorrow until I can go shopping with the girls this weekend. Guess I can do a load of laundry so these leggings are clean to wear again. I'm driving us home when Sheldon questions, "Why are you going home? Don't you need to get maternity clothes? I thought you were going to stop on the way home."

"Oh, uh," I stammer, glancing at the man on my right. "I made plans to go shopping with the girls on Sunday. I was thinking I could wash these leggings and wear them again tomorrow. Or I've got a dress with an empire waist that should be fine and I won't need to do a load of laundry tonight. I'll check when we get home."

"Go to the store. We'll find you a few things so you're comfortable until you can go shopping with Penny and Bernadette." I feel Sheldon watching me as I bring the car to a stop at the light near the mall. He points and crosses his arms. He has made up his mind; I won't hear the end of it if I don't turn into the parking lot next to us. Flipping on the turn signal, I switch lanes and turn toward the mall.

I found a few tops, a new dress, and two pairs of maternity pants that will give me plenty of options until I can go shopping with the girls. Sheldon didn't complain once in the store, or when I smelled the giant cinnamon rolls in the food court and insisted on getting one. Sheldon takes the bags from the trunk and hurries inside with them before I'm out of the car. The kitchen is empty, prompting me to make my way further into the house. "Sheldon?" I call out.

"In here," I hear his voice respond from the direction of our bedroom. In the few minutes it's taken me to find him, he has unpacked my new clothes and is finding empty hangers for them. "Oh, good. I was thinking since you won't be wearing your regular clothes until after the baby is born, we could put them away to make room for your new clothes."

"I don't need that much room. I'll probably only get a few things with the girls this weekend."

Sheldon's shaking his head at me before I finish my sentence. "No. Get whatever you want. I don't want you to ever feel like you don't have anything to wear. We don't have to pack your regular clothes; I can move them into the closet in one of the bedrooms we aren't using right now. They'll still be easily accessible if needed, but you'll have plenty of room for what you'll be wearing on a daily basis."

I sit at the foot of the bed and watch as he moves an armful of clothes out of our bedroom. "Come here," I motion for him to sit next to me when he returns a minute later. "Less than a week ago, you had zero interest in setting up our baby registry. Today, you insisted I go shopping and you join me. What's with the sudden change?"

"I don't know," he shrugs and looks away. He only avoids my gaze when he's hiding something.

"Sheldon." I bump my shoulder against his arm. "It's just us here. The guys aren't here to make fun of you if that's what you're worried about. I promise I won't tell Penny and Bernadette. What's going on with you?"

He's quiet, but reaches for my hand, interlacing our fingers. "I guess I still can't believe this is happening. I can see your stomach growing. I know it's real and not some wild scenario I've made up." I watch him without interrupting, only squeezing his hand in mine. "There's so much baby stuff; it's overwhelming. How am I supposed to know what we need or what's a good selling point for an item to have? Clothes for you are easy- you know what you like. How are we supposed to know what a baby that we haven't even met yet will need or like?"

"It's a lot for me, too, but we aren't alone in this. Our friends have kids. Missy is a mother. We have a lot of people we can turn to for advice. It takes a village to raise a child, Sheldon. We've got a village." Sheldon doesn't say anything in response before kissing my cheek and turning his attention back to moving my clothes. "Thank you for taking care of this for me. I'll find something to make for dinner."