Breakthrough

A First Time For Everything (Part Two)

"Hello?" a woman dressed in mint scrubs said as she opened the door.
"Hi," I said as Blake nodded.
"I'm Dr. Marks, you must be Sophia," she said holding out her hand.
"Yes, please call me Sophie," I said shaking her hand. Dr. Marks was gorgeous. Long blonde hair swept into a messy bun on top of her head with a sparkly headband. Her blue eyes really complemented her tan skin too.
"Sophie, ok," she said smiling at me.
"I'm Blake," Blake said standing up and offering her his hand.
"Blake. Yes. Blake Griffin. My son really enjoys your slam dunks," Dr. Marks said laughing to herself and shaking Blake's hands.
"Haha, thank you," Blake said sitting back down.
"So, this is our first baby?"
"Yes ma'am," I said as Blake put his hand on my thigh.
"How exciting! So let's go ahead and have you put this on," Dr. Marks said giving me a papery gown.

After putting on the gown I laid on the table as Dr. Marks wrote some stuff on her paper.
"So how have you been feeling?"
"Um, a little nauseous that's all, everything else seems normal."
"Good, good. Well the nausea is normal of course. And it may get worse as you get further into your first trimester," she said.
"When will we be able to find out the gender?" I ask her curiously.
"We can usually tell when you are between sixteen and twenty weeks. So I'm gonna do an ultrasound now to see how far along you are and make sure the baby is ok."
"Ok," I said as she lifted up the gown to smear the cool clear gel onto my belly.
"Ok, here we go," she said as she began to move around the little device around. I could see Blake watching the screen carefully and cautiously even though he didn't know what he was looking at.
"So it looks like your about eleven weeks, and looks like little peanut is doing well," she said smiling at us.
"What's that sound? Is that normal?" Blake asked nervously.
"Yes, that's the baby's heartbeat," Dr. Marks said.
"Oh my god," I said quietly.
"What? What's wrong?" Blake asked.
"That's our baby. That's our baby's heartbeat," I said tearing up a little."
"I know. It's so real now," Blake said holding my hand.
"And here is the head, and the feet, and the the hands" Dr. Marks said pointing to the screen.
"Those hands are made for dunking," Blake said smiling from ear to ear.
"Did you guys have any questions?" Dr. Marks asked.
"I don't think so," I said to her.
"I do. What about her working? Should she still work? Or when should she stop?"
"You can work now, absolutely. And you can work until you feel like you can not work. Just don't push yourself too much. What kind of work do you do?" Dr. Marks asked.
"I'm a physical therapist for the Lakers."
"Ok, so that's kind of physical. So when you feel like you really can't anymore you should stop. But honestly that doesn't happen until your third trimester. Looks like we have a little rivalry here too. Lakers and Clippers. What's this baby gonna be? Laker or Clipper?" She said smiling.
"Definitely a Clipper," Blake said as I rolled my eyes.
"I think it's better that way," Dr. Marks said winking. "Any other questions?"
"No, I don't think so," I said sitting up.
"Ok, well before you leave go ahead and setup an appointment. In about another eight weeks you'll be able to find out if you've got yourselves a little boy or girl! But here is my card with my personal number and please feel free to call me if you need anything, really," Dr. Marks said heading toward the door.
"Thank you," I said.
"Yeah, thank you so much Dr. Marks," Blake said standing up and putting his hand on her back.
"Of course. Now, if you need me please don't hesitate to call."
"Absolutely," I said to her.
"You guys have a good day now," she said walking out the door.

After I got changed back into my dress, Blake and I made our next appointment and headed back to Blake's. In the car we sat in a comfortable silence. Both of us I think still in shock and joy overload with hearing our baby for the very first time. I had my arm resting on the middle console in the car while Blake rested his on top of mine. There is something about his touch. It is so familiar and warming and so right.

When we get to his house we both sit in the car for a moment still not knowing what to say. We both know there are no words for such a blessing we've been given.
"C'mon, I want to show you something," Blake said opening my door and holding out his hand. As I took a hold of his, he lead me upstairs to his room.
"Why are we in your room?" I asked confused. "I've seen this place many of times," I said laughing.
"This room is just as much yours as it is mine. It's our room," Blake said going into his closet as I took a seat on the edge of the bed. Our room? I liked the sound of that. But isn't that something you said when you were married? Right? I didn't want to get married. I loved Blake. But I don't need a wedding to prove that. I guess you could say we're doing this whole relationship thing backwards. We're together. His parents love me. My mom hates him and me and now we're having a baby. Even though it seems like all hell has broken loose in my life I really wouldn't change much. If it weren't that day meeting Blake I would've been sitting at Nobu again talking to the bartender and refusing to go on any of the dates my mom setup for me. I wouldn't be here sitting on this bed waiting for a man that I knew I loved. I loved a lot.

I could hear him ruffling in something as I waited patiently; my hands resting in my lap as I thought about my baby. Our baby. Would she look like me? Or would he take after his handsome daddy? Maybe he would have my nose and Blake's freckles. Or she would have Blake's eyes and my bow shaped lips.

"I found it," Blake said sitting on the bed next to me with a box in his hands.
"What's that?" I asked.
"It's for you. Well it's not for you. But I wanted to give it to you. It's kind of--just open it," Blake said giving me the box.
"Ok," I said taking it into my hands. The box was yellow tied with a single gray ribbon and a small card that had my name written on it.
"Should I be nervous?" I asked him.
"No, no explosives. I mean we are having a baby," Blake said laughing as I untied the ribbon and tore off the wrapping paper.

I opened the box to reveal tissue paper layered over sheet after sheet. Peeling it back and setting it on the bed I looked at a grinning Blake who sat there with his arms crossed.

As I got to the last piece of tissue paper I saw a familiar pink and white striped pattern. It was one that I had recognized from my childhood photos. My blanket. Draped over my shoulder or dragging it behind me to the first day of preschool. I picked it up and rubbed the cotton between my two fingers. As I unfolded the rest of the blanket that was folded neatly in the square I saw a the pattern. It was yellow and blue animals. Giraffes, zebras, monkeys, and crocodiles speckled the fabric.

"That was mine. Mom said I loved that thing more than her. Took it everywhere. She said I would keep it on the bathroom sink while I took a bath to make sure no one took it," Blake said.

"Where did you get this?" I asked him.
"I got your blanket from your dad and mine from my mom. I took it to Marieka and abet helped do all the sewing. She's pretty good right?"
"Yeah, it's really good. And you took pieces of it and put it together?"
"Mhmm. I love that we're having a baby together. I love that we're doing this together. Going to the doctor with you today and hearing the baby's heartbeat it just made me think about everything. It put everything into a new perspective you know? Like I just started thinking about this house. Is it meant for a baby? And what about you and your job. And my parents. They are gonna want to move down here as soon as we tell them they are getting a a Griffin grand baby. And it's just, it's just--"
"It's a lot," I said wiping under my eyes and looking up at Blake.
"It is, but it's gonna be so worth it in the end," Blake said grabbing my hand and pulling it into his lap.
"It's gonna be worth it," I said back to him as I felt tears in my eyes begin to swell.
"Hey," he said lifting my chin up to him. "It's gonna be ok."
"I know, I don't know why I'm crying," I said laughing between tears.
"Oh lord...is this what it does to you? Make you sad for no reason? And then a bitch for no reason?" Blake asked.
"Yeah, I think that's how it works," I said laughing.