Walking to the kitchen after my shower, I find Hamilton has Liberty in her chair while he fixes breakfast.
“We will need to help Mommy,” he says to our daughter as he shuts the fridge door. “She must take naps with you--”
“Um…” I interrupt. “I think you’re getting ahead of yourself. Naps are when I’m as big as a whale.”
Liberty looks to me, confused.
“As the baby gets bigger in Mommy’s tummy, my belly will get big,” I explain.
With no reaction, she turns her focus to the oatmeal Hamilton places in front of her.
“Since the baby is a secret,” I glare at him, “we probably shouldn’t talk about it all the time.” I tilt my head towards Liberty, and Hamilton takes the hint, winking at me.
We place our finger to our mouths in unison. “Shh.”
Liberty mimics our gesture and joins us. “Shh.”
I know this will not last. There’s no way Liberty will keep the fact that we’re having a baby a secret.
Hamilton places my favorite mug in front of me on the island. I wrap my hands around it and inhale the earthy aroma. There’s nothing like the smell of coffee in the morning. My mind runs through the list of foods and beverages I must avoid while pregnant. Coffee and Diet Pepsi will be the most difficult for me. But, just like with Liberty, it will be worth it to deliver the healthiest baby possible.
I lift Liberty from the highchair; she runs to her toys the second her feet touch the hardwood. As I dump my coffee down the drain, I pull out my cell; I need to make an obstetrics appointment.
When the receptionist answers, I state my name and date of birth then ask to make an appointment. While I wait for her to open the schedule, my eyes meet Hamilton’s; in his, I see both excitement and fear. I can’t wait to experience the next nine months with him.
The receptionist comes back on, telling me they had a cancellation this morning at 11, so I quickly accept it. I look to Hamilton as I disconnect the call.
“Can you go with me at 11 this morning?” My smile grows with his.
“I’ll call Stan and let him know I can’t workout.” He already has his cell phone in hand to do so. “I’m gonna skip our workout, today,” Hamilton tells Stan when the other man answers. “Madison’s pregnant, and we have a doctor’s appointment.”
Seriously? It’s barely been twelve hours, and he’s already blabbed. So much for keeping it a secret for a couple of months.
“Hamilton!” I scold, hands on my hips.
At my words, he realizes what he’s done.
“Crap! Stan, it’s supposed to be a secret.” He scrambles to cover his mistake. “Can you keep it a secret for now, please?” Hamilton places his phone on speaker. “Madison’s here. You’re on speaker, now.”
“You two get your stuff together. I won’t tell a soul,” Stan promises. “I’m in no hurry to start the baby-fever that will sweep through the team. Been there. Done that.”
“Really?” I ask. “Baby-fever?”
“Yes, even Delta catches it,” Stan states, exasperated. “The wives and girlfriends all hound partners, trying to conceive, and sometimes, trying to get pregnant without consent. So, yes, I’ll keep your secret. Just give me a heads up before you tell Delta. I need to be prepared,” Stan promises and Hamilton ends the call.
“I’m sorry, babe.” Hamilton wraps his arms around me.
“I understand your excitement, but it’s common to wait two or three months before telling friends and family in case something happens,” I remind him. “We haven’t even seen the doctor to confirm the pregnancy.”
“I know,” Hamilton says, kissing my temple. “It just came out. I’ll try to control it. I promise.”
I nod, hoping now that he told Stan, he’ll be able to keep the secret, at least for a couple of weeks.
“Madison Crocker,” a nurse calls from the open door.
I take Hamilton by the hand, pulling him behind me as we follow the nurse, who takes my weight, and enter the exam room. He stands nervously beside me as I sit on the end of the exam table, and the nurse records my vitals. She urges him to take a seat in the nearby chair while I give a urine sample in the attached restroom. I must bite my lips, hiding my amusement at his nervous discomfort.
After a routine exam, Dr. Humphreys asks the two of us, “Any questions?”
I shake my head, looking to Hamilton for him to ask away. He hesitates for a moment before he speaks up.
“I’m worried about…” Hamilton begins, pausing to find the right words.
Dr. Humphreys chimes before he can finish. She’s experienced in the worries of new fathers. “Madison’s first pregnancy was an easy one. Nothing has changed since then, so there’s no need for any restrictions.”
Hamilton nods once. “She attends yoga twice a week. We’ve started weightlifting to tone areas she thinks need work.” He shakes his head, not finding any fault with my body. “She carries our daughter, and Liberty weighs 30 pounds. I worry it’s all too much.”
“I see.” Dr. Humphreys smiles at us both. “The most important rule is to rest. Madison is young and healthy; as long as it causes her no discomfort, then I see no reason for her to stop her normal activities.”
She looks to me on the exam table. “No hot yoga or any poses that cause you strain. I’m sure the instructor can give you modifications to any poses you might need. Light weights with several reps are better than heavy weights. As you will remember, you will tire easily and need to rest more than normal. Often with a child at home, expecting mothers find they are much more tired than in the previous pregnancy.”
Dr. Humphreys looks to Hamilton. “You should encourage her to rest often each day. If you notice she seems worn down, it’s important that you allow her to rest, and intervene if she refuses.”
Looking back to me, she continues, “Madison, it’s my hope that you’ll listen to your body when it tells you to rest. I’ll give Hamilton my cell number. If he feels you aren’t resting enough, I’ll expect him to call me. I’ll ask him to clear your schedule, and I’ll visit you at the house, placing restrictions if I need to.”
“I won’t overdo it,” I promise the two of them. “With our nanny and housekeeper taking care of everything, I’ll take it easy.”
Pleased with my promise, Dr. Humphreys asks Hamilton if he has any more questions. She sees the reluctance on his face and answers his next question before he asks it.
“Intercourse is safe during pregnancy.” She only looks at him. “As you will find in many pregnancy books, it’s important for couples to support each other through these nine months. It’s safe as long as it doesn’t involve risky behaviors.”
She rises, walking toward Hamilton. “You will worry; all the knowledge in the world will not cure that. You know your wife. You’ll be able to see when she’s tired. You’ll sense when she needs to eat or should drink more water.” She pats his arm. “I’m sure you can handle this. You’ll be a great expecting father.”
As we schedule our next appointment in four weeks, Dr. Humphreys informs the staff to try to schedule our appointments when convenient with Hamilton’s ball schedule. I take this moment to hand them a list of dates when Hamilton is available.
“I know we’re asking a lot,” I state. “I’ve taken the liberty to offer dates for the monthly appointment and then the weekly appointments near the end.”
“I’ll work on this today and tomorrow,” the receptionist states. “We should be able to schedule on all of these dates. If we need to adjust them, we can, but if all goes as planned, you’ll already have appointments that work for the two of you.”
“Fabulous!” I smile widely.
Hamilton hugs me tight to his side. He won’t admit it, but ensuring our appointments fit his schedule means the world to him.