Newcomers and an Emotional Rollercoaster of a Day

I had my last  major hot water soak today. 
My stomach has DOUBLED in size once more.
I am officially so ungainly that I can hardly bend over to pick up Jordan. 
The good part is that there's only about three more weeks until we get to meet this little kiddo....I'm SO excited.  Basically any fear I had of anything going wrong has dissipated, and now I'm just impatient to meet him or her.  We haven't even talked about names yet....maybe we should sometime soon..! 
Anyway, I was trying to get accustomed to my HUGE midsection when Tangled Fan breezed through the room, setting a couple of boxes on her bed before running back out of her room.  I heard the vacuum click on, so she wouldn't be back for a little while. 
By now, I knew what THIS meant:  More dolls. 
Eugene noticed, too, and immediately turned to me.  "Absolutely not." 
I bounced Jordan in my arms a few times, making her giggle.  "Why not?" 
He snorted, shaking his head and chuckling.  "You're two-thirds of the way through your term.  You probably shouldn't be walking the entire way across the room all that much!" 
"Ohh, I'll be fine.  Now, how'd you feel if you were thrown somewhere new and left in your box for hours?" 
His face contorted as he considered this. 
"I actually WAS.  I wasn't able to get out of the plastic things they put around my wrists, and do you really think that Punzie and that bunch would come help?" 
My eyes widened.  "Oh, geez, Eugene....well...do you want THEM to have the same experience?" 
He stared at me, and I could tell he was thinking...and thinking....and thinking that one over. 
Finally, he huffed.  "Why do I have such problems saying no to you?" 
"Because I'm your wife and you love me?"  I asked teasingly, and he laughed through his nose. 
"Yeah...well, you can go get Zelia to watch the girls, because I'm going with you, and if you get the slightest bit pale or sick, I'm carrying you back."
I tsked my tongue.  "Do you really think that me walking across the room will make me have the baby too soon?" 
"A lot of walking sometimes induces labor for people..."
"But we're not people!"  I said, standing on tiptoe and reaching to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before I went to get Zelia, still carrying Jordan. 
After we got Zelia to watch Casey, Audrey, and Jordan, Eugene and I left for Tangled Fan's bed, accompanied by Belle and Ray.  Ray didn't necessarily want to go along, but my paranoid husband asked him to, in case he'd need help carrying me back or something.  It was slightly embarrassing, but...oh well. 

When we FINALLY got to Tangled Fan's bed, (that climb up was harsh...) we found a 2014 Ariel doll and a -- you guessed it -- 2014 Rapunzel.  We all worked to get them out of their boxes, and after a good bit of work, they finally wormed out of their plastic prisons. 
The Rapunzel, who said her nickname could be Zarina, was very shy, and kept her hair down in her eyes, watching everyone warily; while Ariel was bubbly, happy, and generally a positive doll.  I hoped that I could befriend both of them  - someday.  Someday when I didn't have mood swings. 
But anyway, we left the bed, slipping from the bed to the trunk, then finally to a box by the trunk and then on the ground --that immediately brought us about halfway across the room. 
Only there was a liiitle problem. 

The mermaid pointed to her flippers, giggling nervously. 
"I can't walk.  I can't even shuffle, because this tail is so tight." 
Oh boy.  If we would've left her in her box, we could have dragged her over to the table.  Since we OBVIOUSLY couldn't slip her back in the box, I looked around helplessly. 
Ariel looked over towards Eugene with a coquettish smile, and my poor husband made quick work of slipping further behind me.  When she looked towards Ray, he looked away, face blazing red as he mumbled "No way," just loud enough that Eugene heard him.
I flashed him a LOOK, but he conveniently didn't catch THAT, either. 
"Please don't leave me alone here," she said.  She knew everyone was unsettled both by her lack of clothing AND the fact that someone would have to carry her. 
"We won't," I said, attempting to bend so I could put a hand on her cool, bare shoulder.  I shot another glance towards Ray, but he walked off.   Eugene sucked in a deep breath. 
"C'mon...it's only halfway across the room," he said -- half to himself.  I gave him a surprised glance.  What if he hurt his hip joints, carrying her THAT far?  Not to mention her...lack of clothes.  That didn't make me feel exactly comfortable, but maybe it's just me being too protective of my husband. 
She slipped her arms around his neck a little too comfortably, and he picked her up with ease.  She smiled from ear to ear, and we started walking back.  I hung back, trying to keep out of Ariel's eyesight.  I'm pretty sure I was seething -- she knew he was married, didn't she?  Did she think she would win him over?  A sharp thought occurred to me:  She probably could, and with ease.  I haven't exactly been the most laid-back over the past six weeks, between worrying and mood swings -- and she was a lot prettier to boot. 
I glanced down at my tummy and put a hand over it as I felt the baby jostle around.  Of course, he wouldn't be able to break off our marriage...but I didn't want to see it fall apart, either.  I couldn't stand the thought of him being miserable in our marriage, and vice versa...let alone what it'd do to the girls and our unborn child!  I felt an awful pang just thinking about what it would do to the kids. 
I heard a satiny laugh, and looked up to see Ariel had her head thrown back, laughing at some joke Eugene had just made.  I did notice that he was a lot more comfortable with her already than what he normally was with other newcomers...
I sighed a bit too loudly, and Belle slowed to walk beside me. 
"What is the matter?  Is the baby active?"  she glanced down at the hand I still had across my belly. 
"Yeah," I nodded, trying to keep my jealousy from showing. 
Oh, yeah right. 
"There's something else though...is it Ariel?"  she whispered.
I nodded. "It's stupid, I know, but...I can't help but feel a little upset over how cozy she is with my husband.  It's terrible of me, I know...but Eugene seems pretty okay with it, and he's NEVER this way."
Belle shook her head.  "You have nothing to fear -- Eugene would never do anything to hurt you,"
I shrugged.  "Can't blame him if he would -- I've been a real jerk lately." 
"Well, you cannot help it!  He should understand that," she said a little too loudly, and Ray swung around to look.  Ray did...not Eugene.  I swallowed hard. 
I cleared my throat, but Ray dropped back to listen in.  "Thank you, Belle...you're a good friend.  I'm sure he's just..." I trailed off, unsure of what to say. 
"What?"  Ray asked. 
"Eugene.  Doesn't he seem a little...comfortable...with Ariel?  And vice versa?"  I asked, my face getting extremely red. 
He started to blow me off in a manner that only Ray could, but then he hesitated.  "Well...I don't know.  Zelia's told me that he was a lot more shy before he met you." 
I nodded.  "But...it's different.  Maybe I'm just overreacting." 
"Maybe," he agreed, which didn't make me feel any better.  I wanted a strong 'yes, you're overreacting' or a 'no, you're not overreacting', not a 'maybe you are and maybe you aren't'! 
Belle shook her head and repeated herself.  "He would never do anything to hurt you!" 
"I apologize.  I should have taken her, but..your sister...I was worried that she'd see from the table." he cleared his throat. 
I nodded quietly, and Belle noticed my uneasiness about the topic, so she gave me a quick side-hug before giving me some space, nodding at Ray to do the same. 

When we got back to the bins, Eugene deposited Ariel -- who gave him a longing expression before squirming around on her bottom to catch the attention of Belle and I -- and then he and Ray walked away to give us some privacy. I lost track of Zarina at that point. 
I reached to climb into the bin to retrieve a dress for the redhead, but Belle put a hand on my arm, shaking her head.  "I'll get it!  You go sit."  I let her climb into the bin, but I didn't go sit.  I just wanted to get this over with quickly.  I didn't know what I would do if Ariel spoke to me! 
Of course, she did.
"I'm so grateful for you for taking the time to help me out with clothes," she said...but I couldn't help but notice the glance she cast towards my HUSBAND, instead of directing it towards me and Belle.  When her happy gaze returned to me, it promptly dropped to my belly.  "A-are you...expectant?  I thought us Ariel dolls were the only ones who could..."
"Yes, I am...it's a rare blessing," I said, giving a tight smile.  And the father is the man you're basically flirting with...."Oh!  Congratulations, but isn't it...dangerous?  I heard that the only non-Ariel Disney doll to have a baby ended up...meeting an untimely demise, as did the baby," she cleared her throat.
Belle, hurry UP! 
"Yes, that's true," I said shortly.  Was she HOPING that the baby and I would 'meet an untimely demise'?  There wasn't an ounce of concern in those eyes.  
I quickly averted my attention to my stomach once more, trying to hide the red that was creeping up along my neck.  Could Belle go any slower??  Grab a dress, throw it at the redhead, and let's get going!!  If I don't get away from this girl, I'm going to wring her neck...and if I leave before everyone else, I'll show that I'm being childish and bratty!  Ugh.
FINALLY, Belle tossed a dress out, and Ariel caught  it with surprising speed.  "Thanks!  It's gorgeous!" 
Without another word, she started trying to shimmy out of her fabric tail, and I barely had time to turn my back before she lost anything else.  Within moments, she loosed a giggle. 
"It feels WONDERFUL to be on my feet!  My legs were getting cramped."  The joyful expression on her face immediately made me feel sorry for being so resentful towards her.  She just needed a friend, and I was being weird and moody. She did a little jig before turning back to Belle and I, still staring down at her dress gleefully.  It was almost exactly like the one I was wearing -- the plaid one -- but she wore it much, much better.  "Where will I be staying?" 
"You'll come with me, sweetheart --Ray and I, that is," Belle told her.  
"Doesn't Eugene stay there, too?"  she looked hopeful. 
"No, we live on the other side of the table with our kids," I piped up.  I felt stupid for saying we were just on the other side of the table, but whatever. 
She nodded, her smile waning more than a little bit.  "Okay.  Well, I'm a little tired, so let's head up and meet everyone else, shall we?" 
Belle nodded, waving to motion Ray over.  He and Eugene were in a deep conversation, apparently, because they both snapped to attention and hurried over, looking slightly surprised. Zarina caught on, too, and appeared out of nowhere. 
"Isn't this dress LOVELY?"  Ariel immediately asked my husband...right in front of me.
He cleared his throat, nodding at her.  "Yes, Belle chose a nice dress for you," he said.  I glanced down at myself.  Of course, my form was very.....plump now, compared to her skinny self.  I bit back a sigh.

When we got back, Zelia stayed with us for the rest of the day and then helped to get the girls settled in for bed, which I greatly appreciated.  I was bone-tired, and I hardly said a word to Eugene for the rest of the afternoon and evening.  I was just afraid that I'd let some snarky comment loose.  Well, when we headed to bed, Eugene tried to kiss me.  I let him, but I didn't mean to show my displeasure.  I didn't exactly feel like kissing him right now, no matter what his intentions with being friendly with Ariel were.
"Hey...what's wrong?"  he gave me a concerned look, cupping my cheek in his hands.  "Is the baby moving around a lot?"
"Yeah, that's it," I said crankily.  How oblivious WAS he?? 
He gave me a pensive stare, but shrugged my comment off and crawled into bed.  Instead of settling with his arm around my shoulders, I curled up on my side, facing away from him.  I also willed the ever-active baby to quiet down.  (Hmm, like that would happen -- it's been moving almost CONSTANTLY!) 
A moment later, he loosed a frustrated sigh.  "What's REALLY wrong? I know something is..."
I shook my head, and then he sat up. 
"Come on....what's wrong?  Please, honey...I'm worried.  Are you feeling okay?" 
I huffed with frustration, sitting up to look him in the eye.  "I'm just a little irritated with how Ariel acted around you.  And...you seemed pretty comfortable with her, too.  I've never seen you so...so friendly around a newcomer." 
He gave me a confused look, which quickly turned into surprise...and then horror.  "Oh, you don't think I have a...a...THING for her, do you?" 
I shrugged.  "I know I haven't been exactly the easiest to get along with lately, and my wardrobe leaves a lot to be desired, for obvious reasons, and I'm not a skinny little thing either...so..."
Eugene reached for my face, but instead let his hands drop, realizing he needed to explain himself first.  
"I was just trying to make her feel comfortable.  Everyone was being a little awkward, for obvious reasons, so I figured that since I was the one carrying her, I should try to break the ice a little bit, so I tried to joke around a little.  Once I realized that she was trying to hit on me, it got really awkward really fast.  I explained once more, and told her that I was happily married to the girl of my dreams, and when she asked who it was, I said it was you, and she just...blew that off.  At that point, I kind of wanted to tell her off, but I knew I shouldn't.  I'm sorry...if I knew it was upsetting you that much, I would've dropped her and left her sit there -- I had half a mind to, anyway."  he dropped his head, but tilted his eyes up sheepishly at me. 
I sighed.  "I probably over-reacted, as usual-"
"Nahh...I can understand why you were upset.  But did you seriously think I'd prefer her -- a lively, thin, young thing who can't understand the art of subtle hints, when I have you?"
"I don't know.  I've been lazy, grumpy, and fat lately, so-"
"All of which is because you're expectant and due in three weeks," he said, "and you're carrying our child.  By the way, she doesn't hold a candle to you, my dear." 
"She's so animated and...and happy-go-lucky, though, I mean...I'm timid and easily upset." 
"I never did like the over-lively type.  Plus, what do you think I'd do?  Abandon you, because we wouldn't be able to divorce -- taking a more logical approach." 
I shrugged.  "Probably just my...moodiness...talking." 
He laughed, putting a gentle hand over the one I'd rested over my stomach.  "Don't you ever wonder if I still love you, sweetie.  You're not getting rid of me THAT easily."
I met his eyes with a smile.  "I'm glad...I was worried there for a little bit." 
My husband gave me a mushy little grin.  "I'm glad to have that sorted out, then...mind if I kiss you, or...?"
I gave him a teasing grin, leaning towards him as much as my belly would allow me to, teasing him by pulling away a bit when he reached to meet my lips.  "Oh, I don't know...maybe you can kiss me, and maybe you can't."
He laughed through his nose before putting a hand behind my head and giving me a warm, slow kiss that reassured me that he meant what he'd said.  When our lips parted, he leaned his forehead up against mine a moment.  I could feel his warm breath on my face, and it was somehow a comfort to me. 
"If you ever....EVER...get upset with me over something again, don't hold it in, okay?  Talk with me.  I'm sorry...I should have made the point that I was married to you more clear, but I didn't know what would cross the line between adamant and rude." 
"And like I said...it's fine!"
"I know, but...I shouldn't have even carried her over there.  And I'm just really worried that you'll get too upset, and end up having the baby prematurely." 
I nodded.  "Well, someone needed to help her.  It's nice of you that you stepped up to the plate...at least I know now that you weren't flirting with her." 
"More like dying of horror," he said. 
I giggled, swatting his chest playfully.  "Oh...why did I ever even question you...you goof!" 
He smiled, flopping backwards onto the bed, asking me to lie down beside him.  I did, shutting my eyes for a moment, before I remembered something else. 
"What were you and Ray so deep in conversation about?"  I didn't move to look at him -- I was too comfortable where I was at.
"You and Zelia...sounds like he might be our brother in law sometime soon," he said...in an oh-so-nonchalant way. 
I gasped. If I would've been able to, I would've flown upright within the second, twisted around and given him a surprised look -- but I just settled for squeaking,  "He's going to propose?!" 
"Maybe...he was talking about it, but he also said he was terrified she'd say no, and he doesn't want to mar their friendship.  He says that she's the first one to befriend him and not be scared of him, despite his temper.  And she's helped him get through his outbursts, so he doesn't have them nearly as often."  
"Aww!"  I squealed.  "That's SO sweet!" I realized I needed to be quieter, and the baby gave a few kicks.  I settled a hand down on my stomach and smiled.  Okay, more like beamed.   
He chuckled.  "Don't tell her anything, though, okay?" 
"Oh, I won't," I shook my head, "but that's just...whoa.  I never thought I'd see the day where my grumpy old sis would get MARRIED!"
 "Yup...now, hard as it will be, you need to rest up.  You don't even know for certain if he WILL ask her!" 
"But the baby's awake, so I'm awake, and my sister might be getting engaged soon!"  I said, paraphrasing a quote from Frozen.
He laughed quietly.  "Ohh...you're terrible." 
"Well...you're the one who gave me the news."  I threw back. 
He chuckled through his nose. "Touche." 

Today's Events & Well, Now Belle Knows!

Today was interesting.
My already thin dress sleeve ripped...rendering my dress quite useless and causing me to run to behind the cutout, where I had to wait for Tangled Fan, who was already planning on coming to take me to my hot water soak.  Luckily, none of the girls saw that little wardrobe malfunction.  Yikes.

Anyway, when I was done with my soak, Tangled Fan had made me another dress, this time out of sturdier fabric, though she planned on repairing the other dress.  This one was a cute plaid, but the stripes only served to show my even larger tummy...and the hem has a tendency to be quite uneven.  Oh well.
I don't even want to know what I'll look like on Sunday; Tangled Fan said that my next soak will probably be my most important one because apparently, at the rate the baby is growing, the next soak will be the last time my belly will really grow--then it will just be a waiting game for the last  three weeks.
One excellent thing that happened today: Tangled Fan took an old shoebox and turned it into a couch for us.  It's amazing.
Since I started getting a bigger belly, I've appreciated chairs a lot more :D

After I came back from my soak, Eugene and the girls greeted me with their usual enthusiasm, and Audrey and Casey and I played tea party until it was time for their afternoon nap.  It was so sweet--Audrey was trying to include the baby in the party as well; continually leaning in to talk to my belly, explaining what was going on. I don't know what we'd do without those silly girls...

When they had finally settled for a nap, I plopped down on the couch, kicking my feet up and rubbing my stomach as I felt the baby somersalting inside.  Pascal crawled up to sit on my lap, so I talked quietly to him for a few minutes.  When Eugene came from behind the cutout, he promptly came over and started massaging my back.
"Ohhh.....thank you so much..." I drew in a deep, pleased breath and said. 

He chuckled.  "Didn't the soak help?"
"No...it just made me bigger and more uncomfortable!" I complained.
"I'm sorry.  Well, just think--you're at about five and a half weeks, right, with the new estimation?  Only about three and a half more weeks to go." he offered.
"I know...I'm getting really excited now.  Not too much longer, but it just seems like forever.  And my back aches soo much.  And my legs." I sighed as he stopped rubbing my back, and quickly slung my legs back off of the couch and crossed them at the ankles, offering him a spot beside me.  He grinned, and we settled for leaning up against one another and whispering endearments in between spinning plans for the future.

Until there was a quick knock on our divider.  Assuming it was Zelia, I just told her to come over.
It was Belle.
Who had yet to know about my pregnancy.
She came in, talking at about fifteen hundred miles an hour, as eloquent as ever.
"Hello!  I hope I am not disturbing you.  I have not seen you for what seems like an eternity, and I overheard Zelia talking to Ray about becoming an aunt again, so are you planning on adopting again?  Also, how have--"

She froze when I stood and she saw my additional weight in front. 
"Wh...?"
I explained everything, and she quickly ran over to hug me before she led me over to the couch, where the two of us talked about anything baby-related...as Eugene looked on with a mix of embarrassment over the topics at hand and amusement.  The baby was moving almost the entire time, but after a particularly hard kick, I put my hand over my stomach and glanced down.
"Is it moving?"
"Yep," I smiled, getting excited all over again to meet this child.
Belle's eyes lit up. "Could I...I mean...feel it?"
I quirked a brow, but quickly caught on and allowed her to put her hand gingerly across my bulging midsection.  I had to giggle when the baby kicked, because Belle jerked her hand away and stared at me in horror.
"That's what it does all the time...day and night."
She grew silent, stammering horribly for a second or two. "Wow...that's amazing and terrifying!"
I laughed. "Tell me about it!"

Today's Events - and the Girls' Reactions!

~Rapunzel
Today, my entire midsection was so tight and uncomfortable that I ended up catching Tangled Fan when she came in her room to do something, asking her if something was wrong.  She took me for another hot-water soak in the sink, which felt amazing.  Until I realized that my stomach had literally DOUBLED in size!  That couldn't be right.  Could it?  When I was done with my soak, I asked her, completely terrified.  What if something was wrong, what if the baby was growing too fast...what if, what if, what if...!  Tangled Fan, after yet another awkward check-up, said that that I might be about a week further along than she'd originally thought, which makes a lot more sense.  But it's still terrifying!  She told me that my due date would probably be between August 30th and September 9th. That means that I'm almost halfway through my term.  I at least wasn't sick as a dog today, aside from my tight midsection, which was soothed when the plastic had a chance to expand to accommodate the growing baby.

When I got back to the table, Eugene was trying to get three grumpy kiddos to take their afternoon nap...which was interesting.  Jordan was sobbing, Audrey and Casey were fighting, and Eugene looked just about ready to freak out.  I immediately walked over to him, taking Jordan from his arms, and he gave me a grateful smile. 
"Talk after these crazy girls settle down for a nap?"  he asked, and I nodded, dropping my gaze down to Jordan, who was calming down. 
I took her over to the chair, sitting and hoping that nobody would notice my now very noticeable belly.  The girls still haven't found out that I'm expectant.  Anyway, I sat down in the wicker chair and laid her across my chest, letting her head rest on my shoulder.

The poor, tired little girl promptly buried her face in the crook of my neck and fell asleep.  She's such a precious little girl!  I couldn't help but smile.  Suddenly, I was back to being excited to meet this new baby.  Having two little ones would definitely be a challenge, but I was looking forward to it.

When Eugene got the two older girls to settle down and go to sleep, he came over and grinned.

"You've got better skills than I do," he whispered.  "She was screaming and...it was intense." 
I snorted, trying not to burst out laughing.  "Trying to get a baby to go to sleep doesn't seem like an activity you could call 'intense', bud..."
"Well...add two girls fighting tooth-and-nail over a chameleon and who got the pink blanket today, and it was intense."  he joked, reaching to scoop Jordan carefully off of my chest, taking her behind the cutout to her bed (we decided to move the girls' beds back there - it makes more room, and it's darker back there, so they can sleep better.)

When he came back, he promptly asked how my check-up went.  He apparently didn't even notice my belly, but then again, he was looking at my face, not my midsection.   

So I stood up - with a tiny bit of trouble - and cupped by hands underneath my belly, glancing down and biting my lip.  I'd at least doubled in width, and my back was already starting to sway outwards, which was very, very uncomfortable. 
He choked.  "Well...you've definitely got a belly now!"

For some reason, that was enough for me to burst into tears.  I just wanted to have this baby and be done with it, already...and I still have a little over a month to go...!  He realized what he'd said, and immediately started to apologize, but I turned away.

"I-I'm tired...I n-need to go t-take a nap-" I lied, tears blurring my vision as I whirled away from him. 
Wrong move.  My legs got tangled up in my hair, and I tripped and started to fall FACE-FIRST.  Luckily, I was able to jam my arms out in front of me and land on all fours so nothing happened to the baby.  Eugene was at my side in less than an instant. 
"I'm so sorry, honey...are you okay?  C'mere-" he took my elbow and helped me to my feet, but then he wouldn't let me go. 
"I-I...let go, please...I'm fine, I promise.  I just-"
"Need to tell me how your check-up went.  I'm sorry, honey..I didn't mean that the way it sounded, I was just surprised," he still held onto my arm with an incredibly tight grip. 
I sighed, rubbing at my eyes.  "It's okay.  I overreacted - as usual.  Anyway, I'm about a week further along than what she originally said I was, and my due date is between the 30th and the 9th of September.  Um...that's it."
He nodded, his eyes widening in surprise.  "Wow...how are you feeling?  Both about the closer due date and physically." 
"I-I don't know," I sighed again.  "I don't feel like throwing up, but I'm fat and I'm moody and I'm irritated with myself about my moodiness and my back hurts...and I'm terrified.  I'm completely and utterly scared to death, and I can't wait, but at the same time, I'm so scared and I just want to get this over with, and I just want to meet this baby and know that he or she will be healthy and strong and....I'm just really overwhelmed  with worrying right now," I choked. 

He promptly pulled me close, letting me rest my head on his shoulder as he ran his hands up and down my back comfortingly, plopping a kiss or two in my hair before answering. 
"I'm sorry, hon.  Let's see...I'm scared, too, if that makes you feel better.  I'm scared for the baby AND you.  Before you know it, though, we'll be greeting the newest member of our family into the world, though!  And you are most definitely not fat, you're expectant.  There's a difference - and you look just fine, beautiful as always--If not more beautiful!  Moodiness is to be expected, and it's normal, and don't get upset over your mood swings, okay, babe?" 
I sniffled into his shoulder, nodding before pulling away.  "You probably think I'm a nutcase for overreacting just now, though, and-"
He broke me off by kissing me - awkwardly, though, because he realized that he couldn't pull me as close as he usually did.  When he pulled away, he chuckled quietly.  "No - I don't think you're a nutcase.  I love you,"
"Love you, too," I bit my lip, "and I'm sorry for being a grump.  I know I have been lately, so don't tell me I haven't been!"
He grinned.  "I won't deny it, but I also know it's because you're expecting, so you don't have to apologize.  Now...when will we tell the girls?" 
"Probably today, after they wake up...right?  They'll wonder why and how I got such a big belly while they were sleeping," I giggled, and he nodded with a chuckle. 
"Yeah...I'll talk to Audrey, and you can talk to Casey.  Sound good?" 
"Yep," I nodded, reaching for another quick hug. 

When the girls woke up, Audrey was the first to notice my bulging belly. 

"Momma, what HAPPENED?!"  was her reaction, as she stared up at me with her eyes bulging. 
I struggled to keep a straight face at that one.  Eugene guided her over to one side of the table (Jordan was still sleeping, luckily) and I scooped Casey up and took her over to sit at the edge of the table. 
"Hey, sweet girl.  Did you have a nice nap?"  I asked. 
She nodded, but she was too distracted by staring at my stomach to talk about her nap.  "You're having a baby?" 
I froze in surprise.  "Um...yes.  How did you know?" 
She toyed with the little plastic necklace that was always around her neck.  "One of my Barbie families...the mother had a baby of their own and then they put me back up for adoption." 
"Oh, honey...I'm sorry," I whispered. 
"You won't....you won't leave me, will you?"  she gulped, staring up at me with a mixture of fear and bashfulness. 

"Honey, of course not.  You're counted as our child just as much as this one will be!"  I smiled.  "I don't know what I'd do without my little buddy.  I'd miss our nightly girl-chats!" 
She gave me an adorable smile, thankful and relieved, and I bumped my forehead against hers to make her giggle. 
"I'm glad.  I can't wait to meet my new brother or sister!"  she gave a toothy grin, and I gave her a quick hug. 
And then Audrey came racing over and fairly knocked me down, hugging me from the side enthusiastically.  "Mommy, mommy, mommy!  When's the baby coming?" 
I laughed.  She'd taken it a lot better than I'd expected her to.  "In about another month," I told her. 
And on and on she started talking, so fast we could hardly understand her. 

She was apparently soooo very excited for the idea of having another little sister, and Casey was soon swept up in the excitement as well. 
The girls didn't settle down for the rest of the evening. 

                                                           It was an interesting evening. 

The girls ran...and ran...and ran...and shared ideas of what they could teach their new sibling...things that they'd already taught Jordan.  Such as how to pull Pascal's tail and supposedly not get caught.
Finally, at around ten o'clock, they were tired out enough to collapse into bed, after we'd exchanged "good night, sleep tight, mommy and daddy love you"s.  By then, I was bone tired.  I collapsed into bed, my hair incredibly messy and un-brushed, moving only to make room for Eugene. 
I groaned, stretching my back.  It was amazing how much strain was put on my back already, and it HURT!  I squeezed my eyes shut, squirming uncomfortably until I decided that my back wasn't getting any less sore.  With a huff, I turned on my side....and realized that Eugene had been watching me. 
"What?" 
"Nothing - just watching you and wishing you were able to get comfortable, since you seem to be having an issue with that." 
"Yeah..." I sighed.  "If my back is this sore, and it's only been ONE DAY with my belly this big....I'm gonna die before this kid's born!" 
"You'll be fine.  I'm sorry.  You'll probably stay off your feet less when your due date gets closer, I'm thinking," he offered quietly. 
"Hmmh...so that means I get to lay around in bed, bored and uncomfortable!" 
He chuckled.  "Sorry." 
"Anyway.  So...do you think Audrey's excited?  Casey was scared because she thought we'd give her back up for adoption when the baby is born.  One of her other families did that," I explained. 
My guy grinned. "Yeah...she's just a bit excited.  And oh, man....I can't believe someone could do that.  Especially to Casey." 
"Yeah," I sighed, scooting around until I could rest my head on his shoulder, which was no easy feat.  My belly pressed into his side, and within moments, a flurry of bumps and kicks erupted from the baby.  I sighed again, scooting away until my stomach wasn't pressed against him, and looked up at my husband.  He was staring at my stomach, wide-eyed, and I realized that he probably hadn't felt the baby moving yet.  His face was PRICELESS.  I couldn't help but giggle! 
Finally, he mumbled, "I can't imagine having that going on i-inside of me all the time." 
I pressed my hand to my mouth, trying not to giggle.  When I finally could trust myself to speak without laughing, I said, "I'm not used to it...nor could I have imagined it, either!" 
He nodded, chuckling, and reached to slip his arms carefully around me with a smile.  "Love you.  I would offer to let you cuddle up against me, but I think the baby would likely have something to say about that.  Again." 
I grinned, letting one of my hands drop to my stomach as I still tried to wrap my mind around the fact that I carried a baby.  "Yeah...most likely.  I love you, too!" 

A Day Out [:

Last night, it stormed....a LOT.  I'm not sure how everyone else slept through it, but I sure did not.  Sooo at around two-thirty in the morning, I sat on the wicker chair, curled up in a ball and trying to keep from getting too scared of the loud, booming thunder and crazy lightning.  Terror hasn't necessarily been a foreign emotion this week -- I've been stressed and scared and worrying all week, ever since I found out that I'm expectant.  I just can't help it -- I'm so scared that something will go wrong, and something will happen to the baby.
About twenty minutes into the storm, it had finally quieted down to just the patter of rain on the roof far above my head.  At about the same time, Eugene came stumbling quickly from behind the cutout. 
"Why're you up,  hon?"  he asked, rubbing his eyes and clearing his throat.  "Are you feeling okay?" 
"Yeah," I stood up from the chair, smoothing my dress out.  "I-I...the storm woke me up.  Stupid, right?" 
His face just dropped.  "I'm sorry...I didn't even notice it.  You could've gotten me up-"
I laughed quietly.  "Seriously, Eugene - I didn't want to wake you up over a silly storm." 
Sighing, he came to stand in front of me, trying to swallow a yawn.  "I'm sorry-"
"It's not your fault," I said, a tiny bit irritated.  That's just mood swings, though, I suppose -- fun, fun.  He reached to give me a quick hug, but then he actually scooped me up into his arms.  "What are you doing?!" 
"Carrying you," was Captain Obvious' response, to which I rolled my eyes playfully.  My hubby took me behind the cutout, plopping me down into bed before collapsing on the bed himself, trying to get me to laugh. 
It worked, and I giggled.  "Tired, huh?" 
"I'm not used to two-fifty-o'clock frantic wake-ups because I rolled over and reached for you, and you weren't there.  I bet you're tired, too, though," he teased. 
"Hmm...and yeah, I'm tired, too.  I'm not used to carrying a child twenty-four-seven, even though said child is still pretty teensy."  I threw back, and he chuckled. 
"I'm sure you are.  I'm glad I don't have that job-"
"Oh, yeah...thanks so much.  Just for saying that, you'll be the one to get up with the kids in the middle of the night when-" I started to half-tease, and he broke me off by reaching to tickle my side.  "Hey!  Stop it!"  I hissed, giggling. 
"Hey...I got what I wanted.  You've been too serious this week, you needed to laugh," he winked, and I rolled my eyes. 
"Next time, don't tickle me to make me laugh.  You can get me to laugh in ways other than tickling.  And how can you even be so...I don't know, impish...this early in the morning?!  It's three AM..." I reminded him, and he sighed in an over-dramatic manner. 
"The things we do for loved ones...and I know I can make you laugh, but tickling-"
"Is annoying," I finished for him, giggling, and he chuckled. 
"Fine...I don't agree, though." 
"Really?"  I asked.  I snaked my arm out, reaching for the spot on his side that I knew was VERY ticklish.  He almost fell out of bed in his hasty attempt to escape.
 He grabbed my arm, threatening to take me down with him if need be, and I hadn't planned on letting just that stop me, but then I felt the baby kick, and it surprised me just enough to pause my attempt to tickle him.
Giving me a triumphant expression, Eugene let go of my arm, scooting away from the edge of the bed.  I ignored his expression, which was obviously put on simply in an attempt to annoy me, and instead focused on my stomach, putting a hand over it as I felt another quick tap. 
"Is the baby moving?"  he asked quietly, and I glanced over to see his face had quickly changed to an expression of curiosity. 
"Yeah...I can't feel anything right now, though," I told him.  I couldn't help but smile, and for a second, I was super excited.  I wanted to meet our newest addition...right now!  But thinking about welcoming him or her into the world promptly made me think about all the risks, and I bit my lip, diving back into concern. 
"Hey.  Enough of that," he told me. 
"What?" 
"You're worrying - it's obvious.  Everything will be okay," he told me, tugging on my arm to hint at me to lie down.  I did so, and he promptly wrapped me up in his arms. 
"You can't be sure, though.  Something could very easily go wrong," I reminded him. 
"But nothing will!"  he reassured me. 

So this morning, I woke up very, very late...at least I didn't feel horribly sick, though.  As soon as I had myself dressed and my hair brushed, I wandered out from behind the cutout.  And almost as soon as I stepped foot out from behind the cutout, Eugene met me with a smile, grabbing me in a hug. 
"Hey...uh, good morning," I grinned at his enthusiasm. 
"Morning, gorgeous.  Want to go for a day out?  Zelia's here already, and the girls were very excited to learn that they might get to spend the day with their favorite aunt." 
"Eugene, I can't...what if I get sick?"  I asked. 
"You'll be fine," he told me. 
"But what if I'm not?  And plus, the girls just spent the day with Zelia earlier this week-"
"She offered to let them ride the pony," he said.
"Well...we can do that sometime, too!  I don't-"
"Then you can be the one to tell Audrey and Casey that they won't be riding today, or spending the day with their aunt," Eugene said. 
Oh, yeah, sure.  He  knew I wouldn't be able to tell the girls and face their disappointment. 
I sighed.  "Fine.  If you're sure that they're okay-"
"Momma!  Momma!  We get to go ride today!"  Audrey yelled, finally noticing I was up.  She came barreling over, and I managed to catch her in a hug, laughing at her excited antics. 
"I heard!  That's great, sweetie -- you and Casey will have to tell me all about it when you get back," I told her, and she nodded, grinning excitedly before squirming to get out of my arms.  I knelt to give Casey a hug, waved to Jordan - who was in Zelia's arms - and thanked Zelia before we headed out. 

"Where are we going?"  I asked when he didn't move after we landed on the floor. 
"Right up here on the bin," he said, reaching to pull me over.  "C'mere, I'll help you up." 
"Why on the bin?"  I asked.  Had he gone nuts? 
"Well, I figured we'd read.  To Kill a Mockingbird is already up there.  I thought that at least here, we could go back quickly if you started getting tired or sick.  I just wanted to get you doing something, so you weren't worrying so much." he told me, helping boost me up onto the bin before leaping up there himself. 
As soon as he had sat down beside me on the bin, I reached over to give him a quick kiss.  A day of reading sounded amazing.  "Thank you so much.  I'm sorry I was a little bull-headed up there,"
"That's fine - and understandable.  Now....let's start this book, shall we?"  he offered, and I promptly cuddled up against him, holding my edge of the book; he held his edge, and we read the day away.  Just like we always used to.  (:

I'm Back With...Interesting News!

~Rapunzel
Hey, all....So for the past couple of days, I've felt odd bumps and movement INSIDE of me, on top of feeling like I was going to throw up,(even going into dry heaves on especially bad days)...that's why I haven't been posting for awhile...I've been so sick in the mornings.  Anyway, I haven't told Eugene about the bumping sensations, because quite frankly, I have no clue what's going on.  Maybe I was made with some factory defect that hasn't appeared until now?  I don't know. But I hope it goes away soon!  I knew one thing, though, for sure: and that was that I was going to talk with Tangled Fan today. 

Luckily, I didn't feel quite so sick this morning, so I asked Eugene if he would be okay with the girls while I went to talk with Tangled Fan. 

Tangled Fan took me over to HER bed so she could sit down and talk.  After a, quite frankly, embarrassing look-over, she nodded. 
"I never knew Disney dolls could really become expectant, but I guess I HAVE seen some stories.  Mattel, yes, but Disney, no, not except for Ariel dolls.  There was one time, though...without a good outcome for either.  Mattel can have kids fine, but..." she trailed off and changed the subject.  I felt even sicker.  Expectant?  "Have you been feeling lightheaded or sick to your stomach lately?" 
"Yes, for about two and a half weeks.  This was the first day I didn't feel  as sick.  And I feel almost like something's bumping my belly on the inside." 
"Mmmhm.  Your term will be around nine weeks, and I'd say you're three weeks along already.  That bumping feeling is the baby kicking you," Tangled Fan gave me a smile. 
I felt like I was going to pass out.
"But what about the 'but'?"  I asked, getting to the point once more. 
"It's pretty dangerous and rare for Disney dolls to have children.  Mattel dolls can, and will come through it okay, but Disney...not so much.  But don't worry too much, or that will only heighten the risk of something going wrong.  Any babies born before their due date have a rough time of it, most don't make it through.  And any babies born any time later than their due date can cause complications, and you can lose both mother and baby.  So it's a fine line, I'll tell you that upfront, but don't worry." 
DON'T WORRY??!  Was she insane?!
I bit my lip, nodding, and she continued.
"We'll have to have weekly checkups, and that's when I'll need to put you in a hot water soak.  That'll do your ankles and back good, but it will help your plastic expand as the baby grows.  Your plastic will shrink back to normal a few days after you have him or her, don't worry.  I'll make sure you have more clothes that will fit you.  I'll get you in a soak now," she said.   She explained a few more things, and then took me to soak.  She drew some hot water and set me in the sink in her bathroom, giving me a human washcloth to wrap up in.  She told me that I would have to soak for one hour, and she would leave a dress on the table for me that would fit.
I settled down in the water, which felt pretty great.  The warmth soaked in and saturated the washcloth I had wrapped around myself, and I tried to keep my hair out of the water.  After a little while, I felt the tension in my misdsection ease up.  I also saw my belly expanding...I didn't expect it to really get bigger quite yet...I felt a couple quick taps coming from my stomach, and I couldn't help but smile.  I was terrified, but at the same time, knowing there was a little kiddo in there was pretty fascinating to me, too.

When Tangled Fan finally took me back to our side of the table, wrapped in a dry washcloth, she told me that my new dress would be waiting on the table.
Eugene met me with a concerned look.  I couldn't see the girls, but I would investigate once I was actually dressed. 
The second Tangled Fan dropped me on the table and left, I brushed past his waiting arms to scurry behind the cutout. 
"Cold, wet, cold, wet...cold...wet..." I muttered, quickly drying myself with the washcloth.  Only....then I realized that the dress wasn't behind the cutout.  "Uhh...Eugene?  Is there a dress out there?" 
"Mmhmm," he cleared his throat, and within seconds, I saw the dress hanging from his hand.  To his credit, he kept his eyes and entire face averted, though I had to grin at how red his ears were. 
"Thank you soo much...you are a lifesaver, bud,"
"But of course I am," he teased, still not looking as I quickly wrapped the simple, homemade dress around myself and cinched the ribbon tightly around myself, directly above my belly.  The dress's loose shape hid small bump that had developed in the past hour, luckily. (Even though that bump looked HUGE to me...I just know I'm overreacting about the size, though.)

And then I took a deep breath and went to tell my husband.  I wasn't sure why I was so scared.
He gave me a smile as soon as he saw me.  "You look nice,"
"Thanks," I blushed, "uh...where are the girls?" 
"Zelia came over, and when I said you were with Tangled Fan because you hadn't been well, she said she would take the kids for the day.  Soo...what's wrong?  Did she know?" 
"Uhh..." my voice shook.  Why was I so nervous about telling him?!  "Well..."
"What?  You can tell me anything, you know that!  What's wrong?  I've been worried for you," he admitted, cupping my cheeks in his hands and giving me a pensive stare, as if he could stare my secret out of me.
"Let's sit, and I'll explain everything."  I said, leading him over to the chair.  I backed away as soon as he sat, deciding if I should stand in front of him or sit on the box beside the chair.  I ended up standing in front, fiddling with my dress.  "I'm, uh...er...expectant." 
"What?"  he quirked a brow.  "What's..." he trailed off and got extremely quiet, his gaze dropping to my midsection.  Snorting, he looked back up at me.  "Tangled Fan's wayyy off, then, because you're stick--"
I silently clasped my hands under my belly, smoothing the fabric out so I could accentuate the baby's small bulge.
Eugene gulped.  "O-oh.  You...when...when did that happen?  I mean....the belly.  You weren't that way this morning.  I mean, you--okay, that sounded really rude of me, you--"
I couldn't help but laugh at his awkwardness before I explained everything Tangled Fan told me.  He didn't seem to be worried about the fact that there is a good chance of something happening, which was a surprise.
When I had finished, his face slowly lit up with a smile, standing up to grab me into a huge bear hug.
"Wow...so I guess we can forget about talking to Tangled Fan about adopting again?"
"If everything goes well, yeah," I said quietly.
"Everything will," he pulled away to wink.
"Didn't you hear anything I said about the risks?!"
He nodded.  "I heard, but I have faith that everything will go well.  Don't you?"
"No..." I mumbled.
He sat down in the wicker chair before pulling me down onto his lap.  "I know it's scary, but don't worry, okay?  Stress won't be good for you, or the baby."
I gave a small smile despite myself when he held me as close to him as he could, keeping his arms around me and planting a kiss on my cheek. "I'll try not to worry, but...you know me."
He chuckled.  "If you need someone to talk to, you know where to find me. Or if you don't feel comfortable talking to me, talk to Zelia,"
I snorted. "Could you imagine Zelia talking to me, reassuring me, about THIS?"
He laughed.  "Just another option..."
"Not much of one, if you ask me," I cleared my throat pointedly.
He was quiet for a minute, and then spoke up hesitantly.  "Mood swings?  Do dolls get them?"
"Yes.  Why?"
"No reason," he chuckled, tightening his arms around me.  "So...when will we get to meet the newest addition?" 
We talked for what seemed like a pretty long time, just about babies and stuff in general, and I remember him saying something about names, but then I guess I dozed off, because the next thing I remember was waking up, still on my hubby's lap. 
I cleared my throat and looked up at his face, catching his gentle gaze before he quickly looked away for a second, replacing his expression with a teasing grin. 
"Have a good nap, Sleeping Beauty?"
"Mmh...how long was I asleep?  I'm sorry,"
"No clue...long enough for my legs to go completely numb."  he chuckled. 
I started to unfurl my legs hurriedly, getting ready to jump up because I was so embarrassed and felt kinda bad, but he slid his arms around me and kept me in his lap. 
"Sorry--"
"It's fine," he reassured me.  "You're bound to sleep a lot more...carrying a little one will probably take a lot out of you.  Plus, I didn't mind watching you sleep, either," he admitted with a wink, his cheeks turning red. 
I grinned, cuddling up against him again.  "So...when do we tell Belle and Zelia?  Or should we wait until I really start to show...or..?" 
He made some hum of uncertainty.  "We should probably tell Zelia today...she'll kill you otherwise.  No, she'll kill BOTH of us.  It's up to you about Belle, though,"
I nodded, giggling.  "True. Oh, and Ray, too..."
"Speaking of which, have you seen how she looks when she talks about Ray?  Has she talked about you about him, or something?  Maybe it's none of my business, but.."
"She hasn't, but I've noticed, too...Oh wow, could you IMAGINE if they got married?!"  I squeaked with excitement, my little matchmaker heart squeezing at the thought.  They practically COMPLETED one another, and I'd never seen my sister acting kindly towards others...plus, she's been HELPING Ray get over his temper.  ZELIA.  HELPING...!!! I giggled excitedly, and he laughed. 
"I'll stay out of it, but let's just say that I wouldn't be surprised.  Not much can surprise me anymore," he chuckled. 
"Not even finding out that your wife is expectant, which is something that doesn't usually happen?" 
"After hearing THAT, not much can surprise me," he amended teasingly. 


When Zelia brought the girls back around nine PM, she pulled me aside immediately. 
"So...how did things go?"  she asked quietly.   "I had a feeling you weren't well these past couple of weeks, but I didn't want to pry for once." 
"I'm pregnant," I said simply, shrugging.  I didn't want to tell her about the risks involved.
She gasped and grabbed me into a hug.  "Congratulations!  When--wait.  What aren't you telling me?"  she pulled away.  "You didn't sound as excited as you would probably be any other time." 
I shrugged again, but she nagged at me until I told her that it was rare and dangerous, etc.
She nodded, surprisingly cool about it.  "You'll be okay, and the baby will be okay.  Everything'll go okay, I'm sure.  And I'm also going to be staying around here a lot more so I can help you out when you get further along in your term, just so you know."
I nodded.  "I would argue with you, but I'm really sleepy and don't want to bother, so thank you."
"Ahh, so all I have to do is catch you when you're tired, and you'll agree with everything I say?  Awesome." 
I giggled.  "No...."
"Are you kidding me?  So that means you won't agree if I said Eugene was annoying?" 
"Definitely not, Zelia," I tried not to laugh at her look of disgust. 
"Well, you're no fun.  Okay...since I got everyone over here in one piece -- which was no easy feat..they were all getting pretty tired and grumpy --I guess I'll leave you guys to your normal evening routine.  I'll see you tomorrow, sis." 
"Yep...thanks for watching the kids," I told her, giving her a quick hug before she left. 

So...um...that's how I found out that I'm going to have a baby.
 Terrified?  Yes.
 Excited?  Yes. 

Today's Weird Ailment...If I Can Call It That?

~Rapunzel
Today, I woke up sick.  I was up far later than Eugene, and I almost didn't want to get out of bed because I felt so crummy. My head ached, and I felt sick to my stomach.
I could hear Jordan fussing, though, and I knew he probably needed help out there -- even though I didn't want to get anyone sick, not again!  They had just gotten over their colds.  Maybe I was just now getting it?  I didn't have a sore throat, though...
Regardless, I wandered out, still in my nightie and my hair un-brushed, to see what was up with Jordan.  Eugene had her in his arms, and was singing quietly to get her to calm down.  The two oldest girls were playing with Pascal, oblivious to their little sister's cries.
Urging down a strong wave of nausea, I made my way to the wicker chair to see Eugene and Jordan, and my hubby quickly stopped singing, his face reddening from embarrassment.
"I didn't wake you, did I?  She's really fussy this morning." he looked up at me, and his eyebrows shot up, too. "What's up with you, honey?  You look really crummy," he gave me a concerned look, standing and shifting Jordan to one arm so he could cup my cheek in his hand.
"Way to make a girl feel better," I grumbled.  "I have a headache, and I feel sick to my stomach.  Not sure why...ugh."  I scooped Jordan out of Eugene's arm and gave her a cuddle, trying to get her to quiet down.
His eyebrows furrowed.  "I'm sorry, hon.  I just meant--"
"I know what you meant...you're the one who always teases, so you should pick up on a joke," I immediately realized how that sounded, and I groaned.  "Sorry.  I didn't mean-"
"It's fine," he told me.  "But I do think you should go back to bed.  Actually, I demand you go back to bed, and if you don't, I'll carry you back and make sure you stay there.  M'kay?"
"Huh-uh..."
"Uh-huh," he took Jordan back into his arms and kissed my forehead.  "You...bed...now." 
I rolled my eyes, but I heeded his instructions. 

When I woke up later, around 1, I felt a lot better, only I still had that headache.  When I came out, the girls were running around in a lively game of tag, which Eugene was actively engaging in.  Jordan was sitting up by herself on a blanket on the floor with Pascal, watching them, so I went over and scooped her up, letting Pascal slip up onto my shoulder.  Eugene turned around, reaching to put his hand on Audrey's head and announcing her "it" (despite her squeal), and finally noticed I was up.
Dodging Audrey's grab at his pant leg, he jogged over to me, grinning and slightly out of breath.
"Hey, you two.." he bent to give me a quick kiss.  "How's my girl doing?"
"Better...I don't know what was going on this morning." I shrugged, glancing down at Jordan and bouncing her in my arms a couple of times.  "You guys having fun?"
"Mhm-" he broke off, skidding to the side when Audrey grabbed for him once more.
She instead slapped my leg, missing his, and yelled "YOU'RE IT!!" before tearing off, giggling.  Casey ran, too, laughing as Audrey said something.
"You don't have to, if you're not feeling good enough," he told me when I offered Jordan to him.
"Nah, I'm fine!  We haven't played tag in a good while," I said as I trotted slowly after the girls, giving them a head start.
Yuck...I really hope that whatever was wrong this morning is gone for GOOD! 

Happy 4th!!

Happy 4th of July, everyone!!  Anybody doing anything special today?  We're just going to have a fun day with the girls...we finally got Tangled Fan to give us some medicine...so everyone is feeling better, thank goodness!