After his UNICEF appearance at the White House, Tom was scheduled to make a very similar appearance back down in Hollywood but because (a) we wanted to know if I was pregnant or not and (b) the nausea seemed to be getting worse, not better, he sent his apologies, cancelling his appearance and returning to our London home with me, where my doctor took a blood sample, saying it was more reliable than the other way, and that I would know in a few days whether or not Tom’s life, and mine, were going to change forever with a baby.
The three day wait for the sample to be sent out, analysed and returned to the doctor in all honesty felt more like three weeks and the entire time I'm beyond certain that Tom’s mum Diana and his younger sister, Emma, who had become the younger sister I'd never had, must have suspected something but thought that if there was something to tell we would have told them about it, but even after getting confirmation from the doctor that I was indeed pregnant, we waited until after the first ultrasound the next day before we told Tom’s family about it.
Some places ask women to change into the ghastly paper dresses for the ultrasound but the one my doctor, Karen Ellison, sent me to was a little more progressive in regards to its attitude as I was able to stay in my autumnal jeans and shirt with a grey jumper on top of it. Holding Tom’s hand, I jumped a little as the cold clear gel was squirted on me in one place then a controller was used to move it around until the doctor was able to get a clear shot, estimating thirteen weeks and printed out a picture.
After getting the excess gel off and making myself as presentable as possible, Tom and I headed out to his car, where we sat in shock, nothing was said for a good five to ten minutes. “It’s official; I'm pregnant” I finally said, breaking the silence which threatened to kill me if it continued any longer, feeling Tom reach across and take my hand in his, “Jenna darling are you in any way upset that we didn’t get our first year to ourselves” he asked and I shook my head, asking to go to his mum’s.
Diana must have heard our car coming up the road because by the time we got through the front gate and made it past her Norwegian Elkhound by the name of Stacey, she was already standing on the doorstep, the staircase just visible behind her, “Well this is a bit of an unexpected surprise” she said with a slight laugh as Tom and I ascended the four red cement stairs, kissing and cuddling each of us in turn, and we made sure Stacey didn’t feel left out, “Is there any reason why my son and his wife have dropped by?”.
“Actually mum there is” Tom was the first to speak as Stacey sat in front of me, in her own way begging for attention, which I quite happily gave her, “You know how Jenna’s not been feeling the best these past couple of weeks”, Diana simply nodded, wondering where this line of conversation was going, “Well we found out today mum that we are going to be first-time parents”, as soon as he said that, Diana’s face lit up enough to rival the Rockefeller Plaza Christmas tree, nearly knocking Tom over with her high but completely understandable level of enthusiasm.
“It’s about bloody time too Tom” Diana said, slightly laughing as she drew me into her welcoming arms, her hand on the back of my head before letting me go and instead of sitting on the sofa as I had, Tom instead pulled me onto his lap, one arm placed around my back and the other around the front, occasionally leaning his head on my right upper arm, just as Emma walked into the room, causing Tom to repeat the announcement for a second time, and as predicted, the youngest Hiddleston sibling was just as happy as her mum was.
3, 6, 8 months went by and not once did the feeling of nausea, which happened mostly if I hadn’t eaten, choose to go away, just like Tom. He was right there by my side for each and every single ultrasound appointment, including the one where we found out that we were expecting the arrival of a daughter, news that made Tom’s face light up just as his mother’s had when we broke the news to her, whereas all I could think of at the point in time was ‘uh oh, he's gonna spoil her rotten, daddy’s little girl alert’.
