Brown sugar and Lavender

Chapter thirty seven: Christmas round two

Addison's POV:

Naomi told us when we left LA that I should know the results of my artificial insemination within two to four weeks. I was to time my cycle, which was supposed to come not long before Christmas, and take a pregnancy test before my expected period.

Naomi felt confident in the procedure, she said it went extremely well, and that made me feel so much better. She really was the best in fertility there was, and if anyone was going to knock me up successfully, it would be her.

But still, my nerves got the best of me. I wanted to maximize the chances of a baby, so I started doing everything I could to stay in top shape. I continued going to the gym but I also took up yoga classes, I started eating more vegetables, no take out, and I stopped drinking alcohol altogether.

On December 23rd, when I was supposed to be expecting a period, I did not receive one, and I could not have been happier.

I didn't tell Meredith, I wanted to be sure there was something to be excited about before getting her worked up, so I went to work that morning and immediately went to the OB floor to have my blood taken for testing. I didn't want to pee on a stick, false negatives were common this early on in pregnancy, I wanted to be 110% sure there was a baby before even letting myself get the slightest bit excited.

My OB, who was the second best in the hospital (besides myself) and also happened to double as head of pediatric surgery (because I won't have anything less than the best for my pending pregnancy) was Callie's girlfriend, Arizona Robbins.

"Are you sure you don't want me to page Meredith too when your results come in?" She asks me as she snaps her gloves off and seals the bag with my blood in it.

"I want it to be a surprise for her; if its negative I should get my period soon and I'll tell her then" I told Arizona "I don't know if it'll take considering my age" I fretted.

"Oh please" Arizona scoffed "you're what, thirty seven? I've seen plenty of women your age have their first baby and then a few more after. Never have I ever seen an older woman have severe complications in her pregnancy specifically because of her age. You will be fine" she assured me with a pat on the shoulder.

I nodded and thanked her with a smile before heading off to start my rounds.

It was going to be a very nerve wracking day.

~

By December 24th, Christmas Eve, my blood work still wasn't back. Arizona put a rush on it to make sure I got it before Christmas, but the lab was so backed up that everything non-vital was put on hold, including pregnancy tests.

I was a nervous wreck all throughout the day, Meredith thought it was just because my period was supposed to be coming up, but it was really because I was waiting on the results I needed to know if I was pregnant or not.

Finally, fucking finally, at eight o'clock on Christmas Eve, when I was wrapping last minute presents while Meredith was still at work (she'd been called into a surgery that was taking longer than she'd thought), my cell phone went off with a call from Arizona.

"Are my results in?" I immediately asked upon answering the phone.

"Hi Addison, nice to hear from you too. I'm doing good, my day was busy but you know how it is right before Christmas" Arizona joked.

"Hi Arizona, how was your day?" I asked jokingly.

"Well since you asked..."

"Do you have my results?" I ask again, feeling my stomach tighten into a knot with anticipation and anxiety. I needed to know if I was pregnant or not, I couldn't take the waiting anymore.

"Yes, I do. And all I can say is that I hope you're not too disappointed when I tell you that you will be getting very, very fat during the next thirty six weeks"

I smiled a wide smile and immidiately put my hand down to rest on my very flat stomach.

"You mean..."

"Congratulations, Addison. Your first ultrasound is scheduled for January 4th"

I thanked Arizona and wished her Merry Christmas before hanging up and crying. I was so overwhelmed and so happy, happier than I ever thought I could be. I was pregnant, my amazing wife and I were going to have a sweet little baby by Christmas next year, and it was all so surreal.

Deciding I had one more gift to wrap, I went to work to finish everything up before Meredith got home.

~

Christmas morning is never nearly as eventful when you're an adult as when you were a kid. I usually slept in on Christmas and then spent the day watching movies and drinking wine. I had no desire to be with my family on Christmas, or any other day of the year for that matter. When I had been married to Derek, we usually slept late, exchanged presents and then rounded up every gift we'd picked up for Derek's family (which was usually a lot; four sisters meant lots of nieces and nephews) before heading out to his Mother's house.

You'd think I would be happy seeing family and being with other people, but seeing Derek's sisters pregnant and with babies just made me sad. I wanted a baby, but I always kept putting it off because of work and Derek. It was hard to see Derek's family have what I had always wanted.

But this year, I had some big news for Meredith, and I couldn't wait for her to find out.

I woke Meredith up at seven in the morning, practically jumping with excitement. I couldn't wait for her to open the special present I spent so much time perfecting.

"Addie baby, its too early" she grumbled as I shook her shoulder "go to sleep; we can open presents in a couple of hours"

"I can't sleep, I have a really kick-ass present to give you" I kept on shaking her until she woke up with a tired sigh and some sleepy kisses.

"Alright, alright, I'm awake. Let's go open presents" still bleary eyed and tired, Mer walked downstairs with me and sat down on the couch. We opened all the normal presents first; I'd gotten her a new travel mug, a lavender body wash set, new PJ's with little hearts on them, a locket with our picture in it and a bottle of tequila. She had gotten me a new hand bag (one I'd been eyeing for months), a soft yellow blanket, some potted poinsettia's, a new book I'd wanted, and a gift certificate to the spa I usually went to to get my hair and nails done.

"This is the last one" I handed Meredith the little white bag, giddy with excitement.

"Is this the kick-ass one?" She asks with an eyebrow raised, as she plucked the tissue paper out.

I nod, as she pulls a piece of paper out of the bag and reads it with a confused expression on her face.

"An order receipt?" she asked me "did you order me something that didn't come in the mail yet?"

"Yes, I did" I tell her with a smile.

"Well what is it?"

Wordlessly, I undid all the buttons of my PJ shirt, revealing my stomach, where I'd gotten up early to write 'Due in September' just above my belly button in red and green crayola markers.

I watched Meredith's face contort from confusion, to shock, to happiness.

"Baby, you're pregnant?" She asked me in disbelief.

I nod "Our first ultrasound is early January"

Meredith hugs me, with happy tears rolling down her face. She put a hand on my stomach, and looked up at me with love in her eyes.

"Addie baby is carrying our baby, You're baby squared!" She laughed happily.

"We're having a baby" she repeated again, still smiling with her hand on my stomach.

"We're having a baby" I confirmed.