August 6, 2021
Today, JJ is exactly 35 weeks pregnant and has officially started her maternity leave. We thought having a Friday be her last day would work well, because it wraps up the week and acts as a nice start to her baby shower weekend. JJ is due August 27, and she's definitely ready. Her maternity leave came at the perfect time, because lately she's been so fatigued it's almost painful to watch. She walked through our door at the end of the day, kicked her shoes off, and laid down on the couch. I made her a mug of tea and then went over to sit by her. I placed her tea near her end of the coffee table along with a small bag of Cheetos.
I sat down at the opposite end of the couch and pulled her socks off, "Do your feet hurt?" I started rubbing the soles of her feet to calm her knotted muscles.
She sighed at the relief, "Ugh everything hurts. I'm so tired, Y/N"
"I know, Jay. Our baby boy will be here soon, just focus on that." I saw her smile softly but keep her eyes closed. I got up from the couch and started walking into our bedroom, "I'll be right back, hun." Grabbing all the proper supplies out of our bathroom cabinet, I prepared a bath for JJ. I took out the eucalyptus bath soap this time, because it's her go-to whenever she's super tired or stressed. I made sure the water was hot enough and then went to go get JJ. I knelt down in front of her and brushed a piece of hair out of her face.
She cracked her eyes open, "Where'd you go? I missed you..."
"First of all, I was gone for like 8 minutes. Second of all, how does a bubble bath sound?"
Her eyes widened more as she was taken over by excitement. I helped her get up and waddle into our bathroom, stripping her from her work clothes and assisting her into the tub.
I turned around to leave and go get changed but JJ stopped me, "Wait where-where are you going?" She was being extra clingy today, but I didn't mind. Having her want to be near me was actually very sweet.
"I was gonna go get changed, why?"
"You're not gonna stay with me?"
I walked over to the chair we kept in our bathroom to pull it over to her, "I guess I could stay and just s—"
"No, I mean... you don't wanna join me?"
I smiled at her, "Is that what you want?" She nodded. Once all my clothes were off and discarded onto the floor, I told JJ to lean forward and I got in the tub behind her. When I was settled, she laid back onto my chest and I wrapped my arms around her belly. We made quiet chit chat for several minutes, enjoying each other's company in an intimate way.
I placed a kiss on her shoulder, "What do you want for dinner tonight, baby? Your choice, we can get whatever you want."
She looked back at me, "Pasta? From that one place downtown? I feel like fettuccine."
"Okay. I'll call when we get out of the tub and then go pick it up." We decided to leave the tub when the water turned cold and it was no longer enjoyable. We went to bed right after eating because JJ was so tired. Despite the fact that she's felt like a walking zombie this whole week, I think she's still excited for her baby shower tomorrow.
August 7, 2021
Because he's the "host with the most," Rossi insisted on hosting JJ's shower. We were told to come at a very specific time, because Garcia wanted everything to be a surprise. It was a beautiful summer day— a cool 75°F— so we were grateful for the nice weather. JJ wanted to make sure she'd be comfortable so she wore a flowy, light blue maternity dress that didn't snug her body or make her feel constricted. She curled her hair ever so slightly so her hair would have soft waves. I let her steal my white converse for the day, since she asked if she could wear them to Rossi's. I wore black jean shorts with a white t-shirt tucked into them, and threw a light flannel on to complete the look. Once we were ready, we left our apartment in order to aim to arrive at Rossi's at 12:30. When we pulled into his driveway, I texted Garcia to let her know we were here. She gave me the okay to go out back so I parked the car and escorted JJ to Rossi's backyard. She loved how everything looked and so did I. Round tables were set up all around the yard, with elegant white tablecloths and vases of daisies. White and yellow balloons were scattered as decor, and a table overflowing with gifts had a place on Rossi's patio. Garcia even set up and station full of every food JJ has craved over the last 9 months.
JJ's eyes lit up when she saw that table and immediately took her place by it. She stuffed a Hawaiian Roll in her mouth and mumbled, "Mmm this table is definitely going to be my home for the next two hours."
Emily walked up behind us and patted me on the back before shooting a questioning look at JJ, "Is that a Hawaiian Roll? You craved those?"
JJ swallowed a piece of the sweet bread before saying, "Have you ever had one of these? They're like crack."
I laughed and turned to Emily, "This is nothing compared to some of the other ones. Bread and butter pickles take the crown for strangest craving."
JJ's head whipped around back to the table, "Ooo are those here too?!" Per JJ's request, we spent a solid chunk of time at the cravings table before getting up to mingle with everyone else at the shower. After walking around for about 15 minutes, I suggested JJ rest and sit down for a bit. I sat next to her at one of the tables in Rossi's backyard while we admired the decorations. Garcia, Emily, and Reid came over to sit with us shortly after.
I swooned, "It looks beautiful back here, Pen, we love all the decorations!"
"Merci, mon amour! I thought yellow and white would be a good gender neutral theme— gender is a social construct."
Reid wanted to add in his two cents, "Indeed, recent scientific studies have actually shown that gender and sex are—"
Emily interrupted, "Reid, it's okay we know." Spence continued his lecture nonetheless, his first of many of the afternoon. We were at Rossi's for a long time— soaking up the sun and enjoying the pleasant summer breeze. JJ cleaned out practically the entire cravings table, and we took home more presents than I care to count. We were one day closer to welcoming our son into the world.