The weeks were zooming by. The holidays were right around the corner. Brian and Julie were hosting Thanksgiving but the majority of the food was being prepped by Brian's Mom and Julie's sister. Brian had hired someone to come in and clean for them a couple of times a week. He wanted to make things as easy for Julie as possible.
Brian's parents arrived on Weds.afternoon and Carol got started on prepping food right away. Julie wanted to help, so Carol put her to work peeling potatoes. They sat and chatted and mapped out their Black Friday shopping. Julie wanted to get all her shopping done so she didn't have to worry about it later. Even If Caroline wasn't here before Christmas, Julie surely wouldn't feel like shopping anyway.
After they finished prepping, Carol and Julie were in Caroline's nursery. Carol sat down in the glider and said, "I can't wait to rock her in this chair."
Julie smiled, "I can't wait for you to either." About that time Caroline started moving and kicked Julie in the ribs. Carol saw the pain on her face.
"Oh my, are you ok? Bri....something's happening." Carol yelled out in panic.
"Oh Mom I'm ok, she just kicked me hard in the ribs." Julie said rubbing her belly.
Brian came running in.
"Everything's ok Brian, she just kicked me in the ribs.."
Brian rubbed her belly, "Caroline Marie Quinn, stop kicking your Mom."
He kissed Julie, "you sure you're ok?"
"I promise I'm great. She just kicked me right in the rib and it hurt. "
"I'm sorry Bri I saw pain on her face and thought she was going into labor. ". Carol said.
"Oh Mom, don't apologize." Julie said. "It kind of freaked me out too."
The ladies came into the living room.
"My feet are so swollen. I hate this." Julie said.
Brian motioned for her to put her legs up, so she did and Brian grabbed her feet and started giving her a foot rub, which immediately put her to sleep.
"Brian I can't tell you the joy it brings me to see you settled and happy." His Mom said.
"Thanks Ma, it's crazy, I never wanted this until I met Julie." Brian said looking over at her. Brian loved watching her sleep. It always reminded him of the first night they met, when he'd slept on her floor because he was afraid to leave her alone. How far they'd come.
Julie woke up a few mins later, "how rude, I'm so sorry." As she sat up.
"Oh honey, don't worry about it." Carol said,"I've been where you are more than once. Go lay down."
Julie looked at the clock, it was 9:45. "Well, it's after 9:30 so it's socially acceptable for me to go to bed." She joked.
"I'll be right behind you." Brian said
"No Hun, it's ok. Visit with your parents." Come when you're ready." She leaned over to kiss him good night.
"Alright, love you.", he kissed her belly, "Caroline, don't keep your mommy awake all night. "
Brian woke up first, he looked over at Julie, who was curled up against his side with her leg over his. She looked so sexy. If his parents weren't down the hall, he'd be waking her up with more than a glass of juice and a smile. He tried to slip out from under her, but she stirred.
"Good morning handsome." She smiled and rubbed his chest.
"Good morning sexy." He said taking her hand and placing it elsewhere.
Her eyes lit up. "Well hello there!" She teased. "What on earth have you been dreaming about." She laughed.
"Nothing I was just watching you sleep. You have this crazy power over me." He said kissing her.
"Your parents are down the hall. "She said like a nervous teenager.
"Then we should be super quiet." He teased.
It was Thanksgiving and now she had even more to give thanks for, like a very attentive fiance.
Julie got up first and took a shower. Brian came in when she was almost done. She opened the shower curtain to grab her towel to dry off and Brian was standing naked in the bathroom grooming his beard in the mirror with nothing on. Julie admired him for a moment. He caught her in the mirror and asked, "what are you looking at?"
"The splendor that is you." She teased
"What have you been reading? romance novels?" He joked
"Hah you wish." She winked.
She went to step out of the shower and almost slipped, Brian grabbed her arm in time.
"Woman are you trying to give me a heart attack?"
"Well if I wasn't distracted by your nakedness I might not have slipped." They both laughed.
"What are you looking at? I'm getting a baby bump and I'm not even carrying a baby." He laughed rubbing his belly.
"You are sexy, and smart, and sweet, and loyal, and funny, and did I mention sexy?" She toyed with him planting kisses across his chest and up his neck.
"Oh my god woman what are you doing to me today?" He said. Breathing a little heavier and growing a little more......awake.
"I love you." She whispered in his ear.
"Good God I love you too." He groaned.
They spent the rest of the day with family and loved ones. Lisa and Lewis and the kids, James and Carol, Brian's brother Danny, wife Jennifer and their three kids showed up in the afternoon. Sal and Kelly ended up stopping over after they had dinner with Sals family. Everyone laughed and played games and genuinely enjoyed one another's company. At one point Julie looked around at everyone and the looked at her sister, who had fit right in with all of Brian's family. Julie excused herself and went to the kitchen. Get sister followed her in, she could tell by the look on Julie's face that something had gotten to her. Lisa walked in the kitchen, "JuJu you ok sweetie?"Julie was sitting on a stool with her back to the door. Lisa came up and put an arm around Julie's shoulder. Julie was crying.
"Sis? What's wrong? What happened?" Lisa asked.
"Oh Lis, I'm just sitting there watching the dynamics of everyone in the room, Brian has such a great family. Remember last year? It was you and me and the girls at a Dennys for Thanksgiving?" Julie asked.
"Oh trust me, I remember, I was pregnant with Xander. You were chasing Claire around the restaurant." Lisa said.
"It's always been me and you kid and I wouldn't have had it any other way." Lisa hugged her.
Carol came in the kitchen to get a glass of wine. Julie dried her eyes.
"Oh sweety I'm so sorry I didn't mean to interrupt." Carol said.
"Oh no you're not interrupting at all. Just having a sister moment. " Lisa said.
Carol looked at Julie,"oh Juls you're crying, what's wrong."
"Nothing really, I think it's just hormones and us reminiscing about our crummy childhood and admiring your amazing family." Julie said.
Carol put her arm around Julie, "and now you're a part of it too, and you're going to give us another beautiful grand daughter and you've made my son so happy. We love you."
About that time, Brian came in and stopped in his tracks. "Uh what's this?" He joked.
"Just a little girl chat." His Mom answered.
Brian noticed Julie had been crying. "Hey what's wrong?"
"Nothing really I was having a pregnancy hormone moment." Julie laughed.
"Aw baby, come here." He held his arms out and Julie walked into them. He wrapped them around her and kissed the top of her head."you sure you're ok?"
"I am, I was just thinking about the crummy thanksgivings Lisa and I had growing up and how lucky you are to have such a wonderful family."
"You're a part of it too." He said into the top of her head.
"Yeah that's what you're mom was saying too."
"I'm terrified once the baby gets here I'm going to spaz out and be a horrible Mom."
"You have nothing to worry about. You are such an amazing person. Everyone who meets you instantly loves you. Caroline will too." "You know how else I know you'll be a great mom? Because you're so great to me."
"Now, let's go be with our family! "
They went back to the living room and had a great time. Around 9:30, Julie, carol, Lisa and Kelly decided to go shopping. Julie was determined to get her shopping done. Brian was worried, "you sure this is a good idea? Your feet are already swelling. I worry about you."
"If I get to uncomfortable, I'll sit out a store or something."
"If you get to uncomfortable, just call me and I'll come get you." Brian kissed her.
"I promise Bri, we'll take good care of your girls." Carol said.
"Mom, she's like weeks away from having a baby, don't let her have my kid in the toilet paper aisle in Target ok?" Brian said worried.
"Brian, sweetie, I've had 3 kids of my own, I will take care of her."
"Julie, I mean it, if it gets to be to much, I will come get you."
"Baby, I promise I will be careful." She kissed him goodbye and the ladies left.
They got home about 4am. Julie was exhausted and her feet were so swollen, but she did what she set out to do and she got her shopping done. She was pretty proud of herself and had even picked up a few things for the baby.
When they got home, she grabbed a tshirt from Brian's drawer to put on and climbed into bed. He woke up when she did.
"Hey, you ok?" He asked sleepily.
"I'm ok, just exhausted."
She leaned over and kissed him. "I love you Brian Michael Quinn."
He mumbled back,"I love you Julie Marie Stobart."
Julie woke up to the sound of laughter and noticed the light coming through the window. She rolled over and looked at the clock, 11:15am. Omg she was sleeping the day away. She grabbed a pair of Brian's boxers and pulled her hair up in a ponytail and made her way to towards the laughter.
"Good morning gorgeous." Brian said.
Julie was still exhausted, she shuffled over and sat next to Brian on the couch. Brian leaned over and rubbed her belly and said,"good morning baby girl."
They spent the rest of their Friday being lazy. It was a great day.
Julie never did get over being exhausted. Around 8:30 she called it a day. Brian came and checked on her. "You feeling ok?" He was worried.
"I'm fine, I'm just exhausted." She smiled and said.
"Ok go get some sleep. I'll be in in a bit." He kissed her.
A couple of hours later Brian came in. Julie was restless. Every time she would find a comfy position, the baby would start kicking. Julie was having Braxton hicks contractions too. Her Dr had talked to her at several visits over the past few months about real vs fake contractions. So she was sure these were fake.
When Brian climbed into bed he realized she was awake. "Hey baby I thought you were asleep. You ok?" He said wrapping his arms around her.
"I'm fine, she's just busy tonight and I'm having Braxton hicks." Julie said rubbing her belly.
Brian leaned down and talked to Julie's belly.
"Ok baby girl, listen, we know space is limited in there, but you need to relax and letMommy get some sleep. We love you and can't wait to see you." Then he kissed her belly and the baby moved and you could see her moving. Brian freaked out. "Omg it's like that seen in alien, is she coming through or what?"
Julie cracked up, "no but that's her butt so basically she's telling you to kiss her butt."
"Nice, I thought I had at least 13-14 years before I had to hear that." Brian joked.
Julie rolled onto her side and laid against Brian and her belly was against his side. He could tell by Julie's breathing that Julie was asleep but he could feel Caroline moving around in Julie's belly. He was fascinated. He laid still and savored the moment until he drifted off to sleep.
They got up the next day. They had a busy day. A fan meet and greet and Julie and Carol we're going to shop and walk around in Times Square, maybe grab a late lunch. Julie decided to go casual. She was all belly and she was all about comfort. With all the moving around last night the baby was laying very different this morning. Was this what they were talking about when they talk about the baby dropping? She felt like she was going to drop right out of her crotch. Julie decided on leggings, a cute purple tunic sweater with a black and purple infinity scarf and black slip on flats.
She came out and Carol was in the living room, she looked at Julie and immediately noticed the baby had dropped.
"Oh Julie my dear, she dropped last night didn't she?" Carol asked.
"She definitely did. I feel like she's going to fall right out." Julie said.
"That's all normal honey. She won't. When it's time, you'll know."
Carol and James were making a quick stop at an old friends house on Staten Island and said she would meet Julie and Brian at the meet and Greet.
Brian and Julie headed to midtown. The meet and greet was being held at a hospitality suite at a hotel. Brian looked over at Julie. Brian could tell Julie was feeling crummy. He felt bad. He wanted to tell her to stay home and relax today, but, he really needed her to be there.
They pulled up at the valet at the hotel. Julie and Brian stepped out and he led her into the side entrance, telling her that they could avoid the fan line going in this way. She was all for it. He got a call, "hey Sal, yeah we just got into the building we'll be there in a minute.
They got to the room and he stopped before he opened the door. He hugged her and gave her a kiss on the lips. "You look so beautiful." He smiled. "I sure don't feel beautiful." She said grimacing. "Well you should." He brushed a strand of hair from her face.
He opened the door and motioned for Julie to walk in first. She walked in and for a second was very confused. She saw all these pink and white balloons and she thought to herself,"why do they have all these Girly balloons for a meet and greet. Then she saw her sister and brother in law, and her sisters best friend, then Carol and James. It finally sank in, she looked at Brian and she started to cry. He hugged her, and he said, this is your meet and greet today sweetness." Everyone came over to hug her. "You truly had no idea this was a baby shower you were coming to?" Kelly asked as she hugged Julie.
"I had no idea. I was a little sad that no one ever mentioned a shower, but I figured it was the holidays and people were busy and ....." Julie felt embarrassed.
"We would never forget you sweetheart,." Carol said hugging her.
"Thank you so much Mom." Julie hugged her back.
So many people were there, friends from her old job, extended family, cousins, aunts, etc. Brian and Julie got so many wonderful things for Caroline. They were overwhelmed.
As a joke the guys had gotten their hands on a labor contraction simulator and we're offering Brian cash to get him to wear it again like he did on the show. He said,"there's not a snowballs chance in hell I'm putting that thing back on. I feel bad that I'm putting her through it." Everyone laughed and then of course they had to show the video.
When the shower was almost over Brian grabbed a microphone and announced he had a surprise for Julie. She was a little surprised and a little scared. Brian held up a big yellow envelope. Julie was confused.
"So everyone knows that Julie did me the honor of saying yes when I asked her to marry me a few weeks ago."
Julie held up her hand to show off the ring. We also went and applied for our marriage license.
"Julie didn't know the license arrived yet." He smirked, "but it's here and i have it."
"So Julie all we need to do is pick a date."
Sal stood up and said, "and Julie probably didn't know I'm an ordained minister."
Julie looked around, she found her sister in the crowd and they locked eyes. Lisa shook her head yes.
"How bout today?" Kelly jumped in and suggested.
"I'd marry her today." Brian said.
"I'd marry you today." Julie said.
"You deserve a big wedding with you walking down the aisle. "Brian said. He hadn't meant to do it today, he just wanted her and everyone else to know he was serious and ready to make her an honest woman."
"I love you, I love our life, and I am certain I'm spending the rest of my life with you. I don't need a big fancy wedding. I did that once and it went horribly." She smiled.
"Wanna get married ?" He kissed her and smiled.
"I thought you'd never ask."
Everyone cheered.
So they stood in front of everyone and said their vows and Brian kissed his bride.
"I now pronounce you, joker and wife." Sal said.
Julie could not believe it, they had just gotten married and she was Mrs. Brian Quinn.
Everyone was so happy and the room was so full of love. Julie rubbed her belly, Caroline was kicking and moving a lot. Maybe she was cramped in there from all the love spilling from Julie's heart.