Sarah's POV:
5th September 2010
Today is going to be my second, and last ultrasound. I get to see my baby again, I could find out the gender if I wanted to...
I wake up early to my phone ringing.
Ryan Murphy is calling...
I answer immediately, "hello?" I say in a tired morning voice.
"Lana!" He says in a jolly tone, which makes me very confused, he must have got the wrong number.
"Ryan, it's Sarah, have you got the wrong number?"
"No, I know it's you Sarah. I'm talking about your new character, the main character of season two, in fact. Lana winters."
"The main part? Ryan that's incredible thank you!"
"Nonsense! You're incredible. I know that season one hasn't aired yet, but We're going to need to start filming soon after I've finished the script, I'm on the last few episodes now, I'm sending the scripts to agents as soon as they're done."
"Ryan.... I'm 6 months pregnant. Am I going to be able to play the part?"
"I know you are, silly. I'm talking about halfway through next year, when are you due? November? So we'll start filming in May... the baby will be 6 months old. Then season one will be aired. That sounds good to me."
"That sounds perfect for me as well. I'm sure my agent will be happy to know that I'm wanted for another season. Thank you for working around me."
"Nonsense. You're my muse for this season."
"Can I just ask, where will it be filmed?"
I'm saying this because I've been thinking of moving anyway. I live in a one bedroom apartment, enough room for a newborn, but I don't really want to be moving around too much while the baby is still young, I don't want to put stress on either of us. So if I know the location I can move into a bigger house near the set and that will be a lot easier for everyone.
"We're filming in the northeast of LA."
"Perfect."
Not too far from where I already live, I can look for houses as soon as I get out of my ultrasound appointment later.
After that extremely pleasant conversation, we say our goodbyes and hang up. It puts me in a good mood ready for my scan later.
I get up, get ready and decide to take a walk around the park. I like the fresh air, it's good for us both.
There we go baby, I know my back is going to kill after this and I'll be in major need of a massage, but a little bit of air in our lungs never hurt us, did it?
I'm walking through the park when I get approached by a man with a large camera and microphone.
Great. I'm not gonna get left alone until I've answered all their questions. I seriously need to pee as well. This baby is pushing on my bladder like mad.
I feel little kicks across my stomach, I reach down and put my hands under my stomach, trying to lift it up to relief the pressure.
"Sarah Paulson?" The man with the camera asks, I turn around and smile.
"Yes?" I say politely, but with an edge that could show I'm not in the mood.
"Do you mind if I ask you a few questions quickly?" Even if I said no, I knew he would follow me around until I answered.
"Of course, but be quick please, this baby is really trying me today." I say laughing.
"Congratulations on the baby, this is your first right?"
"Yes, thank you!"
"Has it been hard balancing work and pregnancy?"
"Not at all. Luckily I've had a lot of support from everyone around me, so I've had it extremely easy so far, it might not be so easy when the baby is born, though."
"Are you working on anything new right now?"
"I have a few gigs booked, that's all I can say. Something new will be coming this time next year, so you have that to look forward to."
After what seemed like hours of interviewing, which was only about half an hour in real time, my bladder seemed to get smaller and smaller each second. After the interviewer left me, I rushed back to my car, speeding home as fast as I could so that I could pee.
A few hours later I'm watching my baby on the ultrasound screen.
"Do you want to know the gender?" He asks, as he is gliding the freezing cold gel across my belly with the Doppler.
I'm tempted, I can't lie, but I shake my head. "I'm leaving it a surprise..." I say, feeling the sides of my swollen stomach that don't have the gel on.
"Do you have a feeling?"
"I'm keeping my cards to my chest for now, I'm not going to say. I have a feeling but I don't want to jinx it. As long as I have a healthy baby, that's all that matters."
"Well, you have a perfectly healthy baby, happy too, they've been kicking and moving around a lot I assume?"
"Oh yes, keeping me up all night sometimes." The doctor laughs,
"It was the same with my wife and our first baby. I suggest getting one of those huge pillows you can lay against to take the pressure off, especially as you're heading into the third trimester."
"Oh yeah I've seen those."
I leave yet another appointment happy, I'm so lucky to have such an amazing Doctor and a healthy baby. I've never been happier.
As I'm sat in my car getting ready to drive home I get a call from Rachel, which is random because we never really talk on the phone.
"Hello?" I say as i answer the phone, I hear Rachel hushing someone,
"Oh, Sarah, hi, how did the appointment go?"
"It went good, I'm just in my car now ready to drive home.... What's up?"
"Oh... Nothing, how long will you be?"
"I don't know Rachel, ten minutes tops? Why do you ask?"
"Why don't you go to the store? You know, relax, look at baby stuff, you might see some really cute outfits, do you need to pick up milk?" I am so confused by the conversation, it's almost making my brain hurt.
"Rachel what are you doing? If i wanted to relax I'd go home, not to the store..." I say, rubbing my head in confusion.
"I'm not doing anything Sarah..." I hear chattering in the background, then Rachel hushing someone again.
"Seriously what are you doi-" I start to say, but then i get hung up on.
What a weirdo. Why did she just randomly call me? Why was she hushing people in the background? I have no clue what's going on.... Why did she want me to go to the store?
I start up the car and drive home, confused, thinking over and over again about how random that conversation was. I turn the radio on half way home to distract myself, singing along. The baby starts to kick so i turn the music on louder.
Looks like I have a musical genius growing inside of me.
I get home exhausted, just wanted to flop on the couch and sleep, I see a car parked outside my apartment, not unusual, as many people live in my apartment building, but this car looks familiar.
Is that Rachel's car? It can't be....
I put the key in my door and almost have a heart-attack. My father, my grandparents, my mother, my sisters, Amanda and her kids are stood at my doorway,
"SURPRISE!"
I hate being scared. I scream and fall to the floor. "Dammit you guys! I have a baby in me, be careful!" I clutch my stomach to make sure the baby is okay, i feel a kick which reassures me. I landed on my knees, not anywhere that could have harmed the baby, but I nearly peed myself. I look around, even more confused.
I see White banners hung around the walls, white balloons, a table with a blue and pink cake on it with maybe 50 pink and blue cupcakes next to it and a pile of gifts in the corner of the room. "What is happening?" I say, as Liz and Amanda pick me up, laughing.
"Welcome to your baby shower!" My mom says. I go around and give everyone a hug and a kiss.
"How did you guys get here?" I ask, knowing my family live in all different parts of the US.
"Your dad stayed with Rachel for the past few days, I stayed at Liz's" My mom explained to me.
I go and take a closer look at everything, the pink and blue cake has little baby decorations on it and on the top it said in little white fondant lettering: Sarah's Baby Shower
I feel my eyes start welling up. The amount of effort that has gone into them surprising me for my baby is so overwhelming i burst out crying. Amanda hands Molly to my mom and gives me a huge hug, wiping my tears and kissing my nose. Frances comes up to me and gives me a hug as well, I scoop her up over my stomach and hold her closer to me. I realise after a few minutes that i need to pee for the 20th time today. I finally stop crying and go to pee, when i get back everyone is sat around waiting for me.
"Cake or presents first?" My mom asks me, it feels like i'm a little kid again at my birthday parties. Except this time i have an entire human inside of me, the cake isn't small, it's a two tier cake, big enough for everybody, but for some reason i start to feel ravenous, like i could eat the whole cake and all of the cupcakes to myself.
Please baby, we can't be greedy. Sharing is caring.
"Cake." I say. My mom takes a knife from my kitchen and asks me how much i want. I go for a reasonable sized slice to start. Everyone goes up and gets their share. Even little Molly, who is nearly 7 months old, sucks on a tiny piece of cake from Amanda's plate until it dissolves completely, getting soggy cake crumbs and sticky icing all down her front and on her arms. Frances munches away at her cake quite happily as well. I finish mine in record time, everyone looks at me, shocked when i go back for more. This time i get an even bigger slice.
"What?" I say innocently, "I'm eating for two." Amanda, Rachel, Liz and my dad all laugh at me. I also grab two cupcakes and sit back down, trying to eat more slowly this time.
"I was exactly the same as you when i was pregnant with Molly." Amanda says, wiping Frances' mouth and hands with a cloth from her gigantic bag that she always carries with her, filled with baby supplies. I realise after seeing that how unprepared I am. Yes, I'm not due for another few months, but i have nothing for the baby. Nothing at all. No crib or bassinet, no stroller, no diaper bag, no pacifiers or bibs, no baby bottles, nothing. I start to panic.
"I feel so unprepared." I whisper to Amanda as other conversations break off and the room gets louder.
"That's why we are all here. What do you think those are?" She says, pointing to the gifts in the corner, laughing slightly, but putting a reassuring arm on my shoulder. "I love you." She says, resting her head on my shoulder and moving her hand to my belly, where i start to feel kicks, Amanda looks shocked. "Oh my god! I felt a kick! I've not felt the baby kick yet!"
"We love you too." I say, laughing at her cute reaction.
After a while everyone gathers around and watches me open gifts. I get a pack of baby bottles, pacifiers, lots of formula and a breast pump (choices), blankets, lots of cute clothes and bibs from my mom. My grandparents got me a baby car seat and some more cute clothes. My dad got me a baby bath, soaps, shampoo, a baby first aid kit and more blankets. Rachel and Liz between them got me loads and loads of baby clothes, pregnancy books and some maternity clothes and a bassinet. Amanda's gift shocked me. The first thing i opened was a self care kit for me. It was a basket filled with face masks and bath bombs and nail polish and some of my favourite movies and some nice fluffy slippers and pyjamas and all my favourite snacks. Then i opened a whole diaper bag that was filled with baby stuff, just like hers. It had pretty much everything I needed. Loads of baby hats, socks, blankets, loads of clothes. Bottles, Diapers, formula, pacifiers, wipes, bibs, something which Amanda called a throw-up cloth, which was a little white cloth used to wipe vomit. The last thing i open from Amanda is one of those huge pregnancy pillows that my doctor was talking about earlier.
Now, thanks to my amazing family, i have pretty much everything i need. Except a stroller and a crib.
I give them all another hug and a kiss and we sit and chat for a little while more before people start to leave, which was a good time as my back started to hurt. When everyone had left i started cleaning up, then i went and had my third cupcake.
Nobody to judge us now, baby.
I end the night by running myself a bath, putting in a bath bomb, and soaking in it for a while. Then i get out, put on a face mask, get my new pyjamas and slippers on, flop down on my couch with my pregnancy pillow and binge all the movies while filling up on my favourite snacks.
Thanks Mandy.