Christine stood at her full length mirror, in her new dress she had picked out with Jenny and Stevie for her baby shower. It was a long, satin flowy baby blue color that she thought was a great color that fit just right around her breasts and stomach as John came out of the bathroom, dressed as he just took a shower as Christine sat down while Jenny started on her hair and Stevie looked through her makeup, wanting to match her dress.

"One more month and you'll be here." Christine said as she caressed her stomach.

"How does it feel being pregnant?" Stevie asked Christine.

"Wonderful. At first, you get to experience all these crazy emotions from finding out you're having a baby along with the morning sickness, but your body changes and you grow to love your baby more and more as time goes on." Christine said.

"What about you John?" Stevie questioned as John looked at her.

"About what?" John asked.

"What do you think about these last eight months?" Stevie questioned.

"These last eight months have been wonderful. I get to have my baby with the love of my life and best friend, it's been really wonderful getting to experience it all with her." John said.

"I feel the same way." Christine said as she smiled.
...

The baby shower was going great as John and Christine mingled with their friends.

"I need to sit down, my back hurts as well as my legs and feet." Christine said, sitting down as Stevie moved beside her.

"How are you feeling?" Stevie asked.

"Great, a little tired but I can't complain." Christine said.

"Do you need anything?" Stevie asked.

"No darling, I'm fine. Go mingle with Mick and Jenny for a little while." Christine said as Stevie got up and walked over to where Mick and Jenny were standing.

John came over to see how she was doing.

"How are you feeling sweetheart?" He asked.

"My back hurts." Christine said as John sat behind her and rubbed her back the best he could as Mick and Jenny came over to talk to them.

"Is your back hurting again honey?" Jenny asked her.

"Yes." Christine said.

"It might be back contractions or Braxton Hicks." Jenny said.

"It's too early for that to happen." John said, massaging Christine's back.

"Back contractions happen in your eighth month to where Braxton Hicks happen in your final month and it prepares your body for the real thing." Jenny said.

"He'll come when he's ready and don't scare her." Mick said to Jenny.

"I'm preparing her for what will happen in three weeks." Jenny said.

"We used to do practice methods for when the real process came. You know the labor drills we worked on?" Mick questioned.

"I don't think we need to do that." John said.

"It helps." Mick said.

"I feel like if we did those drills then I'd scare him into thinking I was in labor." Christine said.

"You would and I'm already terrified enough. Lamaze class taught me that we should let it happen naturally or until you tell me you are ready to have him." John said.

"Are you still going to have a hospital birth or something else?" Jenny asked them.

"At the hospital since we have the award show, on my due date of all the times to have it." Christine said.

"Everything will be okay songbird, you'll be well taken care of and you'll have us to lean on." Mick said.

"Glad I could count on you." Christine said.

...

John and Christine were opening gifts as she held the one from Stevie up for a picture.

"Oh Henry, Aunt Stevie got you another stuffed penguin." Christine said as she set the stuffed penguin on her stomach as he kicked it.

"He loves it!" John said happily.

"Well, I seen it and thought he could have it as a comfort pet or when he goes to school in a few years." Stevie said.

"He'll love it." Christine said.

"He's even got a matching penguin blanket, oh thank you darling." Christine said, hugging Stevie.

"You're welcome honey." Stevie said.

She opened the next gift and all it said was it was waiting for her when some of the guests leave.

"John?" Christine whispered in his ear.

"Yes?" John answered.

"What does this mean?" Christine asked.

"You'll see." John said.

"I hate surprises and you know that." Christine said.

"You'll love it sweetheart." John said as Christine needed to go to the restroom

"Now, I have to go to the restroom. I'll be back." Christine said as John helped her up and she walked to the nearest bathroom.

She used the bathroom and as she was washing her hands when a knock at the door snapped her out of her concentration.

"Darling?" John said, coming in.

"Yeah?" Christine said, drying her hands off.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Better now." She said.

"Is your back still hurting?" He asked.

"Yes." Christine said as they walked hand in hand into their living room as John worried for her but she told him she was alright.

"Come on pretty lady, just sit down and relax." John said as Christine sat down, only to stop worrying him.

"I'm so uncomfortable John. No matter if I'm sitting or standing and my back is killing me." Christine said, closing her eyes while rubbing her stomach.

"Just one more month songbird and he'll be here." John said as Christine smiled in her agitated way.

"I'm so bloody miserable." Christine said as Jenny and Stevie sat down by her.

"Like John said love, he'll be here before you know it." Jenny said as Christine was more than ready to have her son.

"Even though I'm uncomfortable and ready to have him, I'm so excited and I can't wait to become his Mummy." Christine said as she smiled down at her stomach, feeling the strong kicks against her hand.

The baby shower went well and everyone but Mick, Jenny and Stevie left.

"Ready for your surprise darling?" John asked her.

"Yes!" Christine said as she wondered what her husband was up to as they walked up the staircase to their baby's nursery as he put his hands over her eyes.

"You'll love it." John whispered in her ear.

"Just open the door mate." Mick said as he knew that Christine wanted the nursery to be perfect, like all expecting mothers wanted when their children arrive.

John opened the door as they walked in.

"Okay, open your eyes darling." John said as he took his hands covering her eyes as she opened them to reveal the nursery, a few details were missing when they worked on it and now, it was fully furnished as Christine hugged him.

"Oh darling, the furniture and the nursery is beautiful and I love the mural but I can't stand that long to paint because I wanted to paint the mural over his crib." Christine said as she wiped the tears forming in her eyes.

"That's why I had Karen and Stevie hire someone to help us get his room ready, so you didn't have to worry about anything when we bring him home." John said.

"Thank you guys for everything during the last eight months, you all mean the world to us." Christine said.

"You mean the world to us too songbird. You are mother earth to all of us and everyone loves you sweetheart." John said as everyone hugged them.

"I know I can't wait to spoil him rotten." Stevie said.

"Our little penguin is going to be so blessed to know he has so much love around him." Christine said.

"I can't wait to teach him how to play the drums." Mick said as Christine smiled.

"He's already got a spot in the band." John said.

"Yeah, I'm going to teach him how to play the piano and how to sing." Christine said.

"He's already got musical genes already. Every time me and Christine play a song, he moves around to the beat of the guitar or the piano." John said.

"Our little penguin." Christine said, smiling down at her stomach as John took a picture of her and looked at the way she glowed like an angel.

...

Later on that night, they took their showers and relaxed.

Christine was reading her baby book about labor and delivery, thinking of their baby and who he would look like, hopefully John, she thought while John was reading on how to be there for her during both labor and delivery.

"According to the baby book on labor and delivery, we have the option on still getting the epidural, unless you don't want to but are you still wanting to deliver him naturally?." John said.

"I thought about it and I've heard stories about women getting the spinal tap and it could give me back problems in the future or paralyze me, so I want to have him naturally." Christine said.

"I just want what's best for you, I already feel bad that you have to go through all this pain and I won't be able to help you get enough comfort when you need it." John said.

"Darling, you comfort me all the time and I believe giving birth to him naturally is the best way, I just don't want to have something that could easily take away my mobility. We get to have our life the way we always wanted to. We planned all our dreams out in our little apartment in England." Christine said, rubbing his shoulders.

"Our little penguin is going to be our first priority. You and Henry mean more to me than anything and I don't want to miss out on anything in his life. I love you both so much that I would rather be here with you and him than go out on the road for god knows how long and miss out on our son's life." John said.

"We love you too darling and honestly, I'd rather stay here than go out on the road at all. I've had my fair share of touring and I've had all the fun I ever wanted. This is what I've always dreamed of and now, I get to be a mum and I want to be there through every stage of our son's life from the time I give birth, to his life going from infant, toddler, preteen, teenager, adult and just be there through every milestone and I don't want to miss anything." Christine said as John knew how hard it was when the disappointment settled in from every negative pregnancy test they took to almost giving up hope on ever becoming parents because it took so much out of them.

"You'll never have to worry about missing anything darling. We'll be the star parents that show up to parent teacher conferences and the meetings. We're going to be very involved in his life and no one will say anything about it because I'll put them in there place." John said as Christine smiled.

"I love you both so much." Christine said as her and John put their hands on her stomach, feeling their son move and trying to figure out if was his hand or his foot pressed up against her belly.

"We love you too baby, so much that all the sweets in the world could not touch all the love we have for you." John said as Christine kissed him.

"One more month and he'll be here in our arms." Christine said.

"One more month songbird and we'll get to have our son and all our dreams come true." John said.

"I know this will probably be an early notice, but how many kids do you really want? I know we've talked about this but we never really gave each other an estimate on how many kids we really wanted. How many kids do you want us to have?" Christine asked him as she laid down on her pillows to get comfortable.

"Well, I always wanted two or three children because I want him to have a sibling to play with, so he won't be an only child." John said.

"I want a house full of children!" Christine said excitedly.

"Well, let's just wait and see because we have to have him first to see how you'll feel about having a house full of children." John said as Christine smiled.

"I know it will hurt like hell to have him naturally but I'd rather be on the safe side than have a needle shoved into my back that could give me back problems in the future or paralyze me. I'm not risking anything to bring our son into this world and I know you'll be there beside me and the birth plan is set and stone for me to deliver him naturally." Christine said.

"I want what's best for you darling and if this is what you want, then I'll be your comfort in every way I can." John said.

"I'm ready for him to be here, we've waited so long for him and I can't wait to have him and just see his cute, little cherub face." Christine said.

"I can't wait to be there, helping you bring our baby into our world full of love and enthusiasm that everyone has had for us since we first told everyone we were expecting him." John said.

"You're going to be a great father darling." Christine said.

"You're going to be a great mother too baby." John said as he moved close to her as Christine cuddled up in his arms. 

"Good night darling." Christine said as John kissed head and lips.

"Good night baby." John said as he caressed her stomach and they both fell asleep.

Author's Note: Yay, another chapter is here! Baby Henry is almost here and I can't wait for them to become parents. 💙🤍

Anyway, I hope y'all have a great weekend! ❤