They went to the bank and two weeks later they got the loan for the house, which sold for $150,000. They moved their stuff in and a month later they were in the house.
Their house had a 16 x 20 living room, a 9 x 20 dining room, a 10 x 20 kitchen, and a 5 x 7 1st bathroom. The second floor had three bedrooms that were 16 x 16, 9 x 16 and 10 x 16. Their second bathroom was 12 x 12, and on the third floor was a 51 x 20 large room.
They took the 10 x 16 room and started a nursery for the baby. Sara wanted the theme to be Noah’s Ark, so they started shopping for furniture and accessories.
They found a crib that had the Ark painted painstakingly on the main headboard of the crib. Sara fell in love with it so they bought it. She also found a mobile with Noah’s Ark, and bought that. When they brought the items home, Sara went to assemble the crib but Grissom wouldn’t let her.
“No. You are pregnant and this is heavy.”
“Oh come on Griss. You are too overprotective.”
“No, Sara. Now go sit down and watch.”
Sara huffed as she got a dining room chair and sat. “I could help you know.” She grumbled.
“Okay, but only with the mobile. You can put that together while I assemble the crib.”
She stuck her tongue out at him as she grabbed the mobile and put it together. The crib was finished a half hour later and they both looked at it.
“Oh Griss, it looks beautiful. Thank you.” She kissed him on the lips.
“You can thank me later.” Grissom winked.
“You know I will.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Three months have passed and it was time for her ultrasound already. She was starting to show and she had to buy maternity clothes. She was wearing a homemade shirt that said, “Future Scientist on Board” with a baby wearing geeky looking glasses. They had a sense of humor that’s for sure.
“I love that shirt Sara.”
“I know; I’m glad that I got it made.”
They walked into the small room and Sara lied down on the table, while Grissom took a seat on the chair next to her. The tech lifted up her shirt to reveal her protruding belly and rubbed warm gel on it. He moved a cold metal wand over her belly and a couple minutes later he found the baby.
He showed her all the parts of the baby that could be seen, and then he asked, “Would you like to know the sex of the baby?”
“No, we want to be surprised.” Sara and Grissom said in unison.
The tech printed out a picture of the baby and handed it to Grissom.
They walked out of the office when they were done and after Sara went to the bathroom she said, “I’m going to frame that and put it in the living room.”
“I figured you would put it in the nursery.”
“No, I want everyone to see our baby.”
“Okay.” Grissom smiled and kissed his wife’s hand.
Sara still worked at the lab and Grissom taught at Berkeley University. He taught Forensics and Entomology to Criminology, Forensics and Entomology students.
They bought more items for the nursery: Sara found a border that had the Ark on it and she talked him into letting her put it up. They also found a rocker that was cherry and had two blue cushions. Grissom painted the walls lemon yellow before she put the border up, and they found a toy chest that had the Ark on the front panel.
On the 7th month, Sara left for maternity leave. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to quit working to take care of the baby.
One night after making love, even though it was getting more and more difficult, Sara and Grissom lie in each other’s arms, talking.
“Gil, I think I want to quit after the baby is born.”
“Sara I don’t want you to do that. You love your job.”
“But I don’t want our baby to be in daycare at three months.”
“I can stay home.”
“Griss, you like your new job. Don’t do that on account of me.”
“Sara, I don’t mind, really.”
“But do you know the first thing about changing diapers and feeding a baby?”
“No, but I can learn. You have to also.”
“I know. They do have birthing classes that we can take.”
“Yes, we could, or we could ask Sofia to show us how. She’s had two kids. Besides, her, Jim, and the kids are coming to the house in a couple weeks. She could show us then.”
“Okay. Besides we are busy with the Lamaze classes.”
“Yeah. Why do we have to keep going to those? All you have to do is focus and breathe. I mean that’s simple.”
“Yes I know. But there’s only two more classes so you can put up with it.”
“Okay. I love you Sara.” He placed his hand on her stomach and said, “I love you too baby Grissom.”
“We need to come up with names.”
“I know. What do you like?”
“I love the name Lisa Marie for a girl, and Alexander David for a boy.”
“I like those names, they are nice.”
“What do you like?”
“I like Kelly Aileen for a girl and Robert Joseph for a boy.”
“Ooh, I really like Kelly Aileen. How about that for a girl and Alexander David for a boy.”
“That’s great.”
Two weeks have passed and Jim, Sofia and the kids came to visit. Heidi is 5 and Erika is 7. Heidi looks like Sofia with long blonde hair and blue eyes. Erika looks like Jim with dark hair and brown eyes. Heidi is tall and Erika is shorter.
While the adults were sitting in the living room, Sara asked Sofia about helping them out.
“Sofia, will you help us learn how to care for a baby? We are both clueless.”
“Sure! Do you have a doll, a diaper, a bottle, and a bath by any chance?”
“Yes we do.” Sara said.
Grissom went to get the items and Sofia instructed them on how to change a diaper first.
“Now, you have to be careful that the boy doesn’t pee on you, because he will if you aren’t quick. You need to put the diaper over his part so that he doesn’t.” She showed them how to do it and then they took turns changing the diaper.
“Gil, remember you have to be quick.” Sofia cautioned him.
“I know, sorry.”
“You will be when he shoots it at you.” Sofia laughed.
They all laughed and Sara took her turn.
“Sara, you’re a pro!”
“Thanks Sofia!”
She then showed them how to feed and burp the baby, and give it a bath. Grissom was slower than Sara but he finally got the hang of it when they tried each the second time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The baby shower was two weeks later and everyone from both Crime Labs was there.
Sara got mainly diapers, bottles, towels, washcloths, burping cloths, wipes, and bath items, because they had the nursery completed. Catherine did fill a baby bag with towels; burping cloths, washcloths, and bottles because Sara didn’t have a bag yet and it would be needed.
The men were there and they mainly talked amongst themselves.
“So Gil, are you letting Sara do anything?” Nick asked.
“Yes some things. She refuses to sit so what am I to do?”
“True man. I remember when Cath was pregnant; she wouldn’t sit either. I just let her do whatever.” Warrick said.
“Neither would Sofia. Oh and man, she really downed the peanut butter!”
“Oh Sara has a thing for peanut butter and pickles! It’s so gross but she eats it all the time!”
All the men made faces at that one.
Catherine loved ice cream and liverwurst, now that’s bad!”
They all said, ‘eww’ on that one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next month, Sara and Gil were lying in bed. Gil was playing Brahms’s lullaby on his cassette player on Sara’s stomach. It was February 25th, 1977, two days before her new due date.
“Gil, you always play Brahms. Do you have another song?”
“Yes, I have a few on this tape.”
The first song was “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head” by B.J. Thomas.
“Oh Griss. I love this song.”
The second song was “(They Long to Be) Close to You” by The Carpenters.
The third song made them both laugh. It was “You’re Having My Baby” by Paul Anka and Odea Coates.
“Oh Griss, this song is so campy!”
“I know, but I love it anyhow.”
He went back to Brahms and then after a few songs, Sara started feeling pains.
“Gil! I just felt something!”
“Okay, we’ll have to time it.”
He waited and the next contraction came five minutes later. It wasn’t time to go to the hospital yet so they waited three hours when the contractions were four minutes apart.
He got her suitcase that was already packed and they went to the Audi. Gil helped her in and he drove her to the hospital. When they got there, they checked in and she got a birthing room.
She got hooked up to a machine to monitor the contractions and was given ice chips to keep her mouth moist. She focused on Grissom’s deep blue eyes and breathed. She asked for ice chips a number of times over the next 10 hours, and she yelled at him once when she got a bad contraction.
“Why in the hell did you do this to me???”
He knew that this might happen so he just said, “I’m sorry babe.”
“You should be! You try going through this!”
It passed and she continued focusing and breathing. By the time she asked for pain medicine, she was at 10 cm dilated and it was time to go into the delivery room.
When she got in there, Dr. Stacey was there waiting. “Hi Sara. What I want you to do is count to 10 and push as hard as you can. You will be getting an episiotomy so be forewarned of the pain. Don’t stop pushing, okay?”
Sara nodded her head and she counted to 10 and pushed. When she got the episimotomy she yelped in pain but she didn’t stop pushing. After a few pushes they heard screaming.
“Sara, Gil, it’s a girl.”
“Oh Griss, it’s a girl!” Sara’s eyes welled up with tears.
“I know.”
Grissom cut the umbilical cord and after she was washed up she was given to Sara to hold.
“Welcome to the world, Kelly Aileen Grissom.” Sara cried tears of joy.
A few minutes later they got to her room and a few minutes later they brought Kelly in. Gil picked her up and held her.
“You are so beautiful Kelly.” He kissed her forehead.
From what they could see, she looked like Sara but she had Grissom’s nose and hands.
After a while he handed her to Sara and she fed her a bottle.
“On the day that you were born the angels got together and decided to create a dream come true. So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair and golden sunlight in your eyes of blue. That is why all the folks in town follow you all around. Just like me, they long to be close to you...” Sara sang.