#expectant trill

[jadzia-suggestions]

Now that my duties are handed off (and the perplexing matter of the polyvalent vortex in Lower Pylon 2 is resolved, shhh, Classified), I finally have time to post on subspace again!

A lot of time.

A LOTTTTTTTTT of time.

Julian has put me on quarter-gravity bed rest for the duration of my pregnancy, which probably isn’t going to be much longer but already feels like it’s been going on for more decades than Curzon’s career. The baby is a lot bigger than expected, and starting to impinge quite seriously on my right abdominal cavity. Dax has brainfog like you would NOT believe. Three days ago, I put my soup bowl in the bureau, my undershirt in the replicator, and my copy of “The Grapes of Wrath” in the clothing reprocessor. It’s definitely time to step (waddle?!) back from active duty before I do something truly ridiculous, like confusing a preganglionic fibre for a postganglionic nerve. 😉

Yes, I’ve been teasing my doctor. Why do you ask? Right now, it’s what’s keeping me sane. That, and having the most considerate husband in the Galaxy waiting on my every need. I just wish I could properly enjoy the last of our alone time before the baby is born.

But nope! Here I am, in bed, waiting for the blankets to settle down because I moved my left knee. Ho-hum!

[jadzia-suggestions]

Trying to resurrect Tobin’s knitting skills to make a cradle blanket. Do you think the baby would settle for a complete genome map of the common Cardassian vole or a detailed star chart of the Denorios Belt? All SoSoy’s original work, I promise!

[jadzia-suggestions]

Are you gonna have Worf there when the baby is delivered?

Yes! My par’Mach’kai has valiantly vowed to be at my side for what I hope will be our great triumph. He’s a magnificent husband, and will be a father worthy of legend.

[jadzia-suggestions]

Something I had sort of forgotten in the lifetimes since the last pregnancy is the fatigue that hits around the second month! I’ve been sleeping a lot more than usual. My par’Mach’kai has been absolutely invaluable in keeping our quarters in order.

Also busy packing for my trip home to Trill! It should be less stressful than the last one.

[jadzia-suggestions]

A major milestone today: fetal development continues to be healthy and normal. I am officially stepping down to once-weekly visits to the Infirmary! So far, all is well.

I’m radiantly happy. Junior officers: today is the day to ask for favours or report errors.

[jadzia-suggestions]

An update on my pregancy!

My baby, now officially a growing fetus, is healthy and strong. Scans confirm all organs are accounted for and developing normally. Since the fetus has a full set of Klingon organs and the additional Trill structures that allow for Joining, that’s a very large number of parts Julian had to inventory and assess. He’s been a wonderfully diligent obstetrician, which should surprise no one. And he’s been very good about keeping the details of the baby’s sex to himself.

I’m definitely showing now. I’ve switched to the tunic-style uniform, which is proving to be a lot more comfortable as long as I don’t try to wear the belt. My blood volume is up 20% so far, with all of those attendant side effects — puffy ankles being the most irritating so far. I’m also at the point where I’m suffering from “pregnancy brain”, which in Trill is not only a matter of hormonal fogginess (as it is in humans and many other mammalian species), but also of the physical pressure on the symbiont. Dax isn’t used to sharing quarters with anyone, and if you think it’s uncomfortable when a fetus kicks you in the bladder, try having one kick you in the head! I’ve asked to be taken off of the Defiant’s helm rotation for the duration of my pregnancy. It’s a job that requires razor-sharp alertness and split-second decisions: safety first!

On the whole, I’m still more thrilled than anxious about the whole thing, which is definitely a pleasant place to be! Worries about late pregnancy, especially given how fast the baby is growing, do gnaw at me sometimes, but @worf--suggestion has been very good about providing distractions and keeping me focused on the day’s journey, not the forks in the road ahead.

[jadzia-suggestions]

Kela has gone full Mother Horta on me. She’s brushed my hair, herded me into a nice warm bath, fixed tea, sent my father off to bring home a four-course meal from my favourite (local) restaurant, and settled me on the chaise longue in the sunroom. Now I’m supervising while she goes through seven (7!) cargo crates lovingly packed with baby things from when Ziranne and I were small, sorting out the choicest pieces for her incipient grandbaby!

[jadzia-suggestions]

I wish to ask you a simple question, what do you want?

All of this! *turns a sweeping circle with arms outstretched*

Oh, did you mean “what do I want that I don’t already have”? Hmm. A new Academy grad who’s got a knack for fine-tuning the latest centrifuge models, and an appointment for a foot rub with an expert in Vulcan neuropressure.