"[Tom's] family is so intensely close. . . . It's almost like they have their own language," says a source. Photo by: BAUER GRIFFIN
The Private World of Katie Holmes| Pregnancy, Katie Holmes, Tom Cruise
Still, there's no denying that Holmes's life has done the kind of loop-the-loop Cruise relishes pulling in his planes. Little more than a year ago, she was a busy young actress living in Manhattan with an eclectic mix of friends who "was always up for anything," says a former pal who hung out with her just days before she first met Cruise and, like many East Coast friends, hasn't heard from her since. "Nothing about her was ever robotic." And growing up in Toledo, Ohio, says a relative, "she was very thoughtful and affectionate," as well as "very adventurous. She loved skiing, golf, basketball, Wiffle ball. She enjoyed trying new things."

That much hasn't changed. Not long after being swept off her feet by Cruise, Holmes embraced life as a soccer stepmom to his kids Isabella, 13, and Connor, 11, and put a promising career on hold: She did no publicity for the comedy Thank You for Smoking and has no future projects lined up.

Instead, her pregnancy has been spent globe-trotting by Cruise's side, shopping in Beverly Hills, cheering on Connor and Bella at their sporting events and regularly – after stopping by Starbucks or Peet's Coffee & Tea – visiting the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre International about six miles from the Beverly Hills house she shares with Cruise.

Prepping for the baby, Cruise told GQ that the entire family has been "studying what a woman goes through," adding that when it comes time to deliver, "we're gonna try to do it without [drugs], but it'll be up to her." As for the Scientology "quiet birth" technique, "it's really about respecting the woman," Cruise said. "You want to keep things as calm as possible."