Kickin' It!

Ahah, baby's first kicks this last week. Very exciting moments... Both "mom" (me) and "dad" (BearHunter) got to feel our first kicks the same night, within minutes of eachother. I, mom, had been feeling small kicks internally for a while, but nothing with my hand on the outside yet. Then, on Tuesday night, when I went to bed the right side of my belly felt warm compared to the left side (baby lives on the right side). So I decided to let my hand rest there and feel for any other differences. Very soon, I felt a little tap on my hand just under my index finger (from my belly), and immediately after that two more soft taps under my other fingers. I could also feel the kick inside my belly. It was like my skin just barely lifted my finger up a bit. Soon afterwards there was another push under my palm.

Dad was out of the room at the time, locking up the buildings for the evening. He returned shortly and I told him of my experience. Of course I kept my hand resting there waiting to feel anything else. While we were chatting, I could feel internally that the baby was still moving around quite a bit. Hoping that there might be more kicks I suggested Dad come and rest his hand softly in the same spot. So happily he did. And wouldn't you know, as if on cue, baby kicks his fingers, too. Twice, even. I burst into laughter. It was so funny to feel the internal punch while on the outside Dad is feeling it with his hand at the same time. His eyes got big when it happened, and he seemed in almost disbelief. He wasn't sure if that was it at first because the feeling was so slight. But by the second thump, he knew he was feeling it with his hands. He said it was like he heard the kick rather than felt it because it was such a subtle movement.

Since that night, I haven't felt any more good kicks like that with my hand, but I do feel more definite kicks inside me. Often during meals I notice them, or when I lay down for bed. They're not strong enough to wake me up or bother me.

Daily it seems my belly gets bigger and tighter. The baby wad as I like to call it is getting taller and wider in my abdomen. My stomach is more noticeably sticking out under my shirts. Even the first pairs of maternity pants that I bought are feeling tighter. I'm trying to walk regularly for some exercise, but it's hard now that I'm busy being a cook. That's my new responsibility on the base.