Ninja Baby

Did you feel that?

How far along? 17 weeks, 4 days



The big question at this stage of my pregnancy has been "Can you feel the baby yet?"
That's a very good question. How am I supposed to know if the sensations I'm getting down there are baby related or just the intricate workings of my innerds?! After all, I don't know what it feels like! I'm hyper sensitive to any feeling I get in my belly region now and I have no idea if these strange little nigglings have been there all along and I'm just noticing them now because I'm looking for it. Everyone says, "oh, you should be feeling the baby now"..."wait till you feel the baby for the first time. It's amazing!" For all I know I may have been feeling the baby for weeks now and just wasn't sure...it's supposed to be this big momentous occassion and I've missed it! I suspect that the little nudges I'm getting are baby related..but how can I be sure. Sometimes I spend long periods of time staring at my belly looking to see if it moves...There! I swear I saw something there!

We get to our next midwife appointment and we start with a bit of casual conversation and then..."Have you felt the baby yet?" to which I answer with an exasperated...I don't know! "Any little fluttery feelings?" What is this fluttering that I keep hearing about? What I feel are like little pokes from the inside which could almost be like a strong pulse except not steady...right around here- I point to my lower belly. I want to think that what I'm feeling is the baby, but Simon also suggested that maybe it's the feeling of my uterus and other things stretching with the growth of the baby. "He could be right.", she says...That's not what I want to hear! I want to hear that it's the baby!
"I think you're feeling the baby", she says. Oh, I feel so convinced now.
Again, big momentous occassion and I've missed it.
The midwife says, we'll let's listen to your baby with the monitor. A lot of the times it just takes hearing your baby move in conjunction with the sensation to recognize that what you are feeling is the baby's movement.
She puts the monitor to my belly and right away...swish swish swish. That was cool. She looks up to me with a big grin on her face like...did you feel that? Nothin. Still fascinating though. Then thump thump the midwife starts giggling..."did you feel that?" I just shake my head. Then POW! Laughing now, she says, "That was a direct hit to the monitor! Did you feel that?!"
Not a thing.
I am convinced, however, that we have a ninja baby on our hands. You'd never know it was there and before you know it bam! Swift kick to the belly! I said to Simon that maybe our name option "Ninja Awesome" would be well suited after all.