Kick me please!

I never thought that I would actually want someone to kick me, but for the past few weeks, I have been anxiously awaiting a kick or punch from the little guy. I've felt a gurgle here and there, but nothing that I could clearly associate with the baby. The proverbial "they" claim that you should feel the baby move sometime between 16 and 20 weeks. Since I am now in the 21st week, I was starting to get a little anxious.

Well, this morning it happened! After a wonderful yoga practice at Ginseng, I was relaxing in savasana (the final relaxation pose) listening to the beautiful music the instructor had playing when I felt a clear kick in the belly! Not only could I feel him from the inside, but when I placed my hand on my belly, I could feel him from the outside too. I am convinced that he must have been performing his own series of sun salutations in utero. After class, I asked the instructor for the name of the song she played and I am trying to track down the CD because he was clearly a fan! Apparently, he has very picky taste though as I'm finding that Thomas Otten's Close to Silence is not going to be easy to find.

I rushed home after yoga and Brad got a kick too. It was definitely an exciting moment to share together! I'm sure that soon enough, I'll be so pummeled from the inside that I'll be asking for a break. For now though, it is such a treat to feel the kicks and punches from our budding little yogi.

Rejuvenation, Renewal, Hope

As Merrilee and I left our local polling place after voting this morning, a light rain began to fall and continued throughout the morning. Later, as we drove through the mist to our 20-week midwife appointment, we talked about the rain's symbolism; how it represented renewal, rejuvenation, cleansing, hope. Today will go down as an historic moment in US history regardless of the outcome of the US Presidential Election: we'll either have our first African-American President or our first female Vice-President.

However, all the political madness disappeared into insignificance as we sat in a small office at the UCSD Medical Center and heard how our baby was completely healthy, was growing just fine, was in the 62-percentile in size for his age, and Merrilee has no risks which would bar her from having a normal, healthy labor and delivery at the UCSD Birth Center. We looked at each other, smiled, and took a moment to appreciate just how blessed we are.

On a day which represents a re-birth of our political leadership, we listened to our baby boy's heartbeat and imagined a birth that is yet to come.

Halfway there!

As of yesterday, the little dude is officially half baked! 20 weeks down and 20 weeks to go! I have a feeling that with the holidays coming up, these next 20 weeks are going to fly by. We decided to celebrate with a little bit of Ben & Jerry's :)

Apparently, he is now approximately 6 1/2 inches long (according to
Baby Center, about the length of a banana) and he weighs around 10 1/2 ounces. Rumor has it that he might even be able to hear us now so we'll have to read him some good books and make sure that he develops a fabulous taste in music. No serious kicks yet, but I'm waiting. Every once in awhile I think I might feel a little something, but it's hard to tell if it's him or my gurgling stomach.

Tomorrow is our 20 week appointment. We're really looking forward to hearing the little heart beat again. Good times!