Movement!

Folks, we have movement!  I definitely felt Baby D kick today.  The funny thing is, I’ve been feeling this for WEEKS but thought it was too strong to be baby at this time.  Based on things people have told me and articles I’ve read, the first baby movements feel like:

• Flapping butterfly wings
• Popping bubbles
• Popcorn popping
• Swimming fish

So based on this knowledge, I’ve been looking for

1. A very subtle movement – barely noticeable like a butterfly wing and
2. Multiple rapid movements in a row.

I have not experienced anything like that.

I often try to will Baby D to move while lying in bed in the mornings.  I decided to try it this morning, so I turned onto my back and pushed on my belly.  I didn’t feel anything, so then I moved my hands to the left a little and pushed again.  After a slight delay, THUMP!  It felt like someone gently thumping a watermelon, and it felt deliberate.  I waited just a second or two and pressed in the same spot.  After a similar time delay, it went THUMP again!  I’m guessing that if another person had his/her hand on the outside of my belly, s/he wouldn’t have felt it, but I sure felt like I could feel it with my hands on the outside.  Like I said, I’ve actually been feeling these thumps for weeks (since week 14 or 15) but thought they were too strong to be baby kicking based on what others have described.  So, I’ve come to the conclusion that Baby D is strong and is going to grow up to be some kind of superhero.  Or at least a karate champ.  Ha!

This experience was cool because:

1. Baby D has legs (or at least one).  Himal and I had started jokingly saying maybe it was missing legs, and I was planning on moving into a wheelchair-accessible house.
2. Baby D has reflexes and was able to react to the pressure of my touch.
3. The coolest – I interacted with Baby D for the first time!  Amazing!!