16 weeks

A third of the way there...
Maybe these awfully BLURRY and GRAINY and HORRIBLY WRONG COLOR photos will demonstrate, to my husband, WHY I have been wanting a new digital camera for when the baby comes. Already my idea of creating this picture montage of my monthly changes is thrown out the window. Not to be shitty, but seriously, why am I bothering to "capture" these moments on something that looks worse than a polaroid?
*sigh*, all that aside....
So! Check out the belly – wild, huh? Or is it just me? I busted out the maternity pants this Monday. I thought I'd get some comments. Nuthin'. Perhaps people don't notice the suddenly saggy wear? Maybe, I generally look like crap so this doesn't really stand out as anything unusual? Maybe, people have more going on in their day than my pregnancy (although I can't imagine anything more important).
Exciting news: I have felt it move. Everyone says its "like butterflies!" or "bubbles!" or a "tickling in your belly!". Its not. Its more like this slimy thing sliding across your lower abdomen. I told Rob it feels like your tongue sliding across the inside of your cheek. I described this to a friend who had a baby 2 years ago (who likened the sensation to "bubbles" at the time), she flatly said, "Yeah. That's it." Maybe I'm supposed to be more 'magical' about all of this. I'm such a realist when it comes to these things that I took out all the creativity in describing this feeling. Whoops! Sorry for those of you who haven't felt it yet.
It really is wild when it happens, though.
The first time I felt something was around 14 weeks. They say it can happen that early but will more likely be around 16 weeks. I guess by 20 weeks, you KNOW its the baby moving and it moves a lot!
I felt the baby move (first time) when we ate dinner much too late. I was starving. After that first bite... it slid across my abdomen. I couldn't move. I was wide-eyed. I wanted to ask, "Did you feel that?" like it was an earth quake shared all. Its so very real but only to you - that's what makes it so crazy.
The second time was a week later. After eating a very fast lunch at work, I raced to a meeting. Sitting there, I felt it slide. Again, wide-eyed. Now I knew what I felt the week before was it.
This week - it isn't as momentous but maybe its because I'm eating regularly... or maybe I'm getting used to it? Now I'm just getting plain selfish and I want it to really kick or hit. What a snot I am wanting to rush all these things. But, when you've "known" about your pregnancy for months before anyone else knows... you get a little impatient wondering when will you look/feel pregnant rather than just "telling" people you are.
This week is the alpha-protein test (NOT looking forward to this. It basically tells you if the kid will have Spina Bifida or other respitory problems or the liklihood of Down's). I'm so nervous. Its really a major test (one of the last one's to see what could be "wrong" with the baby) but they put it off so far along in the pregnancy... it makes me crazy. What if something IS wrong? Then what? Options still allow termination but that choice doesn't seem very easy when you've reached this far. I mean, its moved. Its beyond a tadpole at this stage. Its our kid. Geez, my head spins. I need to not worry & just wait and see. Its so much easier said than done.