Kicker of a milestone

Saturday, May 11, 2013

It is the second week of May, and the second trimester is an invigorating relief compared to the first – the nausea has abated, praise the Lord! I am at the end of 17 weeks (week 18 starts tomorrow), and it has been a milestone of a week! 

Earlier this week, as I was lying down and ready to succumb to sleep, I felt a succession of feathery jabs in my lower abdomen. Forget about sleep - was that gas, the baby, or my imagination? I wasn’t sure if it was possible to feel the baby’s movements this early on, but the kicks were pretty idiosyncratic, as if the baby were declaring, That’s me, indeed! Plus, they felt nothing like gas, and I was well acquainted with gas-reminiscent rumblings in my stomach by now. Since then, I have been discerning the petite punches specifically in the evenings right before I am about to sleep. It has been so mind-blowing because I had been wondering if there is actually something in there, especially because my belly is still not showing much even though I am four and a half months along, and, according to the doctor, I hadn't gained any weight since the first doctor's appointment in early February. People still ask me if I'm truly pregnant and the husband alleges that I just jut out my stomach to encourage the baby bump (like in the photo above). Regardless, the bitty pokes and jabs are a gloriously beautiful testament to the miracle of life God is forming within this unworthy vessel of mine. 

The husband had yet to feel the baby kick, until yesterday evening. Moments before I drifted off to sleep last night, the baby commenced his/her boogieing. I felt a couple of strong nudges, so I yelped in surprise. The husband said, “Baby’s awake?” and placed his hand upon my lower belly. Five seconds and a confirmatory kick later, he sprang up from the bed in shock, “WHOA! That is so crazy! It’s like aliens are in there kicking you!” I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. ”Man, it just got real,” he said, over and over.

It sure did get real, now more than ever. The realization that there will be a little one in this world in less than five months has us praying more fervently these days, not only for his/her physical life, but also for his/her spiritual life, for God would be entrusting us to honor Him in the care of this little one, and we need all the grace we can get. And, of course, we're celebrating God's kindness to us in this way as often as we can. Hence, gallivanting to the seashore this rejuvenating weekend past per the photos above.

P.S. While the above post was written two weeks ago, we've gotten our second trimester ultrasound since then, and now know the gender of the baby! Perhaps a post on that shall be forthcoming.