Baby Blog: Week 20

today is the day that we found out the sex of our baby: BOY!!! C'est un garcon!!!

everyone went ballistic at the clinic when it was first announced; my mother, grandmother and husband had all come along with me because they didn't want to miss the moment...hung and i shared the moment quietly at first (sniggering away and making jokes about the picture on the screen) then he called the two old ladies into the room who were squealing with excitement at having their suspicions confirmed that it would be a boy...

the baby brouhaha was followed by a very nice mother's day lunch at lao beijing dining hall (there was one located in novena square where hung works)...and the rest of the day's conversations was filled with nothing but - you guessed it - talk about the gender of the baby! my mom was especially pleased that she was going to have a grandson because my stepfather was so upset when his only son's wife gave birth to a girl - she couldn't wait to tell him that she was going to have something that he couldn't have!

 
Baby Blog: Week 19

"By far, the most magical and memorable pregnancy first will be feeling and recognizing those first kicks and movements from your baby. The first perception of your baby's kicking and movement is referred to as quickening. Quickening usually appears between 14 to 26 weeks of pregnancy. For a first time pregnant mother the time frame is more like 18 to 22 weeks.Veteran mothers tend to feel their baby's movements earlier than first timers. The reason being that the uterine muscles in second or subsequent pregnancies are not as tight as during a first pregnancy, so this mom may be more sensitive to the soft, fluttery kicks associated with early pregnancy. Plus when a mother already knows the pregnancy drill she can easily tell the difference between baby's kicking and movement versus hunger or gas pains. Another thing that can vary the perception of quickening is that the mother's physical build may have something to do with when first movements are distinguishable.

Women with smaller frames tend to feel movement earlier than women who are larger or overweight. No one can tell a first time expectant mother exactly what she will feel because it's different for every mother. With this said, those first movements and kicks may feel like a light, delicate tapping with almost a fluttery feeling. As you get further along the sensations will definitely intensify to being good firm kicks, elbow jabs and a little swishy or sloshy feeling when your baby decides to move it's arms and legs at the same time. You will swear your little one is already trying out for the Olympic team! Always keep in mind, an active baby is a healthy baby, even though you may feel like a personal punching bag from time to time." - PregnancyWeekly.com

i still remember when i felt my baby's first quickening movements. i think i was having bible study at the time and when i moved around in my chair, i thought i felt something bubbly deep, deep down inside my tummy - like butterflies fluttering around in the deepest abyss of my abdomen!! this happened about once every 2-3 days (starting from my 14th week!), then once everyday, and then - for the first time, i thought i felt a light thud under my skin one night as i was preparing to go to bed - i patted back on the spot where i'd felt the movement and...the baby kicked me back!

since then, life has certainly become much more exciting and entertaining... :b i've discovered that my baby loves to stretch his arms and legs just before i go to bed at night (which provides me with lots of fun patting him on the tummy and getting "patted" back), jump around again in the early hours of the morning (when my husband is getting ready to go to work) and kick me hard when i'm either cooking in the kitchen or listening to someone playing the piano. i've also noticed that when my husband is talking and then leaves the room, the baby will also start kicking me!

sometimes when i hug my bolster tight in bed at night, i can feel the baby tossing and turning in my tummy as if he's trying to get a better sleeping position for himself too! and once, just once - he kicked me REALLY hard when i was pressing hard against my bolster which forced me to turn over to the other side!

[latest exciting news: 3 days ago, i woke up with a particular strong bout of movement in my abdomen and took a peek at my tummy - i could see the skin moving and 'jumping' where the baby's legs and hands were prodding me!]