Six months and one week - can you even get over it?

Amazing day with our little mover and shaker!

I've been feeling the little muffin move for a couple of weeks now. What an amazing experience!

But I've been sad that Kirk hasn't been able to share in it. The few times I've felt him/her kick, it's been so sporadic that by the time Kirk gets his hand on my belly, it's gone.

This morning was a big show! Feeling movement, I quietly reached over and put Kirk's hand on my stomach, not even telling him to shut his eyes and concentrate (as usual). And within moments, he felt it!

Kirk's reaction to things like this has to be one of my favorite parts of being pregnant. It's all in his eyeballs. They get so big when he's excited, and he was very, very excited this morning.

Here comes mama bear!

I had the most interesting experience today. I've been having back pain, so I went to see a chiropractor. I asked her all sorts of questions about her experience with pregnant women. But when she went to "adjust" me, she had me kind of hunched over, and I felt like she was going to sort of shove my abdomen into the table.

That did it. I started crying. I said I didn't want her to do anything anywhere near the baby and that I would live with the pain, but please don't do anything that might hurt my baby. A few weeks ago, I was on a plane that had hydraulics trouble, and that had been the first time I felt like my reaction to something was totally different, knowing I had a baby inside me.

Now there on that table, I couldn't stand thinking anything might harm my baby. I was ready to put up with whatever it took to ensure this.

Maybe I have more maternal instincts than I knew.

A room full of pregnant ladies

I went to my first prenatal yoga class last night. I am telling you, nothing gives me a case of the giggles like being in a room full of pregnant ladies. I swear some of them looked like they had bowling balls under their shirts, and in no way does it seem possible I could look like that EVER!

But it was good, and I met someone I asked to join a play group. Now THAT'S planning ahead! But my friend Kara inspired me to do this, and so I'm building my list.

Everything else is going well. We've been cleaning up our house in order to put it on the market, and we're so happy with it we just might stay and put baby in little room off the the laundry room. That will surely be an efficient way to do all that laundry I've been hearing about!

Dying for a kick

One thing I've always wondered about was what it would feel like to have a baby kicking inside me. Knowing I probably wouldn't have kids, I felt I would really miss this experience.

And wouldn't you know it. Little Muffin hasn't been much of a kicker. It was several weeks after you're "supposed" to feel them. One night, I was having my usual one-person, 4 am party. My hands were on my belly, kind of meditating and feeling for any sign of life. Finally, I said the first thing I'd said out loud to the baby.

I said, "what are you doing, baby, and why won't you make yourself known to me?". About 10 seconds later, I felt it. The baby moved. It was amazing. In my groggy state, I almost thought it was a dream. But I'm so happy it wasn't.

I have learned the secret to feeling your baby kick is to be still and quiet. Also I'm so grateful to my business partner Aaron, who explained it almost feels like a spasm. This helped me make sure I was feeling for the right thing.

Feeling something move from the inside has definitely been a highlight of pregnancy. I can't wait till it's big enough to feel from the outside so Kirk can feel it too!

Five months and six days!