Quickening, butterflies, and popcorn popping…

I have heard many women describe what feeling a little, tiny human moving around inside of you feels like. The gentle brush of a finger. The fluttering of butterfly wings. Gas bubbles. Popcorn popping.

I could not wait for this wonderful experience. To me, as strange as feeling the baby move may be, it was stranger still to know that something was growing inside of me (something the size of an apple, avocado, or other various produce) and I could not feel it. I mean, really how is that possible??? Ryan and were talking about this very thing once and came up with a few explanations:

• Before, the baby was so small, and perhaps did not move as much.
• The good old boiling a frog scenario… The change came so slowly I just couldn’t detect it.

I’m no doctor or scientist, so why it is exactly that expectant mothers cannot feel their babies moving until the kid is as big as a tomato or whatever, I don’t actually know… but! I am so glad that those days are behind me.

I first felt the littlest Aguiar moving inside me a few weeks ago… probably around week 16. When I was just 12 weeks I read that the kiddo was developing reflexes and if I poked my abdomen, the tiny human inside would squirm around in response. Naturally, it took all my self-control to not poke my stomach all the time. I knew that my child was still way too small for me to feel, but I was in love with the idea nonetheless. Starting at about week 15, I would lay in bed at night, when I was all alone (I tried this when Ryan was present and it just did not work. He is too loud. And moves too much. Even when you tell him to stop). I would gently poke my tummy. Then I would wait and concentrate really hard on the sweet little baby I knew was hiding inside of me.

At first I couldn’t really feel anything. A few times I had some strange sensation I thought might be the baby, but having never felt such a thing before (I am a first time human grower.) I just wasn’t sure… Gradually though, I decided that what I was feeling was indeed the tiny kicks and movements of Baby Aguiar. I also decided to go with popping popcorn. It seemed the most fitting description. Pop, pop, pop. Plus, I like the idea of popcorn in my belly a whole lot more than the idea of insects (even if they are only butterflies) in there!

I’m officially 19 weeks, and now throughout my day I am greeted by little nudging hellos from inside my growing belly. It is the most wonderful thing. I have found that if I am leaning over or in any way confining my stomach, baby starts to protest. So, just like I sometimes bug Bella on purpose to hear her tell me “Stop! Stop Kewwie,” I find myself jostling or in some way disturbing the little kiddo within, just to feel the answering “Stop! Stop Mommy!”

I wish my little one was big enough so that others might also be able to feel the stirrings and kicking and general commotion that the little acrobat produces. It won’t be too long now, but in the meantime, I will keep enjoying the subtle reminders of the incredible gift I carry.