I am fairly certain I felt my baby move this morning. I was laying in bed and I felt a sort of roll. Not a flutter or a pop but a roll. I tried to squeeze out a fart (most of the time that I think I feel the baby I can let out some gas and that convinces me I’m wrong) but to no avail. Then I think I felt it again. And then, I poked my belly. DEFINITELY felt it. I poked my belly one more time, got the response I wanted and SPRINTED out of bed to tell Georgie. So I’m going with today, October 23, 2007 (exactly five months before my due date) as the first day I felt my baby move. Today I’m 18 weeks and 2 days.
The weekend was…well, the weekend was, in a word, EXHAUSTING. I have swollen ankles and more nausea than I’ve had in a few weeks and headaches and it was definitely worth it to spend four days with some of my favorite people – especially the ones I only get to see once a year. There were plenty of people I didn’t get to see, people I didn’t get to spend enough time with, people I saw only briefly and in the moment was overwhelmed or sick and may not have been my usual pleasant self (no laughing Annie!) I hope you’ll all cut me some slack. I am most definitely NOT myself.
And thanks to all the people who stopped to congratulate me and ask how I was feeling. Norma said I should blog the conversation – which was pretty much the same. I’m only giving my answers – you can guess the other half:
ME: Thank you so much! I’m feeling okay.
ME: Yeah. I did throw up today (every day in fact.)
ME: No, we don’t know what we’re having. We’re hoping to be surprised with a human baby.
ME: Yes. They’re huge. Thanks for pointing that out.
I did buy some stuff – not a lot – and my most favorite item is on order. I fell in love with a stole I saw at Chris’ Briar Rose booth. Sadly, she had sold out of the yarn, but I should receive it in a few weeks. If I knit only one thing to completion this entire pregnancy, I’m determined it will be this. Details when I can actually cast on.
More than anything else, the weekend caused me to be reflective about the blog. Which isn’t surprising since all of the people I met or knew before, in fact my knowledge of the the existence of the festival itself, all came about because of the blog. My 3rd year anniversary is on Friday, and I hope to renew my commitment to the blog and what it truly means to me. I might also have a contest.
I’m extremely busy these days with very much diminished energy. I wake up in a panic around the time of the third trip to the bathroom and it takes me awhile to fall back to sleep thinking about all the deadlines and work coming up in the next month. The Spin Out prizes are making me feel awful as well so I appreciate your continued patience with that. I promise they will go out soon! At least, god help me, before Thanksgiving!
Honestly, the best part of my weekend was yesterday. Georgie picked me up in Long Island and we headed to the beach. I can’t tell you how much I missed him – more than ever. Being pregnant just isn’t as fun without him around.
And I’m so happy to be able to puke in my own bathroom this morning. It’s the little things, you know?
i do remember the sheer joy – and fascination – at feeling the baby move. enjoy, enjoy these precious moments. welcome home!
Whee! The movement was fun albeit a little weird for me. Take care.
My husband and I still (15 years later) talk about how I would lay on the couch in the evening while he had his hand on my belly and feel our son kick. One day, I was in a meeting at work and a co-worker said “Your sweater is moving.” That was classic. Have fun with next phase.
It was great seeing you this weekend. I love, love, love when you can start feeling your baby move. During my pregnancies, my absolute favorite moment of the day was when I would climb into bed and lie still with my hands on my belly so i could feel the baby doing what felt like the rhumba. As to puking in your own bathroom? I totally agree, for whatever that’s worth. Big hugs!
Congratulations on feeling movement. It must be exciting.
I had promised myself that if I saw you, I really would screw up my courage and say hi. It sounds like that’s the last thing you needed. Imagine me waving to you from a safe distance.
I was too shy (which is a total switch for me) to actually introduce myself, but I did ask you how you were feeling. So I’m sorry – I’m sure it’s not any weirder for you to meet strangers than for random people to just wander up, ask you how you’re feeling, and wander back off again. But I was very happy to see you. Maybe next year I’ll try introducing myself first….
yay for movement! It made my pregnancy feel so much more real–its like! hey–really there is a person in there, I’m not just getting really fat!
my vomitorium completely understands …..
I’m going back 18 years, but feeling my baby kick was the best feeling in the world – treasure every moment – it goes by too fast.
That’s fabulous news! Especially as you start your fifth month AND at home, with G nearby. Congrats, grrlfriend!
Isn’t that just so cool! Even though you are feeling crummy, you are positively glowing.
very cool! feeling the baby move for the first time is so neat – and i wondered too if that was the baby i felt and not bubbles (gas). congratulations! it’s always nice to be reminded that all the changes physically and all the puking are for a reason.
I’m so glad you had a nice day at the beach with G. How exciting about the baby moving!!! Pretty soon, Georgie will be able to feel it, too. Just wait… just wait ’til you see the look on his face THEN.
These words seem over-used and lame, but there really aren’t many others that work in this situation: I was so happy to see you and spend time with you… and THANK YOU.
Congratulations on feeling the baby move! I’ve never had that experience, but I’ll bet it’s pretty much pure magic and probably makes the whole thing seem even more real (you know, in case the nausea and everything else haven’t made it feel real already).
hurrah for movement!
And thanks so much for hanging out with me on Saturday – you really eased my mind. And sorry if my exclamation on your ta-tas was annoying (but I couldn’t help myself!).
I went in for my baseline u/s today – I hope you and Sara’s fertility vibes rubbed off on me!
I wish I coulda been there! Never been pregnant so haven’t had that experience BUT it must be absolute bliss. Surely you KNOW that no one who signed up for Spin-Out is rushing you – take your time – after all a PRIZE is just that – a PRIZE!!!
Yippee! Movement is the coolest and I was one of those that co-workers would watch my belly after lunch just for the entertainment of seeing it go all ‘alien’ for 30 minutes.
It is the coolest thing in the world – and yet feels really weird!
Enjoy it all! (well except the puking, i am sure)
i bet you’re going to get some comments about that fart reference 🙂
Hey, great minds and all that. If someone asked, “boy or girl?” I told them, but when they asked, “What are you having?” I always very slowly replied, “A baby.” Orney chicks unite!
Those first movements are incredible. Congratulations 🙂
I’m sorry I didn’t get to see you this weekend, but–how great! I guess the baby got all excited about Rhinebeck too, huh?
I’m glad to hear that you had a good weekend. I wanted to say hello when I saw you at the hotel, but I didn’t have anything to say beyond “hey, I read your blog and never comment, but I love to read no matter what you’re talking about” or “congratulations — how are you feeling?” which would be the most unoriginal question of the day, and probably annoying as all hell.
So excited to hear that the baby is moving. I was in baby heaven this weekend, especially with Wooly Headed Ruth’s snuggly little babe.
That’s so exciting! Isn’t it amazing when you get that first definite movement, a flutter of a little human life in your tummy? Glad you had fun at Rhinebeck- wish I could have been there!
I was so happy to see you if only for a few minutes…..and you look wonderful!
I think you and I probably ordered the same yarn from Chris 🙂
Actually, your post brought a little tear to my eye! I am just so happy for you and your George! I’m glad you felt the baby move, it’s such a wonder!
YAY for feeling the baby move!! that is so cool! 😀 I hope you start feeling better soon – like IMMEDIATELY!! 🙂
Awww. Little baby swimming around inside. Too miraculous for words. (So why am I still typing? Anyway.) Like everyone else, I am so happy for you.
And the tatas? Join the club — 42J here. Yes, they do make bras that big. They look like,I don’t know, silo covers?
See, I told you it would happen soon! 🙂
Now, just wait until the big kicks start. Like when ya go to sit up and you unknowingly “squish” the baby, and it let’s you know with a good swift kick that will literally make you sit back down and say, “What the hell? Be nice to your Momma!” Always makes me wonder if I have future field goal kicker for the NFL in there. 🙂 LOL
I think it is so fun you are going to suprised with boy or girl-we kept all 3 of ours a surprise (all 3 were girls!!) and i LOVED it-but i HATED how everyone asked and seemed like it was of some great offense to them that i would not know the sex of my baby, like i was letting them down. especially on number 3-all i heard was, “what if it’s a bOY?! you won’t have anything!” as if all my babies were dressed in giant pink bows from the moment of birth-sheesh! congrats ont he squirmer-what a miracle, no???
Long time lurker, rare commentor (sorry about that) – As you reflect on your blog, I hope you continue as you have. The knitting content is always appreciative (I’ve made Monkeys because of you), but your creative writing and beautiful photos keep me checking in. Thanks for that. Congratulations on baby movement – how exciting – I wish you a happy, healthy, and human baby.
I wish I had seen you on Saturday, sick or no. Congratulations on feeling the baby move – it’s really exciting. When the baby gets bigger, you’ll see elbows, feet and knees protrude. I always got a kick (sometimes literally) out of that.
Ah the comfort of puking at home. Nothin’ like it! Congratulations on feeling the baby move. Wait till the night you’re reading in bed and the book won’t hold still. I swore I was growing a placekicker in there. Turned out to be a bass player.
:-)!!!
Glad you went to the beach.
The first time I felt the kid kicked, it totally freaked me out. I wish I had run into you at Rhinebeck. Maybe next year?
Love the conversation. Had many similar ones all those years ago. Congratulations on the baby-not-gas sensations!! Hope to meet you at Rhineback in a future year.
What begins as a tiny flutter soon grows into interior pummeling. I remember with my first child, lying in the tub watching my belly move in utter fascination. It was like that scene in Alien where the creature burst out of the guy’s chest.
(I know it’s a gross reference, but it’s the truth. Luckily what popped out of my belly 24 years ago was MUCH better looking!)
Sit back whenever you can Cara. Put your feet up, and dream of that little fluttering soul. The incredible feeling of first movement is but one of the earliest times your child will move you in every way…
Blessings!
Congratulations on the fetal gymnastics! That’s so cool. I remember how much it cracked me up when I’d get in the car and immediately would start feeling a kick-kick-kick right where my seatbelt crossed my abdomen — it was like having an annoying toddler sitting behind you on a plane, but on the inside!
There’s nothing like those little butterfly pops. I never grew tired of it.
It was great to see you this weekend. You look great, even if you feel like crap.
I met you on Saturday night in the hotel lobby, but I didn’t actually introduce myself (you looked as tired as I felt, and I was sure you had probably puked and walking around all day didn’t help anything). I was sitting in the chair next to you. Anyhow, if I wasn’t afflicted with crippling shyness, I would have told you that I love your blog, and congratulated you in person on your baby. I hope you also have a human baby. Those fly babies are so messy to deliver.
Sounds like you had the usual pregnant lady = public property conversations. Woo-hoo for quickening!
Hug, Hug, Squeeze, squeeze, poke, poke.
Well, I never did get to poke you but I wanted to!
😀
xoxooxo
Hi! Eighteen weeks is just about right. Sometimes it takes longer for people to realize what they are feeling is the baby moving; if people have more than one sometimes they notice it earlier. I remember how cool that all was (mine range in age from 17 to 8).
I love the answer about hoping for a human baby. I never chose to find out ahead of time with any of my children either – I think it is one of the truly wonderful surprises one can have in life. You stick to your guns and pick out two sets of names!
I applaud you, and I am glad Rhinebeck was at least a little fun.
I love that you’ve felt that baby move. It’s such a wonderful feeling. I thought mine was trying out for some gymnastics team while she was in there (and she turned into a pretty good gymnast at age 6). I still remember how wonderful it felt.
I also love that you have all those groupies who were too shy to talk to you. You rock!!
The first movements are so exciting. I often mistook mine for gas. But hubby couldn’t feel the early ones because they just weren’t that strong. Soon, baby will be kicking much harder! Mine are now pushing pretty hard and distorting the shape of my belly (I’m almost 36 weeks).
I’m so excited for you!! And kind of jealous, cuz I’m about 7 weeks behind you, and can’t wait to be “pregnanter”. I could swoon at the thought of actually feeling movement! Congratulations…
movement. what a wonderful day! 😉
ps- wait till the little bugger figures out how to kick your bladder and make you pee….oh, the trials of parenting- in-utero;)
we are going to need belly pics. 😉
Yay for movement! What will really be creepy is when you can not only feel but see the movement.
Well when I saw you, you were beautiful and charming.
Yay! I love feeling the baby move.
Hey, in case you haven’t seen it, Glampyre KNits Petal pattern is available-it is the CUTEST, multi purpose before and after pregnancy sweater, just if you are interested in it I thought I’d share! hope you have a barf-free few days in a row!!
Sorry to have pointed out the obvious – was kind iof idiotic. But fantastic to see you. Looking great and healthy, despite the puking…..
Hee hee…I used to answer people who asked “what are you having?” with “A puppy. Babies are way too much work”. The look on people’s faces when I said that was priceless.
I’m not sure it’s good or bad that I only asked one of the four. It was wonderful to see you (speaking of once per year).
Sorry I missed you but I figured you’d be getting plenty of attention anyway;)
I picked up some Briar Rose. Rinaldo actually scoped it out for me and took me there. Love those supportive husbands.
Your blogging about pregnancy makes me totally nostalgic (except about my own puking).
I’m sorry I missed you and didn’t get to do our too short, once a year visit.
Have fun with the next stage of pregnancy.
i am out as well, too much pregnancy blabbing. see ya.
Dear Shirley,
Thanks for the completely unnecessary comment. I hope leaving it made you feel superior in every way.
Best to you!
Cara
How amazing, Cara, to feel your baby move! That’s the one thing that’s making me look forward to pregnancy (oh, and the baby of course! 😉 ). What a wonderful wonderful thing.
Sorry you’re so tired.
Feeling the baby move was THE BEST part of being pregnant for me. Enjoy this time.
Oh, I remember that first time. Those first flutters never loose their special-ness. Soon, you will be begging the baby to stop kicking you in the ribcage!
Oh, yay… it is so exciting to feel the first movements and amazing right straight along, especially as parts such as knees become recognizable and the baby responds when you rub back against the squirming… awesome. Oh, and I totally understand about wanting to come home and hug your own dear familiar toilet. This too shall pass.