While I was in the throes of the woes of morning (all-day) sickness, it was hard to imagine ever feeling well again. Fortunately, now that I'm well into my second trimester, I am feeling well again.
The nausea has gradually subsided ... from throwing up multiple times a day, to once a day, to once every couple of days, to once a week, to gagging only, finally to nearly no nausea.
I had my 16-week appointment (a little early), and we finally got to hear Boko-baby's heartbeat. It was very strong and very fast (130 bpm), and perfectly healthy and normal. I am so thankful for the technology that allows us to know how our baby is doing!
We will find out on June 11th if we're having a boy or girl. I've started feeling more and more lately that we're having a girl. I've even started referring to our baby as "she." If this baby is actually a boy, I'm sure he'll be very offended that I thought he was a girl, so, here's my apology in advance: sorry!
A few nights ago, Danny dreamed that we had an ugly boy with huge Dumbo-ears that glowed red when the light was behind his head. I think it really freaked him out. I told my friend about the dream and she said that in her culture (she grew up in Iraq) when you dream something specific like that, it means the opposite will happen. So, maybe we'll end up having a cute baby girl with normal-size ears. One can hope.
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The First Movement
So, on Sunday, I think I felt the baby move for the first time. I'm not sure if it was the baby or not, but while I was eating some spaghetti for dinner, I felt three quick taps on the inside of my abdomen and then right after that, I felt two more small, quick taps.
In the days leading up to Sunday, I had been reading books about newborns and pre-borns and their experiences. I thought a lot about what Boko-baby is like, what it is experiencing, and how the actual labor and delivery might go for us.
When I felt the baby move, I felt like a connection between the baby and me had been formed and that he/she somehow knew I was thinking about him/her. It was like the baby was saying, "I'm excited to meet you too."
I love being pregnant now. The hormones, instead of making me moody, are giving me a sense of euphoria and calm. I am thrilled to become a mommy, and I love thinking about what our Boko-baby is going to be like. What a blessing! I feel so lucky!!
