Mover and Shaker

When Lauren could first feel Stella move I was so jealous and just could not wait until I got to feel her too.  Smallish kicks soon turned into jabs n pokes.  I was starting to feel them a little more, but still couldn’t really see them.  A couple weeks ago I felt my first big kick.  I was laying down to go to bed and Lauren was standing next to me saying good-bye as she left for work (working nights is awesome….ppppphhhhtttt!!).  I put my hand on her belly and said, “Stella should kick me real hard.” AND SHE DID!! Scared the crap out of me.  I yanked my hand back and maybe… possibly… pretty sure I screamed….. ok, yeah, I did.  I mean, I get that there is a baby in there, but holy crap, she kicked me!  It was one of the coolest experiences of my life.  I have felt her a whole lot more since then, but it seems whenever I am not around she is putting on an acrobatic show for everyone else.  Lauren just stares at her belly as it dances in front of her.  The minute I am around, she stops.  (Lauren swears that my voice soothes her and she stops to listen to me.  LOL, right.) She tried once, in vain, to send me a video.  The lighting wasn’t great so I couldn’t see much. And it was faint, so it was hard to see anyway. (at that time, I think we thought that was a lot.  I’m not sure we realized a little ripple across the belly would turn into elbows poking out.)  Tonight was our first pre-natal class.  (Everything …. Well, ok, a few things you’ve wanted to know about breast feeding!! :-D). About half way through, Lauren jabbed me and nodded at her belly.  Holy crap!!  It looked like that dancing guy from Spaceballs (I know, I know.  That part was a parody of Aliens, but the Spaceballs guys was so much better!) was about to bust out of her.  I stopped paying attention and just stared at her belly.  I was finally getting to see what all the hype was about.  I only have a few more days on this crazy 12 night shift schedule and will soon return to a normal M-F day time, 40 hour a week job.  Then I get to hang out and stare at her belly for hours (to be replaced in a few months by laying around staring at our baby.) I’m also excited to get into the preparation mode with Lauren – who is already in full swing.  Before I started the fall outages, we were still mostly in planning mode.  Now her room is coming along nicely and most of her stuff is organized.  Just in time for our showers….