Surreal......

Have you ever had such a surreal, almost out of body experience before? One where you know you're conscience of what's happening but it's so hard to understand and take in that it feels like a dream? It's amazing how being pregnant can do that to you so often! I am always feeling or thinking things that are just unbelievable.....can that really be a BABY growing and living "inside" of me? It's almost alien sometimes....how can a person's body sustain and grow another life inside of theirs?!?!

Well, one of those moments hit hard last night - but let me back up for a moment so you can get the whole scoop, since I'm approximately 4 months behind in updating everyone :s

The night I turned 16 weeks....so almost 3 weeks ago to the day, Charlotte, Terry, Jared, Tena, and Rick were all at the house visiting. Everyone had come up for the weekend - Gigi and Rick to play with Grant, and Terry to help Jared paint his room, and Charlotte to hang out with us as much as she felt up to it. I was sitting on the loveseat minding my own business and watching TV when "pop, pop, pop"....Huh?? What was that? Definitely not "gas" or "digestion"...but the baby, moving? No, it couldn't be. The doctor has just said that I probably won't feel anything until about 20 weeks! WAIT! There is went again! A distinct KICK! (or punch I guess...) Yes, the first time I felt the baby move! There was no mistaking it for anything else. I don't care if you're a first time or fifth time mom...there is no mistaking the feeling of your baby moving inside of you. I did some reading right away and the explanation for such an early sensation was my body size and type. The smaller you are the easier it is to feel the baby move...makes sense!! I'm not crazy! :) Yay! Now, if that doesn't make you feel like you're really pregnant, then nothing will....or so I thought.

In the weeks following, Scott has been able to feel him/her move too! It's not extremely strong yet of course, but enough to feel it! How completely amazing!

Now, on to last night......Another LATE night of working for us. In the evening times around dinner is when the baby is the most active. I would say probably between 7 and 9 pm. A few times in the past days, he/she's went off in there...must have been break-dancing or something! Crazy consecutive movements for almost 3-4 minutes! So it's like 11:30 pm - past this little one's bed time and I'm sitting in the truck while Scott gets some snack supplies from the store. "POP, BANG, PUNCH"! I'm getting beat up again! It's an instant reaction to put your hand on your stomach and feel the movements so I sat quietly and still for a minute or two and just felt the activities wondering why that silly nugget isn't sleep - I know I would be! Then I thought...maybe, just maybe, if I move my hand I might be able to see something. It seemed like a far stretch, but I thought I would give it a shot. So I exposed the belly and just waited........

WAIT! THERE! LOOK! Movement!!!! Actual physical movement of my stomach from the outside! All I can say is...instant tears. Even thinking about it right now is more than I can describe. Of course, reading the test for the first time, hearing the heartbeat for the first time, seeing that amazing ultrasound early on, and feeling those first movement were incredible. But seeing actual motion inside my stomach....holy cow! Nothing short of a miracle. If that doesn't have me totally pumped up for this ultrasound......I can hardly stand another day! I want more details about whats going on inside of me. I want to see from the inside instead of from the outside! I cant' wait to stop typing he/she!!! :)

Only 8 more days to go.......only 8.....only eight......