What are boys made of?

Two days ago, I saw my baby. I got to hear the heartbeat, see ALL the organs, and watch the baby move around. The best part of the whole thing was when I found out I am having a little boy.

True, I was hoping for a little girl. What woman doesn't hope and pray for a little girl? But seeing his little "wee-wee" made me light up. It was truly amazing. He is as healthy as can be, and he is even a week ahead of schedule growth wise. Hopefully that means he'll come into this world ON TIME or maybe even early. We can all hope for some things, right?

Flutterbys

Imagine lying on your bed, reading a book, becoming immersed in the characters. You are immune to the world around you. There could be a tremendous thunderstorm outside, and you'd never hear a peep. Suddenly, you feel something inside you. "Is it gas?" you wonder to yourself. You feel it again, and then a few seconds later, again.

If you've been pregnant before, you know the joy I speak of: those brilliant little flutterbys that happen close to the 20th week. I couldn't believe what I was feeling. I wanted it to happen over and over. It is absolutely amazing. It's almost as if my child is communicating with me.

I felt them for the first time on the 11th, and since the 13th, I can feel them throughout the day, when sitting in the correct position. If I get this excited by a flutter, I cannot fathom how I will react when I feel the first real kick!

17 weeks, almost 18

So I am finishing up the 18th week of my pregnancy. I thought about that the other day while shopping. My mother and husband were with me, and they were both cheering about how I looked pregnant. They can't get enough of "my cute little tummy." Anyway, I was thinking, 'wow, 18 weeks.' Then I actually broke it down into months, and lo and behold, I'm 4 1/2 months pregnant!!! I immediately rushed to my mother to tell her, and she hugged me and said "I know honey. You're almost half way through this." That took a few minutes to hit me, but when it did, I almost went down. I'm almost half way through my pregnancy. HALF WAY. That means in about 5-5 1/2 months, this perfect little being that has been living inside me is going to come out. OUCH! Fear sets in quickly.

Symptoms have been all over the place this month. The morning sickness has disappeared, though it rears it's ugly head for a few hours from rare time to time. I am hungry AT ALL TIMES. I swear, I think I could eat a whole horse, and then eat another about an hour later. I have to use the bathroom constantly now, which makes the officers at the correctional facility SO happy to hear my voice on the line. (Can you hear that sarcasm?) I weep easily, and at the most odd things. I'll watch a sad movie and shed not a tear, but I break down and bawl when I knock over my father's coffee cup. Go figure.

Well, onward and upward I suppose. I go to the doctor tomorrow, and I should get to listen to the heartbeat. I also should get to schedule an ultrasound soon so I can find out if this little being is a boy or a girl. AND, any day now, I get to feel the first flutter of movement. Amazing, really.