Little Kicks

We had our ultrasound on Monday. It's a GIRL!!!!!!!!! So, everyone who had a strong opinion on the topic was wrong. I am amused, to say the least. I thought it was a boy, too. It was strangely gratifying to be wrong...and surprised...and for everyone else to be wrong, too. Fun! I'm not sure what that says about me...

So, last week - about the 6th or 7th of January - I became certain that the strange little jabs were definitely baby kicks and punches...rather than gas or other less interesting digestive movements. I never had those "fluttery" feelings that everyone describes as the first perceptible baby movements...or maybe this IS what they describe. It feels more like tiny little kicks. Also, maybe there were fluttery feelings a little earlier...but I was too dense to realize they were baby action in my belly?

It turns out that the baby is head down right now and most of the "kicks" are actually punches. It's an amusing feeling at this point - especially when she punches me repeatedly in the ovary. Funny. I imagine it will be a little more shocking when there is more force behind the punches! Right now, in the middle of week 21, the baby is only about 12 ounces and probably about 10 inches. Tiny!!! So there's not a huge amount of heft and strength behind the little jabs at this point.

I actually FEEL pregnant now that I can feel her move in my belly...and I've seen her freaky sci-fi self on ultrasound. She kept her face down most of the time during the ultrasound, and the technician kept jiggling and jabbing my belly with the ultrasound paddle to get her move. It made me laugh a little because...it seemed sort of weird for this woman to be harassing the baby so intently. Odd. I will be posting those pics very soon...

I feel...really attached to her - the baby. It's crazy how that happens. Well, I suppose it's not "crazy" as much as hormonal...chemical...and pretty natural to the whole process. It's just nice because, for a long time, the idea of there being a person inside me was completely abstract and totally impossible to believe on some level. Now it's no longer so implausible...it's just wild...and very, I don't know, sweet.

My students - FINALLY! - got up the nerve to ask me if I was pregnant. I have been waiting to see when they would be willing to do it. Other adults at the school have told me that a number of students have been asking them if I was pregnant for a while. Cute. Anyway, one little boy in my 5th period class actually - very politlely and almost apologetically - asked me if I was pregnant in front of the class. I said, "yes" and told him that I would give him 10 extra credit points for being brave enough to ask. The class exploded with, "I knew too...everyone said it was rude to ask..."

There is a group of African American girls that are probably the most enthusiastic. One of these girls, after I told the class, said, "You made my day, Ms. Adcock. I was in a bad mood before, but now I'm just happy." What a sweetie. Since then, other students - sheepishly - have been coming up to congratulate me. It's very adorable. Although one boy said, "Are you going to be crazy now?" At first I didn't know what he was talking about because this was a different class and we weren't talking about me being pregnant. I said, "What?" And he mumbled something about how I was pregnant. I reminded him that I have, in fact, been pregnant basically the entire school year. So, I'd probably continue being the same level of "crazy." Mmmm, what a charmer he is. (I'm not particularly fond of this child anyway.)

So, now is it "Cleetus"? Or Cleetissa??? Or Cliona??