A bump-- finally! (I think...) and movement (definitely)

I think I'm starting to finally show a little bump. As usual, I've been a little slow on this one. My clothes almost all still fit, and no one at work who I haven't told has even looked at me sideways.

Twice in my life, I have felt like I could feel things happening with my body that I had never felt before. One was during the 2007 ALCS, Red Sox great comeback vs. the Indians, when I swear I could actually feel the blood coursing through my veins (talk about high blood pressure). The second time was today.

I've been eating and/or hungry almost non-stop since Friday afternoon. This morning, we went out to the garden early, trying to beat the heat. When we got back, my belly was aching a little. Not like a food poisoning belly ache. Like a-- I've done too many exercises with my lower abs-- belly ache. Except that I haven't exercised in the past 3 days. This was honestly a brand-new feeling I've never had in my life. I think that I am actually feeling the gentle tug of my lower abs expanding as my belly grows. Lots of people say they popped overnight. Is it my time? I hope so. I'm over 4 months, and you still wouldn't be able to tell anything was different unless you see me every day.

The baby has also started moving. It's pretty exciting. She has been pretty active. I can feel both the "butterflies" feeling where she seems to be just swimming around in there, and also distinct punches and kicks, possibly headbutts. I have heard that babies tend to be more active when the mother is resting or sedentary, and to move less when she is active around because the mother's movement lulls them. This seems about right for our little one. She is very active when I am sitting in my chair at work all day not moving, but less active when I'm in the garden or otherwise active. This weekend, she hasn't been moving very much at all. I think she's concentrating on growing. But she did raise her fist on Friday night after Youk's walk-off home run in the 11th, and had a couple of kicks during yesterday's game. She may be Youk's youngest fan, since it always seems to be when he's doing something that she goes nuts.

VH is very cute. Every time I tell him she's moving, he puts his hand on my belly. He really, really wants to feel something and is so jealous that I get to feel it and he doesn't. He says he wants to get kicked too. :) So I've been putting on the pocket fetal doppler more often so he can at least hear her heart beat, and assure him that eventually, he'll be able to feel it too. At that point, I'll probably be wishing she would stop!

And by the way, no we haven't found out the sex. We just keep calling her "she".