Ninja Baby

There is nothing typical about this pregnancy--well, at least not to me, and certainly not to my husband.  Our moms call this our "miracle baby," and this really is a miracle. 

I'm not supposed to be able to get pregnant without intervention.  I've miscarried. I have heart conditions (plural). My uterus has been deemed "hostile" by medical professionals.  We were scheduled for an invitro consult for this summer, and then we discovered, much to our surprise and delight, I somehow got pregnant without the interventions.

So here I am at 18 1/2 weeks pregnant, and our little baby continues to amaze us before he (or she) is even here.  We're not your typical couple, and this is not your typical baby.

First, we have no intention of finding out our baby's gender. We want to be surprised.  This is one of life's last great surprises, and we want to experience it together.  So we have no idea if our little miracle is a boy or a girl.  We've picked out names for both, and we'll find out on our baby's birthday which name we're going with.

Second, our baby likes to hang out upside down.  Most babies are flipped around the other way, but our little one not only wiggles more than most (at least according to the doctor and ultrasound tech)--s/he enjoys being on his/her head.

Last week I felt the baby move for the first time.  I was lying in bed when this strange little tumbling motion flip-flopped inside my tummy.  It took me a moment to figure out what it was.  17 weeks is on the early side of feeling the baby move.  Of course, our baby yawned at us during the 12 week ultrasound and the technician was surprised, telling us that most babies don't do that until later.  I figure maybe they just don't see most babies do it until later because most babies are positioned differently than this little booger.

Yesterday our baby surprised us again.  I was lying on the couch with my laptop on top of my uterus just a typing away when I felt a good, solid thump.  It was different than the gentler, harder to feel tumbling of our baby moving around inside me.  I reached my hand down and rested it on my lower abdomen, and sure enough--thump!  The baby kicked me and s/he kicked me hard enough that I was able to feel it with my hand. 

I smiled and laughed, and said, "Kenny! Come here! Fast!  You can feel the baby kick!" 

My husband came over and sat next to me, putting his hand on my belly.  A few seconds went by and then I felt it--thump! 

"Ohh!"  Kenneth laughed, "I felt it! I felt the baby!" 

"I don't think he likes it when he's pressed on," I said.  Because, yes, I insist upon calling this baby a he.  I want a boy.  The week the baby was growing sex organs in the womb I constantly patted my belly and said, "Grow a penis little baby! We've already got two girls!  So grow a penis!"  So I will stubbornly call this baby a he until he is born and I'm either proven right or wrong (lol). 

My husband, who thoroughly enjoys messing with his loved ones, had to test this theory.  He applied some gentle pressure to my tummy with the palm of his hand.  Thump! Thump! Thump!  Sure enough, our baby let its displeasure be known.  He kicked his daddy immediately, and he kicked him HARD!  He kicked him harder than he'd kicked my laptop.  Of course, this thrilled my husband who laughed and laughed and whom I suspect will be tormenting our little headstanding ninja baby for weeks to come.