Say Hello to the Nice Folks Out There

Friday night Jake's new ska band played their debut show here at a local venue. They had a half-hour opening show for the mainliners, a band from New York we hadn't previously heard of, but who were super-good. Jake's band had a great show, too---lots of energy, excitement, and connectivity between the 7 members. Being the debut show, and considering we had yet to use our spiffy new video camera for anything besides filming the dogs' antics, I volunteered to film the show. I stood at the back of the room, stock-still, my right arm permanently flexed at a 90-degree angle (thank you, yoga!) for the entire half-hour. Afterward, I grabbed a seat way up near the stage and camped out with a decaf iced latte to hear the headliner.

About 15 minutes into the show, everything changed. I was sitting there, pretty close to the amplifiers, when suddenly I felt a strange sensation flutter across my lower abdomen. It was weird. It was nothing like the many unpleasant G.I tract functions I've heard fetal movement compared to. It was distinct, and then it happened again---a little arch of movement, a tippy-tappy sensation that mostly danced across the right side of my abdomen, but occasionally popped up near the center. Snippet finally decided to say Hello.

Jake was outside, greeting fans, accepting compliments for a show finely played, but when he returned to the table I whispered loudly, "I'm feeling the baby move! RIGHT NOW!" He was happy and smiling already, so glad to be playing out again, but his grin spread wider and leaned over and gave me a big beer-scented kiss on the lips.

I wish I could say I had first felt Snipped during Jake's show, but I think I was too far from the amplifiers. Or, maybe that had nothing to do with it. Maybe something suddenly became just right, and it was coincidence that the bass and drums were pumping around me for the first kicks. Jake likes to think this means Snippet already has fine taste in music, and one of our friends claimed Snippet was obviously rocking out. I'm not sure what set things in motion, but the lovely movement hasn't stopped since. I felt him that night, once I got home and stretched out quietly in bed. Then again, the next night, Jake's hand was on my abdomen and he actually felt the movement, too!

Every day since I have felt him at small points in the day---almost always after eating, and when I lie flat in bed. Sometimes I feel him just causally sitting, but it seems I need to make him uncomfortable in order to really feel much. The night of the show, I was wearing one of my few remaining pre-pregnancy pants that still fits, though they're snug when I sit. I'm guessing Snippet was pissed that my waistband was digging into his dwelling space, so maybe I only felt it because he was finally fighting back. I definitely don't feel as much when I'm wearing my big bag-ass, oversized (but quite comfy!) maternity pants.

So, for the panicky googlers out there----How soon did I first feel fetal movement? 18 weeks 3 days. Aloha, baby!