Kicking, no Screaming

According to the Bump at week 18 a fetus is moving like crazy, doing things like:

• yawning



• hiccuping



• rolling



• twisting



• kicking



• punching



• sucking your fingers



• swallowing

Now, where I come from, yawning and swallowing aren't big on the list of physical activities; in fact, I think those events were removed from the Winter Olympics for being not competitive enough. But for a baby, that's a lot of activity!

And we on the outside world have taken notice. Or, more specifically, your Mom has taken notice.

In the past few days, she has begun to feel you moving around inside her tummy! At first, she wasn't sure if that sensation was gas bubbles or something else, but ever since Monday afternoon she's become more and more aware of your movements!

This totally makes sense: now that you're 18 weeks, you're big enough to be felt. And, since your mother's belly seems to be growing by leaps and bounds over the past week, she's big enough to feel you!

In fact, she just called me and told me that she felt you kicking her just now!

Please refrain from kicking like this...or sweeping the leg.

Being the jealous and curious type that I am, I asked her to describe it to me.

Basically, she said, it feels like a series of quick little bumps. It seems to happen pretty close to meal times, although she did feel you yesterday while she was driving her car.

I haven't been able to feel you move from my vantage point yet, but I keep my hand on the belly, poised to feel your kicks!