Hamster wheel

For the most part, I have not enjoyed "being with child" as I always imagined a proper mother should be. I do not fine glory in my newfound aversion to coffee and my beloved chocolate. I cannot quite find the silver lining in my acne-ridden chin and forehead, and while the morning sickness has subsided, I am still not quite fond of yakking pre-natals into the sin everymorning. Jelani likes to tease me when I feel dizzy or nauseous and says, "Oh, baby runs around in circles in there all day..." which always manages to conjure a horrific Thumbelina-type image of running and tumbling about inside a hamster-wheel placenta. Ugh.

As the ultra-sound technician moved her jelly-probe over my belly I found myself laughing at the images of the baby doing exactly what Jelani suggested; baby was moving and stretching and bopping it's little baby butt all over the place. I had to stop looking at the screen, as my laughter was causing the probe to jump off my contracting abdomen.

I can't believe the calm and wonder that came over me as I watched the screen fill with the profile of a miniature face and the strange little hands waving about inside of me. "Why can't I feel that?" I wondered. It was the first time I felt that glow and proper awe towards my pregnancy I've been waiting for.

Towards the end, as we took the actual photos of our Memory baby, I was shocked to see the baby begin to curl and kick, curl and kick inside it's little sphere. The technician gasped and snapped the photo as we all laughed at the captured still. As you can see in the photo above, we have a very strong, healthy and apparently rowdy baby on the way.

Here's to the next 6 months! ****