Dear Jangie,
What on earth are you doing in there? Was there a special on tummy teeter-totters somewhere? Do you laugh every time you jab a flailing limb into the insides of my torso? It feels like you are riding an imaginary bicycle and making a choo-choo train motion with one hand the whole time. Or maybe you are perfecting your performance of the YMCA or the Macarena. I was one of the better Macarena performers in the 7th grade so it seems fairly likely that this is the answer. Whatever, it is you’re doing in there – I feel you LOUD and CLEAR!
Love,
tu madre
Uhhh, Oh My Goodness! There is a baby girl rocketing to full-sized babyhood in my belly. I know you already got the memo. I know you saw the pictures and the video. I did too. I’ve also seen lots of other moms-to-be flash their sonogram photos or post a video on Facebook. And, let’s be honest with each other, if I put Jangie’s picture next to baby Ginger or Penelope or even baby Henry, we probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. (If you are arguing in your head that you could tell them all apart, you’re lying to yourself which is practically the worst kind of lie) Black background, gray and white blobs joining together to look kind of head and body-ish – we’ve all seen them. We gawk at the pictures and videos talking about what a blessing it is, how exciting it is that parenthood is just around the corner, and how crazy it remains that we grow human beings inside our bodies and they come out all put together. Normal, casual, sonogram behavior.
But…
To feel that gray and white blob give 3 fist pumps, Arsenio Hall style, in your tummy makes it a whole new crazy adventure. This isn’t baby Ginger, Penelope, or Henry – this is JANGIE! A real-life, I’m-not-looking-at-someone-else’s-pictures, she’s-going-to-live-with-us baby! Pardon me while I freak out [again] and say holy cow about 718 times and then regain my composure and act mature enough to be a mom. Holy cow, I’m going to be a mom!
Feeling Jangie move, flip, judo chop, shuffle ball-change, hey Macarena has been amazing. Jason has been able to feel Jangie move and watch my belly dance as she hokey-pokeys her limbs in and out. He has trouble understanding that I’m not Jangie’s puppeteer and can’t predict when she’ll move or on which side it will be but, he patiently waits with his hand on my belly. His eyes light up and I can tell that every leg kick and fist pump he feels is already wrapping him tighter and tighter around her tiny, gray blob fingers. For both of us it brings a certain definition to being pregnant. Feeling her movement means there is true life happening in there. It’s so real and alien-ish and amazing.
Other Random Updates:
Jangie is about 11 inches long and apparently just over a pound now. Funny that I’ve gained a touch more than a pound though. That said, I’m officially beyond the beer gut stage and looking for-real preggers. My belly button is still an inny and I use my pinky finger daily to do a depth check. I am anticipating its ‘POP’ very soon. My face looks like that of a 15 year old with a lovely splattering of breakouts. Jason has been hard at work painting Jangie’s room this week and I found some super-awesome fabric to begin making her crib bedding (or begin watching my mom as she makes her crib bedding). We’ve been reading books and articles like crazy trying to prepare for a screaming baby and sleepless nights. Probably a waste of time, really, but it makes me feel better. Other than that, we seem to be going into winter hibernation early and the nesting instincts are definitely kicking in. Lots of closet cleaning, room prepping, cabinet organizing, and ice cream eating happening at the Ward house.
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