"THESE Are Spirit Fingers! And THESE Are Gold!"

All the things I've read in books and online told me that I could expect to feel Wolverine Baby move sometime between 16 and 22 weeks.  Aunt Stacey told me that she felt Bryce move for the first time at 16 weeks, and Leah at work told me she didn't feel anything till about 20 weeks. 

Most of what I read, too, said that most women have a very hard time describing what the baby moving feels like, and many of them say it feels like they have gas.  Others suggest it feels like hunger pains.  Fewer suggest that the movement feels like butterflies.

On Saturday evening, I was sitting on Laura's patio after a delicious dinner of homemade chicken Parmesan and green beans.  We were just sitting and chatting when I felt something that was unlike anything else I've felt.  I thought, "Well, that was odd," and sat there for a few more seconds and then it happened again.  I realized that I was probably feeling Wolverine moving.  I sent Ray a text message telling him that I thought I'd felt the baby move, and he wrote back, "Are you sure?"  ...  Um, no.  I've never had a baby before, so I don't know for sure what it feels like.  But it was very, very different from any of the other strange sensations I've felt since getting pregnant.

Yesterday, Wolverine must have decided it was time for a workout because for a solid five minutes, I could feel her moving around.  When I talked to Ray, I explained how it felt this way: "You remember what spirit fingers are, right?  Well, it feels like the baby is doing spirit fingers inside me."  Thank goodness he was around when I was coaching.  Otherwise, I would have had to refer him to this helpful video:

So, for the record, I first felt Wolverine Baby move at 16 weeks and 3 days.  

It's such a strange experience.  Someone suggested that feeling the baby move is the first time pregnancy feels real, but I'm not sure I agree with that.  Seeing the baby on that first ultrasound and hearing her heartbeat made it feel very real to me.  But feeling her move inside of me.. I was struck by the thought, "There is something ALIVE inside of me!"  And then I thought of the movie Alien.  Thank goodness Wolverine, despite her nickname, is a human baby and appears to be quite gentle with her movements.  I can't wait for the time when Ray will be able to feel her moving, too!