22 Weeks with Emelia: I wish I could bottle up these kicks

This baby has been making her presence known. This week, more than the previous ones, she’s been really making herself felt. And I’m so grateful for it. Back in my first trimester, I was dismayed to hear my placenta was anterior, meaning instead of being in the back of my uterus, it was in the front, cushioning any movements I would eventually feel, until, I was told, around 25 to 28 weeks when my placenta would shift up with my growing uterus.

Now, the disappointment came because 1) this is truly my last pregnancy and I wanted to soak everything in again as I did with Olivia. Hearing I would be cheated out of those precious little movements for what felt like so long was hard. I blame infertility once again. And 2) the movements I felt with Olivia kept me focused on the fact that she was still there. I worried at the time that I would go through more emotionally because I wouldn’t be able to feel this baby much.

And while the movements previously have been much more subtle than with Olivia, I clearly have another mover and shaker in there as I did with Olivia, only I was feeling them more very low down and on my sides. And I still feel them there, but they’ve gotten much stronger this week.

I can feel when she’s rolling and flipping over low down. I can feel when her little legs kick at my sides. It’s the best thing ever. And I know that’s a loaded phrase, and this blog is full of them, but it’s true. It’s the best feeling. I can’t get enough of it.

I had picked up an iced coffee to bring to therapy Monday morning and since I had a free drink in my rewards, I got talked into a medium instead of the small I initially came for. And when I got home and was on the couch waiting for my food to heat up, Queso suddenly came alive and started violently kicking and squirming around. And I both felt bad and elated since she was clearly reacting to the influx of caffeine I so rarely get anymore. As it was, the night before I was poking at my side in bed in the dark, prodding her to kick back — a game I played with Olivia in my third trimester when I could feel her on the outside. Queso was silent for a moment and then kicked out in the same spot my fingers had been.

This is the part of pregnancy I love the most. I wish I could remember these feelings, how these babies felt on the inside doing their acrobatics. Because as much as I cherish it and soak it all in, the reality is I’ll eventually forget. Because with Olivia I can’t quite remember how those movements felt, but I do think they’re different this time around with my placenta where it is.

What’s going on with Queso

Apparently, she’s the size of a red bell pepper. Who decides these comparisons? She can tell the difference between light and dark now even though her eyes are sealed shut. She’s also learning how to grab things, so I guess she can add another thing to the list of activities to keep herself occupied in there.

What’s going on with me

Heartburn and indigestion in the evening remain. I still have a gaggy feeling in the morning if I hadn’t eaten right away once getting up, and brushing my teeth will bring it on, but overall, I’m feeling better in that department. I’ve been starting to feel weird things in my hips and pelvis which is probably due to the relaxin and once while out on a walk, I felt my left hip sort of shift to the side, making me wobble a little.

I didn’t have a lick of sciatica with Olivia, but I’m wondering if I will with this one. I had taken Olivia to a community playtime at her old ECFE this week and felt the telltale shooting pain in my right butt cheek for ten minutes or so. There was nowhere to sit, so I did some awkward stretches to try to relieve it. Ow, you guys. That is a sucky feeling. So we’ll see how this all plays out.

1st-trimester bump photos

2nd-trimester bump photos