Houston, we have movement!

OK, I'm a few days late with this post, but 'tis the season of final papers so it's a miracle I'm posting the same week it happened!

On Tuesday, at 19w1d, I was sitting in Ethics, listening to the prof. lecture on medical ethics. We were discussing from a subversive ethics viewpoint, and he raised the issue of disability rights in discussing the practice of termination as a method to do away with disability. I guess Stretch decided he need to let his feelings be known because all of a sudden there was a thump-thump-thump in my left abdomen. I gazed down at my stomach in amazement and hilarity at the timing of Stretch's kicks. It only took a few moments of certainty for me to begin to explain away the feeling. But there it was again. Overjoyed, I shared the news with C and later with my mom, but the nagging thought that maybe I had just imagined it persisted. But what else could that have been?

All day Wednesday, as I worked on my Methodism paper, I tried to pay attention to any sign of movement. Nothing. Nada. And then, as I laid in bed that night, there was a dull thud right in the center of my abdomen. And then another. The popcorn-feeling had returned, and my faith returned. While Stretch remained still in Ethics on Thursday, despite another discussion of abortion, he stirred again as I sat in a small group during my last class (last class of the term and last class at least until January!). It startled me so much that I let out a "Woah!" and clutched my stomach. Thankfully, my group members responded with excitement rather than annoyance at being interrupted, and we got back to work as Stretch lazily pushed his legs into my abdominal wall.

I still have doubt, but every time I feel that thud (and it's happened several more times yesterday and this morning), I grow more sure that I'm really feeling him. My son.