Week 24: My own personal soccer ball – now with stronger kicks! (Also, a belly shot…)

23 weeks, 1 day.

So last night, our Small Monster really got into the groove – I finally got an honest to goodness hard kick. Several, in fact, and I could feel him move from the outside of my belly for the first time! It was so hot in the house, and so I was taking a nice cool bath which apparently woke the little one up. Then, right around my belly button, I felt him roll under my hand. And kick and flutter and squirm. It’s convincingly strong enough to know that there’s definitely something alive in there with bones.

It was awesome! It’s like the first really tangible proof that I’m having a baby and not, say, a pot roast

So sometime in the very near future, Christian will get to feel the little guy too

It’s rather hard to believe that in about 17 weeks, I’ll be someone’s mama… Fortunately, 17 weeks is still a good while

That said, the Small Monster and his temporary housing are about the size of a soccer ball these days:

I’m afraid you guys are only entitled to a front shot this week, due to my choice of the shirt that best embodies the idea of why no one ever uses maternity wear to make a fashion statement (unless that fashion statement is “I intend to look scary”) – I just couldn’t deal with looking at the sideshots and my flabby arms all hangin’ out However, from where my hands are (right on top of the sides of the round part of my belly), you can see the soccer ball in all of its glory. It’ll be interesting to see what it looks like at, oh, 36 weeks…