ChickSpeak

The baby (or Queso or Eggbert depending on your preference) is alive and kicking…literally. Yes chicks, I have felt the first kicks!

Some people say it feels like fluttering. Others say it’s like having a live fish flopping around in your stomach. I say it feels like getting poked from the inside - not hard, just like a nudge.

The first time I felt it, I thought it was just a gas bubble because I have lots of those; it’s one of those lovely pregnancy perks. I thought it felt a little different and I wondered if it might be movement, but I figured it was too early and I passed it off. But when I felt it the second time, I knew. Every time I feel it move, I have this vision of looking at my stomach and seeing a tiny hand or foot impression sticking out of my stomach. Oddly enough, that never happens.

I love feeling the kicks though. I never know when they’re going to happen or what it going to kick-start them (pun definitely intended), but when they do I just take a break from whatever I’m doing and just marvel at them.

It’s just such a cool concept! There is a person inside me and it is flip flopping around…it doesn’t get anymore “sci-fi” than that. As I get farther along, the kicks will multiply in frequency and probably intensity. But for now, I’m content with my Little Nudger.

I actually feel lucky to be feeling movement already. They say movement generally starts between weeks 16 and 20 and I felt the first kicks on day one of week 16. I was pretty excited…even if I did think it was a gas bubble at first.

My Little Nudger also seems like it’s ready to start making its appearance. My pants aren’t any tighter but my t-shirts and tank tops sure feel snugger. Now, no one looking at me would ever guess I’m pregnant, but my middle certainly feels a little fuller than usual.

Again, my doctor says it should be pretty unnoticeable until around week 24, so maybe I’m imagining things but here is one mantra I intend to live by: The looser, the better. My flowy shirts will soon be my best friends, I can tell.

My other big news of the week was that I finally officially met with an adoption agency. Apparently The Agency is in over 30 states and is thankfully located in my state…about 20 minutes from my house. I went with my parents last Friday and we got to sit down and chat with one of the adoption agents/pregnancy consultants.

We found out so much information, I probably don’t remember it all and I’m certainly not going to go through it all either. To make a long story short: we talked to them about who covers finances, how the adoption process works, what kind of “screening” the prospective parents are put through, what types of adoption there are, whether I have to involve Fertile Fred, the adoption laws in my state, and much, much more.

Basically it boils down to this: everything is up to me.

Who the parents are, how much contact I have with them before and after the birth of the baby, what type of adoption I want, how long I get to spend with the baby in the hospital after it’s born, when I choose all of this…basically everything is my choice. Being the take charge person that I am, this suits me very well. I suppose it’s pretty overwhelming at the same time, but I try not to focus on that aspect. “One day at a time” is my motto.

I really like the agency though. The agent that I met with, Agent Angie, seems like she would be very understanding and very, very, helpful. I wasn’t looking forward to the meeting at first - I actually had a dream the night before that some crazy, psycho lady was trying to kidnap me so she could lock me in her basement until I gave birth and then steal my baby after it was born - but I feel better now. Actually, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my chest now that I finally have the adoption stuff underway. I think that the feeling of progress was one that I needed.

So this week I’ll probably be giving Agent Angie a call to confirm that I’d like to work with her agency. I will also be eating some fried eggplant (cravings…what can I say) and anxiously awaiting more nudges.

Lil’ Mama is 18 years old and unexpectedly pregnant. She is counting down the days until her spring break, loving the sunshine that has finally made it to her town and plans on getting her next tattoo as soon as her baby is born.