Sunday, April 29, 2018

The Secret's Out

It's like a Weight Watchers ad, but in reverse.
 I've hit the six-month mark (the photo says five, but I take my time writing my thoughts). A few weeks ago co-workers started cautiously asking if I was pregnant (as opposed to just eating too much lately). Their hesitation in asking was soooo cute. The only one who didn't hesitate was my fellow Filipina, a building maintenance worker who bluntly asked, "Are you pregnant? Was it an accident or did you plan it?"

Strangers jump up to offer their seat on the bus, and I swear cars are actually stopping more abruptly now when I cross the street. I'm getting so big, I'm actually considering buying a shoe horn because bending down is very difficult. I remember a long time ago in a grocery store, a heavily pregnant woman dropped an item and just stared at it on the floor, sighing a long sigh. Just staring at it. I immediately swooped down to pick it up for her.

Sheep loves to kick and punch. In the beginning, I thought his movements were just indigestion. It felt like bubbles popping inside me. Now it's obvious what they really were. Months ago when R talked about what the kicking would feel like, the idea of something squirming inside me grossed me out. It sounded so alien. But now, I love feeling the baby move inside me. In fact, Sheep has moved a lot during ultrasounds, much to the frustration of the technicians.

It's getting to the point where I can actually see the baby move on the outside. The first time I noticed was while I was working. At my company we wear badges that hang off our necks. I felt Sheep kick, right where my badge was hanging. The silver clasp caught the light and reflected it into my eyes, which caused me to look down. Sheep kicked again and I saw the badge move! So I pushed it aside and watched a little bump pop out as the baby kicked again and again. So. Cool.