Flutterflies in my stomach...!

It's Week 17, and my tummy has begun to show, though it can still be hidden easily under loose clothes. A tad too big for my regular jeans, and mighty small for the maternity types...reminds me of the good ol' Complan commerical on TV!

Hubby dearest gets to answer a trick question every day - "Is my tummy visible now?", "Do I look pregnant?", "Does my tummy look flat?" and all other possible ways of asking the same question! At first, the answer would be, "No, your tummy is not showing.." or "It's flat!". Hey, trust me, this is the only time in a woman's life that she would want to not have her tummy as flat as the HD TV screen in her living room! Oh, what joy to see that round belly - rounder the merrier! My advice to all moms-to-be: Enjoy these 9 months of cherub bellies, you'll be back to whining and dieting and exercising pretty soon!

The pregnancy is "shaping up" well - I now have flutterflies er, butterflies in my stomach. Nervous? Well, let me say, "Not yet!!" I am sure the jitters are going to set in as the B-day approaches. These flutterflies were not my tummy growling from hunger, and neither were the effect of some food that I should not have eaten -- they were indeed the proof of life growing inside me! It was Adobe kicking out to say Hi in it's own special way!

There I was, lying in bed, with a hand on my tummy, when I suddenly felt a li'l kick, a flutter. And there was a second one just inches away from my first rendezvous. Could have been a figment of my imagination? I was sure it had been real, as surreal as it seemed! It was time to see if our gymnast would say respond to Papa. So Papa had his hand on my tummy, and we waited. I guess Adobe has a sense a humor too, there were no hellos. The hand was gone, and a few minutes later, another tap from inside! Quickly, Sanju's warm hand was back on my tummy, and Yes! This time we felt a series of flutters from the li'l one!

Looking forward to more punches and the kicks...

Knock Knock

Who's there?

Adobe

Adobe who?

Adobe the Acrobat who Punches, Dances and Flips inside your tummy!

Casa Adobe!

Fifteen weeks and counting - Adobe and Adobe's abode are both growing at a mind-boggling rate - finally beginnging to show :) Wondering what/who am I talking about? Ok, time for some introductions. Adobe is my sweet little acrobat who is having a gala time in his (?), no, her (?), well, home - my tummy! Adobe is my darling baby growing inside me. And my tummy is Casa Adobe!

Now that we are done with formalities, it would not be fair if I did not tell you how Adobe got the name! So here goes: One of the additional tests to ensure the baby's health had a ultrasound included in the package. Nothing like getting another opportunity to check out the li'l one. The baby was in its own world - almost seemed like in a Pilates class! Sure my instructor would a student like this! The technician had a really hard time getting the baby into a position that would allow him to make the necessary measurements for the test. Accuracy was of utmost importance here. Would the sweetheart move? Nope! The baby seemed to be telling the technician, "You do what you want, I don't care. I am having just too much fun in here to be getting into a different pose just because you want me to...For all your efforts, here I go - head over heels!!!!" and baby went head down, feet up!!! So much for the acrobatics! Finally, I had to roll over to one side to get the baby out of the Pilates session. Later in the day, as we were reminiscing those fantastic feats, Sanju decided we would refer to the our gymnast as Adobe (Adobe Acrobat - ring a bell?) !!

Now I understand why I'm so nauseous and feeling light-headed ever so often!

Adobe's favorite song - I like to move it, move it...

A Letter to My Unborn

Dear Little One,

I thought I should write you a letter though it's at least a few years before you get to read this. Never the less, I wanted to share some of my thoughts with you lest I forget all or most of it by the time you are ready for this.

It's about 13 weeks now since your creation was first sparked. So far, we got to see you just once - your tiny head, body and arms/legs that had just begun to form. What was most amazing was seeing your tiny little heart beating away at a whopping 174 beats/min. That actually filled up our eyes with tears. It was such a beautiful moment -- that first sight of you is unforgetable. You looked happy, blissfully floating around, oblivious to what's going on around. At one point though, we almost felt you knew we were watching you, for you seemed to wave at us -- just a tiny wave, as much as you could manage to move that cute little arm.

At a subsequent doctor's visit, I got to hear your heart beat. It was so cool to hear that! I am so amazed with the technology available these days. I am sure, by the time you grow up, everything I am talking about now will be nothing then! Sadly though, this time, your dad was not with me to witness this beautiful music. But he will definitely get to experience it in just about a week's time, when we go to the doctor for the next routine appointment. We regularly have to check the progress of your development and make sure you are growing well.

Speaking of growth, I must mention that I have been having a lot of nausea every since you decide to grow inside me. I am not complaining though. It surely has been pretty difficult at times, but it's definitely a good sign of your health. Some say that you will have good hair. We just have to wait and see. Currently, my nausea is the only physical proof of your existence. I am beginning to show a little belly bump, but it's at least a month before it becomes evident. I can't feel you yet - I know you are moving around quite a bit, working out you little legs and hands. I believe you are very curious and love to explore your present home - my womb. You apparently keep jumping up and down, as if on a trampoline, and also do some sommersaults as well. That is absolutely incredible! I am eagerly waiting to feel that first punch and kick from you! Another milestone I will never be able to forget...

Last, but not the least, I have a few words of advice for you. I don't want to scare you, but I do want you to be aware of it. You'll meet a lot of people as you grow, and every one of them is different. You will have to learn how to deal with them, without hurting them and being strong yourself. We'll be there to guide you, so you have nothing to worry. We wish only the best and more for you.

Yours,

Mom