Week 18: Is that you, Roo?

We’re so close to finding out if Roo will be a boy or a girl. I still don’t have that mother’s intuition telling me one way or the other, although it seems a lot of moms-to-be have a strong feeling (even if they end up being wrong). My dreams are no help either. I’ve had two dreams: in one, we had a son; the other, a daughter. My chances of dream guessing are apparently 50/50 too, unless this means I’m having a hermaphrodite.
Something else that I’ve been struggling to be certain about lately is whether these little rumblings in my stomach have been the “quickening” I hear so much about or just the ramifications of what I consumed. I know that many second-time moms can feel the baby’s movements earlier than the first-time around, since they know what to expect. And I know that the timeframe for the telltale signs of life is roughly between 15-22 weeks. What I don’t know is whether the bubbles in my tummy are leftover signs of my ginger ale or someone moving around in there. I did feel a couple of nudges in my lower-left abdomen the other week, which I think was definitely Roo, but I can’t wait until I can definitively say that it’s the baby!
I remember seeing Roo writhing about during the second ultrasound for the nuchal translucency screening test. We were trying to get him or her in the right position to get a good shot of the neck fold, but our baby wouldn’t cooperate. He or she was a mover, but not in the right direction. The ultrasound tech had me lay on my side for a while in the hopes of getting Roo to move—and he or she did, waving the arms and legs in protest. Next I did what I dubbed the “Shakira Shake,” lifting my butt off the chair and wiggling my hips to and fro. The next shot on the screen showed Roo moving on his or her side, as if saying, “Leave me alone! I’m trying to sleep.” We eventually got the shot (and the test results were good!) but to be honest, I was sad that I didn’t get to spend more time watching Roo. Seeing those images were one of the highlights of my life.
At the 20-week ultrasound, I look forward not only to learn the sex of our baby, but to see him or her move and groove again! I hope I can match up the movements I see on the screen with some sensations in my stomach. I’ve read that later on it can get to the point where I desperately wish the baby would stop moving. (It seems like it would be more a sign of relief to me to be able to feel Roo so often, and I’ll end up freaking out if he or she doesn’t move for an extended amount of time.) Whenever our little dancer decides to bust a move that’s strong enough for me to feel, I’m ready.