Week 20: Oh no, the baby in my tummy is kicking A LOT

With the exception of a few areas in life, like work and (sometimes) money, I have a solid Type B personality. I’m also more or less an introvert who finds small talk and overcrowded parties draining. My husband Patrick is more or less the same, which is great because we understand each other’s desire for silence and can come up with crafty excuses ahead of time so we can leave parties early without embarrassing ourselves.
How we created a beautiful baby girl who craves the opposite – wild and riveting days filled with dance, nonstop chatter, and strangers, the more the merrier – is beyond us. But two-year-old Kiera is not a girl who will be staying home on a Friday night 15 years from now to wash her hair. And that’s just fine. We learn something new and thrilling about our world every day by simply seeing it through her beautiful, ever-curious eyes.
Now that I’m 20 weeks pregnant with my second baby – a boy – and working from home as a writer while watching my toddler full time, I have to say there are days when I fantasize that our new baby will be the opposite of Kiera.
Because Kiera is amazing, but she is also exhausting.
I swear, I would even take a little less “amazing” in exchange for a little more quiet. But, judging by my Level 2 Ultrasound, which I received this week, as well as what I’m feeling inside of my tummy, I think we’re in for a wild ride with baby No. 2!
The greatest part about this stage of pregnancy is that everything starts to feel real, but in a good way, not in the I-just-vomited-14-times-this-morning way. In one week’s time, my baby went from being super-mellow to suddenly kicking up a storm. He likes to drift from my belly button to my right side, over and over again, and he seems fond of doing this at midnight or later. Often, it’s nothing more than a subtle fluttering feeling that makes me twitch slightly. But sometimes I’m overwhelmed by how powerful he feels for his age. He’s barely one inch in length, but can deliver a punch that makes me jump out of my seat at times.
During my ultrasound anatomy scan, which is performed between 18 and 22 weeks and provides a very detailed look at the baby’s growth and organs, my sonographer commented on my baby’s “jumpiness.”
“Oh no, is that okay?!” I quickly asked, because I assume every doctor’s remark is a subtle hint that impending doom lies ahead.
“It’s wonderful. Healthy,” she replied. “Just makes it harder to see what I need to see.” Okay, that makes sense. That makes me feel better. But just when she could have left well enough alone, she decided to add with a grin that could only be given by another mom, “I bet you’ll have your hands full with this one.”
Yeesh. Thanks a lot!
All kidding aside, I feel extremely grateful that my pregnancy has thus far been a healthy one with no major issues. If I give birth to another extroverted ham, I will be equally as blessed.
But my goodness, I’ve never been more tired in my life.