Dreams...

I have dreams just about every night now, likely due to the horomones racing through my system and the fact that I no longer get solid sleep--I wake anywhere from 3-10 times per night to pee, to rearrange the pillow between my legs, to roll over, etc.

For the first time however, I had a dream about our little one--a specific dream that showed me her face.  Yes, it was a girl.  :)

In my dream she was recently born, though the birthing process was already behind me.  Still, in those first few moments of seeing her face, both Raleigh and I were captivated.

Her face was round and slightly pudgy (I think lightly swollen from the birthing process), and pinkish-red in color.  She had bright blue eyes that she didn't hesitate to open to stare at us--calmly and intently, as if she was as mesmerized by us as we were of her.  She blinked once or twice, then kept staring.

She had hair (yes, she had hair!) which was dirty blonde in color.  It was about one inch long, and the air on her crown around her forehead stuck straight up--as if to imitate her daddy's spiky do.  (In my dream Raleigh and I giggled at that!)

In short, she was beautiful!

My dream ended as quickly as it began, and after a quick roll to the other side (and disappointing realization my previous vision was only a dream), I soon fell asleep and started another, new and different dream.  This time, we had twin boys (go figure!), which Grandma and Grandpa Malsom somehow managed to lose at Costco.  (I know, totally weird!)  Their names were Carson Quinn and Alexander Matthew.  (I woke up before we found them, in case you're wondering.)

The second dream wasn't as memorable as the first as I know we're not having twins this round.  Still, I wonder if in my first dream I did see the face of our little one.  I guess only time will tell, right?  Five months and some to go!

Could It Be . . . Baby???

On Friday (September 2nd), I think I might have felt baby move for the first time!  I was lying in bed, still waking up and yet aware of my surroundings, when out of the blue I felt my muscles in my lower right (front) abdomen area tighten . . . but only in an area about the size of a quarter or 50-cent piece, and almost in a "pushing-out" from the inside sense.  It was so strange; I have never before felt anything like it!  I laid there for awhile longer (hand gently resting on my belly) just to see if I felt anything further, but nothing.

All the books I've read say that I will begin feeling baby move any time now, but that first time moms don't often feel the movement as early as other simply because they don't know what they're feeling for.  I still tend to think I did feel baby, because I've never had that experience before and feel like the muscle "twitch" was too low and isolated to be gas or another explainable movement.  I suppose we'll find out soon as the baby moves more and more as they grow.

I do wish Raleigh got to feel the baby as soon as I do, only because this is so special to both of us I feel a little guilty experiencing this wondrous part without him.  I know that will change and at some point he'll get to feel the baby move too, but I do wish he could do more than listen to my stories of how it feels to have something alive and growing inside.  (Sounds like the plot to a scary movie more than reality!)  The words don't come easily all the time, as what I feel is sometimes tough to describe.

This afternoon I felt like what I can describe as little bubbles popping inside my belly . . . could that have been baby too?  Only time will tell, I suppose, and I look forward to confirming with the doctor next week that all is well and our little one is growing just as he/she should.