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I've been waiting to feel Wee for about 2 weeks now (knowing that that might happen around this time) and have thought that I've felt Wee several times this week, although it wasn't ever what I'd been expecting (what I'd read that it feels like and what my pregnant friends have said it feels like). So finally this morning, after feeling the same thing 3-4 times a day every day this week, I called the doctor's office and described what I felt. The lady said, "Yup -- that's your baby!" Just to be sure ("trust but verify" -- the CPA's motto), I told her again what it felt like and how it felt different from what I was expecting, and she said, "That's definitely it!" So we celebrated together. :)

For the men, the women who have not been pregnant, and the women who have been pregnant but whose babies followed the rules and did what the books said (which is a light, feather-y, brushing to tell Mom you're awake and changing positions), my "quickening" (not sure why it's called that -- maybe because the mom's heart quickens as she realizes what that feeling is) feels like little pokes from the inside, just below my belly button. If you put your hand up to your neck and press down to feel one heart beat, you'll know what Wee feels like to me (only now imagine it in your guts). It's not a surprising feeling (maybe since I've been concentrating so hard on feeling it) -- just a nice little "Oh, there you are again" feeling. And as happy as I am about knowing what I'm feeling, Chris might be happier -- now I'll stop all the speculating! Also, I am already a bit of a talker to things that won't answer (animals, plants, cars, a baby the size of a lentil), and now this has really sent me out of control because I answer Wee every time (s)he pokes. "Good morning, Wee." "Not now, Wee, Mama's on the phone." "Yeah, I'm hungry, too." "You're right -- I'm never wearing these pants again." "Good night, Wee."

A historical note for you... I learned this yesterday when I Googled "quickening" to see if anyone else reported little pokes instead of little brushes. Way long ago before there were sonograms or other ways to confirm a pregnancy before the mom felt the baby, laws defined the quickening as the official beginning of a baby's life. If a woman was hit or poisoned (presumably to abort a baby -- not just random attacks?) after the quickening, then the attacker was guilty of homicide. And now you know!

Wee just gave me another little poke to say, "That's enough now. Post it already and let's have second breakfast."