Inner stirrings

About 10 days ago I found out that I'm having a girl. I am 21 weeks pregnant, and had yet to feel her move. I never had any morning sickness. I've finally started to gain a little weight (well, gain it back after losing between 15 and 20 pounds), and I'm also starting to change shape a little. I've had a fairly uneventful pregnancy (for which I am honestly grateful). So it didn't seem very real to me yet. Even though we were calling the baby MJ until we knew, she still seemed more like an "it" to me.

All that has changed a lot in the last week. I started to feel a little bit of movement last Sunday. I was sitting in a pew at church, and bent over to pick something up, and felt a sudden movement, as if she was telling me that I was squishing into her space (which I suppose is already scarce anyway). I had also noticed in the previous two to three days what I think are contractions. I thought at first that it might be her moving, or just a cramp, but then I started to realize that it was different. It's not Julie moving, because I'll feel the sensation, and it will hold in place for about 30 seconds, then release. It's not sudden or random, like a kick or a roll might be. And it's not painful like a cramp or gas bubble. It feels like a clamp closing partway, holding, then letting go. Perhaps "contraction" isn't the right word. I'm not sure what is. That's just the word that come to mind, even though what I'm feeling is probably just my uterus starting to stretch out more.

I mentioned above that I'm starting to change shape. I'll get a belly picture or two up here soon. I should have had Ben start taking them a couple of weeks ago, but not much has changed since then.