Hiccups?!?

I'm exactly 29 weeks along today, which means that I got my weekly emails this morning. I subscribe to a couple of websites that send out these weekly emails about symptoms I might be feeling, what's going on with the baby, etc. At any rate, I had an "A-HA!" moment a few minutes ago when I read this sentence:

If you're feeling strange little rhythmic flutters, those are baby hiccups!

I've felt them!!! I am 100% positive. It has happened twice now, once yesterday and once two days ago. I had no idea what they were the first time, but last night it crossed my mind that they could be hiccups. It was annoying, actually, because I was trying to do my daily kick counts, and I wasn't sure how/if I should count those (about kick counting: every day, my doctor wants me to eat dinner, lie on my side, and then time how long it takes for the baby to make ten movements. It generally takes two or three minutes, tops-- he gets all excited whenever I eat!). For the record, I stopped doing the kick counts until the hiccups stopped, and then I started over. The hiccups were really weird! They definitely weren't as strong or clear as the movements he normally makes-- they were just like the email described: "strange little rhythmic flutters." And they continued for probably five minutes. So odd!

Hiccups, by the way, are a good sign! My friend's doctor told her that hiccups are a sign of increasing respiratory maturity. The little guy is pretending to breathe in there (and consequently sucking in a lot of amniotic fluid). That's real progress! He still has eight weeks to go before he's considered "full term," but it's never too early to start practicing. Excellent job, Nikos! :P
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One more random note before I go. I wake up at least once every night to go to the bathroom. This isn't nearly as bad as in the first trimester, when I would get up three or four times to go (that was annoying!). However, I have discovered a new complication. Getting up to use the restroom has the annoying side effect of waking up the baby! By the time I get back in bed, he is wide awake and has his dancing shoes on... It took me almost an hour to get back to sleep this morning (at 3am) because this kid was kicking and punching and stretching and rolling like crazy. Dear God, please let this NOT happen when he's on the outside! 3am is sleeping time!
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Ok, ONE more truly random note... Corky (our parrot) has learned a new phrase. She now says, "Hey, big boy!" And before your mind goes someplace it shouldn't, allow me to clarify: this is what I say to the cat when I pick him up (he's getting a little paunchy around the middle). I thought it was so funny!! :)