Hi Baby_blip
You time your contractions from the start of one to the start of the next one. This will tell you how far apart they are. You can also see how long they last by checking the time that the contraction starts and finishes.
At first you do not always feel your contraction when you put your hand on your tummy but you will later
It is very common to feel the pain across the pelvic bone and nowhere else in early labour.