I've been wondering what the baby will be like. I've read that the way a baby acts in the womb can tell you a bit about what he'll be like when he's born. My niece Audrey was very active before she was born, even nurses remarked how she didn't stop moving the entire time the fetal monitor was on, and now she's a very energetic two year old. My baby is not energetic. I get an occasional kick, but rarely sustained movement. He did go a little wild after I had a cupcake with chocolate icing the other day, and percussion ensembles trigger his boogie instinct. (Apparently, he knows I'm blogging about him right now because he just thumped me.) At some point I'm supposed to be able to do a kick count to determine if he's potentially in distress because of decreased movement, but at this point I don't feel him move more than once or twice every three or four hours.
Mostly, I've noticed him reacting to stimuli, and it makes me laugh. One night I got up to use the restroom and as soon as I got back in bed I realized I was hungry. Immediately after realizing that, my stomach rumbled and the baby kicked right where it rumbled. I'm not sure if it was a surprised reaction or a petulant "Stupid stomach!" kick. I took the hint and ate a bowl of raisin bran (my latest favorite). Gastro-intestinal rumblings, sniffing, and sometimes coughing and back popping are immediately punished/rewarded with kicks. He doesn't like for things like my computer lap desk or a book or my elbow to rest on my tummy. Those get kicked to maintain his personal space. Rubbing and temporary pressing don't get kicks, but sustained pressure does, though not sleeping on my stomach. So far he hasn't responded to any of the names I've called him, but he kicks when someone on TV says "baby." Perhaps he thinks that's his name because I've been calling him that in lieu of a name for so many months. And every night when I read in bed, I tell him that this is his chance to kick before bedtime. Despite the fact that bedtime varies widely, he tends to take me up on it. When I'm ready to turn out the light, I tell him it's time to stop kicking and rub my tummy a little and he's quiet until I get up. Sometimes he kicks when I get up to go to the bathroom, but I tell him it's still sleepy time and rub my tummy a little and he stays quiet again.
I find him amusing and fascinating, but I'm not sure what it means about his personality. Is he introspective, responsive, and obliging? Or is he a bundle of petulance who is reactionary and likes massages? I'm really eager to find out. I treat him as if it's the first option and tell him what a good boy he is. Who knows if telling a petulant child you believe he is really a good child makes a difference? I guess I'm either setting him up to be a good child or setting myself up to be disappointed.
By the way, he's kicked more while I've been typing than he has the rest of the day combined, and my lap desk is not touching my belly. Perhaps he's sending his greetings. Let's believe that. What a good boy!
No comments:
Post a Comment