I normally enjoy feeling Elsie kick. For one thing it means she's still alive. It's reassuring to wake up in the morning and get a strong kick. It's also nice that I can count on a good 11:30 p.m. kick. I don't know if these are friendly "hi, mom" kicks or something else, but I'm glad they happen. She has even started kicking when I'm in the bath tub or swimming. In the past, if I was in water, she was still. She doesn't kick much when I'm active, but if I take a little break she takes her turn to wiggle and kick. I tend to smile and compliment her when she puts together nice combo moves: jab, cross, kick.
However, there have been a couple of times I felt sick and she became active and made me feel worse. There was the time when my lactose intolerance triggered colon spasms and freaked her out. At least that event didn't last long. But last night I felt bad all night: I was tired, I had been a little too active, and I had eaten a cheeseburger at 10:00 p.m. Yes, I did it to myself, but I felt pretty bad. She played a little at bedtime like she normally does, but she's gotten better about settling down when I make shushing sounds, rub my belly, and tell her it's sleepy time. (She didn't pick up on that as early as Neil did, but I'm glad she's catching on. It's especially interesting because I had expected her to react to my voice like Neil did but she doesn't seem to care what I say. She goes nuts for Matt but doesn't pay any attention to me when I talk. I tend to sound a bit petulant when I express that opinion. Her calming down when I shush and speak soothingly makes me feel like we've connected in a new way.) When she accepted it was sleepy time, I fell asleep quickly. But, of course, I woke up a few hours later to go to the bathroom. And shortly after I climbed into bed still feeling sore and sick, Elsie got the hiccups. Ugh. She banged against my sensitive digestive system and bounced off my tightly-stretched and already sore belly. It was awful. I knew she couldn't help it, and I sympathized with her. Hiccups are no fun, even if they mean that her diaphragm is practicing and strengthening for breathing after birth. And she didn't get just one case of hiccups. As soon as one set would subside, a new set with a new rhythm would start. About that time I heard Matt in the kitchen and called him in. I was tired and sick and feeling alone and told him I didn't expect him to do anything about the first two issues but that he could at least help me not be alone. He sat with me for a while with his hand on my belly and got to feel the hiccups, too. We complimented her on her strong diaphragm, which will be important when she's in band one day. (I think we're pulling for a woodwind instrument but would be OK with brass.) :) I got the most relief when I was sitting completely upright with my legs in butterfly pose. Being upright let gravity assist me with the heartburn, and butterfly pose opened my pelvis and gave her a little more room so that she didn't slam into my organs quite as hard. Eventually, I found a way to prop myself in that position and fell asleep for a few more hours.
I woke still sore and uneasy but still thankful for my wake-up thump from Elsie. Some OTC digestive aids, Tylenol, and a warm bath with Epsom salt and a little stress relief aromatherapy bath salts from Bath & Body Works (and some Googling to reassure me we weren't gravely ill) got me in good enough shape to go to work. My digestive system is still uneasy, and she was particularly active between 9:30 and 10:30 this morning. But both my stomach and my daughter seem to be settling down at least for a little while.
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