Poking and prodding

In the last few weeks, I've been feeling Valentine move more and more. According to the pregnancy books, this is because s/he is getting bigger and stronger and therefore has less room to move around and is better capable of delivering solid kicks that extend well outside the cozy cocoon of amniotic fluid and into the wall of my abdomen, where I can feel them.

The feeling is pretty cool and, to be honest, kind of addictive. As a result, I've taken to poking and prodding my bump to encourage Valentine to kick me. Yes, I'm already encouraging parental abuse.

But Internet, don't you see? I do it for the baby. After all, it usually works, meaning that I'm helping Valentine to develop his/her muscles and reflexes. And, just as importantly, feeling Valentine kick me lets me know s/he's still alive in there, which gives me a warm, fuzzy, relaxing feeling. And that's important because without constant reassurance, I tend to freak out and get insanely concerned that Valentine ISN'T okay. And that's stress and it's bad for the baby.

So. Now you know. Poking and prodding... it's all for the baby.