A Light in the Belly

After reading a chapter in this book called "The Expectant Father" about communicating with you while you're in the belly, your Mom and I have really been stepping up our intra-uterine communication.

There's some amazing research (and anecdotal accounts) out there about how much you can actually be hearing and even soaking in. The book tells a story of an Orchestra conductor who somehow knew the Cello lines to the scores before he'd ever even heard or read them. As it turns out, his mother, a concert cellist, was practicing those very same symphonies throughout his pregnancy.

Of course, we've been singing to you and feeling your kicks and talking to you, but now we're trying to have conversations (albeit one-sided) with you and even play with you.

The book makes it a point to say that you will definitely know your Mother's voice (and heartbeat (and stomach gurgling noises)), simply by nature of you being in her belly. You'll also recognize my voice just from being around me, but if I make special effort to communicate with you in the belly, you'll be even more familiar with my voice.

Right after I read this chapter, you got a major concert on the way drive back from Houston two days ago of your Dad singing Ben Folds' greatest hits. And it was pretty dang good, because everyone knows that people sing the best when they're in the car.

So, besides singing to you, I've decided to start just chatting with you, giving you narration of our day, what's going on on the outside and more. It definitely feels silly to be talking directly to your Mom's belly, and takes getting over some self consciousness, but I'm starting to find it more natural. So instead of just reading out loud, like we've been doing, we're actually starting to engage you in conversation...

And, believe it or not, you're quite the budding conversationalist. Of course, not all this communication is verbal or audible. The author of the book said that he would often try gently pushing the belly once and saying "One," then pushing twice and saying "Two," etc. He said he would often get one belly kick back on the "one," and sometimes even got two kicks back on the "two!"

I tried this trick quite a few times and, to my surprise, I got some kicks back on the "One," but no matching on the "two."

However, when your Mom tried this trick, she swears that she got a One and a Two! Don't worry, I'll keep trying!

Even if she didn't, this new chapter on communication has begun in our lives and it's proving to both me and your Mother that there IS a light on in the attic...or, rather, in the belly!