Things that go Bump

If Music be the food of love – then fight on

There is some evidence to say the babies pick up on sounds in the womb; that at this stage of development if for example you where to read a book to an unborn chuld and to do so repeatedly, when born, the baby would suckle more vigorously if they heard the story being read to them. This means that, to my mind, we are now in a prime time for the indoctrination of music tastes. So, when I am going to sleep of an evening; plugged into my ipod and listning to a lecture or some music, I have taken to placing one ear piece of my music player in the palm of my hand and wrapping my arm around the long suffering wife's bump. Okay, "ridiculous", I hear you say – "the baby won't really pick up on these things" – but I figure its worth a try.

This was not something that me and the wife have discussed, until that is last night – when she noticed. After the “What on earth are you doing?” came the discussion about whether I *really* felt that my unborn baby needed to be listening to the Yale lecture series with me – followed by the – "oh you have to be kidding, you think you are going to get to secretly influence the music tastes of our baby"…so the wife is busy trying to work out how to use i-tunes so she can insure she has a compilation CD of her music to play during the day when she is beyond my reach and influence. The battle of the bands has begun…

My wifes bump..

See that bump...my babys in there!!

A Bumpy Ride

I got home the other day to find my wife in tears as she had seen herself in a full length mirror and come to the conclusion that she looked terrible. She believed that the bump was not a neat little bump, but a huge ugly bump, that her bum is increasing in size at an alarming rate too and that the dress she picked up from a discount store looks like a tent.

I think my wife looks incredible. When I look at her and see the “bump” my thoughts are mostly “WOW, my baby is in there” (okay, I know I should think “our” baby but I don’t, my thoughts are self centred!).

My wife looks incredible – I just really wish people would tell her that, instead of saying “WOW, that bump’s big - sure it’s not twins?”. Yes, we are sure it’s not twins, yes the bump is big, as she has a small frame.

I should mention that my wife suffered from anorexia for a long time; she still, many years on, only eats at meal times. Having found a system that works and keeps her healthy, she sticks with it. A rapidly changing body shape was never going to be easy for her, but I just want to slap people (with a brick) who try and make funny comments about her expanding stomach.

Yours as ever,

The Broken Man