Following the Leader

So I know every parent thinks their child is the smartest, cutest and all around the world’s greatest kid. And for us, well, we are no different. I have talked about the hubby and I celebrating Sprout’s mini-mile stones like the first time we thought we heard her heartbeat and instead it was gas….or when we were at our 20 week ultrasound and we hip-hip-hoorayed for two arms and two legs. Yep, Sprout has proved to us time and time again that she is a miracle and already a high achiever. Just in the past 24 hours we had another mini-milestone for our little daughter that we were oober excited about.

We called this “following the leader.” After a restless night and 10+ hours at work I was in bed and ready to crash by 9pm last night. Sometimes Auntie Elizabeth calls me old for going to bed so early, but me….I think growing a baby in your tummy takes a lot of energy and therefore more naps are needed. After all, one of the greatest sayings from my dad is “Naps are my friend” and I completely agree. As for all of those other early turn downs before Sprout was baking in my tummy….well, squirrel! While I may believe a hard day ensured me to an early bed time, the husband seemed to think that this was a queue for some other type of evening activity. No, get your mind out of the gutter. I was talking about playing with the puppies on our bed and getting them all riled up. Without fail, Jonnie and Jacob spring and pounce all over the bed when it looks like dad is coming. Last night would be nothing less. As much as I enjoy the nervous guarding of my baby bump to make sure 4 to 8 little paws didn’t try to stab me, Sprout seemed to think this was time to start playing too. Within minutes of barking and playful growling, our daughter was kicking up a storm in my tummy. Kidneys, bladder, hips, lungs, you name it and she was using it as a punching bag. After the first 10 seconds of whining and grinning with a look only a 5 year old cold make, I was excited to feel all of the baby’s movements. The hubby joined in the fun by pressing down lightly on my tummy to feel her kick. This time was a little different in that as Mike moved his hand to different sides of my chub-meets-baby bumps and Sprout followed him and kicked exactly where he was pushing down. This could be because our cute little one may not be a fan of someone crowding her tight living quarters…..or we just have that wonderfully smart and high-achieving kid. I vote for option two. Shrieking with excitement (partially because of indigestion) we spent the next half hour playing with Sprout and her kicking abilities. The puppies, on the other hand, retired to the corner of the bed where Jacob looked at us with utter confusion and Jonnie was laying down facing the bedroom door (this is the signal for “dad give me my bedtime treat). Another milestone for our baby and we were so excited and entertained by Sprout’s interaction with the outside world. Now, if only the crying, screaming and other babiness can be just as exciting as this, we will be set!