Tummy Touches

I think I've mentioned a time or two that I really hate when other people touch my stomach.  I mean, really?  Just because there is a life growing in there does not give you the right to invade my personal space.  I struggled with it when I was pregnant with Alfy and I've really struggled with it with this pregnancy.  My stomach is what I would consider the most delicate part of me, the part of me that let me down with Alfy, so any unnecessary touches, pokes, etc. just add to my anxiety.  What if you, as someone who has no right to it in the first place, somehow causes something to go wrong in this sacred place I have?  I can think of many, many times when someone has come up to me and just put their hand on my stomach.  Just STOP.  It's not cute, or comforting, or sweet, or caring.  It's uncomfortable, and rude, and invasive.  If you feel you must, always ask first.  If it's me, I will tell you no, but appreciate that at least you asked.

Despite my strong feelings on stomach touching, there were two times when another person (outside of Tony) touched my stomach that I actually found quite endearing, and they both happened in the same day.  The first one was my nephew, who is just about 18 months.  We were all visiting my parents and he was practicing walking up and down the stairs on their deck (not stairs to be taken lightly, old wood with little railing).  I was waiting at the bottom for him.  When he got to the bottom step, he stared at my belly and reached his hand out, but I was too far away.  He climbed all the way down and put his little hand on my stomach for just a moment and looked at me.  Just a moment, then he went about playing and practicing stairs.  That one moment was all he needed and he was satisfied.  I like to think that maybe Alfy was whispering in his ear at the moment, to do something he wasn't here to do himself.

The other moment was shortly thereafter.  A good friend of mine was also home and stopped by with her two boys, 3 and 5.  The 3 year old at one point was practicing his karate skills on the back of my leg.  My friend asked him to stop and proceeded to tell him about the baby in my stomach and that he needed to be very careful, so he did just as mom asked.  A while later, the 5 year old, was getting a bit rowdy as we were playing, nothing I couldn't handle.  But, his little brother came to my aid.  He put one hand on my stomach and the other on his brother, positioned himself in the middle and told him to stop.  His concern was so genuine.  What a caring little man.  My friend has done an excellent job with her boys.  I hope they continue down the paths they are on:)

Now, back to everyone else (except Tony), do NOT touch my stomach.  It is not yours and is an incredible invasion of personal space.  

Able to Share?

Looking at all the blogs I follow, there seems to be an absence of updates.  If they are anything like me, they're probably at a point in their grief/life/pregnancy that seems almost impossible to share with others.  That is where I am.  At a point where I don't know how to share.  

Although, I did come across something, not about me personally, but something I read that touched me.  I was reading through the obituaries and I came across one of a gentleman who died in his mid-fifties.  In the obit, it included those who had passed before him, which is customary.  The list of family members included his parents, grandparents, what one might expect.  But then, there was another name followed by the description of who it was, his infant brother who had passed.  I had to read it a few times, but it brought a smile to my face and some peace to my heart.

That's all I have to share for now.