un coup de pied dans la bouche

I guess I need to explain the image. When I used an earlier version of it here, some people couldn't tell what it was. It's a footprint on a pregnant belly. It's based on this photograph, which may or may not be doctored already.

What I should immediately point out about this new version is that it's hard to find an iconic kissy symbol that doesn't look feminine -- doesn't, in fact, look like a lipstick mark.

I don't wear lipstick, and no lipstick-wearing woman has (as far as I know) been kissing Nathalie's pregnant belly.

I was just trying to make an image to go along with this announcement:

My unborn son kicked me in the mouth!

(Couldn't be more proud, can you tell?)

At our favorite cafe yesterday, the waitress asked Nathalie if the baby was kicking yet.

"Yes," I interjected, "he's kicked me in the mouth!"

She said, "Oh, yeah? What were you reading?"

I guess we're transparent.

The answer is Peter Pan, which we finished tonight. What a great book. I'll write something about it soon.

The night I got back from Charlottesville, Nathalie put my hand on her stomach and MAN OH MAN did I feel a kick!

I was shocked. It wasn't one of these gentle little thumps, either. No guesswork. Something big was just below her surface and it pushed Nathalie's belly out like a protrusion.

Freaked. Me. Out.

Reminded me of this scene in the movie Aliens. I hesitated to put this image up, but Nathalie thought it was funny.

Then for the rest of the week, I didn't feel him kick. Nathalie would grab my hand and put it to her belly, and he'd immediately stop doing whatever it was she felt him doing.

But he was squirmy tonight as we read the last chapter of Peter Pan. And once again, the boy kicked me in the mouth. It's just the greatest feeling in the world.

- papa