Penalty kick

Apparently Baby Girl didn't appreciate Tuesday's ultrasound and the disruptions it caused her beauty sleep. I got my first convincing kick on Tuesday night as I tried to fall asleep. There was no mistaking it for gas or gurgles, it was most definitely a swift kick. Since then, I haven't had anything as solid, but I've been feeling more movement that isn't just tickles. Baby Girl is quickly getting longer - various tickers tell me she's anywhere from 6 to 10 inches long.

I've decided Baby Girl is a soccer player. During my time working in Kalamazoo there was a young standout player named Lindsay Tarpley. She'd played high school soccer in the Kalamazoo are and was playing at UNC (photo at left is from her UNC playing days) when I worked at the Gazette, but we still did features on her and covered her big matches. She ended up playing on the 2004 and 2008 Olympic teams (both of which won gold medals), and they had a parade for her in Michigan when she got back in 2004.

My comparison to Lindsay Tarpley has led to several new nicknames from Tim and my former Gazette coworkers. We now have Lizzie Tarpley in my belly, or Baby Tarp.