Baby Shaker

One of my favorite things about being pregnant is reading all of the pregnancy and baby magazines with a renewed interest. I hadn't picked up a BabyTalk since Tara was about 3 months old until I found out I was pregnant again. I get bored reading them after awhile. It's like once you have that baby, who needs a magazine, you have living-proof of anything and everything those magazines have to say. But, when I'm pregnant(even though I have other kids) I love to read the magazines and dream about how everything the articles say, I will do...and of course I will in turn have a perfect pregnancy and a perfect baby.

While reading through a past issue if BabyTalk that my doctor's office had included in their "Congratulations Your Pregnant" bag, I stumbled across an advertisement for this.

If you start cracking up laughing, don't feel bad, I did too. Who knows, maybe you wont find it funny at all..but the thought of putting that strange contraption on my belly so that my baby can tell me "hi" is ridiculous!!

After checking out their website I got to laughing even harder.

Not since the sonogram has there been anything so exciting for parents waiting for their child’s birth!

Oh really? Do they really think a mother needs to put a huge eyesore on top of her already incredibly swollen natural eyesore to know that her baby is in their playing kickball with her ribcage?

Priceless to Capture on a still or video camera for precious memories!

I dare someone to put that thing on my belly and take a picture...go ahead and just try it.

In a way I'm not surprised that a man invented this. A woman gets to sit around all day feeling that evil spawn kicking the crap out of her insides precious miracle making it's life known all day every day; she doesn't need a jingle bell and waving flag to make that known. So, in theory, a father would love to have that life be known to him every possible moment that the mother does.

But then I remember very vividly while pregnant with both of my kids how I would jump and yell for Will to feel my stomach everytime the baby would kick. I remember the first few days of it being so exciting for us both. I remember Will getting totally bored and then annoyed with me that I would bother him every time. And then I remember me complaining after awhile because it was exhausting and painful and even a tad annoying. The thought of either him or I getting excited over a bell ringing during American Idol every few seconds makes me laugh.

I could just see it getting slammed against a wall by my husband because it disturbed our show one too many times. Or buried in the backyard because on top of me having to deal with constant kicking and punching, I now have to be disturbed by the tinkling of bells.

So no, I will not be investing $21.95 for the Baby Shaker. But if you're pregnant and would like some peace and quiet from your husband, this may be your ticket. Just slap that baby right up on your belly and let the jingling begin. I dont think it will take long before the novelty wears off and your husband heads for the solitude of his garage. And then you'll have the TV all to yourself!

Loving father, Ken Duncan; I admire the fact that you truly loved enjoying your unborn child. I think it's a great idea...just not for most of us hormonally driven pregnant women with husbands who honestly do not want to know how often their unborn child is causing discomfort to the woman he loves.

Oh and the name itself....well I can only say that I can just imagine the internet hits your site gets.