The Latest Dance Craze

Next up in our sensory exploration: touch! (I type as mosquitoes are nipping at my legs while I'm back on our lanai, soaking in the humidity of a rainy morning.)

Blueberry has really gotten the hang of this moving around thing. I want to get better at following the patterns of it, but it definitely picks up after I eat. (In fact, more about that in an upcoming post on taste!) It still feels more like swimming around and moving than kicking, though there are a few kick-like movements thrown in here and there for effect. I like to think that Blueberry has recognized the music of my organs (no coincidence of the double meaning of that word, methinks) and has created its own dance/workout routine to it -- you know, like the latest version of Zumba or something. Most likely something involving Broadway with some Bollywood flair and karaoke while you dance. While looking as peaceful as the baby in this picture, of course.


I've taken to playing a kick game with Blueberry. I read about it that it was a good activity to do a couple times a day for 10 minutes at a time, on a regular schedule. Well, since keeping routines is not my strength (I leave that to Mo), I just play whenever Blueberry is moving around. It just involves me poking back so that s/he knows that I'm there and ready to play! One time, though, it felt like my hand moved over something, and I got worried that I had broken something. I mean, it is only 14 inches long and not yet 2 pounds at this point, so I can't imagine that bones and muscles are exactly pliable! I was worried for a bit, but once it was back swimming around again, I figured we were okay.

It was a couple weeks ago where it finally got to the point where Mo could feel Blueberry moving, and that was a really fun moment. He got pretty excited about it, though he does get impatient waiting since Blueberry doesn't generally oblige with an immediate movement after the one that has brought me to bring his hand to my belly. He waits about 30 seconds and then just moves his hand back to groping me. Two nights ago, though, as we were watching a movie, Blueberry did give a good kick that Mo didn't even realize was a kick until I moved my hand to my belly. He said, 'Was that Blueberry? I felt that even without my hand on your belly!' I think that was the climax of the dance routine, with the full jazz hands.

Mo's so tactile as it is that I'm sure Blueberry will get more than plenty touch stimulation once s/he joins us in the outside world. That I'm not worried about.