Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes (and Back, Too)

I've been introduced to all the major body parts of my baby. I can tell when his head is piercing my abdominal wall, when his shoulder blade is slicing through my uterus and thanks to last night's latest belly contortion, I know EXACTLY when his back is facing out. It literally felt like a rock was pushing through my abdomen. I urged Joe to touch my belly and he jumped back, asking "WHOA! What the hell is that?" It's his back, honey. Nothing to be terrified of.

And while new body parts are felt every day, so too are the light flutters and mild twitches that have advanced to extensive squirming and very erratic movements. I am amazed at watching my belly these last few weeks. You would think staring at your belly is the entertainment equivalent of watching paint dry, but the truth is, when the baby is at his peak of shifting limbs or changing positions or "trying to get comfortable for the night", it is so incredible to watch. I love seeing the squirming and the punches (although at first it was a little unnerving.) The wave-like movements and the tiny belly protrusions are nothing short of miraculous. I mean, really, how often does someone feel these things? Next time I will record these movements and then upload the video so my faithful followers can share in the experience real-time style. Until then, I did snap this shot last night during some of his unexpected movements. Of course you can't see any of the actual belly punches but you can get a glimpse of what my view is like...

A view from above