Bubbles

When you're pregnant, the first few movements of the baby are very exciting.

Last night I was awake for a long time.  I was restless and I lay in bed feeling the baby move all around.  Little fluttery movements.  Almost like pushing.  It was amazing.  And weird.

In that moment I had a revelation.

Pregnant women have a lot of gas.  (That wasn't my revelation .... that's a pretty well known fact.)

Let me go back a bit ....

When I was younger and having a lot of pain in my back I went to a chiropractor.  The chiropractor ordered some x-rays and later sat down with me to explain what was happening and where the pain was originating.  It was all very stimulating.

As he was pointing things out to me I found I was less concerned with my spinal dysfunctions and found myself much more concerned with some light and dark splotches that I could see all over the area of my body displayed on the x-ray ... my lower torso basically ... and asked the chiropractor what the spots were all about and if I should be concerned.

He said no, I shouldn't be concerned at all .... it was just "all the gas bubbles."  He had a thick Swedish accent so it sounded more like "ahhhlll de gaz buebbels" ...

I - apparently - had a major gas problem.  Not embarrassing in the least, I assure you.

Fast forward to last night.  Feeling the baby squirm about it suddenly dawned on me why babies and children like balloons so much.

When in the womb they must play with all those pockets of gas.

I'm sure part of the movement a pregnant woman feels comes from the baby pushing and playing with bits of gassy air as it floats past the uterus.

So ... it would logically follow that infants and toddlers would be comforted by the sight of a balloon, right?

It's almost like they're back in the womb playing with mommy's gas.  It's like, the best thing ever!

Because really ... what is a balloon?  Rubber filled with air.  A dried pea is more interesting.  There has to be some other explanation for the fascination.

And it totally explains why Bruce Lee calls balloons "bubbles" ...