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Girl on the Go


Who knew about strength training for little limbs? Prior to birthing my little girl, I did not know about baby exercises. But they exist! There is the bicycle for infant legs, which, you guessed it—Momma makes baby’s legs pedal in a bicycle motion. Then there is the YMCA. Yep. Sing the YMCA and make baby’s arms dance. All of these exercises were handily learned on the app for baby development. How else would millennials learn about baby growth if there weren’t an app?

But the real baby workout is Tummy Time.

Yes—Tummy Time—the time when baby is placed on tummy to begin the difficult task of holding up her neck.  Followed by the even more difficult task of head turning. The ultimate goal: Crawling. The half-way point to the ultimate goal: Flipping Over.

Anxious to give Felicity every advantage, I dutifully spread a blanket for tummy time. At first her head bobbled and dipped to grab a mouthful of blanket. Then came the quizzical eyes when she managed to turn towards momma’s voice to find—surprise, surprise—mamma! Folks, believe me, this head turning was tough work for her infant neck, and it included grimaces as if she lifted a weight. But she persisted. In fact, she more than persisted.

Imagine, mine, and her surprise, when flip. Her legs and arms kicked as she lay on her back. The look of shock in her eyes at what she’d done mirrored my own surprise. My baby flipped over.


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