20 Week Ultrasound - A Perfect Success!

WE ARE IN LOVE with our little one!!!!!! Wow - what an amazing experience! Baby is doing fantastic and I just still cannot get over how wild it is that there is a growing/living tiny human in my stomach right now! We could see the baby's profile and chest, its brain and heart, and their little limbs - his/her legs were dangling/dancing all around and baby's hands were moving in front of his/her face. Andy asked the ultrasound tech if the baby was moving or if it was just a reaction to the ultrasound probe, and the tech said that it was completely the baby moving and she was just trying to keep up with how he/she was dancing around. Everything measured perfectly, baby's growth is right on target, and we couldn't be happier!! The baby's heart rate has dropped down from 152 last time, to 136 this time (this makes me think even more that we might be carrying a boy... based on the heart rate under 140 wives tale). We have a few photos that they gave us!

Here is a profile shot of our precious little one:

Foot and hand (..... so cute!!):

And, this one, we're still trying to figure out a little - the tech said the baby is "face up" here, which I think means the baby is facing straight into the camera. And, the part in the back/side of the head (that looks like a "duck beak!" ... but an adorable little "duck beak" that we love) is the baby's elbow or hand, or some other body part:

I was so jealous of Andy because when we first went into the ultrasound room, I laid down on the chair and the monitor with the ultrasound image was totally out of sight for me. I asked the tech if we could tilt the monitor and she said she'd do all of the measurements/work up that she needed first and then we could play around with the images more and view our little darling together so I could see. So for the first half of our time in the ultrasound I had only Andy's expression to watch as he got to see what the tech was seeing. Of course, he had little idea what he was looking at, but I still was dying to see whatever it was that he was seeing, for myself. Then once the tech was done taking measurements and checking on everything, we got to view our little one dancing around for a while and it was just so completely incredible!! My mom (being in town visiting) was then able to come in and join us to see the baby for a little while, too! Then, the ultrasound tech said she could show us the image in 3D/4D, which I totally was not expecting to get to see!!! I was thrilled! Andy took a video of the 2D and 3D/4D ultrasound - we can't get enough of it! On the second part of the 3D/4D one, it looks like the baby is smiling at us! What do you think?! :)

Here it is:

We just feel so lucky to have been blessed with this pregnancy and the unbelievable things that come along with it and are taking place inside of me right now. The miracle of conception/birth has always, always amazed and intrigued me beyond belief, but only now can I truly understand the intensity of just how miraculous the whole process really is. We could not be more excited to make it through these next 19.5 weeks until we get to meet this little "dream" in person!