20-week Anatomy Ultrasound

The holiday season this year has been quite eventful. This year, we decided to spend Christmas with my side of the family in Louisiana, and it was really nice... mostly relaxing, which is what we really wanted with the new load I was carrying, and An's sympathy pregnancy (hehe). An and I (and Liam) enjoyed splurging on cajun food we have really missed. There are several favorite dishes we absolutely love that we can't find here in Houston (i.e. alligator and crawfish hotdogs from Dat Dog, charbroiled oysters from Drago's, fried fresh seafood, and king cake, just to name a few!). All in all, our bellies were very happy... and I think it's safe to assume Liam was quite satisfied too! ;) I think this could definitely count as our "babymoon," just incase we don't get the opportunity to have one eventually. Oh, and the holidays aren't over yet! We're looking forward to spending New Years with An's side of the family and close friends. :)

Right before we left to Louisiana, I had my 20-week anatomy ultrasound. For this specific ultrasound, I was recommended to have it done at my high-risk doctor's office, just so they'll know to look specifically at areas associated with risks pertaining to SLE. It was detailed... and quite long! I had to request a break to move around or change positions since my lower back was killing me! For the parts that weren't quite familiar to the untrained eye, we both kind of dazed off. But for the "cute" parts, like seeing the tiny little hands and feet and face, we were definitely zoned in, echoing "awwws" and "ooohs" here and there. :)

Overall, everything looked great. There was a "bright spot" in the heart that we assumed the doctor was obligated to inform us about, but it's practically nothing, and the doctor's recommendations were pretty much just to not worry about it. Apparently, it's something that shows up a lot, and in order for it to be considered a "real" concern, you'd have to display a plethora of other signs. Nonetheless, after I got cleaned up and dressed, An and I held hands in the room and prayed against all malformations and for Baby Liam's health. We didn't want to give any room for the devil to sneak in and destroy.

Instead of having to print out a ton of photos, they put all the screen shots on a CD for us. Neato!

We were able to record 3 videos of the ultrasound... 3 because I didn't prepare in advance, and the memory in my phone kept running out because I never backed up my phone (argh!). So in between videos, An had to go in and delete a bunch of photos and videos to make room. Oops! Now we know!! If you're familiar with these types of ultrasounds, they can get pretty boring, so there's your fair warning. ;) There were a couple cute moments where the tech would run across what she referred to as the "family jewels," haha. Attaboy! ;)

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[3 of 3] Focus on heart

"I'm Alive!" -Dave Chappelle

Today marks two milestones: Uncle Frank's 23rd birthday and the midpoint of our pregnancy (20 wks/5 mos), and Liam seems to be aware of both. I started feeling Liam move inside of me a couple weeks ago. There were times where he would be very calm, and there were times I would wonder if I drank a little too much Coke! While lounging on the couch, I just happened to be rubbing my belly and looking at it when my skin poked out on the lower right side! I shrieked in both shock and excitement because it was amazing, yet freaky, at the same time! It reminded me of a scene from a movie where an alien was trying to escape through the belly of a human body (Matrix?), lol. An really wanted to see it too, so we sat there staring for a while, and nothing happened... An said I probably scared him, so he's not going to try that again anytime soon, haha!

This morning, I was sure Liam was going to do some tossing and turning to tell me to get my lazy butt out of bed to feed us, so I told An to just lay his hand on my belly and wait... Sure enough, just as mama expected, he put on a show, and An was SO amazed. It was such a beautiful moment. We laughed and looked at each other, smiling from cheek to cheek... there was a child inside me, growing bigger and bigger each day. Soon, he'll be born, and we'll finally gaze upon what was moving around in my belly -- God's wonderful creation!

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Just incase you were wondering what episode I was referring to in the title, here it is. Haha. It's one of our favorites. Chappelle is a genius. We always mimic ghost-Tupac when he says, "I'm alive!"