I had hoped for a photograph from my 18-week sonogram that was worth showing a few loved ones. That didn’t happen, though. Instead, I was given an ultrasound picture that looked as though the fetus came straight out of a Frida Kahlo painting.

If everything was good from a health perspective, though, that's what was important.

My 20-week sonogram was far less uncomfortable than the first. I attribute that to the fact that the radiology technician accepted that fact that Little Bit doesn't like to be disturbed.  The moment that the technician moved the sonogram wand toward her face she put her hand up to try to swat the wand away.

“She doesn’t want to be bothered, does she?” the technician commented.

“That seems to be her default mode,” I said, laughing.

The technician turned on the 4D technology to see her face. I smiled when I saw her lips, nose and chin. Even at 20 weeks, her features were pronounced enough that I could tell whose features she had.

As the technician tried to gently move her for a full-face photograph, she moved her arms up in front of her face.

“She’s a smart and stubborn one!” the technician exclaimed.

“I’ve heard that before,” I replied, laughing.

He took the best picture that he had of her face and printed it out. Now, this picture was a keeper!

When he moved on to measure my cervical length, he commented that everything was perfect. Little Bit looked great, and my cervix was measuring almost a centimeter better than expected.

The following week in my monthly appointment with Dr. OB, she also uttered the words, "great," and "perfect." I doubted that I would ever hear those words with respect to my health and not feel both surprised and grateful.

I was more than halfway through my pregnancy. With each week and each pair of non-maternity pants that no longer fit, I realized how real this was.