Recently, we had our major anatomy ultrasound, and I keep learning new interesting things about babies. It has been a very active 6 weeks since my last update. By which I mean, both we and the baby have been very busy.

First, it took a few weeks longer than average for my wife to feel the baby kicking because of the placenta’s placement. Now about 27 weeks in, he is kicking up a storm. I have felt him too, and when I am not imagining scenes from Alien, it is a fantastic feel-good experience.

Second, I have also learned a lot the past few weeks about pregnancy. I read some before we got pregnant, but recently my wife and I have been reading “Expecting Better“.

Ever wondered how many cups of coffee was too much during pregnancy or why the doctors forbid deli meat?

This books provides dedicated research and statistics in an attempt to explain many of doctors’ pregnancy directives.

The issue that fascinated me most was the section on alcohol. In America, pregnant women are told to never drink, but in other countries, the rules are not as strict. This allowed various studies to measure exactly how much alcohol is too much.

The research shows that babies born to mothers who drank the eqivalent of 1 glass of wine on 3+ days per week while pregnant had better temperaments and personalities than their contemporaries whose mothers drank none or more, with zero noticeable complications or drawbacks. This suggests that as long as the mother’s body can metabolize the alcohol before it reaches the infant, it is “safe”. A few American medical professionals have taken issue with the findings, but the study was still very interesting.

Last but most importantly: the anatomy ultrasound. During this hour-long appointment, the baby’s brain, heart, and spine are measured, and the toes and fingers counted to confirm they are all growing correctly.

Thankfully it is all good news.

The ultrasound tech commented repeatedly on the strange positions our baby was in, describing him first as a frog, with his legs pulled to his chest, and later as a taco, with his feet on either side of his head. So his nickname is now officially “taco-frog.”

We also got some pictures. My favorite is the one on the right that shows him covering his face with his hands, which is pretty cute. I think he looks a little like Emperor Palpatine too, but that is probably just me.

What a little miracle.