20-21 week pregnancy update... cantaloupe baby

Well I cannot believe another four weeks have passed since my last update. Time seems to be flying by these days. I had my monthly OB appointment this past Tuesday on 12/20 and the Dr guessed that, due to my measurements, I am a week ahead of schedule. We had our full anatomy scan on Friday 12/23 and the technician and Dr agreed that yes in fact this baby is a tad ahead of schedule. This means I am actually 21 weeks and my new due date is May 4, 2012. 
Hey if this is one week closer to meeting our sweet 

BABY GIRL 

then that is just fine by me. 

Our gut feeling was right... baby Blackburn is 100% girl. 

So excited!! Looks like some of you were right, too. 

Week 20 (and 21)

Size & development of baby

your baby's the size of a cantaloupe!

Baby weighs about 10.2 ounces and measures about 6.5 inches. She's still got a lot of growing to do though. Can you believe you're halfway done?

Making it to 20 weeks probably feels pretty darn good...Of course, it wouldn’t be pregnancy if you weren’t experiencing some annoying symptoms. Right now, it’s likely swelling, heartburn and leg cramps, but all of that probably feels insignificant now that you’ve got ultrasound photos of your rapidly developing baby. How cute is that nose? If you found out baby’s sex, you’re in a completely new mindset, are we right? Now, those baby names you’re throwing out are more likely to end up as baby’s, and when you find yourself in a baby store, those little blue or pink outfits aren’t just adorable, they’re must-haves. And since now you can add clothes and other boyish or girlish things to your wish list, week 20 is the time you probably want to start putting together your baby registry too. Happy shopping! 
(SOURCE)

How I am feeling and how I am changing:
Overall, I feel great! The main things (besides my growing belly) that I notice is that I itch all the time. Like really all the time - especially on my back and sides. I also have these red-purple patchy areas around my ankles where my skin is changing colors. It doesn't hurt at all, just looks really strange. Good thing it's "winter" in Houston so I still have a few days before the shorts bust back out. :) My face is breaking out but honestly, this has been a problem for the last 15 years, so I really can't associate it with being pregnant. Yay for being 29 and still dealing with adolescent acne. 

Belly continues to grow by the day. Proof in the picture below (although this pic does not do the real thing justice in my opinion!)

20/21 week belly shot

What I am eating and What I am thinking:

Still no major food cravings or aversions per say, just foods that sound slightly better than others. I am still enjoying tortilla chips and salsa, red meat (maybe my body giving me a sign that I need more iron?), chickfila nuggets (try to limit these!) and cold cereal. The only thing that just sounds gross, but not a full out aversion, is seafood (although shrimp sounds ok here and there). No major changes in the food department!

Now that we know we are expecting a girl, we are thinking of names, nursery ideas, etc. We are 95% sure we have a name selected. We really like old fashioned names. Any guesses? Here is your clue - It starts with a "C." Immediate family... don't spill the beans!!

Another thought running through my mind is "Where in the world are we going to put all the stuff we need for a baby?" Which leads to a mini panic attack and trying to reorganize the entire house. Brandon loves this about me (sarcasm). He knows when I am stressing about something.... he comes home and finds me reorganizing and cleaning out a drawer/closet etc that has been previously reorganized 500 times. What did he give me for Christmas? The gift of organization. For real. He has been working on our garage and also trying to address the closet situation in the room that will be the nursery. Best. Gift. Ever. 

(And just so you guys don't give him a hard time... we agreed that we were not giving each other physical gifts this year since we have lots of expenses coming in the New Year.) 

Another thought ..."How in the world do we figure out this whole baby registry thing?" I guess this thought will be tackled in the next few months.


A few pictures from our 20 week anatomy scan:   

Close up of her left arm/hand

Close up of her leg and foot

Profile shot... love the little nose

Our little girl currently weighs 13 ounces and the ultrasound tech and Dr both agreed she looked perfect so far and they saw no concerns via the ultrasound scan. Praise God!! 

Your turn:
Anyone want to take a stab at our little girls name?

If you have been blessed with a pregnancy, did you have any weird food cravings/aversions?

Any tips for this mom and dad to be?

PSALM 139:14

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, 

I know that full well.


PSALM 13:6
"I will sing the LORD’s praise, for he has been good to me."

Previous pregnancy updates:

And baby makes 3

14 week pregnancy update 

16 week pregnancy update