Symptoms: Pregnancy is, like, the weirdest thing ever. Seems like every week something new is happening to my body. Like how three weeks ago I ended up in the hospital because they thought I might have appendicitis but it turned out to be only a bladder infection and possibly bad gas. Then there’s the fact that all my joints have loosened and one of my ribs is now “wandering” (as my doctor put it), not quite in place anymore. Ouch. I feel this strange sensation in my left upper abdomen, on top of my ribs, that is almost like someone pressing up from the inside and moving around. I’m thinking my intestines are way up there now. And every morning after I’ve been lying down, I take a deep breath and feel a vibration throughout my chest that feels like friction. It has my doctor stumped, but she suspects it has to do with the inflammation of my ribs.

Oh, and the hormones! After I saw my doctor yesterday, a perfectly good visit, I was suddenly struck with such a case of melancholy. It took a cup of coffee and total immersion in work to numb it. Then yesterday I drove the thirty miles to work and took the bus home, an hour-long ride, and didn’t realize that I had abandoned my car until I couldn’t find it at the park and ride. I wanted to cry. I believe this is what they call pregnancy brain.

Medical Stuff: I have gained a total of 15 pounds so far. I took my 2-hour glucose tolerance test yesterday, and since I haven’t heard that it was abnormal I’m assuming it was fine. Three weeks ago my blood counts were all low so my doctor retested them yesterday but I don’t know the results. I’m so tempted to look them up myself (it would be so easy), but that would be a violation of HIPAA and I’m too much of a goody-goody for that.

Movement: She moves! The first time I felt it for sure was on St. Patrick’s Day, and two days later early on Saturday morning David and I were lying in bed (he sleeping, me resting) and I grabbed his hand, pressed it to my belly, and he felt her. Neither of us can get enough of it now.

Clothes: I still wear my regular scrub pants most of the time, but they’re getting a bit tight. A couple of my scrub tops fit, but mostly I wear t-shirts with them. I can’t do regular pants anymore, but I haven’t bought anything yet. I have a few hand-me-down maternity clothes, including jeans, and I make do with those plus sundresses and yoga pants. I want to spend as little as possible on clothes.

Preparation: This is what has me the most stressed. We’ve done a lot of painting in our house, but there’s still a lot more to go. We’re attending childbirth classes, but lately I’ve chosen to read memoirs & humorous accounts of pregnancy & parenting rather than actual, informative books. We’re going to visit another daycare today, and I hope we love it because it’s the cheapest one around. I need to register but I need HELP.

Also: I absolutely cannot picture myself as an actual mother. I know people do this all the time, but I haven’t done it yet and I’m still pretty scared. I love Meredith so much but oh my goodness this is all happening so fast!