Get to it, Mama!

Well, I've been one dawdling Mommy-to-be. When we first discovered that we were pregnant, I promised that I was going to document our miraculous journey dilligently. Five months later, I've only written three entries about "Baby H" (obviously, we still can't agree on a name.) Yikes! I need to start taking quill to paper now! But the way I figure it is that it won't take me too long to "catch up, " as those of you who know me in real life know that I can't shut up about Baby H;)

Ok, so today, we are officially 21 weeks pregnant, meaning we're now more than halfway through our journey. Wow, "time flies" is an understatement.

Things I've been dealing with lately due to being PG:

• Rapidly expanding and "heavier" belly


• Feelings of "stretchiness" around the middle akin to watching your tummy grow right before your eyes


• Painful leg cramps while sleeping fitfully (solution: tip your toes upward and inward toward your shins)


• More difficulty sleeping through the night


• Needing to pee often (a holdover "symptom" from the 1st Trimester)


• Feeling full faster - even after a small meal


• "Pregnesia" (aka "The Pregnancy Brain, " in other words, "absentmindedness due to pregnancy"). Thanks to Jen for coining this very appropriate term. I chalk everything up to Pregnesia these days;)


• Occasional bouts of exhaustion (nothing like that of the 1st Tri, though)


• Moodiness (<-- claims Steve;)


• Random thumps and "gas bubble-like" sensations in my abdomen area.... Could it be..... the Baby??!! I think so! Very exciting, very thrilling, beyond words or imagination.

We've also decided to switch Obstetricians. Although we really liked Dr. K, we didn't feel comfortable with how her practice was being managed by her office staff (rude, overbearing, disorganized, lazy, and incompetent). It took us a while to come to this decision- especially since I hate switching horses midstream, but the chronic 45min waits in the waiting room were getting too aggravating and wreaked of disorganization and poor time management.

In any case, I found another OB in the area, who also has rights to deliver at our hospital of choice. We have our first appointment with him next Thursday, the 10th. I've gotten some good feedback on him, so I hope he's a Keeper!

This brings me to another PSA. After the sad events of the past year, I've realized that we all need to be very proactive with our health. This includes really evaluating whether your doctor is for you. Some ways to do this are to research him/her online through online rating sites, such as http://www.ratemds.com/, http://www.vitals.com/, or http://www.healthgrades.com/. If I had thoroughly googled my OB's practice, I would have seen that lots of other patients had already complained about her staff's unprofessionalism.

::: stepping off soapbox:::

Now, back to topic of All Things Baby, I promise to keep a better diary of our progress. As so many people have already advised me - "Enjoy every facet of your pregnancy, esp since you don't know if this could be your last one." True dat.