8 months down, 1 to go

Well, it seems like June 30th is just around the corner. It's so hard to believe Baby Claire will be here so soon. All in all, it has been a pretty uneventful pregnancy. Aside from the miserable morning sickness, any complications have been from simply not knowing how much pregnancy takes out of you or changes your body. It's been a shock to have to slow down and pay attention to the limits of my body.

I was planning on starting maternity leave June 12, but it looks like I may start a bit sooner. Joel's mom will be coming in to help us the week she is born (thank goodness!) and my parents will be in for a visit shortly thereafter.

One question I have is "When does the perpetual brain fart go away?" I always thought 'pregnancy-brain' was an excuse made up by a woman for typical absent-mindedness. But I can hardly follow complex sentences and can never remember where I parked my car. I lose track of my thoughts mid-conversation and ridiculous, off-topic phrases come out of my mouth with no control. Gone are the days of reading and understanding a National Book Award piece or Pulitzer Prize winning literature-- no, we're down to the Confessions of a Shopaholic series and its sisters in the chick-lit drama.

Also the weight gain-- 40lbs and counting! Here's hoping this last month will go a bit more smoothly.