This month's web hangouts:

• February Pregnancy Calendar
• Fit Pregnancy - Pregnancy at a Glance, Month 3
• HomeArts - How Your Baby Grows - Month 3 (also available at ParenthoodWeb)
• Life with Baby - The First Trimester
• Mayo Clinic - The First Trimester
• The Mining Company - Pregnancy week by week
  • Week 12 (Feb 4-10)
  • Week 13 (Feb 11-17)
  • Week 14 (Feb 18-24)
  • Week 15 (Feb 25-Mar 3)
• ParentTime - First trimester home page
• ParentTime Week-by-week Guide
• Stages of Your Baby's Development - 11-14 Weeks
• Women's Link - Your Baby at 3 Months

Conceived Dec 3, 1997
Due August 27, 1998
Labor August 29-31
Born August 31, 1998

A new month arrived just in time to see some of my nausea subside. I'm expecting things to keep getting better and better. My energy level has risen enough for me to feel like things are getting back to "normal." But I'm sure only time will tell what "normal" really is.

I went in to the OB's office twice this month. On the 5th I met with a lady who went over things like nutrition and family history with me. She also asked me questions about the use of epidurals (by all means, if necessary!) and circumcising our child if he's a boy (yes!). I filled out a preliminary form for getting into the hospital and received the info and paperwork I need to register for childbirth classes and my actual hospital stay. It really made everything seem very real to me.

On the 17th, I went in for my 2nd prenatal visit. These visits are really pretty quick and simple. They take my blood pressure and pulse, weigh me, and do an ultrasound to make sure everythings ok with the baby. It is!

Aside from prenatal visits, Joe and I both saw the dentist this month, and then on the 25th, he had his wisdom teeth removed--something I'm glad we got out of the way before the baby comes. (I got mine out last September.) Babying Joe in the days that follow the surgery was probably good practice for taking care of our baby--though he hasn't woke up crying every couple hours or in the middle of the night because he's hungry. :)

Physically this month, I saw an end to nausea and a decrease in the amount of belching I need to do. I'm still hungry every couple hours though! I felt a lot of stretching happening and was shocked to find a few stretch marks on the sides of my lower back around the 23rd. Somehow I didn't really expect them there--guess I didn't read my pregnancy books very carefully! Emotionally--well, I think my husband has more experience with a moody and crying wife than any man deserves to have. I've been flustered, frustrated, and extremely emotional. I cried when I watched the olympics, especially when they told the stories of how some of the athletes got to be where they are. Some commercials made me cry too. Thankfully, I have an understanding husband who takes it all in stride and loves me through my tears and uncertainties.

The month was capped off by the arrival of a new niece on the 23rd (Joe's sister Mary gave birth to Katherine Brooke) and a new 11-year-old sister from Russia (My parents adopted Nina on the 24th). I celebrated all this good news with an 89 cent Whopper Jr, one of my newest cravings.