You don't LOOK pregnant

Okay, I give. It's starting to bother me now.

What the eff do you MEAN I don't look pregnant? Are you insinuating that my belly looked like this prior to pregnancy? Because I can assure you it most certainly did not.

I'm small, I've always been small. But yes, there is a baby in there... I'm going to eat the next person who says 'you're so tiny! Are you sure you're pregnant?'

In other news, The Captain and I toured the Maternity ward at Hoag Hospital where we'll be having the baby. I chose this hospital specifically because I'm not a fan of hospitals. They generally skeeve me right out. They are epicenters of infectious disease, viral playgrounds, bacterial carnivales. I am fully aware of how neurotic I am. It's part of my charm. RIGHT!?

I believe this is why the universe gives us each two parents. The Captain is my counterpoint in this regard, relaxed and circumspect, a Pisces to the hilt. Anyway, I chose this hospital because First, the Maternity Ward is located in the Women's Center where only health issues pertaining to women are dealt with. This means that the general populace does not go in there with Swine Flu or Ebola or the Black Plague. Also, every time I've been there, to visit a new mom or an ill friend I've been impressed by how very un-hospitally it feels and what a calm and reassuring environment they've created there.

The Tour was a relief valve for me. The nurses we met were amazing. The rooms were large and comfortable. Most importantly, their approach to childbirth combined with my OB's is a relief to me. Essentially their attitude is, as long as there aren't any complications to take into consideration you can do whatever you need to to be comfortable and actively participate in birthin your babeh, i.e.: shower all day long, roll around on a birthing ball, bring in your own music/blankets/pillows, disco dance to songs from Mamma Mia, whatever... AND The Captain can stay with me the whole time I'm in there. There's even a couch that turns into a bed for him to sleep on. There was an overall sense of competence and care that made me relax a few more degrees into this intense experience I'm going to have. Excitement during pregnancy happens in stages. After the tour I was able to get to that next stage of excitement.

Of course next week is our 18 week ultrasound to check the baby's size and make sure that everything else is proceeding normally.

And of course, I'm really nervous...