The A's and P's of pregnancy

I've been meaning to write a post during the last week, but since I've been dealing with so much A(nxiety), I've not had the time or energy to do it. Still, I had an appointment with my doctor today, and we heard the heartbeat beating strong at 175 bpm, and that relieved some of my stress. Things are also good with me; the best news of all: I've only gained 4 pounds since my last visit! Right on target!! I'm 14 weeks today, and, like usual, here's the weekly pic:
As you can see, not tons of growth since last week, but I am starting to have more of a "pregnant" shape, especially at the very top and the very bottom of my belly. I visited the maternity store again today because it's been SOO difficult and uncomfortable for me to button or zip up my pants. Still, all of the maternity jeans and pants were just too big and didn't fit right. Sooo, I found this incredibly nifty thing I LOVE called the Tummy Sleeve (pretty much a generic version of the Bella Band). Basically, it's like a tube top made of very stretchy fabric, and it fits over your tummy. It's great because it allows you to unbutton and unzip your pants, and then you can just slide the Sleeve over your pants and it holds up the pants, and only looks like you're wearing an undershirt. It's AMAZING. It might even let me go a few more weeks without buying maternity clothes! What's even cooler about the Sleeve is that it can be used throughout the pregnancy and even after, to hold your stomach in while you're losing that baby weight. It's a great invention....
So...back to the A's and P's. I've wanted to write about this a lot, since the most obvious reference is the A(ches) and P(ains), and I've had lots of them lately. Mainly, it's around my hips and ligaments that I'm getting them, but after all the awful sleeping P(roblems), I'm even feeling them in my shoulders and legs. The thing is that everyone says "sleep on your side", but I'm not used to that, so I get these incredible pressure points on my shoulder and thighs. It's VERY uncomfortable. And that brings me to the next A of pregnancy: A(mnesia). H and I were talking just the other day about how women seem to just forget EVERYTHING that they went through during their pregnancy the minute the baby is born. Will I go through that? All this A(nxiety) and P(ressure) seems impossible to forget, but who knows. It sure would be nice to forget it all...
I have more to say, but I'll save it for another post. Just two more quick things: 1. H and I rented a Doppler heart monitor for the baby so I can hear the heart beating whenever I want (YAY!!), and 2. please please please keep your prayers coming. They're greatly appreciated, and never taken for granted. :)