When I found out that I was pregnant several years ago, it was one of the happiest and most exciting moments of my life. I was awed by the fact that I had a living being growing inside of me. I spent hours visualizing what my baby would look like, talking and singing to her, caressing her, and beginning to plan for our new family with my husband, Sumant.

I really, really want to know what I'm having! I want to be able to say he/she instead of "it" all the time! I want to go shopping and be able to call the baby by name! I probably sound like a big whiner, but I really feel like all of the above will help me bond to the baby more.

The basic idea is simple and intuitively obvious. To survive, human babies need parents to keep them from harm's way for many years, and to teach them survival skills. So all humans are born seeking close attachments. That's why newborns hang on to your finger and babies cry to be picked up.

Mental illness runs in my husband's family. Even though I am exceedingly happy to be pregnant, I'm afraid this risk will prevent me from bonding with my baby. As she gets older, I feel like I'll always be searching for clues or telltale behavior of mental illness.

In only the third month of your baby's life in the womb, his or her hearing is starting to develop fully. Around mid-term, you will begin to feel your baby's reaction to certain noises.

I just want to hold him and cuddle him and kiss him and smell him. I bet he's the cutest thing! He's been so active lately, it makes me want to reach in there and tickle his little belly! October can't get here fast enough!

And I just got this huge ache for my own baby boy. I wanted to hold him so bad! I am just so done with being pregnant, I want October to be here! I am ready for that next step! I know I'll miss certain aspects of being pregnant and my pre-child life, but we are so ready to be parents already.

Read All of Sandy's Surprise -- A Pregnancy Journal

I got the chance to speak with one of the agencies we're considering for adoption next spring, and they said we could pretty much get started anytime after the baby arrives.