There's a running joke in my family that I'm getting dumber by the pound. As my pregnancy progresses, I am less able to remember things, become scatterbrained, clumsey and ... worst of all ... at a loss for words sometimes.

For a writer that is tough. I find myself relying on MS Word for help with synonyms and I purchased the Flip Dictionary for those moments when I can't remember words or phrases.

But I think the greatest impact is on my reading. I was already an easily distracted person - generally I read in the tub and in bed - who had very little time to read. Now I am an easily distracted person who practically has to move her lips to read. Right now I'm reading The Known World and I'm having the most difficult time keeping up with the characters. I know I'm not this stupid and I keep trying to tell myself that it's confusing because it was written by a former accountant. But I know it's my brain. I know it's the changes I'm going through. I know that I really am getting dumber by the pound.

I just hope I recover.