As someone who has had two kids, the crazy pregnant Elayne thing doesn't work for me, but I've never been pregnant and trying to deal with everything she does.
Mat and Tuon are pretty fabulous in that book.
Some people love the politics in this book, but I am not among their number. It is thick with politics which is (I think) why you don't remember much happening. I was irate for a minute when KoD came out and we discovered how much time hadn't passed in CoT.
Like I said, I do like it better every time. I think I remember it as such an annoying book because it was the first book I ever waited for a release on. I read all the other books for the first time in a two month marathon and waited two weeks or so for CoT and the pacing felt like I was racing along and then slammed into a wall. There is good stuff in there though.