I love mine--it is so comfortable on so many types of terrain and so much fun to ride! I seem to recall in another thread that you're a hair shorter than I am (I'm just under 5'4"). It would probably be a good fit for you in the 44. Another one to consider is one of Ridley's CX bikes. They seem to really do a good job with small geometry--as small as a 41. A friend of mine is maybe 5'1" and has their X-Bow (I think that's the model). It fits her tiny self really well. I echo the recommendation for the Surly Cross-Check, too. That also comes in a pretty small size...I think a 42.

I personally recommend drop bars, too. I wouldn't like flat bars on anything other than a mountain bike (even then I need to have the Ergon flat grips, or else I get sore and numb hands). I definitely like having multiple hand positions available for variety. It keeps pressure from being concentrated on the same parts of your hands all the time.