The Sea (band) Adventures and the Invisible Vise

Michael: "So, how are you?"
Me: "Pregnant."
That's the only answer you'll need for the next eight months.

So the last week has been really rough. The nausea has reached its peak, and while I haven't started upchucking (yet), I think it might actually be better if I would. Monday I don't think I uttered a coherent word. Thankfully Jessica introduced me to these wonderful things called Sea Bands. If you're not familiar, they are pressure-point activating bands that push on points in the wrists to control sea sickness. Apparently it works for baby sickness too. I wonder if it works on husband sickness. So far they work. I went from dragging the floor on Monday to being somewhat more chipper yesterday, and today I didn't even need them until just a few hours ago, when Emily's fantastic broccoli cheese soup decided it didn't like the confines of my stomach. On the downside though, someone slipped a vise on my head while I wasn't looking, and periodically through the day they turn it a quarter turn, making my head feel like it's splitting in two. Ok so maybe that's a little over-dramatic. Just a bit. But seriously, I think ice picks behind the eyes might be more comforting.

But you want to know more than how awful I feel. Of course you do. How was Christmas? Did World War III erupt? Did anyone die? The answer to both the latter questions is no. It was very pleasant. Sharon got me baby books! My first baby items thus far. The holiday could have only been better if I was actually able to eat the yummy Cajun soups that both parents made. I also got to see a lot of people I hadn't seen in quite a while. Hung threw together an ad hoc gathering at the Union Cafe. It was wonderful getting to see all of you whom I did get to see, and those I didn't, you know where I am :P So if I don't talk at you again, Happy New Years, folks. I'll be having my anniversary, so I doubt I'll be on this thing. Peace.

The Elusive Due Date

I had my first doctor's appointment today. Result: Due date August 11. This is of course preliminary based solely on the date of my last period (which is probably inaccurate, since I can't remember what day today is) and the size of my uterus. This visit involved lots of poking and prodding, which was not exactly pleasant, and was similar to a regular annual exam with an added needle prick and lots of bleeding into various test tubes. Fear not, however, the first sonogram is coming up in two weeks.

In case you're keeping count (I know I am), this puts me at six weeks and four days, well into the seventh week. Developmentally my baby is still an embryo and is the size of a blueberry. Its vertebrae will begin to form next week, and its heart will develop outside its chest. (Did you know that? I sure as heck didn't....shows how ignorant I am of prenatal anatomy.) The limb buds have already started to form. Isn't that crazy?

Well enough of the gory details. Today I was certain I was in the the twilight zone all day. From malfunctioning computers to ignorant people I work with, it seemed everything I touched somehow exploded into a fiery ball of ridiculous nonsense. This was also the worst day of nausea so far. I think I worried my coworkers when I declared something incomprehensible as I ran out the door for the ladies' room. Then again, most of what I say at work is incomprehensible, so maybe they're used to it. Needless to say I was overjoyed (not that anyone could tell) when 5 o'clock it was. I ended the day by crashing a caroling party at Ruby's house and trying desperately to hold down crawfish chowder and 2 pieces of unneeded pizza as I drove home with one taillight. You know, that doesn't sound as poetic as One Headlight.

The Ginger Ale affair

I think it's entirely possible that much of my problem is psychological. We already knew that, Angela. Of course you did. I officially started getting "morning" sickness this week, indicating that I'm actually farther along than I thought. Or maybe it's in my head. Then again, there's a lot in my head right now, preemptive planning of everything from the nursery to the kid's graduation from college, sprinkled with a healthy dose of "OH MY GOD I'M GOING TO BE A MOM!" Last night I laid in bed and cried because, at the time at least, it was a scientific certainty that I am going to be a horrible mother. Mark, trying his best to reassure me, decided to regale me with tales of his childhood and tell me how it wasn't really going to be that bad. I mean, after all, he only canoed in his back yard once as a child. Ok. I'm going to weld the canoe to the garage tonight.

Well, so I might not win the award for most awful mom of the year, but I am already starting on the rollercoaster of pregnancy. The mood swings actually got better after I got pregnant. And then they got way worse. I feel sorry for Mark already, but there's nothing I or anyone else can do about that. Add to that the so-called morning sickness and we have one unhappy Angela. Most of the day yesterday was marked by nausea. I have found out something interesting. When it comes to morning sickness, everyone has their own (different) instant cure for the thing. Crackers, ginger ale, scraping apples with a spoon...ok so I will admit that in my state all suggestions were (are) welcome. I even made my mother go buy me a 2 liter of ginger ale to keep at my desk. I've already gone through one this week at home, by the way. There has only been one incident of me wearing it so far, but this is only day one of the ginger ale affair. Oh, and I have found out that Chic-fil-a nuggets don't make it better. While I was able to keep them down, I can think of other snacks that would sit better on an upset tummy.

Angela vs. the little pink line

So, I am aware that it has been over a year since my last entry, but truthfully, I really didn't have much to write about. Honestly, I've been in a rut for about a year and a half. I suppose most of you are aware that I was out of a job for almost a year. Some of you probably know that I did finally get a job working for a local bank, and I've been there for just under a year. In those two years, practically nothing has changed. I fell into the doldrums of every day life and somehow got lost in the routine. Now, I say that like it's a bad thing. It wasn't all bad. I had some time to reexamine my life, get on some different and better meds, and finally find some degree of happiness with myself. I even started over on my thesis. I sort of found comfort in the mundane.

That was, until last week. Friday of last week I woke up ill, and spent most of the day fighting a losing battle with my stomach to keep my breakfast/lunch/dinner actually in my body. At first I thought nothing of it. Then I looked at a calendar. That's right. I was anywhere from one day to four days late. Enter the title of this blog. It's not just the one pink line that was the problem. Oh no. It couldn't stop at one. There had to be two. So, all that to say, I am pregnant. Most of you reading this (all two of you) probably already knew that, so I'll spare you the rest of the details.

So now we get to the reason I started posting again. I wanted to keep a record of how I am feeling during the pregnancy, since this is like, the biggest thing to happen to me since I got married. If you will humor me, I would appreciate you tolerating the musings, and possibly, rantings, of an overly-emotional pregnant woman. That is all.