…we’re having a baby!

It wasn’t until Valentine’s Day that we realized it, and promptly freaked out. I called my Dad first, a complete sobbing mess. Poor Dad, sorry to freak you out.

But this news has slowly become an everyday part of life, especially when the morning sickness hit at week 5. I’m not going to lie– it was really bad. Like, “Oh God, take me now” bad. I hate being nauseous, and I have a deep-seated fear of throwing up, ever since I got a severe case of Campylobactor from accidentally eating uncooked chicken on a Torrey Europe trip. 1 month of vomiting and 30 lbs. lost later (along with near-paralysis), I am terrified of throwing up. And of chicken.

So guess which food I have a severe aversion to? Yup. Please don’t mention it around me. I can only eat it if it’s shredded and hidden in refried beans. And meat, in general, just does NOT sound good. Or look good. Or taste good. Which is a blessing, because Jesse has been fasting from all meat and dairy these last 6 weeks, and it would have been just too cruel.

Around week 8, however, around 75% of the nausea went away. I am now able to eat pretty normally, with the occasional out-of-nowhere wave of nausea that only lasts for a few hours. Part of this is I learned to tell myself to ignore the sick feelings, which is easy to do when you know the extent to which they’ll go. Another helpful trick I learned was how to completely avoid anything that makes me feel sick. Mint tea is my best friend, especially since I pretty much quit drinking coffee and Diet Coke.

Weird cravings? That seems to be everyone’s favorite question. Get ready, it’s really gross. Cold peas, straight from the can (told you). Mozzarella cheese on plain Sourdough bread. Orange juice (I’ve been chugging this down Polyphemus-style). Sadly, Mac and Cheese has all but dropped to the way-side.

There have been other side-effects of pregnancy, other than anything food-related. Side effect #1: I have severe allergies that like to eat up my entire head and give me sinus infections and migraines. Unfortunately, my magic cure-all nose spray is a STERIOD– not so good for baby. And Claritin and Zyrtec don’t do a THING. 2 sinus infections later, I’ve finally found what I think to be a solution: The Neti Pot. It’s not very comfortable, but I think it’s doing the trick.

The 2nd effect is the Bloodhound sense of of smell I’ve developed. I can smell a wet rag in the next room. Being in class with lots of grad students is sometimes intolerable. I actually feel like I can smell EVERY SINGLE PERSON’s BODY ODOR.  Side effect #1 was, in some ways, a God-send, because it made me so congested I couldn’t smell for a week or two. So if you’re around me, please, remember to wear deodorant of the non-scented variety. Actually, you might not want to be around me at all…just keep reading for reasons….

3rd Side effect: I am SO EMOTIONAL. I am bawling halfway through ANY country song I hear on the radio. Doesn’t matter how cheesy. Carrie Underwood is the worst. The only way I can make it through one of her songs is to think of every car I’ve seen hitting every cat I know. You’d think that this, too, would make me sad, but it doesn’t. Just makes me feel gross, which works when combatting the water-works. And don’t even get me STARTED with movies. Beauty and the Beast is now off limits. I’ve seen that movie 100+ times, but I still fell apart in front of the kids I was babysitting, especially when the Beast says,”You–you came BACK!”. Oh, and Bambi…why do I hurt myself by watching these movies???

#4: Mood swings? None. Haha, just kidding. Jesse has been an absolute saint for putting up with me. I actually started THROWING things in an argument last week. First of all, we argued, which is pretty rare when we’re not moving to a different apartment or state. Secondly, I was throwing things (we have a couple dented cans of food to prove it) which hasn’t come even close to happening since before we became Orthodox. Ugh. I had a lot of material for Confession yesterday. Fr. Joe has this funny way of saying, “Well, is that the first time you’ve said/done (x)?” I say no. He grimaces. It’s like a game we play. I think we should safely assume that if I remember it long enough to confess it, it’s an on-going problem.

So there you have it– we are having a baby, due in October!! I am now at 10 weeks, and we’ve already had one ultrasound, just to see the heartbeat and make sure it was growing in the proper place. My first appointment with my midwife is this coming Thursday. I will keep you posted!