Live was I ere I saw eviL

I love symmetry. I love palindromes.

I can't stand it when paintings or clocks aren't straight or when figures or diagrams aren't centered. Perfectly. As in, I can't listen to a thing anybody is saying, even if it's "Run! The building is on fire and there's a gas leak!" until the situation is rectified.

It's a problem.

My belly is growing now, and it's obvious that I'm pregnant, especially since I've lost ~10 pounds from the rest of my person. The problem is that my belly button is way over on the right side of my abdomen. And my girls aren't the same size - the right is much larger.

How am I supposed to live like this?

14 weeks, and all is well (in a universe I have no contact with, that is...)

Can I possibly be getting worse? Why, yes I can. In the good old days, I felt nausiated, but never vomited. Then I progressed to vomiting, but never more than twice a day, and never after 10:30 am or so. In the last 24 hours, I have vomited 8 (eight) times, and have a headache the size of Texas. Is this ever going to end? I think the half hot dog, apple juice, and 3-6 apples I ate yesterday at our apple-picking adventure wasn't the smartest idea ever. I've been sleeping semi-upright on my couch, because I've also recently been blessed with heartburn. Pregnancy is soooo amazing.

I love it soooooo mu-huh-huch....

This morning we had our first ultrasound. It was really exciting to see the baby wiggling about (actually quite a bit) in my womb. When I asked Tim (just now) what he thought of the experience, he said, "I liked it... I thought it was pretty exciting. And... I was kind of relieved that there was only one in there. I think I would have fainted had there been more than one." He was beaming during the ultrasound and clearly quite pleased about the situation.

When I showed it to the girls at school, they shrieked appropriately, and Chadene insisted that it was "such a beautiful little fetus." Even Ewan joined in the oohing and aweing and said, "It's quite a special experience. When I saw my wee one on the screen, it brought a tear to me eye." I admit I got a little choked up.

Prevarications - 13.5 weeks

I don't really know what I'm doing

Just watching myself in some play

And the actress looks like she wants to go home

And lie in a bed all day

Yeah

Lie in a big bed all day.

~Pattiy Griffin

I was told by 2 books, dozens of webpages, and as many formerly afflicted mothers that at 12 weeks post-conception, I would be feeling significantly better. Significantly.

And yet, I am not.

Not at all.

Alas, I cannot complain too bitterly; my sisters told me I would not feel better after 12 weeks. I do seem to be eating slightly more (in terms of both quantity and variety), but I still feel nauseated 100% of the time. My coworkers have taken pity on me. Laure brought me plain quinoa a couple weeks ago; Wendy has twice given me her apple at lunch, and Steve brought me his wife's homemade corn and potato chowder for lunch today. And Greg (not known for being a particularly nice man) asks me how I'm feeling almost every day. These acts of kindness are ever-so-appreciated. As soon as I feel okay, I'm going to bring cookies for the department. I don't know how I'll repay Tim, however, who the other day went to three different grocery stores in search of banana ice cream popsicles. He has been unbelievably good and patient. Whenever I think of it (including now), I shed a few tears. I love him so much.