Another pickle on the vine

It's true....sometime next early-to-mid February (if all goes according to the conventional schedule and the schedule June took to arrive), another little pickle will join us here in the jar. And we're absolutely thrilled, even if we are (or at least I am) occasionally terrified.

My recent silence here on the blog has been because of the need to wait until things were further along and more secure (I had my first ultrasound last Wednesday, which revealed a flickering little heartbeat and everything looking totally normal), but also because I can barely muster the vigor to check my email.

So, doesn't it sort of seem like nature should throw us one 9-month long thank you party for the role us gals play in the survival of the species? Maybe especially those of us who have signed up for round two? Alas, this is not the case at all, at least not for me. It starts with the crushing fatigue, and then nausea, that creepy old fellow, sneaks in soon after and really hangs around, day and night. Ugh.

Nothing smells right, all my old friends give me a case of the shivers (no coffee, no eggs, hardly any fruits and definitely no vegetables except green beans stewed for hours to a state of mushiness....who am I?); so much for my carefully cultivated eating habits full of whole grains, lean proteins, and piles of fruits and veggies. To be honest, at the moment I don't even miss beer.

And all of this ickiness has sent me running right into the comforting arms of every ice cream cone (soft serve with sprinkles), McDonald's hamburger, and pizza slice I see. Also a local delicacy known as a Bo-berry biscuit. If you don't live near or a Bojangle's or have never ventured inside, this little treat is an unholy but divine breakfast mash-up of biscuit and blueberry coffee cake with streaks of sweet icing on top.

In spite of my complaining about this early bit of ickiness (and I do think it will soon pass--I felt just as bad in the first trimester of my pregnancy with Junie), we know we are very blessed. How thrilling to experience the whole miraculous process again and welcome another tiny member to our family. Even June nods her head yes when we ask her if she wants to be a big sister or if mom and dad should have another baby. So, I ask you:

Does this look like the face of a big sister?!

And are you as excited as I am to watch my body balloon? Stay tuned for periodic midsection updates.