Well, spit!!

I am alive.
It has been weeks since my last post, and that's partially due to laziness, but mostly due to sickness. Morning sickness, that is. However, my "morning" sickness was all day, all night, every moment sickness. While Derick and I were praying for a baby and actively trying to get pregnant, I remember promising myself that I would never gripe and complain about the problems and sicknesses that come along with pregnancy because it truly is a gift from God. I broke my promise the very day the doctors told me I was pregnant. Go figure.
Kelsey and I had gone to see Ingram Hill in concert in Raleigh, and earlier that day, we saw a surprise on the ultrasound. Before the show, we were eating at a cute little cafe. My food was delicious and I was enjoying every bite, when all of a sudden, I had to spit an entire bite of chewed chicken philly sandwich into a napkin. Kelsey just glared at me with questioning eyes, so I told her that if I were to swallow that bite, it--along with all the previous bites--would be instantly splattered all over the bar. At that moment, I think Kelsey knew I was going to be a handful as a pregnant woman, so now she is in Oregon. (Ok, the Marine Corps mostly drove her there, not me, but still...)
Other than the constant sickness (I lost 9 pounds!), inability to eat or drink hardly anything, and lack of energy, I think the pregnancy is going along nicely. I went to my first OB appointment Monday, and my mom was able to be there with me. The midwife found the heartbeat right away, and it was strong and sweet. I've gained six pounds since recovering from my sickness, but I still have three pounds to gain to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Plus, I have to gain 25 pounds by the end, though I don't think that's going to be a problem now that my appetite is back.
I'm still a little confused about the actual due date. My first two ultrasounds (that I looked at with my last doctor...it's a long story, but a good one) showed that I was due on September 18. However, when the midwife calculated all the weird days that involve ovulation and cycles and confusing stuff that I don't really understand whatsoever, she decided that my due date was actually September 8. I was thinking I was nine weeks along, and she told me I was more like eleven. Once she is able to look at my early sonograms, she will be able to tell me for sure. I'm just going with the flow. Right now, the due date isn't vital information for me because our baby will be here when he/she wants to be here. And that's that.
A funny but disgusting aspect of my pregnancy is that until yesterday, I was suffering with severe ptyalism. Sounds dramatic, and trust me, it was, but it's not harmful. It's actually severe, constant watery mouth. Doesn't sound as dramatic now. But imagine carrying around a trashcan that doubled as a spit can and everytime you spit or saw the spit hanging out in said trashcan, you wanted to (and sometimes did) puke up your guts. My mouth filled with spit faster than I could spit it out, and forget about swallowing it. I had to keep the trashcan right beside my bed at night so that I could spit when I woke up every few hours. I stayed away from public places, but I had to have a prescription filled and a mouthful of spit kept me from telling the pharmacist my date of birth. I just pointed to my mom, who had to go through a mental list of the names and birthdates of all of her kids, grandkids, and family pets until she finally remembered mine.
Anyway, the spitting and puking has, cross-my-fingers, run their courses. I'm feeling much better, still tired and a little weird when it comes to food and smells, but all-in-all, I'm doing great! I hope I haven't given anyone the impression that I think pregnancy is not fun because it is, and, jokes aside, I have no complaints. I've got so much to learn, but I'm surrounded by so many smart mothers who are so great about sharing their knowledge.
My dad will get ticked at me for posting my geographical location to potential terrorists, but too late because it's on Facebook already. I'm in Arkansas right now, and the weather is so comfortable! I miss my husband and it's really strange to be here without him, but I know he is having fun eating MREs, running convoys, and sleeping in tents.
Let's see...what else is going on in my ever-exciting life?? Mom bought the newly-released all-chocolate cereal, Krave, for me. I'm looking forward to eating it once I finish this blog. I love cereal. If you ever have to buy me a gift and just can't decide what to buy, always go with cereal. I will be pleased.
That's about it. Puke, spit, Arkansas, and cereal. My life. It's a good one.