Is morning over yet?

Morning sickness... Whoever invented the term had it pretty easy. My wife is about 8 weeks pregnant now. Over the past week, what was "feeling nauseous" has turned into full-fledged vomiting. Full meal, small meal, no meal -- it makes no difference. Neither does the type of food seem to matter. We baked some chicken breast with rice and chicken broth earlier this week, and we weren't even finished cleaning the dishes before she gave it all back. We've tried pasta, mac and cheese, even toast with a spoonful of peanut butter...BLECH! A couple times or more a day now, she's sick to the point of vomiting. Here's what we do know so far. First, evening is the worst. Whether it's level of activity, number of distractions, or something truly biological, she seems to do better during the day than the evening. Fish is out. Just the smell of a salmon fillet cooking on the ol' George Foreman Grill is enough. (Interestingly, scented candles and lilies produce the same results. Most definitely, the olfactory senses are in high gear.) Soda sometimes makes things better, at least temporarily. It's awful to watch. And I don't mean actually watching what goes on in the bathroom, I mean just watching her cover her mouth and run to the toilet. I know she's miserable -- more so than I can even appreciate -- and that's what makes it so difficult. There's nothing I can do to make it any better. And this is supposed to go on for another four weeks? If she's lucky? I've had my share of food poisoning and 3rd world parasites. I can't imagine someone telling me, "It will get better in a month or so." What are you supposed to do until then? Not eat? So it's been a rough week. Hopefully things will start to get better, and soon. I'll keep the updates coming.

A new Terp on the way.

Hello everyone, It's been a busy 2006 so far. We've been to a lot of places this year, both for work and for fun. I most recently returned from a trip to China on the 30th of August. That weekend, because of a number of suspicious symptoms, my wife took a pregnancy test. To our collective surprise, the test came back positive. I say surprise because we started with a local fertility clinic two months earlier when we were having trouble conceiving. We hadn't even started a course of treatment when my wife found out she was pregnant. But I digress... Anyway, a blood test and a couple of ultrasounds later, we were able to see our baby's heartbeat for the first time this past week. My wife is about six weeks along now, and there's this little flicker of light going blip...blip...blip inside of her! For all the positive tests and symptoms, it didn't really seem real until then. Now we've got this new human being on the way, someone totally dependent on us for -- well -- everything. Scary, the thought of me being a father...trying to find the time...being responsible...being a role model...changing a diaper! The plans for exotic vacations and a resort property are on hold for now. They've been replaced by kid-friendly home improvements and furniture, a new SLR and video camera, and deeper cash reserves for when my wife has to stop working next year. Do I have to trade in the convertible for a 4-door commuter car? Hmm... It's a good time to have a baby. My wife's sister has a three-year-old and a four-month-old. My cousin is having twins later this year, and my best friend and his new bride are talking about kids as well. Lot's of playmates already. We'll try to keep this space updated with new news and information. Here's what we know right now: the doctor gave us an expected due date of May 10, 2007. Our next doctor visit is scheduled for October 6. Click here to see our latest sonogram! Blog again soon!