Group Effort

*Weak smile, jaunty wave*

Hey, how's it going? Good? Good I hope.

I am not throwing up so much that I am dysfunctional. In the past few days I have laundered, cooked, provided a loving structured environment in which Patrick can thrive, met with ADP to outsource Steve's payroll and gotten the seedlings started indoors. I let Patrick select what we are growing from seeds this year and apparently we can anticipate a bumper crop of watermelon. Also, snapdragons. I suspect that Patrick is going to be very disappointed in these as he read the package and said something about "fire" but we shall see. Maybe he was merely using "fire" as a metaphor for how excited he is about the quiet joy of gardening.

That said, I am still throwing up plenty. The nice thing about nausea, I think, is that it trumps every other sensation and emotion. I am aware of the fact that I should be tense and worried about tomorrow's ultrasound but frankly I am just queasy. I am also busy trying to figure out how to turn cucumber into a beverage. Doesn't that sound refreshing? A nice icy glass of Cucumbale? Well I think it does.

Somebody wanted to know how this compares to other pregnancies of mine and I am right there with you. How do we handicap this one without an historical context? Um, I definitely was sick with Patrick. I was also sick with the pregnancy before Patrick, but that one is an outlier because everything about it was totally normal with the exception of the fetus who had fatal genetic flaws. Pregnancy number two was the sickest I have ever been for some reason. I had to take a week off from work because I couldn't go ten minutes without throwing up. Then, suddenly, around eight weeks I felt much better and.... (ominous music)... let's just say that didn't turn out too well.  Then there was the multiple pregnancy that wasn't... so in all I would say about 50/50 for morning sickness. I am feeling progressively more ill this week, though, so I think it is reasonable to hope for a good ultrasound tomorrow. I am, at any rate. I mean, as much as I am hoping for anything not immediately related to my need to hurl.

Would you do me a favor? I have been reading tons of blogs this week, I guess to distract myself. If you have a blog would you post the link (ESPECIALLY if you are an old friend who has never bothered to tell me you were keeping a blog, looking at you {Terri C} Cypress Hill)? And if you don't have one, would you give me a favorite of yours? I would appreciate it. I will let you know how the ultrasound goes.

Comments

[arubagirl]

I lurve miss doxie

Good luck on the ultrasound tomorrow.

[JK]

3littlegirls-ohmy is my blog. Nothing fabulous just my outlet given how crazy life is.

Thinking positive thoughts. NBHHY seems like a good way to put things. Hopefully Grrl doesn't mind. (Is she still working on the next big bloggy idea? There's a great blog I miss, but you probably know what she's up to? Tell her we miss her.)

[jessica]

I will be thinking of you tomorrow and sending my absolute best hopes for a good ultrasound. And hopes that you don't throw up during the ultrasound.

[jessica]

Also wanted to say, you are amazing.

[nessa]

unapologetics.org

i also have a list of links on my site.

televisionwithoutpity.comis a great way to kill time/distract one's self... (*crossing my fingers for you*)

[Moxie]

This--"it trumps every other sensation and emotion"--is the most accurate description of nausea I've ever heard. It's exactly what I was trying to think of for 10 weeks of each pregnancy but couldn't because the nausea was usurping my cognitory functioning.

When I lived in Mexico we used to order lunch every day from a local fonda (teeny family-run restaurant with a set menu every day). We'd call them every morning to find out what our choices were, and then phone in our order, and the guy would deliver to our office (several blocks away) all of our three-course lunches on melamine plates with real silverware. Then a few hours later he'd come back to get the dishes. The point of this story is that they always had several drink options, which were always various flavored "waters," including the ubiquitous horchata and jamaica, but also featuring my favorites, watermelon and cucumber. They made cucumber water by putting peeled chunks of cucumber in a blender with some ice-cold water and a few pinches of sugar, then blending until smooth. So maybe you could try that.

When you click on my name it's Ask Moxie, but my personal blog is at moxie.blogs.com

Recently I'm reading Mainline Protestant at mainlineprotestant and I'm always loving Half-Changed World halfchangedworld
and Selkie selkie and Sweet Juniper! sweetjuniper

[Stephanie]

Surprisingly there are many cucumber drink recipes out there:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_16671,00.html
http://www.citytv.com/vancouver/KwasChilledCucumberDrink.aspx
http://www.floras-hideout.com/drrecipes/recipes.php?page=drrecipes&data=a-e/Cucumber_Punch

The first one actually sounds quite nice to me.

I just found this blog today and am enjoying the archives:
twinklelittlestar

[Deb]

Hey! Yay, you want to read more blogs, please please please come read mine and tell me true...is it boring? too much about my kids for widespread appeal? horrible writing? any kind of feedback is truly appreciated.
here is one of my favorites right now too.
elementalmom

all my fingers and toes crossed for you tommorrow. I will be sending you lots of love and light energy!

[Deb]

OH it would help to give you a link to my blog....i thought the typepad thingy did it.
earthmamagoddess

enjoy!!

[jlp]

On the off chance you do not already read this: mimi smartypants.

I also second the miss doxie recommendation.

And for a couple of the few non-narrative blogs that I actually enjoy: defective yeti and planet dan.

[Lala]

Do you read me darling? I've never sensed you there......if you need a new one yidchick is funny as hell. She just had twins so she's a little busy. Also Sherry's sister, notwinningmotheroftheyear is worth pimping 'cause she's funny too.
Good luck tomorrow.

[Izabela]

Hi,
You can check out my kid's blog. She is almost 3 and opinionated. Mummy writes for her, but the snotty-nosiness is real-life. It's catherinescat
Izabela

[Lisa V]

Progressively sicker sounds positive!

I can seemingly write nothing but about movies and television lately- but I am a mom of 4, 2 by adoption, 2 by birth. I also had 6 miscarriages before I had surgery for a uterine abnormality.
vindauga.typepad.com

I read this woman's work, peter's cross station, fussy, finslippy, secret agent josephine and laura at the way things are- all the links are in my sidebar, I'm too lazy to link now.

Luck tomorrow!!!

[Ruth]

Mine's mostly about knitting, but the kids, dog and other life stuff get in there a lot.
woolyheaded

I second Television Without Pity as a great place to squander several hours ... and the yarnharlot is funny whether you knit or not.

[K.]

Hi. Your post has drawn me out of lurkdome. My blog is odysseytoconception Wishing you the best of luck!

[Leggy]

Not sure if my url shows up or my email, but its mymeanderings

I'm sure you read all the same infertiles I do (Julie, Cecily, etc). But I've recently started reading a bunch of russian/eastern europe adoption blogs, since that seems to be where we're headed. Here's a few:

ukraineadventure
peanutpants
woodstokaz
tublin
adoptingfromrussia2

[KellyH]

cuteoverload Great pictures that will make you smile!

[erica]

Julia - good luck tomorrow. What an understatement!

Anyway, I've been reading your blog forever, and I'm an ex-patient of the Grove. I've now adopted, and will pick up my tots in Guatemala any week now!

Did I say good luck tomorrow? If not, good luck tomorrow!

[Marsha]

Not an old friend, or even a friend. But, you know, we can fake it.

I'm at hotwaterbath

Sometimes I talk about food. But not always.

[anne nahm]

annenahm
dadgonemad

I want to be cautiously optimistic, but every time I read you, I just grin in joy.

[art-sweet]

I am crossing all my fingers and toes.

I think I have some links on my blogroll that you don't have on the side there...

g'luck tomorrow!

[Wavery]

Want house blogs?

casadecrepit
houseinprogress

Hang in there.

[jen]

creamysilver

You're welcome anytime.

[Mel]

While wishing you best wishes for tomorrow's ultrasound, I delurk to offer my blog address (melodee128) and to say that my daughter is your son's age and that I am always incredibly impressed when you mention his brilliance. (She plays Candyland, so she's no slacker, but still.)

[christina]

Hi Julia--I'm a lurker, here through Indigo Leaf (we both wrote for the debut)and I'm waiting with crossed fingers, baited breath, and positive thoughts sent star-ward to hear how the ultrasound goes!

mytopography

[Not-a-Finger]

Leaving a comment makes my pants feel funny. Julia, I read you constantly, and I wish you the best of luck tomorrow. Someday I'll get around to writing that post about how you and your fine-ass friends saved my life.

not-a-finger

[Owlhaven]

come read mine!!!
owlhaven

[Heather]

Hi Julia,

Delurking to pass this on. Here's mistressmatisse

She's a dominatrix with a good head on her shoulders. I think she would be great to go to lunch with...

[Cherith]

Good luck! (I have no blog, just wanted to say that I hope all is well tomorrow.)

[terri c]

Everything crossed for tomorrow esp. because a combination of nausea and transvaginal ultrasound, simultaneously, sounds like something worse than even Dante could come up with. And even more especially because I want you and Steve and Patrick to hear good news. My blog is ps121ismyfriend although I am shameful at updating it, largely because I am currently struggling with some blech that I just think, God, how can I put such blech on the Internet, but then why have a blog, eh? And many of my favorites to read are ones I've found through yours! However, if you want a look at collections of religious kitsch that will make you laugh until you cry, try goingjesus and look at the collections she has listed on the left side.

[margalit]

I'll recommend a few of my favorites, along with my own blog.

Mine: outtamymindwithworry

Belinda:ninjapoodles

Ellen: reignofellen

Carrie: queenoframbles

Teresa: thismomblogs

Jenn: breedemandweep

Angie: welfaremum

[Sarcomical]

i am fairly new here, but here is mine!
sarcomical.com

i have been really enjoying your posts the last month or so, and am especially rooting for you and this new pregnancy. ;) we're trying to see if we can get something going here but no luck so far. meanwhile, my sister-in-law just told us they're pregnant again *by accident* from that *one time* they weren't precautious. gah. must be nice.

best wishes for the ultrasound!

[Susan]

Delurking to cheer you on and share my favorite:

http://gofugyourself.typepad.com/

It makes me laugh, every time.

[lisa]

I am at lisapotpie

but I dont write nearly as often as others, I just dont think my life is that thrilling

[Karyn]

waiterrant
finslippy

Hope you are feeling better.

[mama-beans]

OOh... I'm jumping in on this one! I have been regularly reading your blog since January 2005 and have been writing in mine for the same amount of time...

One Plus One = Four
merritts

Just the every day ( or week, depending...) junk that goes on in our household... life after infertility. That kind of jazz...

And.. for your sake I hope it's the flu and not morning sickness.. may this pregnancy proceed successfully through the next 8 odd months and this vomit-period end rather sooner then that....

[Sunny]

Heck, I'm pulling for more sickness. Sorry, gal.

Sunshine and Lollipops is my blog.

[Meggan]

Oh how I wish we were old friends. Or just friends, really. I admire your wit and humor.

My blog is oipom.com and I am anxiously awaiting your ultrasound results.

[Meg]

Good luck tomorrow!

Here's my blog: violeteclipse

[Sandy]

Just wanted to wish you good luck, and I'll be thinking good thoughts for you guys!

[Jessica]

Gosh what to say to that... I hope you keep feeling sick just doesn't sound great...
Here's to everything being A OK tomorrow!

[jessica_deva]

I am a lurker, but one who wishes you well. devolution or for a hour's good distraction unbrokenbook I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you!

[Leah]

I'm wishing you continued nausea but, um, the painless sort? I don't really know how to be pro-nausea but anti-misery.

I'm here - lakelinesthoughts

Though I do want to make sure you're reading Susie Sunshine's site at underpaidkeptwoman, as she is really very awesome.

[heather]

Well, you won't find anything well-written or particularly useful there, but my blog is linked from my name here. On the side is the 'belleh blog', which is weakly chronicling my pregnancy.

Boring insights into a 25 year old's mind? Your call ;) I come here for the awesomeness of you, and stay for the pie.

I mean cucumbers. Sorry :p

[labia lady]

you'll find me at behindthelabiacurtain

and here are a couple of other aussie bloggers who i enjoy reading:
legsup
mrsnegative

[wix]

well, you know where my blawg lives, and just today i put up a recipe prefaced by an anectdote about my mother-in-law, kind of. so, two for one! or something!

i like starsandgarters and milkandcake. i don't remember which one of them i found first (milky is at a new address these days), but i found and started reading both shortly after CX was born and my favorite cat died. one or both of them always makes me smile.

[Dee]

I think I saw a recipe for cucumber water once which pretty much just had you through slices of cukes into a picher of ice water, with maybe some fresh basil and mint. Let it sit for a while and drink. That sounds refresing, doesn't it?

Anyway, I can be found at chasingchina. I've only been at this for a couple of months but I'd love to have you visit. Mostly I ramble/bitch about post IF/pre China adoption/dogs/food etc...

[Brooke]

I love all the usual popular blogs I'm sure you already know about/read. I am following herveryown

Good luck tomorrow!

[Nicky]

Mine's at truthandbone. I also love Tamar at fullcircle

[lizardek]

Long time fan holding my thumbs for you very hard (which is what they do in Sweden instead of crossing fingers)...my journal is at lizardek :)