Oh boy (or girl) -- here we go again

Well, it turns out that I didn't have a virus earlier this month after all.

It's a parasite.  A wee little miraculous nine week-old parasite growing in the same place that Anika called home not too long ago.  We were so shocked when we discovered that was the source of my constant nausea and exhaustion (you think we'd have learned by now, but part of us was still in denial until we saw the little jelly bean floating around in there during an ultrasound yesterday, moving its miniscule arms and legs around) that we needed several at-home tests and two doctor's visits just to make sure.  You know, in case it was a mistake or something.  Because it can't be, can it?  Two kids under two?  Two tots in diapers? Me with a double stroller? Anika having to share mom and dad's attention?

Poor Anika isn't going to have a clue what's going on, and frankly I can't see her being too psyched about having someone else doing all the nursing and cuddling in the middle of the night.  Lately, if I don't let her nurse back to sleep, she starts slapping me and screaming at the top of her lungs.  Fun, as you can imagine.  The only way she can lull herself back to sleep during these 2 a.m. (and 4 a.m., and 5 a.m.) moments when I don't give her what she wants is by nestling in the crook between my head and neck and throwing her little arms around me as if I were a life preserver.  Apparently having lots of room and your own crib = impossibly uncomfortable, while burrowing into mommy and falling asleep with an elbow behind your back = bliss.  It's going to require some complicated physics to fit us all in the bed once there's a big pregnant belly to contend with.

And then there's the really important, pertinent stuff.  Like:  who wants to be pregnant for two Thanksgivings in a row?  Last year I was so big that I could barely stuff down a few bites of potato, and this year I fear that the cornucopia of smells is going to drive me straight to the bathroom.  Which is quite rude, considering one of my new Albuquerque friends was kind enough to invite us over for dinner.

At least we have one big thing to be thankful for this year:  it's not twins.