my hero

Part of me feels guilty for not posting for two weeks, but another--saner--part of me that was hosting family while dealing with morning sickness and fatigue doesn't really care.

The family has all flown safely home (I hope...it sounded like a rough flight for the Doyles last night), and while I still have occasional bouts of nausea and require lots of naps, it's getting more manageable.

Thom has reacted to my queasy tummy by becoming the Official Provider. I've found my stomach stays settled if I have a little healthy, high-protein snack every couple hours. So, whenever we're away from home, in a situation where I can't easily control my dietary choices, Thom turns into the Twenty-First Century Hunter/Gatherer and forages for me.

Last weekend we went on a Whale Watch. I'm not sure what made me think I could handle a three hour boat ride--pregnancy hormones, a desire to please my family, general lunacy. I'm the girl who has never ridden a boat without feeling sick, and I thought it would be super-fun to ride out to the middle of the ocean to look at whales.

I decided to ignore the boat-induced queasiness, but thankfully Thom did not ignore my pregancy-induced queasiness. Before we boarded the giant catamaran he investigated what food they might have to offer. Turns out "hot dogs and maybe sandwiches" wasn't a satisfactory answer when thinking of his pregnant, vegetarian wife. So he found little booth nearby that made a veggie-hummus wrap, fulfilling his need to provide for me. It was very sweet, and I think that food got me through the first hour of the trip. The second hour was a very different story, and I've decided that if the Sesame Seed ever wants to take a boat trip, they'll have to do it with their daddy cause I'm done.

A couple nights ago we made trip up to Gloucester to visit some friends and their parents for dinner. Once again Thom did some investigating and found out that salmon and pork would be the centerpieces of the menu. Even though I could have been perfectly happy with side dishes (what I usually eat when dining with friends) Thom insisted we get some vegetarian protein to supplement the meal. So we brought some tofu along. Was that terribly rude? I don't care--it feels so wonderful to have my husband looking after me I'd risk making all kinds of social faux pas to keep him happy.

I knew pregnancy would change things, but I had no idea how much I'd enjoy being shown this kind of masculine, protective attention. It almost makes me feel delicate.

Almost.