Insatiable

That's the last night I go without a midnight snack on my nightstand.  I had a good dinner last night, teriyaki beef and pineapple on rice, but I was starving again in a couple hours.  So I made a PBJ and really slathered it thick, but that didn't even dent the hunger.  So I said, "I'll just go to bed and my stomach signals will catch up."  (Mistake!!)  I woke up with my stomach feeling like a wrung out washcloth.  It was a whole new level of hunger that went beyond "My tummy is growly" to "How are my muscles going to function?!"  So I lay there for a bit, feeling sorry for myself, until I noticed a tiny apple amidst the mess on my nightstand.  I ate it in slow, pathetic little bites, because I like to be a drama queen even when I'm alone, and managed to make it downstairs for breakfast without keeling over.  Lessons learned: 1) Hunger will not go away on its own anymore.  2) Eating normally really isn't eating enough.  3) Kids will eat every last bite out of your body-fridge without leaving you a crumb.  They're astoundingly selfish.

But the good news is, I think I felt a kick!  Whenever I feel anything, there's always something else it could be, like gas or a spazzy muscle or more gas.  But I was sitting quietly with a peaceful stomach, and I felt a very distinct sensation that my stomach was a bedsheet and someone was turning over underneath it.  It wasn't the bubbles popping or the tickling I've heard described, but it was weird and different, so I'm calling it a kick.  Huzzah!  First contact!

And now, some updated stats:

How far along: 18 weeks, 6 days

Gestation completed: 49.6%  (So close to the downhill side!)

Fetal Size: Bigger baked potatoes?

Sexes: Still unknown

Kicks: Yes!

Worst symptom: The struggle to find a good sleeping position

Best symptom: Rhinitis.  Seriously!  You know how at the end of a cold, all the head goo that's kept you from breathing comes out in one epic, head-clearing blow that leaves your nostrils feeling like wind tunnels?  That's what I get every morning.

Cravings: McDonald's double cheeseburger, Sprite, French fries with lots of sweet and sour, and lemon cake for dessert.  In fact, I'm going to go get that for lunch right now.