Two by Land And Two by Sea

I haven't posted since we left El Salvador, not because there's been nothing to write about but because things aboard Bettie have changed and we weren't quite ready to broadcast that change on the internet. But I'm tired of letting the blog fall into disrepair just because I don't know how to write around the big goings on aboard. So here goes.

We are having a baby! It's a bit unexpected but incredibly exciting and wonderful, except for one slight problem. I'm kicked off the boat. Most of you will recall my proclivity for vomiting while underway unless under the influence of anti-nausea medication. Well, mix in some morning sickness and the inability to take drugs and you have a savage combination. Basically, I have been throwing up since we left El Salvador. I threw up crossing the Gulf of Tehauntepec. I threw up from Puerto Angel to 20 miles outside of Acapulco and back again (will explain in a subsequent post).

Basically, I have spent the entire time we were on passage curled up in bed or vomiting into the galley sink. And to make matters worse, the anchorages at Puerto Angel and Huatulco, which should have provided some relief, were so rolly even with a stern anchor that I was in a perpetual state of queasiness. In the end, I craved a world that was totally and completely still. A world, you know, like land.

During my vomit-a-thon, Vlad did everything. I kept up a night watch (until the passage to Acapulco) so he got a few hours sleep, but other than that he pretty much single handed on top of doing all the dishes, cooking for me when I could eat, making sure I kept drinking liquids and fixing anything that broke. He is amazing. Completely amazing. But after our last passage that ended safely but back in the same place we started after a week at sea, we decided that maybe the baby didn't need to be mildly to moderately dehydrated for days on end and that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to take a pregnant woman who is projectile vomiting animal crackers out in the ocean at least for the time being.

Now, the baby and I are staying in a hotel in Puerto Angel, and Vlad and the hedgehog left Wednesday for Acapulco. He should get there today or tomorrow. I feel kind of guilty for chickening out, mainly because I don't want Vlad to have to do be out there by himself. But I feel sooooo much better and have been able to eat healthily and exercise and drink plenty of fluids, pretty essential stuff that I haven't been able to do for weeks. So while the situation is not ideal, it's the best one we've got.