Get In My Belly!

Oh the joys of pregnancy.  Not that I'm complaining.  It's not as if this was an accident and I didn't know what I was getting myself into.  I went into this with my eyes, and apparently my mouth, wide open. 

I've been eating.  And eating, and eating, and eating, and eating.  For my first two pregnancies I was sick every once in a while and had lots of food aversions.  This time around I can't be stopped.  Food is my friend.  My best friend apparently.  And while my food intake has increased about tenfold, my exhaustion level went through the roof. 

Example #1:  5 weeks pregnant.  Anyone that has been pregnant or known a pregnant lady you know that our memories go kaput during pregnancy.  I was a total space cadet.  Made it through the morning routine with everything in place until I got to work and realized I didn't have any breakfast and also forgot my purse.  I had about zero gas left and no way to buy food or gas.  And this mama was HUNGRY!  I turned around, drove home on fumes (gas light turned on as I pulled in the driveway), grabbed my purse and went straight to the gas station.  But gas station food is nasty so I went to the nearest grocery store, parked in the expectant mother spot just to entertain myself (and it was closer to the food), and stocked up on enough food to last me until......well, until I got to work because I ate it all on the way there!

Example #2: 6 weeks pregnant I asked my in-laws to watch the boys on a Friday night because I could barely drag my tired butt home from work, let alone chase after my kids.  Had there been a comfy place to lay my head at work I highly suspect I would have avoided the drive home all together.  But drive home I did.  Cooking my own dinner was out of the question.  Price Chopper here I come.  It was a Friday during Lent and their catfish dinner was calling my name.  Hunger won out over exhaustion for a brief moment as I scurried around the grocery store throwing not one but TWO single-serving desserts in my cart along with my meal.  Molten chocolate cake and apple pie in case anyone cares to know.  More impulsivity: 2 trashy magazines.  Sadly, except not sad for my waistline, I fell asleep before I could eat either dessert or properly dive into the dramas of Hollywood.  This is followed by an eating binge the next day.  Breakfast at home.  Drive-thru Stake N Shake on the way to get the kids.  Thoughts of Houlihans even as I lick the cheese from my cheesy fries off my fingers.  Snacks at a bridal shower followed by yes.....Houlihans for dinner.  Thank you, honey, for giving in to my every need!

Example #3: While I was eating plenty and often, there were times when some foods sounded awful. Like the night that Justin tried to get me to eat a combo of grape and ketchup, which he loves for some strange reason.  When I politely declined, he continued to push me to eat it. We went back and forth until I explained that sometimes when mommy's have a baby in there belly their stomach kind of feels sick.  Leo pipes up with "Well, that's why we don't eat babies!"  Perfectly logical for him to think the baby got into my belly by eating it since that is the way everything else gets in our bellies.  We'll stick with that explanation until the 4th grade health class speech! 

Example #4:  9 weeks pregnant  I know I am visiting the grocery store with the boys too frequently when Justin says "Hey, when the baby comes there will be 5 of us in our family.  Where is the baby going to sit when we go to the grocery store?"  Apparently the store was our only outing for about 5 weeks straight.

Example #5: also 9 weeks pregnant  Easter Sunday.  I ate an entire meal of soup in a bread bowl from Panera BEFORE Easter lunch.  Seriously.  I can't make this stuff up.  My in-laws were kind enough not to judge.  When we got o the firehouse with Easter dinner I let everyone go through the line first in a weak attempt to put a reasonable amount of time between my meals.

Example #6:  10 weeks pregnant  My appetite is reaching its all time high.  I'm a big fan of home style food.  Enter: Roxanne's.  A super good little restaurant near my office.  In a span of 24 hours I ate there three times.  All with different people so as to not draw attention to my obsession.  Chicken fried chicken, mash potatoes, and a veggies.  Oh, and a huge doughy roll.  Mmmm-mmmmmmm.  Sadly, at my third visit the waiter asked "Haven't you already been here once today?"  He wasn't wrong.  Thankfully he didn't remember I had also been there the day before too!

Example #7:  all weeks.  Pizza  hut personal pan pizza with beef and ham.  'Nuf said.  (although if I'm being honest with myself this one isn't horribly unusual even in my non-prego days).

Example #8: 12 and 13 weeks pregnant.  Frequent flyer at Houlihans bar......because that's where I pick up my take out usual of stuffed chicken with golden mashed potatoes.  YUMMMMM!

Week 13: I made Jeremy promise me that when I start getting fat, not just pregnancy fat, but seriously chunky.  Just tell me straight up.  Don't be mean about it.  Just tell me.  I can handle it.  I'm a big girl.  No pun intended.