Friday, January 19, 2007

Food Adventures with Raspberry Baby


















I am experiencing the weirdest thing. Jeff says he understands me much better the way I am now. I am incredibly, viscerally, enthusiastically, whole-hoggedly enjoying FOOD. I have to have it NOW, and I have to have what I WANT. It's a contradiction that I can feel like throwing up one minute and like eating three or four hamburgers the next, but it's true!
This morning I had the worst nausea yet, and did throw up. I then had breakfast with Jeff like I always do at 5 a.m. and then tried to go back to sleep. Maybe it was the fact that I had three days' worth of grease in my hair, but I just couldn't get comfortable. Decided to take a shower to feel better, and sure enough did, for a few minutes, then back to nausea. I finally got back to sleep, and when I woke up, realized I HAD to have peanut butter crackers. I got dressed and left early for my guitar lesson so I could stop at the convenience store. I scarfed all six crackers within a matter of minutes, and they were incredibly, wonderfully, divinely good!!
After the lesson, I passed a Subway, (remember this is Cheapster talking, who is expert at talking Jeff out of his cravings) and didn't even think twice. I was getting a turkey sub with lots of pickles and tons of banana peppers, and that was the end of it. Can we say "bliss?" Unutterable bliss. I never in my life have enjoyed food quite so much. Finished off my kettle chips and felt incredibly satisfied.
Then...tonight went out to Ihop with Jeff (we're big couponers...just go wherever we have a coupon). I felt this primeval urge to sink my canines into a big hunk of beef and tear it apart, swallowing chunks whole. (This is not me, this is someone else in my body!) I ordered a thick hamburger, finished it off without any conversation (and usually I'm trying to draw Jeffrey out so we can talk; the meal is about the conversation, right? WRONG), and really wanted another one. I had to be content with eating all of my fries and Jeff's hash browns!
Jeff just kept staring at me with this dazed smile on his face. I felt like hugging the waitress and telling her this hamburger was a culinary triumph, that it was the most amazingly perfectly grilled hamburger with the most exquisite choice of condiments. Nobody told me it would be like this. I used to doubt the truth of pregnancy cravings, but they are feral, come from the gut, and will not be ignored!

11 comments:

Laura said...

I'm laughing b/c I UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY!!! I was the exact same way-I remember one day after teaching, going to a nearby Pizza Hut and ordering a personal pan pizza and a whole order of breadsticks and finishing it all off w/no problem. I'm quite sure I had a nice, big dinner that night w/Will as well. And I got a turkey and cheese sub at Sub Station in Easley at least once, sometimes twice a week. Of course Will thought that was great b/c that meant he got his "to-die-for" meatball sub!
:-) Enjoy this wonderful time of food never tasting so good!!!

Nene said...

Oh, Emily! I remember those days. My pregnancy didn't start out like that, though. During my sick time (which lasted from around the 5 week to the 13 week mark) I couldn't even look at or listen to someone talk about meat or vegetables. This is going to sound insane: I had to mute commercials talking about food and I definitely couldn't look at them, and smelling food all just made my stomach do sommersaults. I never did throw up, but I felt like I needed to everyday. I ate absolutely no meat or vegetables (because in my mind I associated vegetables with meat) during this 8 week stretch. I lived on milk, OJ, Raisin Bran and english muffins. Then one day, the nausea went away. That's when I had to visit Taco Bell EVERY time I went to Florence. (I'm pretty chinchy with money, too. Eating out is so expensive, so we don't go out too often, but during this time, I didn't really care) I would go to the drive-thru and get a Nacho Bell Grande and park and eat it all (this was just a snack). I also had the same exact experience with a hamburger (it was a Hardee's thickburger). I'm not a big beef eater, however when I was pregnant cows went running when they saw me coming. Danny laughed and laughed at me while I enjoyed that hamburger. It was the best thing I had ever tasted. All those words you used to describe your hamburger...that's how good mine was, too!

Reesh said...

I can remember a love affair with a bag of dill pickle chips with my first pregnancy. I can still remember how divine they tasted!

Emily said...

Glad to hear I'm normal...but if this continues, I'm going to have a "bump" earlier than I expected! :D It's strange that I'm both getting the nausea and incredible appetite at the same time. Ok, not exactly at the same time but within the same day. :)
Karanena, I can really sympathize! Two months of the yuckies must have been miserable. My mother-in-law told me she would go through a hundred labors before she'd go through another 9 months of pregnancy...she was sick the whole time, with both kids! At least it's not that bad...yet.

Laura, when this baby is out, you're going to have to tell me how you got skinny again so fast! I'm eating so much now, can't imagine having to curb things afterwards!

Emily said...

Reesh, thanks for posting! I enjoyed taking a look at your blog...very cute family! I noticed we have practically the same due date (one day apart).
Those dill chips sound really good...you may have started a new craving. :)

Laura said...

You don't really curb your appetite afterwards if you're breastfeeding. At least I didn't, I just wanted to eat, eat, eat. Apparently nursing helps you burn calories but so does getting on the treadmill or walking/jogging outside for 30-45 min. 5 days a week. :-)

Emily said...

So did you even try to curb the eating, or just eat to your fill on healthy foods? You lost that baby weight awfully fast.
For now I need to find some exercise solution. I like walking, but usually have to go by myself in the neighborhood. I don't feel totally safe doing that, but can't see a lot of options...I read you're not supposed to do a lot of jarring or jumping motions, so I've been avoiding my exercise tapes. I know they have prego exercise DVDs out there; should probably just go that route.

Elizabeth said...

If you really want some free exercise advice, ask your PT cousin! I try not to give unasked advice, but that comment sounded like an invitation!!!

Here is the short answer: You can continue doing a normal exercise routine, but don't take up a new (especially aggressive) one: for instance dont' start running if you didn't before, but if you did before, its ok. Make sense?

So what did you do before? Jog? Walk? Nothing? Its ok to start a walking program, a gentle video tape in the first two trimesters, especially a gentle stretching/yoga is ok with a few adaptations. In the latter trimesters you have to be careful with asymetrical movements (may pull you out of alignment) and your abdominals: no sit ups, no holding your breath, no single leg step ups etc.
Dr. Rose Tip: ALWAYS wear sneakers/supportive shoes in the last trimester especially as your ligaments stretch to allow for birth, so will the ones in you feet!
A water exercise program is best: the hydrostatic pressure is wonderful and the weightlessness in the latter stages if a dream. Is there a local YMCA or aquatic center you can join? That would be my choice. Let me know if you want more specific exercises, handouts, etc.

Here is my ideal program for you at this time: perform quiet beathing exercises while you watch the cats sleep. Once the cats are awake, walk around each cat 19 times a day while you follow them around the house: should be fun and burn calories...

Nene said...

Thanks, Elizabeth. I love free exercise advice, especially when it comes from someone who knows what they are talking about! I'll file all that great information away for possible later use! :)

Laura said...

Good advice, Liz!
Emily, I really didn't try-couldn't try to curb it-I was just hungry all the time-but I did try to eat healthy.
I think getting a pregnancy tape might also be good-especially if you can't get to the Y.
Oh, and just make sure you have your cell phone (and some mace) when walking around your neighborhood. :-)

Emily said...

Will definitely try the cat-based exercises! Who knew cats could be a low-impact fitness tool? :D
Thanks so much for the expert advice. I had been doing an exercise video about 5x a week before. Actually I started it back up today since it's not a lot of jumping or jolting (Tae-Bo). I didn't know about avoiding assymetrical movements later on or that the ligaments in your feet actually loosen. I just thought pregnant women's feet hurt b/c of the baby weight! I'm going to check into the Y and see what's possible there.
Good idea about the cell phone & mace, Laura...if I bring those I should be fine. I do like getting out of the house to get away from the smells and into the fresh air.