And Baby Makes Three

Sense of Smell and Food Desires

One of the most surprising things so far has been how intensified my sense of smell is; the grocery store, for example, is a sensory jungle. Some things smell very appealing, others are nauseating; for example, most fast food smells delicious, while bags of raw potatoes smell awful to me. I love popcorn, but when my husband made some and brought it to the bedroom a week ago, the smell just about made me sick. Weird.

I've been craving comfort foods. Pizza, macaroni and cheese, nachos, tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches. . . I try to keep those cravings under control and make sure I also eat yogurt, fruit, vegetables (need to do better with that), lean protein, etc. This morning while I was putting gas in my car, I had a sudden hankering for hash browns. (The gas station has a McDonald's attached.) I didn't give in to it, but it's so odd for my body to be so incredibly insistent about what it wants. My appetite is definitely back with a vengeance. So far today I've eaten: a bowl of oatmeal prepared with milk, a yogurt, a chicken sandwich, a Hershey bar, and an apple. I've had about four cups of water. And all I can think about is what to eat for supper!

Magic Pants and First Appointment

Over the weekend I broke down and bought my first pair of maternity pants. They're too big to wear at this point (I thought they'd work, but they're too long without more of a belly in them), but since I no longer enjoy the snug fit of my pre-pregnancy work clothes, they were a necessity. I call them "magic" because of the amazing amount of stretch they have. I'll be curious to see how far into this adventure the magic pants get me.

Yesterday was my first appointment with a nurse-midwife. We discussed all sorts of things, such as the results of my blood tests, when I'd be in my second trimester, whether to schedule a Level II ultrasound, etc. I felt upbeat about the appointment because I was told that the only "risk" factor I have is my age. (I'm somewhere between Kate Hudson and Joan Lunden, ha, ha. My sister sends me her People magazines when she's done with them and I'm marveling at the lack of self-consciousness of Kate Hudson's belly-bearing maternity outfits.)

Still Hard to Believe. . .

Two home pregnancy tests and a laboratory blood test later, I still sometimes find it hard to believe that we're going to have a baby. Thankfully, the nerves that plagued me the first week I found out have subsided. Every morning I'd wake up and remember and freak out, just a little.

What makes it even more fun is that one of my sisters is currently expecting her second child and my girlfriend is expecting her first. I asked them both for advice the first week or two when I was having trouble eating. Nothing sounded appetizing and I couldn't eat very much. Thankfully, that is much better at the moment.

My friend D. and I must've giggled for an hour the other night about the weird things our bodies are doing and the odd food cravings. It's so funny that I went with her to buy maternity clothes a couple of months ago and helped her set up her baby registry, and now I'll need to do those things as well.