Cravings

{Meet my new boyfriend, Mr. Canada Dry}

They say all pregnancies are different, and at first with Pie #2 I thought it wasn't different at all but now I completely agree.

This pregnancy has been more nausea, more acne, and more cravings. INTENSE cravings.

And the problem with me being pregnant, something that makes me constantly grumpy, is that I am {most days} in a state of constant hunger. But with absolutely no appetite.

Hunger pangs hit me at least every 30 minutes, no matter how much I had to eat at my last meal. Eating is usually something I enjoy very much {too much}, but when pregnant, it becomes an absolute chore. A chore that I dread. About every thirty minutes I have to stop what I'm doing {because pregnancy hunger pangs are at least 10 times more intense than they are for non-preggos, trust me} and head off to the kitchen. "Ugh, I have to eat - again!" Not only that, but I have to find something to eat that won't make me vomit, and that is not always an easy task... I'm talking to you, Cheerios.

The good news is, since I have entered into pregnancy both times now a full figured woman, that my typical cravings for things like chocolate & junk food are replaced during pregnancy with cravings for healthy stuff {mostly}.

Fruit sounds better than baked goods.

A smoothie sounds better than a milkshake.

A salad sounds WAY better than a hamburger.

This is a good problem. This is how I managed to gain only 15 lbs when I was pregnant with Eisley, and dropped a whopping 45 after giving birth {here's to hoping I can pull that miracle off again, and perhaps keep it off this time? This time, I'm prepared, having been enlightened by one Ms. Geneen Roth.}

But then there are the weird cravings. Things that make me feel freakish. My husband still teases me about my habit during gestation #1 - soaking apple slices in Fresca before eating them. {It was soooo good!}

This pregnancy has brought on a passion for Canada Dry Cranberry-Lime Sparkling Water. I'm obsessed with Panera's French onion soup, and have it about 3 times a week on average. If my mister mentions grabbing fast food for lunch I scowl at him, "That's too greasy! Yuck!" {This is something I would not say were there no baby inside of me.}

But they're not all healthy cravings. Last night, 11:45pm, we had just crawled into bed when I sat up and announced, "Ooooh, pizza by the slice sounds SOOOO good right now!" He looked at me like I was crazy, and for a moment I did sincerely feel possessed. {Wait, what did I just say? That wasn't me!}

"Totino's?" He suggested.
I looked at him as if he'd just suggested I dye my hair green, "That's disgusting."

You see, very particular, pregnancy cravings are.

Yesterday also held in store for me an intense craving for Dr. Pepper, a drink which I have always loathed my entire life. Can't stand the stuff - but knock me up and Dr. Pepper is the new man in my life.

I mused during the first pregnancy at how you feel like a totally different person when you're pregnant, and I still stand by that belief.

All that said, sorry for another boring pregnancy rant/post. But - well - it is my blog. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go find something to eat...

Baby Envy

It is a good thing Pie² is in the oven, I'm telling you. Eisley keeps rubbing it in my face that she is not a baby anymore.

Today I was in my towel robe, post shower, putting on makeup - I heard a rattling noise coming from Eisley's room where she was playing. I immediately stopped applying mascara and went to check on her.

She was in her crib, rattling the side rails and looking very proud of herself. Most certainly because I didn't put her there, she had apparently climbed in by herself.

A little bit later she runs up to me, hands me her bottle, gets a firm grasp on my finger and pulls me to the kitchen. This is her newest trick, to pull mom or dad towards what she wants. She points to the sink. She wants me to wash and refill her empty bottle. I think, what happened to the days when she simply cried, and we had to guess if it was food/comfort/change that she needed? Now she tells me, in her own adorable way, exactly what she wants.

So I fill her bottle, taking my payment via a long, smoochy kiss on her cheek {which is less puffy than ever, might I add, as she is turning into a child and losing her baby fat} and then she's off once again.

She scampers down the hallway to her bedroom, points to her crib and says "nite-nite". Is my almost two year old telling me she's ready for her nap? But first, we direct mommy to close the blinds, of course.

And so now she is napping, and now that I have a moment of peace to think about it, I'm feeling more grateful than ever that Pie² is coming soon.

I'm so proud of Eisley & her toddlerhood achievements, but it is so bittersweet to see the infant fading. She needs me a little less each day. And this is a good thing, but I won't say I don't miss her being a helpless newborn. Of course I do.

These days she climbs in and out of the car by herself, sings along to songs she hears, yells at the dogs when they bark, and sometimes can even get her clothes on without help. She used to sleep soundly in her car seat through a grocery trip, now she insists on riding in the cars attached to the carts, and has a conniption fit if we pass the free cookies without stopping to get her one. At night she holds her baby doll up to us, so that we can kiss the baby and put her to bed as well, each time making me think, "This isn't my baby, Eisley, you're my baby. I want to rock you to sleep."

I marvel at Eisley but I also can't wait to have another little baby to snuggle and marvel at. In fact this was a big motivating fact when we decided to try for Pie², with Eisley growing more independent each day, I was growing severely jealous of other moms with new babies, and more impatient to have one of my own.

Even though Pie² will undoubtedly grow up on me, too.

But I'm not done being a mother to infants yet.

Peony Petals - a photo post

{Disclaimer: I would never advocate the destruction of a perfectly good peony ;-), the petals were taken off peonies that were well past their prime & already browning.}

PS - Sorry I've been neglecting the blog lately...