Wednesday, January 16, 2013

The P Word(s).

Positively Pregnant.
Lately this dietitian has been anywhere but in the kitchen. Yep, we have a kid on our hands (well, in the womb to be exact). Hence, the lack of blog posts. We are beyond excited about this new addition to our family (!!!! YAY!! WOHOO!! SO HAPPY!!), although I can say with all honesty I wouldn't mind fast-forwarding past the first trimester. I always envisioned myself with the constant pregnancy "glow" while happily enduring any minor pregnancy symptom because of the little miracle growing inside me.
Have I been all aglow with my pregnancy bliss? Nope- no glow. 
Have I been doing a lot of mouth-breathing to avoid any potential threatening aroma? Yep, sure have.
Have I been a big drama queen for the past 12 weeks? Well, I don't think so but you'd have to ask my chef  errand-runner house-cleaner husband.  

Parmesan.
This was my first real encounter with pregnancy weirdness: Parmesan cheese. We had known we were pregnant for about a week and I wanted to celebrate by making one of our favorite meals, Risotto. However when adding the last (and crucial) ingredient, I realized our Parmesan was "rotten."  Why?- Chris asked. 
Because it's not supposed to smell like this.- me
It's Parmesan cheese- it's supposed to smell like Parmesan cheese. -Chris
But this is BAD BAD BAD Parmesan cheese. I think something is wrong with it.-me
I think something is wrong with your nose.- Chris
And Chris enjoyed 4 servings of Risotto while I ate cold cereal. 

Phobias.
Is it possible to develop new phobias during pregnancy? I think I have acquired a phobia of my spice cabinet. And oven. And kitchen drains and trash can and any odorous compartment. But especially the spice cabinet- darn curry powder. It was all I could smell in our kitchen for a month (why didn't I throw it away, you ask? Great question...)  I have conditioned myself to only mouth-breath in the kitchen. 

Pumpkin.
Oh, the irony. Folks, this is a sad season in one respect. Pumpkin has literally become the "P" word in our house. We don't really speak of it. It was a struggle to even write it! We had a momentary mourning when we realized we would be going through the entire Fall/Winter season without a single pumpkin recipe. I can't recall when I first realized I had zero desire (and automatic gag reflex) to the thought of pumpkin, but it was solidified when one of my dear sweet girlfriends (who didn't yet know I was pregnant) brought me some pumpkin soup. In clear Tupperware. I don't think I ate lunch that day.

Pinterest.
This has become dangerous territory. It could possibly go under "phobias" as a sub-category. I'll be happily sorting through my "create the perfect nursery" pins, when BAM- someone goes and pins something like pumpkin cheesecake or French Onion soup or "top 100 sweet potato recipes." (I should mention I have an aversion to all orange foods, in addition to onions, garlic, chicken broth, etc) I've had to temporarily "unfollow" several people who went a little overboard with the pumpkin this year. 

Pajamas.
No explanation needed, really, Let's just say the line between daytime and nighttime attire has become very blurry.  

Porch.
I haven't spent a particularly increased amount of time on my porch, but my crock-pot has. Semi solves the cooking dilemma, as long Chris helps me clean!




Popsicles.
Of the two brilliant purchases I've made so far, Popsicle molds were one of them. Have I mentioned my temperature preference? Well, it's somewhere between cold and ice cold. And yes, it's the middle of winter. I did ice cream for about a week, which I justified by my increased need for calcium- but then the dietitian within me (she's still in there somewhere) said "this would at least be semi-nutritious if you made smoothies!" Great in theory, but in practice, FAR too much work. To pull out the Magic Bullet, decide on ingredients, and press a button every single time I want a smoothie?! You can see how that would be exhausting. But to blenderize a big batch of 2 ingredient Popsicles one time and freeze ahead? Sign me up. (The other brilliant purchase I made was  multiple pairs of leggings, but those don't start with "P" so couldn't be included in this post).

Positive
Not to leave you all on a negative note, thinking this pregnancy has been purely miserable- it has not! It's been quite amazing as it seems we are learning something new everyday. And there are some really great side effects! For example, I'm sleeping like a baby. It is so great. I hope it never stops. Another awesome benefit? Seeing Chris so willing to serve me. He hasn't complained once when I say "I can't make dinner tonight," or "I'm really sorry, but if I take out the trash I will have to sniff a Christmas tree-scented candle for the next hour- so can you do it?" He has been absolutely wonderful- I'm thinking of keeping this gig going after my symptoms disappear (just kidding Chris- I won't take advantage!). And another cool thing- I never thought a day would come wear I'd be HAPPY that my pants are almost too tight to wear comfortably. I mean, my body is doing all this work, I kinda want something to show for it! 

Post Script.  January 16, 2013
For the record, the above blog post was originally written over a month ago in the height of my first trimester woes. I wanted to record my actual feelings so that when it all passed I wouldn't look back and say "oh it really wasn't that bad!"  Granted, it is worth every second of it, but let's not sugarcoat it, people.(Even right now I am re-reading what I wrote and thinking "what a WIMP!") Well I'm now at 17 weeks and things are gradually improving- meaning room temperature and lukewarm foods are being incorporated back in, and I've cooked several meals in the past few weeks. I ate chicken for the first time in a month last week, and energy-wise, I feel great!

So, bottom line: I wouldn't trade any of it. Fast forward, maybe (ok definitely), but certainly not trade it. The less desirable parts are reminders that my body is working overtime creating something (someone) wonderful! It is actually helping to keep me in a near-constant state of thankfulness that God saw fit to make us parents. It is bringing a whole new dimension to our marriage- and we are cherishing 99% percent of it! (The really large 1% just happens to include pumpkin and my spice cabinet).

POST POST SCRIPT
Chris assures me that I now have the pregnancy "glow." However, we aren't entirely sure whether it is pregnancy related or due to the expensive moisturizer I just bought. Worth every penny.