Cravings

 Believe it or not but in the early days of this pregnancy I didn't want to have anything to do with sweets of any kind.  During the holidays I craved only salt.   I wanted to eat Lay's Potato Chips, but only the original  kind, and sweet potato  fries.  I thought that it would bode well for the pregnancy until the second trimester brought incredible desire for sugar.  It wasn't just sugar though, it was specifically for Little Debbie Snack Cakes.  The girls and I have gone through a box of  almost every variety, which is depressing because if you have ever taken a chance to look at the display there are a ridiculous amount of choices.  I can't figure it out because other treats don't seem to work.  I mean,  we did  polish off our usual Easter Cadbury Mini  Eggs, but other  than that I am mostly looking at long boxes of individually wrapped  processed crap.  What I must actually be craving is some kind of preservative because it could be found in every variety.  Almost immediately after I eat my Cosmic Brownie or Zebra  Cake  the heartburn sets in and I vow that it will be the last box that I buy and then a couple hours later I am checking to see if there are any more  in the cupboard.  I read somewhere that pregnant women crave what their bodies need  and I liked that  idea.    Then I  heard a mean  doctor on  the  radio who  said,  "If  women actually craved  what  they needed  they would  all be making  grocery runs for broccoli."  She was  probably right.  The good thing is that usually after I binge on something I usually don't want to eat it  again  for a couple of years.  Hopefully that holds true, although now I have three little human beings  in my home that  have developed a taste for junk food and have  also learned that it doesn't take that much convincing  to get their mom to buy it.  It took me several years to move away from  processed foods and just one tiny pregnancy to throw me back in. 
On the better side I have also eaten a lot of avacadoes which the internet says is a super food and you can always trust nutrition advice that comes through Pinterest.   I have also gotten addicted to Dave's Killer Bread made into grilled cheese sandwiches.  Brandon just rolls his eyes when I start pulling out the cheese  for my morning hit.
As far as the rest of the pregnancy has gone I will just  say that everything has been harder.   I  am not sure if  it is because I am older or because this one is a boy, but I have been more sick, more tired,  and my body creaks like an 80-year-old  rocking chair.   The good news is that since  this is number 4 the stretch marks have already been a part of my body and that Rocky and Daisy will sit with me and feel the baby move.   I  think  that is  one of  the most interesting  things  about  pregnancy and I love to have my little buddies to share it with.
This  photo was taken clear back  before Easter so I am even bigger now.  I would estimate that the belly is about 1/4 baby and the rest is cream filling.