"I don't think he knows about second breakfast."

[rivka]

I had a perfectly reasonable breakfast at 7:30 this morning: a yogurt smoothie. I have them for breakfast a lot - they're nutritious, filling, and above all, easy. They always last me until lunch.

So how come, two hours later, all I could think of was how much I wanted some eggs? I wound up going to the diner near my office and inhaling two eggs, some bacon, home fries, and one and a half pieces of toast. I could easily have eaten a third egg. And now I'm thinking about the bottle of juice I have stashed in the fridge. Mmm, grapefruit juice. With the sourness.

I've been wondering how I'm ever supposed to gain weight, because my appetite has continued to be spotty. But now I think I understand.

Weight gain or not - and I'm pretty sure I'm still below my pre-pregnancy weight - in the last few days I have definitely started to show. Maybe not in a way that's evident to people who aren't looking for it, but I sure look pregnant to myself. I am pleased. The only clothes I'm really comfortable in these days are soft stretchy knits, so I'm guessing I'd better get to the maternity consignment store sooner, rather than later.

Also, my stomach feels... firmer. Like there's something in there. (Li'l Critter is supposedly the size of an avocado this week! 4 1/2 inches long crown-to-rump, and weighing 3 1/2 ounces. Why, I can remember when he or she was the size of a grain of rice. This growth and development stuff is really freaky. But cool.)

It turns out that the much-heralded second trimester boost of energy doesn't mean that I can go back to my old sleeping habits. I really feel awful if I get fewer than seven hours a night. Alas.

Also: pregnancy headaches suck.

In other news: Last week the "check engine" light in the car came on, which turned out to mean that we needed a new oxygen sensor. We got the rear brakes done at the same time, for a total bill of $475. That was Friday. Tuesday, the "check engine" light came on again.

I took the car in this morning. Apparently, the car's computer doesn't like the correspondence between the front and rear oxygen sensors, and suggests that the catalytic converter must be broken. The guys at the garage can't seem to replicate the problem: they say both oxygen sensors are reading precisely what they should be. They don't want to replace the catalytic converter unless there's more evidence of the problem - which is nice of them, considering that it would be a $600 repair. Apparently, there's a possibility that replacing the oxygen sensor just caused a temporary glitch that won't recur. So they re-set the "check engine" light, and told me that if it comes on again I can pretty much assume that the catalytic converter needs to be replaced.

Pleasantly, they didn't charge me for the diagnosis. They also went out of their way to make sure I understood that a malfunctioning catalytic converter won't damage the car or lead to a breakdown - it will just mean that we'll fail emissions. I don't want to contribute more than my fair share of air pollution, but it's still nice to know that we could put off such an expensive repair, if we have to.

Comments

[wiredferret.livejournal.com]

Appetite is funny. I just try to appease it when it happens.

I was so psyched that I had gotten up to my pre-pregnancy weight, but according to a different scale, no. Ratz.

[silmaril.livejournal.com]

Well, you are learning about second breakfast.

Hope the headaches go away.

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

Second trimester I ate like a teenage boy. Tim was horrified and fascinated at the same time :).

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Yikes! You must have lost a ton of weight. I've only lost seven pounds, that I know of, so I'm sure to cross over soon.

I will believe, on your behalf, that the scale which showed you at your pre-pregnancy weight was the correct one.

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

An avocado is *big*! So cool.

And now I'm hungry.

-J

[ailsaek.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, I had egg-mania too. Butter-mania as well for a while. It's amazing the things that you suddenly absolutely have to eat. I get reprises of that every time I do a new cycle of fertility hormones.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

An avocado is *big*! So cool.

I know! Michael's birthmother was all, "4 1/2 inches is so tiny!" But it's totally not for something that is actually growing inside your body.

Yes, yes, I know, it's going to get a lot bigger than 4 1/2 inches. But still.

And now I'm hungry.

Mmmm, fooood.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

The only consistent craving I have is for salty things with salt on them. Normally I don't like potato chips, but now I crave them. And kalamata olives. Salty, salty tapenade.

Other than that, my cravings are brief but intense. Common ones include:
(1) Bagels with cream cheese.
(2) Grilled cheese sandwiches with crispy little cheese bits at the edges. Preferably mozzarella cheese, because of the added saltiness.
(3) Beef. Michael is sooo happy about all the extra beef we're eating.
(4) Sushi.

The weird thing is that I don't crave sweets, which were a huge feature of my pre-pregnancy diet.

I get reprises of that every time I do a new cycle of fertility hormones.

Ugh. That sucks, to get the downsides of pregnancy without the upside. I'll be praying for you this time.

[ailsaek.livejournal.com]

It's not so bad. The cravings I particularly remember are Vietnamese food, peaches/peach ice cream, and grapefruit - the latter being notable because I utterly detest grapefruit. But so far all the major cravings have been for healthy things. ISTR with Kathy my big craving was creamsicles.

And thanks. I really hope this one works, because I strongly doubt I can do it again.

Second breakfast, second lunch *and* second dinner

[kcobweb.livejournal.com]

And snacks too. Don't forget snacks.

I've found that snacking/eating something about every two hours usually works pretty well for me.

I just ate my mid-morning yogurt, and I'm having a cup of cocoa. And yeah, I could still eat a small meal right about now. Easily, I suspect.

I'm just barely starting to gain - almost back to my pre-pregnancy weight.

And my stomach is definitely firmer. There's no sucking it in anymore - it just doesn't *go* anywhere. I haven't had any strangers come up to me on the street yet and ask me if I'm pregnant, though. My belly sometimes feels tighter, very taut. I've been putting lotion on my belly since I was 4 weeks LMP, in the vain hopeless hope that it might "help" down the line, whether with stretch marks or itchiness or whatever.

But it's casual Friday - mmmm, maternity jeans. Almost as good as pajama pants.

[patgreene.livejournal.com]

When I was pregnant with my second child, I would drive ten miles to get to the nearest Taco Bell and stock up on Pintos 'n' Cheese. (The canned stuff from the store just didn't work for me.)

Re: Second breakfast, second lunch *and* second dinner

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I've found that snacking/eating something about every two hours usually works pretty well for me.

My appetite is still unreliable, but so far I've found trail mix incredibly useful to have around. I have a tupperware container of it on my desk: cheerios, peanuts, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and dried mangoes. When I get hungry, I get HUNGRY - and if I can't go get lunch immediately, as sometimes happens, I cross over into feeling nauseated. Trail mix saves my life.

At home, my snacks of choice are individually-wrapped sticks of sharp cheddar cheese, and little prepackaged cups of mandarin oranges. My pregnancy snacking is bad for the environment.

I'm just barely starting to gain - almost back to my pre-pregnancy weight.

And my stomach is definitely firmer. There's no sucking it in anymore - it just doesn't *go* anywhere.

Isn't it weird to be bigger, but not heavier? That really seems to play up the alien parasite aspect of pregnancy.

You must be at 20 weeks, huh? Yay, you're halfway through!

[journeywoman.livejournal.com]

Towards the end of my first trimester, I discovered the joys of elevenses. In my second trimester, I started having second breakfasts instead, and moved lunch up to eleven o'clock. Now that I'm in my third trimester, I've given up the futile task of naming my mealtimes, and just spend a lot of time eating, though not much at any given sitting.

Scarlet (friend of a friend of a friend; hope you don't mind me posting)

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Oh God, Mexican food. Now I want Mexican food.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I've tried handing Michael the line, "Hey, after all, I'm eating for 1.01." He seems to have found it... less than convincing.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

(friend of a friend of a friend; hope you don't mind me posting)

Of course not! Welcome!

*trotting over to your journal to read about your pregnancy*

[ckd]

Just as long as the two topics of this post don't cross over; if your car starts eating two breakfasts and the rivka "check engine" light goes on, I'd worry.

[journeywoman.livejournal.com]

Considering the amount of time I spend thinking about pregnancy and infant care, there's surprisingly little about it in my LJ. I guess I feel a little guilty that my biology can control my intellect so much, so I try not to bore non-pregnant people with too much babble about it. Like my recent obsession with cloth diapers, which I find rather embarrassing to admit in mixed company.

However, since the subject has come up, and since you may be in a similar frame of mind, allow me to point you to a helpful post on the subject.

[okoshun.livejournal.com]

In other news: Last week the "check engine" light in the car came on, which turned out to mean that we needed a new oxygen sensor.

It must be the time for oxygen sensors because mine was replaced last week after my "check engine" light came on. Thank goodness the light stayed off since then.

[tammylc.livejournal.com]

Speaking of showing, and maternity clothes, I have gotten to the point where the package for you is boxed up with address labels. Beginning of next week's goal is to get it in the mail, so you should have it end of next week.

If you think you're eating a lot right now, wait until you're breastfeeding! My god - breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses... And absolutely no problem drinking the gallon of water I was aiming for when I was pregnant - I'm thirsty all the time too.

Re: Second breakfast, second lunch *and* second dinner

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

Heh. I'm getting the "eat now or the hungry will turn into nausea" but it's from SSRIs, not pregnancy.

And I must have been confused about something you said once, because I thought you were allergic to peanuts.

Re: Second breakfast, second lunch *and* second dinner

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I'm getting the "eat now or the hungry will turn into nausea" but it's from SSRIs, not pregnancy.

I'm so glad you're not pregnant. ;-)

And I must have been confused about something you said once, because I thought you were allergic to peanuts.

I'm allergic to raw nuts, but I can almost always eat roasted nuts - just as I'm allergic to raw fruit, but can eat fruit that's been baked into pies. In general, I have a stronger allergic reaction to tree nuts than to peanuts.

Almonds are the one nut I can't have cooked or raw.

I know, I know, my allergies are incredibly confusing.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Yay, you're the best! This is perfect timing. Thank you again.

[ailbhe]

My in-laws can't believe how much I eat. I keep cereal bars in my bag and eat them on other people's houses. I eat regular meals and I have a snack every time I feed her. And I'm still losing weight.