9-month buffet

I have had the best time eating my way through this pregnancy. In my real life, I tend to keep a pretty careful eye on what I eat, and I work out 5 days a week without fail (most of the time). These past 32 weeks (because I didn't find out I was pregnant, of course, until I was 4 weeks along), though, have been an endless buffet. I have gained the same 30 pounds I gained with the other 2 kids, but these 30 were absolutely guilt- free.

While lately the sight of organic grapes at the grocery store has made me drool, most of my pregnancy cravings have been shockingly unhealthy. Grape soda. Orange soda. Cherry limeades from Sonic. Hot dogs. Sausage pizza. Chocolate dipped cones from DQ.

Yesterday, I ate at 5 different restaurants (1.blueberry pancakes and sausage patties for breakfast, 2. 1/2 a grilled cheese and pesto sandwich and cole slaw for lunch 3. with a cupcake from a cupcakery for dessert, 4. shrimp pasta diablo, a mixed green salad, and an embarrassing amount of bread with butter for dinner, and 5. a huge piece of chocolate cake for dessert). Lunch also featured not one but 2 Cherry Pepsis, ensuring that I stayed up way past my bedtime-- and seriously? I don't drink soda at all in real life, but I was strolling around the zoo yesterday and I HAD to have a cherry soda. I could barely wait to get to the restaurant.

Almost every night, Ben and I gorge on crackers, fruit, and a variety of sliced cheese. I have eaten more mini Twix ice cream bars than I can count. The other day at Whole Foods, I could barely wait until I got to the parking lot to open my Caribbean mix Popsicle. My breakfast has doubled in size-- I eat a whole bagel with peanut butter and a half a melon almost every morning. I can demolish a phalanx of Oreos or Joe-Joes all by myself with a heaping glass of milk.

I have been to all of my favorite restaurants, including the greasy diner with the world's best grilled cheese, fries, and milkshake, many times. I have eaten several kringles (google them and if you haven't tried one, try it), chowed on Kosher donuts, sucked down so much pie at our favorite pie place (I have a favorite pie place for goodness sake!) that my dad bought me a t-shirt from their gift shop.

If I diet for the rest of my life, I think I will still be satisfied from this fantastic food orgy of a pregnancy.