When my stomach rules my world...

We've talked about the whole pregnancy nausea thing.  The experience has been different for me this time....  I wake up with nausea, I watch TV with nausea, I go to work with nausea; it goes on errands with me, and helps the kids with their homework.  I've even learned to eat through the nausea- if I didn't, I would never eat.  Another funny thing happens during pregnancy- those weird food cravings and aversions.  Now, you would think that the nausea would influence the cravings- but I've learned that may not always be the case.  I have a friend who is just a little more pregnant than me, and she doesn't have any nausea at all.  She does, however, have cravings. 

It's always interesting when these food oddities hit.  You're going out to dinner with friends and someone says "where do you want to eat?".  Usually I'm all, "wherever, I'm not picky about restaurants".  Now, I must ask my stomach. 

Me:  Texas Roadhouse?
My stomach: Around all that meat???  Gross.  No.
Me:  Baja Fresh?
My stomach:  Hmmmm....  We usually love Mexican food.  But no.
Me:  Olive Garden?
Stomach:  No.
Me (getting annoyed): Why not?  We LOVE the Olive Garden!!!
My stomach:  I don't know.  Just no.
Me:  Chili's?
My stomach: Oohhhhhh... We can get mashed potatoes there.  That would be okay.

I have similar conversations with my stomach now for almost every meal or snack.  There is a very short list of things that are always okay, but it's nice to have a few things to fall back on. 

Then there is the phenomena of I MUST HAVE AND EAT THAT IMMEDIATELY.  It can strike at any time, or in any place.  Friday night, my stomach (uterus????) decided that we must have orange juice IMMEDIATELY.  I was tasked to the cafeteria to buy some as soon as possible.  Here's the thing about cafeteria orange juice- it's Ocean Spray.  While it is pulp free, it has the distinction of being the most awful OJ out there.  I drank it anyway.  And kind of liked it.  Lucky for me, my fantastic hubby headed to the store and bought me 2 gallons of Minute Maid the next day.  With a little help from the kids, we made it through the 2 gallons in about three days.  And cold OJ?  Still my beverage of choice.  We'll see how long that lasts....

It's always an adventure to see what cravings and aversions each pregnancy brings.  One constant remains throughout them all, though....  Chicken makes me want to barf.