“We must continue…to enjoy the small things in life: honor home, and love our family; to eat, and always be full.†–From the eulogy I gave for my Granny, Mabel Angles, in the spring of 2009
One of the best parts of being pregnant is thoroughly enjoying food. For me to take pleasure in food even more than I did before I was pregnant is quite remarkable. As someone who once said the point of life is to “eat until you’re stuffed,†it is hard to believe that I can look forward to a meal more now then I did pre-baby bump, but I do. Most days (more like, every day) my thoughts revolve around when and what I’ll be eating next, and more specifically: What’s for lunch? What’s for dinner? Should I run to Martin’s after work for sushi? Or, how can I get my hands on some bacon? I must admit, these thoughts aren’t very different from my pre-pregnancy views, but I have to say, especially in the last month, I have taken it to a new level.
I often eat bland cereal or plain oatmeal for breakfast, leaving me with hunger pains until my lunch shift begins at 1:05. To ask a pregnant woman to wait until after 1 o’clock to eat lunch is criminal. For me to make it from bland breakfast at 8:15 to the long-awaited third lunch shift at Fort Defiance High School I must acquire as many snacks as possible. I have granola bars and bananas in my room, but those are strictly for emergencies, as I find them less than satisfying in my fits of famine. A few weeks ago I stalked the front office for an hour and a half because I heard the principal mention “free doughnut†as I passed him in the hall. Some days I literally turn on scavenge mode, searching hallways, desks and other people’s classrooms for any signs of food life.
Lucky for me, FDHS has something all high school kids probably remember fondly: the infamous Food Day. We have them quite often to celebrate random things like a student teacher leaving, Homecoming, the-day-before-Thanksgiving break, or more random events such as “Mole Day†(something scientific that is apparently worth celebrating). The good thing about my being pregnant is that I am never forgotten on food days. I can track a Krispy Kreme doughnut from a few hallways away and when I do, I know it will only be a matter of time before I am blessed with the gifts of other people’s parties. Being the only pregnant faculty member, the kids take me under their wing and find pleasure in bringing me food. They’re pretty smart because they know if they bring me snacks it will probably increase their chances of getting no homework or an extension on a writing assignment.
Today, a Physics class had a day-before-the-day-before-Thanksgiving break breakfast party during first block and the entire morning I was tantalized by the smell of bacon cooking mixed with maple syrup. I ate dry Cheerios and waited patiently, hoping that someone would remember me. With about five minutes left in first block, my prayers were answered when one of my students walked in with not one, but two plates of scrumptious breakfast food all for me. As you can see in the picture, he spared no expense by bringing me pancakes, sausage, bacon, doughnuts, a muffin, and yes, even maple syrup in a cup (which I almost drank in my stupor, thinking it was Pepsi….oops). When he walked in with the bacon I had been craving all morning I showed my gratitude with a fake angelic, opera-like “Ahhhhhh†as if the heavens were opening.
So, as I pause to give thanks on this day-before-the-day-before-Thanksgiving break I am grateful this pregnancy has given me yet another chance to remember something so important; to eat, and always be full.
2 thoughts on “Perks of Being Pregnant, Part 1: FOOD”
hahahaha great story! thanks for sharing. the way you tell stories is superb, I love them 🙂
This post sounds just like me…I'm such a foodie pregnant or not! I'm even wondering now…what will I make for breakfast? Great writing! thanks for putting me on your blog,I get readers from your site.Much appreciated.
SG
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