Fast Food

One fun symptom I was not expecting from pregnancy was going from 0 to Cookie Monster levels of hungry. This has resulted in more than a few trips the nearest fast food place because if the fetus wants chicken, he’s getting chicken.

Wendy’s

My fast food ride or die. I have the free Frosty keychain, good prices, decent variety, and the fries regularly taste like potato. I’m here for it!

Burger King

I haven’t eaten in ages but a pregnancy craving for food resulted in my trying chicken fries, regular fries, and a milkshake. Good variety, standard prices, tasty. One of my fries tasted like potato! Will be more open to them in the future.

Homophobic Chicken

AKA Chic-Fil-A. The food is tasty and the milkshakes are amazing however it’s pricey and the corporate overlords are conservative twats IIRC.

KFC

Affordable and most combos come with a bonus biscuit. Very filling. Last time I even got a cookie. It’s got a wider variety of sides but a more limited menu for main courses. Still hard to beat some of the prices.

Taco Bell

Affordable and tasty. I’ve never had the butt-splosions but I know it happens. If it can’t be reliably eaten on a road trip, it can’t get a good spot.

McDonald’s

I tried them in the last few years. Do not want.

Subway

I have not had a meal there in years that was better than meh.

Not featured

Arby’s – There isn’t one near me

Five Guys – No drive-thru

In-N-Out Burger – I’m on the east coast but I wouldn’t mind those milkshakes coming east.

Hardees/Carl’s Jr. – None near by

Bibliodivination

I’m reading Growing Things by Paul Tremblay and very much enjoyed this passage (no spoilers)

If only there was a term for determining the character of a person or persons via their bookshelves; piecing together an inner life or mind from the titles and types of books and how they are arranged and catalog. If there is a term for bookshelf-dowsing or bibliodivination, I am unfamiliar with it.

For regular books, genre determines the shelf, size then color determines the placement on the shelf. For graphic novels, size then alphabetically by series then numerically within the series.

I don’t know if that tells you anything about me but it’s how I roll.

Expecting Better

This book was not only full of important information but the reasons behind it.

So many women wonder why certain foods are off limits and Oster explains why. Irony, sushi grade tuna is actually safer for your fetus than the canned stuff. The fear of cat litter only matters if your exposure to toxoplasmosis from it is high. If you have a completely indoor cat, you’re fine. You can also be immune from a previous exposure. Unfortunately, I am not and neither my job nor I want to risk it.

Oster explains the concerns with hot tubs and hot yoga. IDGAF about either of those so I skimmed but I’m sure many women out there care. Another important point was the benefit of exercise and how useless bed rest actually is. Don’t run a marathon but remaining immobile basically does sweet FA.

I got the first run hardcover so some of the information was a bit dated already. I skimmed the chapter on testing for certain medical conditions in your baby. They took my blood, which has fetal DNA, and verified my baby has the correct number of chromosomes including a Y. Several of the tests she listed weren’t even relevant to me because of this.

I plan on revisiting some of the later chapters closer to my due date. I’m still open to an epidural but am less hyped for it now that I know it can impact birth position. I now know I can insist on no cutting unless absolutely necessary because some places routinely do it.

June Wrap-Up

June wasn’t quite as productive as I’d hoped

June Wrap-Up

Thelma the Unicorn by Aaron Blabey

A fun and silly children’s book 4/5

Pregnant Butch: Nine Long Months Spent in Drag by A. K. Summers

Recommended by Lucy Knisley, this was a very interesting and compelling graphic memoir. 4/5

The Worrier’s Guide to Life by Gemma Correll

A fan of her online comics, I greatly enjoyed this collection. 5/5

Becoming by Michelle Obama

An excellent memoir that told a lot while keep private things private and feeling sincere. Because my reading of this book was split, it didn’t resonate with me as much as I would have liked. 4/5

Origin by Dan Brown

Brown’s books are the literary equivalent of National Treasure: action packed, informative, and entertaining. Improbable and info-dump-y at times but interesting. 3.5

Pregnancy Thoughts Part 2

These are from 6 weeks until now.

Nothing like starting the day with a wand up your vag. Early sonograms have to be done inside you ICYMI.

Sugar has been extra growly today. IDK if she’s tired or more protective of Mami due to my eggo bring preggo.

What to expect has SO MUCH INFORMATION! I just skipped over 20 pages because none of it applied to me but it’s great they’re covering so many bases.

Hubs’s cousin is getting married on a Drumpf property and has the hashtag ‘Make [Surname] Great Again.’ At least people in the south won’t shoot a pregnant woman.

I love my husband but if he makes one more pickles and ice cream joke, I may hurt him. I hate pickles, they’re a trigger food for my reflux. He knows this so it wasn’t funny after the second time. We’re on the fifth or sixth.

There is a Twitter thing about describing your sex life in a movie title. I can’t participate with Knocked Up yet. I am disappoint.

IDK if my hair is coming in thicker but it’s coming out less. My ears are also waxier but I have no idea if that’s related.

It’s baby shaped with limbs! I heard its heartbeat! I watched it move its little arm!

I have no idea what kind of stuff we’ll need but we’ve got a first and middle name picked out for each gender. Now we’re working on backup names if we get 2 of either gender.

‘What to Expect app: Ask your mom about her pregnancy.’ We’re estranged because she’s a terrible person so screw you app.

I’m reading the healthy eating chapter. One suggestion is to swap your doughnut with a bran muffin. Whoever wrote this has clearly never had a doughnut. This suggestion feels like ‘skip the sandwich, eat the napkin.’

‘When in doubt, throw it out seems extreme. I wasn’t sure about some shrimp I cooked up about a week ago so I smelled them. My body said “Smells like food” and it was good. I’m pretty sure the only time I’ve puked this far was when I ate something a little off and my body said “Nope!”

What to Expect says staying optimistic and reducing stress is good for the baby. I’m trying to not make myself crazy because worrying helps and solves nothing. It’s normal to be concerned but control is an illusion. Worrying doesn’t make you more in control so why waste the energy?

We had to hide the pregnancy at a memorial picnic. Fortunately, I kind of live a pregnancy friendly life anyway. No beer? Same old. Skipping deli meat and/or cheese? Saving room for crabs and pie. Only using organic bug spray? I started doing that last year. It works great too. Avoiding secondhand smoke? It’s always bothered me. No cause for suspicion

July TBR

June had a smidge of a slump. I craved a certain kind of fiction but couldn’t quite find it. Fortunately, I think I have a library hold to scratch that itch. I’m also going to wrap up reading at least one of my pregnancy books.

July TBR

Expecting Better by Emily Oster

Informative and helpful with numbers and statistics. Not everything is relevant to me but will be to other STB moms.

FKA USA by Reed King

I wanted a piece of fiction I could lose myself in and I think I finally found it. It’s weird and compelling and I’m hooked.

I’ve got several holds that could come in and I’m going to dabble further in What to Expect so this is all I’m really focusing on.

Dem Apples

Entirely too many people think they have a shot at being nominated as a presidential candidate. Here’s my thoughts on all of them.

Michael Bennet

Which old white man is he?

Joe Biden

Name recognition and political history makes him a serious contender but continued gaffes are hurting his chances. Not my favorite but definitely top 5.

Cory Booker

I like him but he hasn’t got a shot in hell. Would be a solid candidate for a cabinet position though.

Steve Bullock

Which old white man is he?

Pete Buttigieg

I like him but he’s extremely unlikely to win. Another solid pick for a cabinet position.

Julian Castro

I’m pretty neutral on him as a person and politician but he doesn’t have a shot in hell.

Bill de Blasio

None of his constituents support him in this which should tell us something. Fortunately, he doesn’t have a shot in hell.

John Delaney

Which old white man is he?

Tulsi Gabbard

She got into this early but it doesn’t make her any less of a long shot. She was way too late to get on board with marriage equality and tried to defend Julian Assange as a journalist. Fuck her.

Kirsten Gillibrand

I like her and a lot of her policies but an long shot.

Kamala Harris

I like her a lot and I really want her to be in the top 5. Strong contender.

John Hickenlooper

Which old white man is he?

Jay Inslee

The only reason I know which old white man he is is from Pod Save America. This does not bode well.

Amy Klobuchar

Extreme long shot and I’m meh at best.

Wayne Messam

Who? How long has he been in this?

Seth Moulton

Which old white man is he?

Beto O’Rourke

I think he needs more experience but has the charisma. Solid contender I’m very meh about.

Tim Ryan

Which old white man is he?

Bernie Sanders

Top 5 contender based on politics, history, and name recognition alone. I’m not a fan (lots of talk, minimal action) and, ultimately, I don’t think he’ll take it.

Joe Sestak

Which old white man is he?

Eric Swalwell

He’s a young white man. I still know sweet FA about him. When did he even join?

Elizabeth Warren

Top 5 and I pray to whichever higher power is listening and Santa that she gets the nomination and becomes number 46. Forget a hippopotamus or my two front teeth, I want her as President.

Marianne Williamson

No! Bad! Moonbeam can take her summer child, anti-vax ass back to whatever commune she came in from. She has no business being on that stage or in my newsfeed.

Andrew Yang

I love the idea of universal basic income but he doesn’t have a shot in hell. I think he does have a future in politics if he chooses to continue that way. As Samantha Bee said, run for senate!