Happy (late) Easter!!!

I’m sorry it has taken me so long to update. I spent the entire weekend doing Easter festivities. I colored eggs, as you can see below. Mr Duckie with his bunny slippers is proudly displaying my two favorites. I call them “boy” and “girl.”


In addition to coloring Easter eggs, I took a day trip to Michigan to have Easter dinner with my grandparents and parents. My (ever wonderful and understanding) boyfriend drove me all the way and back, despite the fact that I was crabby and not that pleasant to deal with at 7 a.m. I don’t know why, but I woke up yesterday morning feeling very uncomfortable in the abdominal area. Feelings ranged from gurgles to sharp pains. These feelings magically disappeared soon after having a bowl of my mom’s amazing pasta salad… funny how that works. It’s a great recipe, and I would totally recommend it to anyone and everyone. Without any attention to measurements, which you can just decide for yourself, throw together:

1. Some sort of pasta, cooked al dente. Mom used bowties yesterday but Grandma usually uses rotini. Just don’t use any tubular pastas like macaroni or penne because it will get watery and gross once it’s in with everything else.
2. Cucumber, peeled, sliced and diced
3. Peppers. Red, green and/or yellow. It’s up to you
4. Carrots sliced thin
5. Radishes, also sliced thin
6. Cherry tomatoes. You can also use Roma’s but the picky eaters in the family find cherry tomatoes easier to pick out
7. Black olives, drained
8. Sharp cheddar cheese. Grandma usually uses shredded cheese, but Mom and I prefer to use small chunks.
9. Italian salad dressing. This is another one you can decide for yourself. Grandma uses creamy Italian while Mom prefers plain ol’ Italian. Personally, I think it’s great both ways. Be sure not to use too much. It should be enough to coat everything, but not enough to pool at the bottom of the bowl.
10. You can add just about any other vegetable you like to it. Grandma likes to use broccoli, but discovered many people (including Grandpa) picking it out. I’ve also seen it with celery (meh).

So yeah, that’s the magic recipe. As with all things, use responsibly. Moving on…

Mengyao made a wonderful impression on the extended family, which is amazing because ever since the news of our little development, we’ve had to defend him extensively when around my dad's parents. (It’s funny how they keep on coming to the conclusion that I had nothing to do with it…) It would be good to note that my parents have always liked him and don’t lay any blame on him to speak of. It obviously takes two.

In other developments, my middle section, which seems to be ballooning quite nicely. I am beginning to wear stretchy clothing only, which is fine because it gives me an excuse to wear a skirt every day. Also, I should let you all know that I’m having trouble with the scanner at the school’s computer lab and have not yet been able to upload the pictures onto my computer. Will do ASAP.

Well, I’ve got to take off because, unfortunately, homework doesn’t stop for pregnancy. I’ll try to write more tomorrow for the sake of those before promised updates.

Better now, but why does the world smell funny?

I realized today that most of you out there probably think I am still in a comatose state. Not the case. On the 9th (day after I last posted) I went antiquing with my dad. That was good, got me out of the house, and we got to spend some quality time together, which we don't usually get that much of. I also spent a day with my mom shopping, got to have dinner with various cousins, and went to a family pizza potluck on Saturday night. Time well spent, I believe. Lots of free food.

I didn't want to come back to school when spring break was over. REALLY didn't want to come back. But I did. I have to finish this semester, or I'll feel like I've lost something. On Sunday my parents and I packed up my freshly done laundry and toted it all the way back to Chicago. They were good enough to help me unpack, which was awesome because if Mom hadn't been there to motivate me, I doubt it would be done yet.

That night after they left, I felt the baby move for the first time. This marks a drastic change in thinking for me. They tell me it's kind of early for me to be feeling that sort of thing, (I'm somewhere around week 13) but nothing in the world could have felt like what I felt the other night. It was kind of like, when you have one balloon inside another, and the one on the inside bounces against the side. It also could be likened to how a coke can might feel being filled with carbonation... So now when I think of my uterus, I imagine a coke can. But anyway, I felt it. It moved. It made itself known to me. I'm starting to get excited for this. I'm starting to feel this less as an intrusion on my life. I mean, it's a little person! It's a healthy change of thought that I am glad has finally come. It's a lot easier to deal with pregnancy now that I'm a little happier about it.

A few other changes are happening. I have to use the bathroom a lot. This change has happened, literally, overnight. Sunday, I felt normal. Monday, I used the bathroom at least every two hours and it's been that way since. So that's been... inconvenient. (Yay for kegels!) Another drastic change is one that has surprised me to no end. Both yesterday and today, when my alarm went off at 8 a.m., I got up. This isn't usual for normal me, let alone pregnant and usually sick me! And it's not a, hit the snooze, hit the snooze again, drag myself out of bed, consider lying down again and stumble into the bathroom kind of wake up, either. It's a genuine, "There's the alarm, I'm up!" feeling.

The third change is my middle, which has been gradually looking more and more like a fanny pack when I wear pants that button. Wearing jeans for long periods of time has become really uncomfortable, in fact the only pair I've worn in the past three weeks are what I consider my "fat jeans." I've finally ordered new lounge pants. I am now sporting fleece, velour and jersey in fashion worthy colors. As far as an actual bump, it's barely there, but there just the same. I've not noticed a difference in weight, but yesterday I took a soaking bath and definitely noticed a difference in water displacement.

The last change I am hoping is temporary. At first I thought it was something I was wearing, maybe some article of clothing or something I got on my hands. But after fifth person didn't smell anything, I concluded it must be me. All around me I can smell goldfish food. No joke! I've heard of this before, women smelling things during pregnancy. My roommate used the term "olfactory hallucination." It's most disturbing... and of all the smells to smell! I mean I could understand the smell of salt, musk, or perhaps even capers, but goldfish food? So that's confusing. If anyone could shed some light on that, it would be appreciated.

In the meantime, college is definitely back in full swing. Now I need to do some writing that will actually get graded. Ta ta!