Good thing...

All I have to say, is that it is a GOOD thing I’m not as sick or sensitive as my previous pregnancies! I can’t tell you how many situations I have been in over here that would have USUALLY thrown me into a fit of vomiting. The car we ride in every day, all day long, is as bumpy as a horny toad’s back due to all the construction around town, getting ready for the World Expo next summer. That, alone, would have set me off a hundred times a day. Then, there is the sight and smell of all kinds of unusual foods. And that’s not to mention the various fumes of sewer, uncleanliness, exhaust, etc., that I pass a hundred times a day in various parts of the city. Anyone who knows me well, knows how sensitive I am to heat…regularly. It’s getting hot…real hot…here, and if I was as sensitive as I remember being in my first two pregnancies, I would be doomed this time around.

Since we are waiting to tell people about this pregnancy, and especially the fact that we want our family and friends back home to know before my friends here in Shanghai, it is extremely fortunate that I’m not as sick this time around. With all the nasty smells, sights, etc around town, I would have surely given myself away by now. As it is, I think our driver and ayi suspect something. But, I’ll never know that for sure because they would never mention it to me unless I mention it to them first.

So, THANK GOODNESS I don’t have to battle the horrible bouts of nausea I remember experiencing before. On the flip side of that sentiment, I’m not too happy about gaining weight this time around. Since I had been soooo sick the first two times the entirety of each pregnancy, I hadn’t gained a pound in either pregnancy and ended up losing weight after each baby was born. This time, I won’t be so “lucky?”…and I’m very nervous about it.

As I mentioned before, I need to eat every two hours…like clockwork. While I have been very careful to eat healthier snacks…I AM still taking in more calories than usual…and gaining weight already. Ugh. In fact, it’s absolutely no use to eat any kind of large, “normal” meal throughout my day, because I’ll be hungry two hours later. So, pretty much, I snack all day long.

I haven’t had any cravings, per se, but I have been avoiding some foods. I’m avoiding many kinds of meats since the origin of the meat here is often questionable. So, I generally stick to tofu for protein in my meals. I avoid any kind of fruit and veggie that can’t be peeled, since the level of pesticides on those foods is also questionable. I avoid bell peppers all together since bell peppers are known to hold the highest amount of pesticides in their skins. We buy only organic milk and I stick to buying many of the imported foods at this time…even though it’s costing us a small fortune to do so. Buying imported groceries is costing us 3 times as much as we would pay in the States. That IS a fact. Ryan is also benefitting from the organic food since he has been dealing with unknown allergies since moving here and the organics seem to help his skin allergies.

So, [we] are making it work. I’m looking forward to eating all that wonderful, fresh and delicious fruit in Hawaii…and NOT paying $30 for a week’s worth of milk! It will be so wonderful…AND Hawaii now has several Coffee Beans! Hee hee ;-)