Confession: I haven't cooked a real dinner in over a month. After discovering I was pregnant in May, I was still feeling relatively good and I swore that I would not let my pregnancy interfere with my ability to feed my family healthy meals. Reality check less than a week later: at 4 pm, when I should be getting dinner on the table, I want nothing more than to plug my kids into a movie, take a snooze on the couch, and pray that Tim comes home on time to grill something up. How can I cook dinner under such circumstances? I know, I know, life is often about pushing through when the going gets tough. I need to buck up and keep my vomit to myself while cutting raw chicken or slicing onions. I just haven't.
So our dinner menu since the beginning of June has consisted of mostly the following:
mac and cheese, pizza (carry-out or frozen, take your pick), ramen noodles, grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup, quesadillas, grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, half-price Happy Meals at McD's on Tuesdays, and dinner at whatever other restaurant for which we can dig out a coupon. It's embarrassing. But I do manage to throw together some sort of veggie or fruit with each meal. Usually.
And it's expensive. Tim and I always calculate into our decision to have another child the first trimester budget, which includes a whole lot more prepared meals from Costco and way more eating out. Still, I think this pregnancy takes the cake. And it's not just because we have more kids. I've just become lazy in my old age.
I showed up for a doctor's appointment this morning to tip-toe onto the scale, as if that would lessen the blow, and found that I have already gained 4 pounds! I don't usually gain an ounce until the second trimester is well under way. So today I made a menu to last us through the end of the month. I might gag all the way through the pre-dinner hour, but at least there will be a reasonably healthy dinner on the table to show for it. And hopefully I'll have much better news to report after my next visit with the doctor. 4 pounds, ouch.
4 comments:
Don't fight it, just let yourself go!
This made me laugh because I had the SAME issue. But I am within sight of the end and I have gained the same amount with this pregnancy as with the other two. For some reason, the proportions were just very, very different. I'd like to say it's because you're having a boy, and maybe it is, but that wasn't the case with me. Just different hormone levels or something. But good luck with the cooking thing anyway. :)
Susie - your June menu is my January - December menu! And we are all somewhat happy, so don't feel bad! Throw in some Frozen Banquet meals for a buck each, and you've got it made! :) Love your blog! By the way, do you have new tenants?
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