a first time for everything

11:47 pm saturday night. david is still working on his lesson for sunday, and i am reading. the character in the book i am reading pours a bowl of lucky charms (magically delicious), and it hits me like a ton of bricks: i would like some cold cereal. we already have raisin bran and healthy flax-flake-granola stuff at home. but i know i need something else: sugar cereal. i'm not craving a particular cereal, brand, or type; any cold sugar cereal will do.

i announce to david i am going to the store for cold cereal and i ask if he has any requests. "frosted flakes," he replies. i head to smiths, arriving at 11:57 and discover they close at 12am (i thought they were open 24hrs...nope). so i head to walmart. my least favorite store in all of utah valley, especially on a saturday night at midnight--the student/family rush before sunday. but cold cereal is on the line. the parking lot is packed, and the store lights are on and the doors blissfully opening and closing.

i grab a cart and head straight to the cereal aisle. i walk up and down a few times, throwing whatever looks good in my cart. lucky charms, cookie crunch, apple jacks, cocoa puffs, pops, cracklin' oats, malt-o-meal bags, the requested frosted flakes. i think it's probably a good idea to get a couple gallons of milk, since we only have one left. it isn't until i head to the check-out that i realize my cart is overflowing with cereal--only cereal--nothing else. i feel slightly embarrassed, but don't feel any particular need to put a single bag or box of cereal back on the shelf. so i start to line up my boxes on the check-out counter.

the guy in front of me looks back and says, "are you having a breakfast party tomorrow?" i laugh and say, "sure looks like it, doesn't it?" the check-out guy raises his eyebrows as he's scanning and says, "what's with all the cereal?" i look back at him and say, "i have no idea!" and then it hits me: this is what they are talking about when they ask if i've craved anything weird during the pregnancy. i am feeding my first pregnancy craving. i start laughing and the baby does somersaults.

i drive home, unload seven bags of cereal and two gallons of milk and proudly announce to david i've had my first craving. he comes out to inspect what i've purchased and we both start laughing. i pour myself a bowl of cocoa puffs. baby swims back and forth, kicking thank you, very happy with the choice of the night.

this morning for breakfast? cottage cheese, a nectarine, and a slice of wheat toast...