An Apple a Day...

"So have you had any cravings?"

I am positive that every pregnant woman is asked the same list of questions approximately one zillion times. "How far along are you?"
"Do you know the sex yet?"
"Do you have any names picked out?"
And my all-time favorite: "Who's the father?" But that's a post for another day...

My point is that pregnancy carries with it a predictable list of unavoidable questions, and for some reason, the subject of food is a hot anecdote. Some women seem to crave the most bizarre combinations, like a pizza topped with Triscuits and gummy worms. Others experience symptoms of pica, an uncommon disorder in which the affected wants to consume inedible substances like dirt, chalk or coins.

Personally, I crave the specifics. At any given moment, I want a funnel cake from the Kentucky State Fair, the juice that comes in the communion cups at church, the barbecue chips released by the Lays brand for only a short while when I was about ten years old, the baked chicken breasts that only my vegetarian stepmom can make just right, the spinach and artichoke dip that only my mom can make just right, or the strawberry yogurt that I've only ever found in convenience stores in Ireland.

Last night I went out at 11 p.m. to get my favorite sandwich from Jimmy John's. When I walked into the shop wearing my sweatpants, slippers and glasses, the cashier gave me a thoughtful look and said, "You're out awful late for just a sandwich."
"I'm pregnant."
"Say no more," she replied.

So far, only one food item has remained consistently delicious to my pregnant tastes: apples. I've been eating applesauce, dried apples, freeze-dried apples (which are very different from regular dried apples), and- you guessed it- gold ol' fashioned apples.

Last night I expressed genuine sadness when my boyfriend, Roy, refilled my glass of apple juice only to tell me that I was drinking the last of it. Tragedy, my friends. That sweet, tangy, hearty flavor is my greatest gustatory solace.

So to answer that particular question on the list- YES, I do have cravings. I am pregnant, after all.