Why do I suddenly hate coffee?!

I mean, I know why. I'm pregnant again. And this time I'm nauseous 24/7, and foods that I once loved with my whole heart now turn my stomach.

Our local coffee shop used to be my FAVORITE place. I haven't been in weeks.

Coffee? I used to drink 4-5 cups a day, or more. I'd get cranky and develop a splitting headache if I went without it for more than a few hours. Now? I haven't had a sip of the stuff in three weeks. The very thought of it makes me queasy.

Barbecue flavored anything makes me equally uncomfortable. BBQ chips are especially revolting. And a spinach salad with carrots, cucumbers, croutons and ranch dressing - which, up until three-ish weeks ago was my everyday go-to for lunch - is wholly unappetizing.

I used to hear pregnant women complain about how they didn't want to eat anything healthy, all they craved was fried food and that it was just "the baby telling them what to eat!"

I used to inwardly roll my eyes, thinking yeah right, I'm sure it's just the baby. You just have poor eating habits. I figured if I was in a healthy routine, eating healthy foods when I got pregnant, I'd be fine.

Oh how I have been humbled.

It's currently 9:30 a.m. and I'm devouring a chicken strip basket and a cotton candy blizzard from Dairy Queen.

Fun fact - April 10-23, you can get 85 cent blizzards using the DQ app!

French fries are the one thing that always sounds good, always sounds like they'll be my salvation when I am feeling like I've been hit by a truck. The only salad I can stomach is from Olive Garden. Spinach is disgusting, but I force myself to eat it for the nutritional value (I blend it up in a smoothie so I don't have to taste it or chew it).

In a lot of ways, I'm so grateful to be so nauseous. I didn't have any nausea last time, so I'm counting this as a good sign. I had my first ultrasound a couple of weeks ago, and got to hear baby bean's heartbeat.

I was afraid to look at the screen at first - terrified there'd be another gaping black hole, or something so obviously wrong I'd know something was off. But when the ultrasound tech said "There's your baby!" and I looked at the screen, all I could do was cry. "Really?" I whispered. It was the most magical moment, like a balm for my soul.

I'm now at the 9-week mark. I go back for another ultrasound in a week and a half. I'm still afraid to get my hopes up until then; but for now I've got my weird food aversions, sore boobs and all-day morning sickness to keep me company and reassure me I'm still pregnant.