What a zygote wants, what a zygote needs . . .

Is the alien in my womb a zygote, or a fetus? Merriam-Webster's says that a developing human is a fetus after three months. In that case, little zyggie isn't quite there yet.

But that's not why I'm writing. I'm writing today about food cravings. Oh, we've all heard some whacky ones, haven't we, hungry reader? There's the classic pickles and ice cream--both foods I have craved, but never at the same time. Here's a few more from a Web site called BabyCenter:

What do pregnant women crave? We took a survey of BabyCenter users and discovered that most (almost 40 percent) said "Give me something sweet." Slightly fewer (33 percent) opt for salty snacks. Fans of Mexican food and other spicy cuisine came in third (17 percent). Trailing behind (at 10 percent) are those who crave citrus fruit, green apples, and other lip-puckering tart or sour foods. . . . Some women confessed to wanting pickles wrapped in cheese, salsa spooned straight out of the jar, and yes, even steak fat. And where in the spectrum of sweet, salty, spicy, and sour does one woman's passion for black olives on Sara Lee cheesecake lie? Another reader told us she ate a steady diet of Cheese Whiz sandwiches, which she now (postpartum) can't bear the sight of. Eggplant, particularly on pizza, was another reader's obsession.

This pregnancy is a little less intense than my last one. Last time I had strong, strong cravings, and very strong aversions. Kev and I had a lot of food leftover from our wedding, including a huge tub of guacamole and seemingly hundreds of frozen egg rolls. Now, I LOVED this guacamole . . . usually. But seeing it in that plastic tub, a couple days old, just about did me in. Even now, just writing about it, my nose is a little wrinkled, and I can smell the horrible chemical smell of the manufactured home we lived in. I couldn't touch the egg rolls, either, but Kevin milked those things for weeks, much to my belly's dismay.

What did I want to eat then? Sugarfree popsicles, and ONLY sugarfree. Poor Kevin. I sent him to the store for some one day and he came home with REGULAR popsicles and I swear I almost cried. The other foods at the top of my list were Saltines and plain--but salty, very salty--hamburger patties.

This time around, I think about what I'm going to eat pretty much all day. Nothing has seemed totally revolting, thankfully, and my nausea decreases a bit each day. However, if I'm having a bad day, I feel it in the afternoon, not in the morning. And if I eat a little too much or go a little too long between meals . . . not good.

I'm definitely having cravings, though, and they're very specific and kinda funny. Today it's corn. Just regular canned corn, with butter, salt, and pepper. Of course, homegrown corn taken off the cob (just like grandma used to make it) would be ideal. I don't know why it came into my head, but it's there, and I can't shake it. The other day I wanted rice with milk and sugar for dinner, and actually stopped at the Giganto store to get the long-cooking rice--the instant just isn't as good. I hate going to the store, so going for just one thing is pretty much unheard of.

Unless I'm craving raspberries and fresh mozzarella, which required another expedition.

Or rice krispie treats. Yet another trip.

Or cheap frozen cheese pizza.

Or mashed potatoes and green beans.

Or watermelon.

Or Smarties.

Luckily, most of the cravings have been fairly healthy, and there are many grocery stores in the immediate area. Except for when I wanted the mashed potatoes and green beans. That evening, my sweet husband actually went to the relatively far away grocery store, bought the ingredients (potatoes, canned green beans) and even prepared the "meal". I believe I spent that time on the couch, curled up under a fuzzy blanket with cheesy wolves on it (it was a Christmas present, yo), practically paralyzed with fatigue, nausea, . . . and cravings.