Ice cream cravings? Well, not for Anni

When people find out Anni is pregnant, they ask whether she's having cravings.
"So are you buying a lot of ice cream?" I've been asked.
"Only for me," I respond.
Actually, she's all about the fruit right now. Bananas, kiwi, apples, nectarines, oranges, grapes and just about anything else.
We were at the grocery store recently and had stocked up on what I thought was enough fruit. Then I looked down the aisle and here comes Anni, holding up a 5-pound sack of oranges like it was a trophy catch. The bag was added to the cart.
Then we moved on to the ice cream section, where I held up a carton of mint chocolate chip like it was a trophy catch. It was added to the cart.
We each left happy.

Pillow talk

It's not what you think, so read on.
We're sleeping in a double bed upstairs while I work on the downstairs bedroom. It's snug -- especially when you're used to a queen bed.
Anyway, the other night I turned to Anni and, ever so delicately, said I had a question. (It doesn't take long to learn one should approach questions about pregnancy routines delicately.)
I wondered whether the pillow she's been putting between her legs each night is going to be a nighttime staple for the foreseeable future.
The answer was yes. She brings it to bed because it's comfortable and because it's good for circulation, I was told.
OK, I thought, I can live with being a even more cramped if it helps her. After all, I'm not pregnant so can't complain.
But then Anni added this little bit of news: "I might eventually get a body pillow."
"I can't wait," I said to myself while trying to contain my sheer giddiness at the thought of sleeping three to a double bed.

'Trying' to understand something

Being an expectant father -- gulp -- prompts myriad questions.
Here's one I've been considering for a few weeks: Is it normal, upon learning that a couple is expecting a child, to inquire whether the expectant parents "were trying" to get pregnant?
Several people -- relatives, friends -- asked us that question after learning Anni is pregnant. (They all were excited and happy for us, for which we're grateful, but each time that question lingered long after the "congrats" and impromptu celebrations.)
I don't get it. Are there that many surprise first pregnancies among married couples in their late 20s who've been together nearly a dozen years?
Just curious.

The pants

I've found there are increasingly obvious pregnancy indicators.
First came the positive pregnancy test. No, make that positive pregnancy tests. A jolt to the psyche, that little blue cross on the plastic popsicle stick.
The next big indicator is the ultrasound. You've seen the routine in movies -- the scene in "Juno" tops any other -- on TV shows and in commercials. It's pretty neat. But it's a surreal and wonderful experience when you're sitting there in the doctor's office -- lights dimmed and belly lubed -- and all of the sudden it appears on the screen. It leaves you wishing all silent, black-and-white films were this good.
But I recently stumbled upon another, even more obvious sign Anni really is pregnant.
She went shopping the other day. When she came home she told me she bought some clothes, including a pair of pants that were on sale.
She pulled the black pants from a bag, held them up and stretched the waistband to what seemed like the width of her arm span.
The sight of these stretchy pants prompted from me a blank stare and this: "Oh, boy, this is really happening."
Somewhere, an aircraft carrier is missing its jet-launching sling.

A crazy question

Some questions are better left not asked.
A few weeks ago Anni was reading "What to expect..." or something like it and mentioned -- warned? -- she may have mood swings during the pregnancy.
Since then, I've started playing a little game in which I try to detect when a mood swing swings by for a visit. They are not frequent and sometime subtle, which can make the game challenging.
About a week ago we were eating dinner when we got into a minor spat about something I considered trivial. I thought to myself, "I wonder if this is a pregnancy mood swing?"
I should have simply wondered. Instead, I took it a step further.
"Are you pregnant or just crazy?" I asked.
It didn't go over well.
I'm still wondering, but won't ask again for the answer.

It's really in there

Most photos are worth a thousand words. This one's worth six, but they're great: Yep, there's really something in there.