I'm a hobbit

Yes, a hobbit. Why, you ask? Because just like those little guys with the furry feet, I have found myself enamored of a new daily ritual: Second Breakfasts. This glorious occassion takes place about three hours after my First Breakfasts and, yes, is limited to a second serving of breakfast like food, no exceptions. For the rest of the day, I eat pretty much as is usual, but the morning is food time for the Daughterling.

They say that babies have patterns in the womb, daily schedules and habits they adhere to. And I've found this to be very true, especially regarding feedings. Here is a rough run-down of Daughterling's current schedule:

6:00 a.m.- wake up starving (7:00 a.m. on the weekends..eep!) This is accompanied with Daughterling kicking like crazy, in a very, "YAAAAAAAARGH!!! Feed meeeeeeeee!" sort of fashion.

6:15 a.m.- partake of one of the following: bowl of lucky charms, hard boiled egg (I'm adding these in to try and curb more eating later, not really working), chocolate chip pancakes, greek yogurt.

8:00 a.m.- experience extreme hunger sensations in the car en-route to work. Thank the heavens I don't have one of those awesome GPS systems that shows me where food sources are, or I'd be tardy to work every day.

8:30 a.m.- dash out of car and run to work fridge for cheese/fruit snack OR pull into the local coffee shop next to work, resolved to eat something as an alternative to going mad with hunger. Usually walk out with a small coffee and a bagel w/low fat cream cheese (if I'm being good), a butter croissant (if I'm being a little bad) or a sausage/egg/cheese bagel (if I'm really really hungry and body is in the 'you must do this or baby/you won't survive the winter' mentality.)

9:00-10:00 a.m.- Daughterling begins training for Olympic Women's Soccer Team, kicking like crazy and shifting/tactical manoeuvres.

11:00 a.m.- Vague hunger comes back, triggering the "don't forget about lunch at noon" instinct.

Noon- Lunch times! Usually something pretty healthy, though co-workers are sabotaging lately with their delicious baked goods and homemade pasta salads.

2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.- Hungry again. The great, "do I go and buy a Maggie Moo's milkshake???" debate rages in my head. Decide five bucks a day on milkshakes alone will sap the bank account in no time. Settle for baby carrots and cheese squares instead.

4:00 p.m.- more kicking ensues as Daughterling trains to apparently join an Irish step dancing team in the future. Odd movements, giant leaps and flailing kicks ensue.

5:00 p.m.- Drive home, daydreaming about dinner and sitting on my duff. By the end of my commute, am Cranky Hunger Monster, in need of less traffic and a light snack upon entering the home.

6:00 p.m.- Have light snack, usually consisting of: 2 pickle spears, more greek yogurt, coffee cup full of Lucky Charms, small cake cone of ice cream (hey! I only get this excuse right now) or anything else yummy I can muster. Go work on dinner or wait for Timmerz to come home and make dinner.

6:30 p.m.- Daughterling kicks approval at dinner. Usually spreads out and pushes some pointy body object (knee, elbow, pointy pointy head?) at an angle that is very uncomfortable and a bit disconcerting.

9:00 p.m.- Hunger starts up again. Go in for second or somethimes third small cake cone of ice cream (in my defense, I am not doing a standard issue ice cream shop giant one/two scoops on these, people. Seriously, I barely fill the cake cone and eat that... I have SOME limits, here.)

10:00-11:00 p.m.- Settle down to bed and try to read. Wherein Daughterling begins judo practice, possibly fusing judo with Irish step dance in some odd new and groundbreaking fashion. Tim tries to feel and the girl immediately stops, trying to make an ass out of me and make Tim feel bad. YES this is our child. Make note to self to enforce even more chores when child comes of age as payback.

Repeat times every day. Sometimes throw in dance rehearsal, a neighborhood walk, going out to a movie or some other random social event.

It's kind of neat having these routines, but it also makes me feel a bit out of control. I don't know if I can get across how the hunger is not something I create, but more of a crazy, evolutionary runaway train that grabs me and forces me to food. It's like birds migrating or tectonic plates shifting- it just is.