I Think My Dog Has Pica

In the pregnancy book we have been reading, there is a section on pica. Apparently this happens with some pregnant women, but the thought of it mostly makes me want to hurl (more than I already do w/ the nausea). From Mr. Webster:

Pica-an abnormal desire to eat substances (as chalk or ashes) not normally eaten

Apparently, this is also pretty common in kids with autism, mental retardation and kids between the ages of two to three. They forgot to mention, it's common in puggles. According to this Kids Health website, here are some of the things that kids (or Ella) might try to eat:
 
•dirt
•clay
•paint chips
•plaster
•chalk
•cornstarch
•laundry starch
•baking soda
•coffee grounds
•cigarette ashes
•burnt match heads
•cigarette butts
•feces
•ice
•glue
•hair
•buttons
•paper
•sand
•toothpaste
•soap

Oh dear. Ella has eaten almost everything on that list and if you know her, you know she is OBSESSED with ice! It's seriously like crack for her...she will get all antsy and run and rebound off the freezer until you give her some.
 
Her most recent pica episode was last night when we went to play volleyball and left the dogs at home. I think she was mad because we both put our tennis shoes on and didn't take them for a walk. In her tiny little brain, tennis shoes = walk. Anyway, she got Jeremy's glasses, ate parts of them and destroyed them. She ate the plastic tips off the ends of the ear pieces and somehow got a lens out of the rimless frames.
 
I think I am having deja vu or maybe I am remembering back to a post from February 2009 when I wrote about how Ella ate MY glasses!! She definitely ate more of mine than she did Jeremy's, so maybe she won't be pooping plastic for quite as long but geeze! I don't even want to think about what she is going to do with poopy diapers, baby toys, spit-up rags and anything else she can get her little pica paws on!
 

My glasses from 2009

 



Jeremy's glasses from last night

 

Pregnancy: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1st Trimester)

I want to preface this post by saying the good outweighs the bad by far. I mean c'mon, I am getting a beautiful little baby out of this whole thing! God has blessed us so much thus far and I can't wait to see this little miracle so I can give it lots of love!

Having said that, here's what I am finding so far (I am sure in the second and third trimester this list will change):

The Good

-Knowing the baby and I are healthy
-Our amazing doctor and nurses—LOVE THEM!
-Being able to stick w/ my Shaklee vitamins knowing they are all-natural and even more than a prenatal gives
-Seeing the baby move and wiggle around
-Sharing this experience with the most wonderful, supportive husband and soon-to-be-father (he already has the sonogram pic on our laptop wallpaper)
-Thinking about baby names (we don’t have any yet, so don’t ask)
-Our family and friends gathering around us, checking on us and celebrating with us
-Looking at baby/mommy websites
-(mostly for Jeremy) My craving for pizza, fruit and Tex-Mex…hopefully I will crave healthier things once the nausea is gone
-The overwhelming sense of selflessness and protectiveness I already feel because I love the baby so much
-Sharing my pregnancy with some other friends who are also preggo (near and far)
-Maternity clothes…most comfortable clothes ever!

The Bad
-The nausea
-The preggo nose (I smell everything SO strongly and from a mile away)
-The lack of desire to work out because of the nausea
-Emotional meltdowns
-Feeling like I can’t be a good wife because I don’t feel like doing the normal stuff I used to
-Weight gain
-Focusing and getting through work days feeling nauseous (luckily I have a super-supportive team!)

The Ugly
-The cellulite that is creeping into my bootie, hips and thighs
-The face I make during emotional meltdowns
-My denim maternity shorts that Jeremy lovingly calls Mom Jorts

They aren't this bad:

More like this: