WEEK
18
This week, Babycenter.com informs us that our baby is the size of a sweet potato. Hang on -- it's the size of a large sweet potato. Let's make sure that is clear. The distinction is somewhat lost on me because I am not a big consumer of yams. In fact, all I really know about sweet potatoes is that they appear on the dinner table on Thanksgiving with marshmallows on top. When I was younger, I wasn't a big fan, but they've grown on me with age.My stunted relationship with the sweet potato (called Ipomoea Batatas) is somewhat justified. Although the crop is indigenous to the Americas, 80 percent is grown in China, and half of that is used to feed livestock. The ones they don't eat or feed to their animals are exported to Japan and other countries of the Pacific. You see, people in the Solomon Islands eat 160kg of the stuff each year. Average consumption in the US is less than 2kg per year. That's 1kg at Thanksgiving and 1kg at Christmas, pretty much.
I hope to have a better relationship with this child than I have had with the sweet potato. I like to think I can learn from my past, and escape from the trappings of my North American heritage.
In other news, we had our first pre-natal class tonight. I probably should have spent more time on that, but the fruit-meter has become a bit of a tradition.
Our class has about 10 couples, and we are all due within May, give or take a week. It was fun to look around the room and compare tummies. R has a pretty good-sized tummy, so she represented us well. We'll meet every Monday until the end of January -- taking two weeks off for Christmas. I wasn't sure what to expect in the class, but it was fun and I'm looking forward to next week.
We're supposed to bring pillows and a blanket for "nap time." I'm not sure what that's all about.
5 comments:
Have you tried sweet potato pie? Delicious!
You are almost half-way to Baby Day! Whoo-hoo! I'm so excited for you both.
Sweet potatoes are really good when baked like a reg. potato. Add a little butter and salt or cinnamon and sugar, very very good.
Yeah, I am scared for you with the whole nap time thing....that's why I skipped the classes altogether! RISKY!
So do you consume Yams or Sweet Potatoes? I know they are different but I don't think I could ever tell the difference. I think baby center probably chose the sweet potato for a comparison because it size has a smaller possible range. Wikipedia says a yam can reach 7' long and 150lbs, I think R would have a tough time fitting that in her “pretty good-sized tummy”. Speaking on tummy you need to load a torso shot of R so we can all enjoy that tummy.
I LOVE SWEET POTATOES ! I love to bake them and then put a little butter and Canadian Maple syrup on them. So good ! Costco now sells bags of sweet potatoes at a much cheaper price than having to buy them singly in the grocery store. I was so excited I bought two bags. I have checked out a large sweet potato so I have mine own visual aid for the size of this little babe.
Hmm--I think I will make a sweet potato pie--good idea !
i have resisted eating sweet potatoes all my life. then, last christmas, my sister made some that looked like carrots to see if she could trick me. she did. everyone had a good laugh when i asked why the carrots tasted a little different than usual.
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