Despite a lovely (and possibly well-meaning) old lady on the bus yesterday saying, ‘you are definitely carrying a girl – they tend to make you expand more’, I’m feeling good about being knocked up. I’m at 6 months now after a pretty tricky route to get here – I even challenged Kate Middleton’s morning sickness during those first few weeks – and I’m looking forward to being able to holler from the rooftops that I’m ‘ready to pop’. (No doubt you’ll see me coming like a little slow-moving armoured vehicle if my bus comrade has anything to say.)
But the one treat-like morsel that has been by my side these last few months – in sickness and in health – is Little Dish’s savoury toddler snacks, Pop Pops. Sure, they are for kids, but these chickpea-based snacks are like a healthy crisp infused with all the good flavours like cheese and sweet pepper. In short they are crisps with healthy benefits. Win-win right there.
Mae immediately saw me chowing down like a trooper and said ‘mama can I have some crispies [crisps]?” Usually when that request lands, it’s a no because of the low-level guilt that I haven’t allowed fruit, vegetable or pulse to head towards her bouche in a 24-hour period. But on this occasion the parental relief was palpable: ‘yes, Squidge, go for yer life. Have two packs if you want. Bathe in the lil’ guys.”
I immediately looked like a maternal queen. Mae’s eyes were Bambi-like and loving – as they can only be when you’ve offered up sweets, crisps or a noisy toy that’s going to slowly drive you round the bend.
“You are welcome poppet… you’ve deserved them.”
I think with another bun in the maternal oven I was wondering how I’d be able to successfully chop the carrot sticks and take to other such snacking tasks to keep Mae fed and watered alongside a mewling newborn. I’m not a great multi-tasker and often end up confusedly wearing two pairs of knickers that makes me seem worryingly unhinged compared to The Normal People. So to have a go-to snack that I know she’s going to scoff like a little Hoover (“want some crispies poppet chops?”) and fills her up with the good stuff is a spot on parental solution right there.
I will, of course, always ensure that’s an extra pack or two for mama. If my bus-going mate has anything further to say, I’m sure it would be, “are you sure you aren’t nine months? You really do look ready to pop.”
**No lovely lady, 6 months, definitely 6**
This post was written in partnership with Little Dish.
