I've been kinda bad.

Yes, it's true - I've been less than perfecto so far during this pregnancy.
Let me set this up a little here.

As many of you know, it took 2 years total to conceive Scarlet.  So with the hopes of getting lucky (with a egg met sperm hook up) a few doctors encouraged me to stop:

• drinking alcohol 
• drinking coffee 
• eating anything with caffeine in it
• stop using perfume
• hairspray
• lotions with scents
• stop working out like a madwoman  
• eating sushi
• eating deli meat
• picking anything up over 20 pounds
• stop stressing
• working too late
• working too long
• dying my hair
• stop getting manis and pedis
• using nail polish
• smelling nail polish
• smelling anything toxic
• stop cleaning the cat litter
• kissing the cat
• sleeping on my stomach or back
• stop having hot baths
• stop using deodorant 
• eating unpasteurized cheese
• eating mushrooms 
• eating sprouts
• eating sesame seeds
• eating tomatoes (like come on…)
• stop eating tuna fish
• the
• list
• goes
• on.

I did all of these things like the diligent student that I am, and in the end, everything worked out well for us.  Nate and I were blessed with Scarly and she is pretty darn perfect.  

But THIS time…

I’ve been kinda…well…pretty bad.

First, you should know that we conceived the first MONTH that we 'pulled the goalie'.  Very quickly.  So the first few weeks into this pregnancy, I slipped here and there but I felt it was so minor that really nothing could come of a little squirt of perfume on my clothes before going out.  And the coffee that I had was actually a latte so really there was half the caffeine in there than a regular cup of coffee.  And that sushi I ate came from a reputable restaurant and it was just a dynamite roll which really doesn’t have much raw anything in there so we’re all good…right? 

So I thought I would come clean and list all of the ‘BAD’ things I’ve done this time around, but honestly, I really don’t think they’re too bad.  

• I had foils done in my hair already.  Twice.
• I ate sushi
• I ate deli meat
• I ate a hot dog (it was 100% beef with no added anything, but still - glorified hot dog)
• I used hairspray
• I used perfume
• I got a pedi
• I smelled nailpolish
• I drank a latte
• I ate chocolate
• I ate a tuna fish sandwich
• I used hydrocortisone cream many times and it probably entered my blood stream (one doctor was surprised that another doctor had prescribed it for my dry skin - so even the medical team out there isn’t totally unanimous on what is right and wrong)
• I sped in my car when I was hungry and needed to eat
• I picked up Milo’s cat litter cause he didn’t bury it enough and it stunk.  I washed my hands about a million times afterward
• I picked up something over 20 pounds.  It’s called my daughter and I don’t feel bad about this one at all
• I stress every time I have an ultrasound because my past has messed me up
• I stress a little more until the technician says everything looks perfect
• I still sleep on my stomach at night
• I bathe in a bath almost every other day
• and I use deodorant daily

So, the way I see it is, I think about the millions of human beings born everyday in the present and the past that are absolutely normal and wonderful and perfect in every way.  I find it hard to believe that mothers out there pick up their other children because they were over 20 pounds or use deodorant or eat chocolate or have a small cup of coffee or a small glass of wine.  I have yet to drink wine but have a very close friend who had small glasses of red wine throughout both of her pregnancies and both of her kids are perfect…and she’s a doctor - so there you go!

I think that all the crazy freaking out about what to do and not do that could be causing the real damage.  I’m just feeling much more laid back this time around which is really nice.  That is, until I start thinking about the labour again.  HAHA  Oh Lawdy.  Maybe an epidural this time around?  JUST KIDDING!  I think...