Post Thanksgiving Wrap Up

Gobble gobble everybody!
I needed a few days to cool down after Turkey Day. Not that it was a traumatic holiday, but I just needed a few days in between to relax. There was a lot of food, and I managed to eat some without getting sick. Exception: my mom's stuffing. She thinks she's being slick by putting beef sausage or pork sausage in the stuffing. Like that's gonna hide the chunks of giblets she "snuck" in there. Nice try, lady!

Anyhoo- I did not overeat, but I was made to wait for food, which would have annoyed me even if I was not pregnant. My grandmother - mother to the giblet pusher - has me trained. If she says dinner's at 2, I'm at the table at 2, and when she says get the hell out at 7, my coat is on and I'm out the door.

So, pregnant ladies, if you know you're going to a friend's house and she says lunch is at 12, carry a snack, just in case lunch hits the table a few hours late. You need to eat, you're taking care of yourself and the growing fetus. My mom tried to wait for my sister's fiance and his family to arrive, but when 4pm came we said grace and got to grubbin'. 3pm means 3pm!

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I had the opportunity to indulge in things the pregnancy police get antsy about: sugar and red wine. I made vanilla custard ice cream and Church Punch for my mom's dinner. What's Church Punch, you ask? Anyone who went to a church with a largely African American congregation may know what I'm talking about. Powered fruit punch made according to instructions, with ginger ale and fresh squeezed lemons for that extra kick. It's sugary goodness, and I drank a lot of it on Thursday!

I also had red wine with dinner Saturday. My father in law grabbed my glass as he said "I assume you won't be having any of this." WRONG! It's the second trimester, and I am cleared for takeoff! I've had a total of 1 and a half glasses of wine since I hit this glorious milestone. The first half a glass was at a friend's birthday dinner. The second half was at my husband's grandparents house, and the third half on Saturday. I even sat at a dinner table with a huge bottle of red and had absolutely none of it. Why? Because I have self-control. Not only do I enjoy my half glass of vino when I choose to imbibe, but I wait until I've eaten what's on my plate before I do. Holy crap, I'm a responsible adult!

I have a friend who drank a can of cola a day because she wanted it. Two month old baby and his mother are alive and healthy. I drink a cup of caffeinated tea in the morning, and sometimes a cup of coffee in the afternoon. BBQ potato chips and I were great friends for a few days. But I'm quick to eat some fruit, yogurt, whole grain cereals, and for a while my husband fed me nothing but vegetables for dinner.

The moral of this Thanksgiving tale: People will scrutinize every move you make when you are with child. Your body becomes public property, and people will police every cup and morsel you put to your mouth. As long as you and your doctor know you are not harming your child, I think you're fine. All things in moderation, and don't beat yourself up about the "bad" stuff. Develop the better eating habits so the not so good ones won't be so detrimental. You're pregnant, but you're still a human being for God's sake (I say, as I sip my orange and cranberry juice).

Maybe I'll go steam some edamame and baby carrots for a snack...
See, nobody's around when you do the good stuff, are they?:-D