October

So the eat local challenge is officially over. For a normal challenge, I'd grade myself somewhere around a D for my efforts. When I take into account the pregnancy, the stomach bug, and the travel in the middle of the month, I suppose that grade could come up a little  - somewhere around a B-.

What did I get out of it? Definitely a new found sense of digestive health (at least at the beginning of the month), some delicious meals that wouldn't have happened otherwise, a much smaller than normal grocery budget, and a sense of satisfaction that I'm doing everything in my power to nourish my baby and connect him to his place even before he's born.

I'm a perfectionist. I've never been able to feel fully content without a clean house, a perfectly manicured garden, a completely successful career, etc. etc. etc. I know that once the baby comes, there will be no time to maintain such a perfect existence.... even if there were, I don't want to be so busy and stressed with everything else that I don't have time to just be with my child. I've been thinking a lot about that - how do I learn to be content with not doing it all and doing it perfectly?

I think this challenge has helped with that, at least a little. In the past, I've taken my eat local challenges very seriously. If I do it at all, I do it 100%, and cheating is completely out of the question. It wasn't like that this time. I ate locally whenever I could, but I also listened to what my body wanted and let myself take the easy route when it was called for. Perhaps this is a first step toward accepting my new less than perfect existence?

In other news, I have yet to be able to make an appointment for our level 2 ultrasound. Somehow my insurance and the facility that does the procedure have not been able to get it together to process my referral. I find myself worrying less as time goes on - after all, even if there is something wrong there's nothing that I'm going to do about it at this point, and worry and stress aren't good for me or the baby. That said, I am quite anxious to get it over with... hopefully I'll be able to make the appointment tomorrow.