Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Superstition

[Preface: BTW, I think my belief that readers dropped off was because my followers sidebar has always been weird and reliable -- it jumps from 3 to in the teens and back and forth.  For example, today, everyone is there.  That said, I DO completely understand if the pregnancy/BFP focus of this blog now is difficult for people to read or causes anyone to unfollow.  I never experienced that personally, because I was always hopeful that I could then follow in those footsteps.  Anyway, for those of you reading, here goes...]


I don't know about you, but over the past couple of years, I've been highly irrational with regard to superstition.  For example, every wishbone, every stray eyelash that I blew off my hand, etc., I was very serious about and of course, only made one wish.  Seems so juvenile, right?  But desperate times call for desperate measures. 

There's one EXTREMELY superstitious thing that I have done that I'm almost embarrassed to share with you (that I only recently shared with DH), but the reason I'm going to is that it highlights the desperation, sadness and hope that I felt while undergoing IF.  In 2005, my DH and I enjoyed a summer trip to NYC (where we both used to live, at separate times in our lives).  We stayed at the YMCA (in bunk beds, even) for cheap, so that we could blow our money on extravagant meals.  I got there a day before DH and when I was brushing my teeth in the bathroom (actually a private one, but in a common area where there are a row of them), I accidentally dropped my toothbrush in the toilet.  I cursed this and later, got a replacement at Duane Reade (a cheap DR one because everything is so expensive in NYC).  We believe that our DS was conceived on this trip (possibly at the YMCA, but more likely in a NJ hotel room, where we attended a wedding reception).  Ever since then, I have not been willing to part with this toothbrush.  It's still part of my travel kit (I know, I'm super embarrassed because it's grotesque to use a toothbrush for that long -- though I only use it sporadically since I don't travel that often) and I have told myself, I won't replace it til we conceive B2.  It's like it was supposed to be a good luck charm (that didn't work for 3+ years) or something.  At any rate, now that I'm actually 8w2d, when do I chuck that toothbrush?  Now, after first trimester, upon giving birth?  Weird questions, I know... but now that I started this weird thing, I gotta see it through.  Regardless, I really can't let it go any longer either, for sanitary reasons.  : )

So there you go... a deep, dark, secret that I haven't told anyone except for DH... Am I psycho?

10 comments:

  1. First of all, my followers bar does that too, so I'm not sure what's up but you're hopefully not losing us! :)

    Second, if the effectiveness of the toothbrush hasn't been lessened and you're only using it sporadically, I'd keep it until you're definitely done having kids. Good luck charms are one in a million! :) 8 wks 2 days already! That's insanity!

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  2. I am not superstitious and if I was in your shoes I would probably keep it too. If you are worried about germs then boil it. Congrats on 8 weeks!

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  3. Wow, 8 weeks, time has really flown!! I'm a bit on the fence about superstition, in some ways I am and some ways nit. That being said, I would keep that toothbrush (far away from anything else) until the baby is born, why tempt fate is my opinion which means that if your are psychotic, so am I!

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  4. LOL. That's a great deep dark secret. Thanks for sharing. It doesn't make you psycho though.

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  5. Sanitize the toothbrush and put it in a bell jar on a string so it stands up. Put a brass plate on the wooden base of the bell jar and have it noted that its your "lucky toothbrush". Hey this way it will always be with you.

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  6. I can so relate to this because I am so superstitious! I say the suggestion others have had to sanitize it and keep it would be the one I took! If you're not comfortable with that, then I'd probably wait until after birth then chunk it. Best of luck!!

    ICLW #60

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  7. Congrats on your pregnancy!!!
    I would keep the toothbrush as long as you feel you need to...whatever makes you feel safest is what I would do.
    By the way, do you live in Boulder (looks like the flatirons in your pic). I'm a Colorado girl, too...

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  8. Yup! I just glanced at your blog and at your bio. WOW, congrats on coming this far and getting to where you are! Re: your 3 locations of where to live -- I'm right there w/ you. We used to live in Seattle. And my mom lives in San Luis Obispo -- paradise there on the central coast of Calif. Good luck w/ your pregnancy -- I'll be lurking here and there on your blog, I'm sure!

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  9. First time visitor to your blog! About the superstitions. I am certifiable with mine! LOL I have 4 kids (15; 11; 7; 5) and with the first one I was easy going about everything during the pregnancy. However, I became more and more superstitious with each pregnancy. After DS#1, I had a MC found out at night after we had been out to one of our favorite restaurants never ate there while pregnant again. For DS#2 and DD#2 I kept the pleathora of HPTs (seriously took like 2 a day for a month). For DS#2 (3rd child) I told myself it was only until he was safely born, and I stuck to it, took a picture for the babybook and threw them out. Same plan for my youngest, but she has some health complications until she was 3 and I can't seem to bring myself to throw them away. I know it is gross to have a ziploc bag of used pee-sticks under the bathroom sink but my OCD will NOT let me toss them. In fact I thought my DH had thrown them out about 2 months ago and I cried for an hour until he found them.
    So in summary, LOL, I guess I am no help on the lucky toothbrush!

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