My Name is Jessica...

... and I am a Diet Dr. Pepper addict.

When I found out I was pregnant (nearly three months in), I immediately poured every remnant of my drug of choice down the sink. There's nothing like a recent study linking caffeine consumption with miscarriage to get a pregnant woman to quit cold turkey.

We went to Europe, I drank water. We came home from Europe, I bought Crystal Light. Weeks went by, I grabbed everything from Diet Root Beer to Ginger Ale. Though the withdrawal headaches raged, I refused to give in. I even had myself convinced that I could stay away from the "Doctor" once the baby came. I was clean and sober.

Then I decided to drive to Arizona for a week. By myself. Away from the ever-so-watchful eyes of my ever-so-concerned husband.

One bottle won't kill me, I convinced myself. After all, I needed to stay awake during the long drive. Plus, I was on vacation. It's fine to cheat a bit while on vacation, right? And my mother-in-law relied on Coke to pull her through all four pregnancies, so it must not be THAT bad.

One can turned into two cans, which were quickly replaced by a 32 ouncer (so much cheaper), then a two-liter bottle disappeared within hours.

Are you sensing a pattern?

I tried to stop when I got back home. But unfortunately, when this girl falls off the bandwagon, she falls hard.

So, because he loves me (and because he fears for his life once the raging hormones kick in), my husband has offered up a deal.

One flat of Diet Dr. Pepper from Costco, in exchange for a promise to STOP the consumption once said flat runs out.

I'll let you know how it goes.



*And before you judge, know that my doctor gave me a safe limit for daily caffeine consumption, and I take care not to exceed that limit. I promise I'm a good mother! REALLY!!!

*Also, are there any caffeine-free beverages that float your boat? I need something more than just WATER!!!