The Smells

With both of my kids, I had a few random things that made me sick during the first trimester, but all of them were considered a normal reaction. For example, with Abby, I got sick on a Wendy's chicken sandwich and never ate them again.

(I now find it ironic that her favorite thing to eat is fast food chicken fingers, particularly from Wendy's.)

Caleb ruined pork chops for me. I was making a great recipe in the crockpot, but the smell of it lingering all day made me completely sick and I can barely choke them down these days.

Now, this child, on the other hand, has caused completely senseless reactions to every day things. Here is my absurd list of what smells caused me to get sick to my stomach during the first trimester.

1. Fabric softener. The same kind I have used for years, but with this kid, doing laundry has been agony.

2. Abby's shampoo. What is wrong with Johnson and Johnson's tangle free shampoo? Absolutely nothing to the normal person. Yet, I cannot comb her wet hair or even sit near her after she wakes up a little sweaty without wanting to throw up. My poor daughter just wants to cuddle and I just want to puke.

3. My in-law's house. I do not know what it is-the perfectly clean smell of the house? But, when I was there during those months, I felt extra sick. Then, I would smell the house on my clothes at home and would immediately have to wash them (with the added bonus of that fabric softener again).

So far, this list suggests one thing-this baby does not like cleanliness. It must be a boy.

4. Any meat at dinner time. If I could have eaten pasta for the last three months, that would have been fine with me. Unfortunately, I had three other people to cook for and apparently they needed their protein-whatever. I would make dinner, then plug my nose and look the other way while they enjoyed their meals. At one point, I remember shredding chicken and having to chew spearmint gum at the same time to help take away the repulsion.

Now that I am into the second trimester and finally enjoying meat (seriously, cannot get enough of it), I still have a little bit of a negative reaction to Abby's shampoo, but thankfully it seems the worst is behind me. I know Nick is relieved. I am pretty sure he thinks he has been living with an alien these past few months.

Pregnancy is just so much fun.