Super hero nose

March 5, 2007

Status Check:
10 weeks 4 days pregnant
141 lbs.

Like many pregnant woman, my nose has decided to go into hyper-drive and is so overly sensitive to smells that the slightest change in scent can make me instantly heave. I can smell my son’s dirty diaper before it’s even dirty and smell my dogs from outside even when they’ve just had a bath. I wake up in the middle of the night and gag because I can smell the dirty laundry in my closet or the leftover chicken in the refrigerator. My husband swears that I’ve somehow developed superhero sense of smell a la Heroes and that soon the government will come looking for me for a top-secret spy smelling mission. My nose is that good.

If someone opens the refrigerator, even if I’m in the other room, I have to hold my breath or risk vomiting. I put on deodorant constantly. I hate the smell of deodorant but the smell of B.O. is worse. I catch a whiff of my own sweat and gag about four times a day (gross, I know). I hate the smell of toothpaste, mouthwash and gum, but the smell of bad breath makes me retch. Shampoo, soap and laundry detergent are out, but so are sweaty scalps, dirty hands and stinky t-shirts. Don’t even come near me with a glass of water the reek of plain old water will really turn my stomach. Oh, and don’t even get me started on the scents that waft into my car from fast food restaurants as I drive by. I’m shuddering just thinking about it.

So, as you can imagine, I’m a blast to spend time with. My husband is under strict orders not to wear deodorant or use shampoo, but also to make sure that he never smells like BO, sweat or dirt. Oh, and he can’t have bad breath but he’s also not allowed to brush his teeth or use mouthwash. No, at my house, you can’t open the refrigerator, eat any smelly food, or drive by fast food restaurants. And don’t even think about drinking a glass of water. Ew. So, as long as nobody does any of these things (or anything else smelly), we get along just fine. Wow, it’s sure fun being pregnant and crazy with a super hero nose.