NVP.

Sometime around the beginning of July I was prowling the Net looking for someone to blame for the misnomer 'morning sickness', when I came across this little dandy: NVP. Nausea, vomiting of pregnancy. Although, not as catchy as morning sickness it seemed to better sum up my symptoms, which were nausea all day everyday, and vomiting whenever my body damn well felt like it.

For most of July and August.

Gross.

I realize that morning sickness is not something most people want to hear about in great detail, but there were some things that surprised me about this phase of pregnancy that I feel I must share. So, dear reader, you are now entering the point of no return....

The Top 5 Things That Made Me Toss My Cookies

#5 Costco
I think it might have been the smell of several meaty free samples being fried up at once that did me in every time. But where else can you buy soda crackers by the case?

#4 The bathroom at work
As you can imagine, this was very inconvenient. My ever expanding uterus meant that the need to visit the bathroom spiked, but every time I opened the door the urge to pee was replaced by the urge to vomit. In the bathroom's defense, it is extremely clean and in no way offensive. However, it isn't air conditioned and has no ventilation. Those of you that have experienced Japan in August, know how hot that room must have been. Which brings me to number 3...

#3 The heat
Or maybe it was the humidity. Probably it was a combination of both. It doesn't really matter but the second I overheated, up came what ever I had last eaten. Overheating happens a lot during the summer in Japan. It was about this time that I gave up vacuuming our apartment.

#2 The smell of cooking
I think that this is the standard for most women in the throes of NVP. So, I would like to take this time to thank my wonderful husband for humoring me and eating sandwiches for dinner.

Every night.

For weeks on end.

xo xo xo

#1 Brushing my teeth
Again, very inconvenient. How does one get rid of vomit breath? Of course by brushing your teeth. How did I get vomit breath in the first place? By brushing my teeth. A disgusting cycle to be sure.

Luckily, the NVP stage is pretty much over. Shin and I are back to cooking dinner and I can line up with the rest of the shoppers for treats at Costco. There are still times when I am brushing my teeth that I have to stop mid-way and race for the toilet, but those are decreasing as well.

Thank God.