Morning sickness, take two

It’s baaaaaack.

Morning sickness—that is, nausea that actually lasts all day—has returned with a vengeance. I thought I was through with the near-constant urge to, well, you know, after about week 17. But it turns out that some lucky women get to fight a second round at the end of pregnancy. (Joy!)

So I’m back to sporting the anti-nausea pressure point wristbands. They make me feel like I should go play basketball. Or, as a coworker suggested, paint a skull and crossbones on ‘em and walk around a high school. Thankfully, I can also rely on meds to keep me from hugging the toilet.

My iffy stomach has also returned to first trimester dietary habits. I can chow watermelon like a champ but otherwise, my meals tend toward the brown and bland. When I feel like this, pretty much the only food I want is noodies.

Noodies, as anyone in my family will tell you, consists of egg noodles, butter, salt and (maybe—if you’re feeling adventurous) parmesan cheese. My mom made it for us kids whenever we had the flu, and it has continued to be my go-to comfort food.

Sure, its inoffensive taste is easy on the gut. But a bowl of noodies also conjures up the care only a mother can provide. Feeling sick? Mom is there to put a wrist to your forehead, tuck you in and hold your hand until you drift off to sleep. That’s what noodies taste like.

It’s inevitable that Peeper will catch plenty of bugs. It’s just part of being a kid. But I will be there for every illness, ready to whip up the best recipe for quieting a stormy stomach. Because that’s what moms do.