What does a typical week or two of nesting look like in the life of an almost 8 month pregnant lady? Constant vacuuming and dusting of everything in sight, killing spiders, asking hubby to dust the high door frames & ceiling fan. Constant organizing of the kitchen, pantry, and all bedroom closets. Cleaning up the yard and raking up old leaves we missed last fall. Visiting the brush dump and recycling old junk. Making several Savers & Salvation Army drop-offs as I purge the house of unneeded furniture, clothes, and toys. Unpack baby clothes and hang or place in dresser drawers. Set up a baby changing station. Stock the first aid kit and buy extra band-aids and peroxide for the summer. Make the kids doctor check-up appointments when needed. Get husband, son, and dog groomed (all within the same pay period). Clean and organize infant and kids' toys separately. Clean and vacuum the van, launder the kids car seat liners, and put them all back into van with the infant seat in the middle, ready just in case I "go early" even though the midwives and nurses all remind me I have not gone early in previous pregnancies. Clean the baby swing and exercauser so they are ready in time. Set up comfy nursing stations and chairs, one upstairs and one downstairs in the living room. Set up the crib, wash, and air bedding and mattress. Clean up a few bat turds in the attic space. Clean the dryer vent. Dry the basement from puddles of water from springtime snow melts and rains. Repair window screens for the summer.
And at the end of one day, my two-year old boy finally decides to go potty in the toilet by himself. From downstairs we hear the toilet flush. Next, a naked Hudson appears at the top of the stairs and walks down holding the banister as always. At the bottom of the stairs he proceeds to climb up onto the banister rail and perch on top of the bottom pedestal naked, it's a combination of hilarity as well as serious danger. He is about 4 feet above the hard tiles of the entryway and could die if he fell on his head. I end up putting a heavy, potted plant on the pedestal to keep him off, so just in case he tries it again I will at least have a warning crash to know ahead of time what he is doing. Next I need to think some more about how I am going to take care of a newborn while making sure my toddler and little girl survive and thrive. I wish I knew some clear, serious advice on how mothers of many children accomplish this.
