Adventures in the Nesting Habbits of the Insane

When I am really nervous and/or scared of something I prepare like a crazy person. When we first tried to bring kids to our family I read a pre-pregnancy planning book. Then I read pregnancy books and nutrition books. Then when we decided on adoption I called everyone I knew who had adopted. We went to my sil's house and quizzed her and her husband. I got information from every agency I could find. I read books. I read forums. I nested and bought baby stuff. I painted the room with fish and picked out the perfect fish bedding. I maniacly cleaned our house for the home check. I bought organization bins and shoe racks (because they might turn us away if we didn't have shoe racks right?) I baby proofed. I made lists of stuff I needed to get. I signed up for baby coupons etc. etc. This is what I do. I prepare "Stuff" until I nearly go insane.

So when I decided this pregnancy was real (which took a good long while) and that a baby was actually coming I began my nesting process. Unfortunately for Two Fish I waited until I was too pregnant to accomplish many of my plans on my own. His honey do list has been out of control.

• Windows cleaned inside and out (don't worry I hired some kid to do the outside. I didn't scale the roof.)
• Clean out all closets and donate junk.
• I want to finish cleaning out all of our drawers and cabinets but I'm running out of steam.
• Clean and organize basement - oh the horror of this project. When we moved I think 50% of everything we owned went in the basement and it looked like a bomb went off down there. How is that we have gone from a one bedroom studio apartment to this house and the stuff just expands to fill it?
• Clean and organize garage. My brother J helped Two Fish build these big shelves to put our stuff on. Two Fish is out there right now putting things up on the shelves and dejunking. We have an extra garage and I think it should be able to fit a car even if we don't have one to put in it. Garages full of crap are terrifying to me and ours was perilously headed that direction.
• Clean and organize our office. You know that drawer full of junk you have? I had a room. I need the room to actually function as a room. It's pretty close to finished. I can leave the door open without embarassment.
• Make curtains for two rooms.
• Repaint nursery and organize.
• Paint and decorate the kids bathroom
• Paint and decorate the playroom. Organize. Make pillows etc.
• Paint and decorate a new "big girl" room for Red Fish. (Someday it will have furniture.) I did make the curtains. I'll post pictures as soon as it is totally put together. It is very very close.
• Put wainscoting up in Red Fish's new room (my role was supervisory)
• Build window seat in Red Fish's room. (I just made the cushions and pillows.)
• Wash and de-stain baby clothes.
• Wash bottles etc.
• Buy formula
• Spring clean (my Mom helped me clean floorboards, walls, etc. It was awesome.)
• Better organize laundry room.
• Do Christmas/birthday shopping (only made it halfway through my list. I have this need to do all holiday shopping for the most part before the end of October or I miss all the holiday fun stressing over gifts. I'm really afraid I can't shop with two kids. The idea of taking two anywhere sounds terrifying.)
• Buy some cute coming home clothes and picture taking clothes for New Fish.
• Get out all baby paraphernalia and sanitize.
• Research strollers.
• Catch up on graphic design projects. I was doing splendidly and then my projects suddenly doubled in size. It's a problem. I'm working on it.
• Take hypnobabies classes and do daily practice. This has done wonders for my stress level. I highly recommend it. It was great to help Two Fish and I prepare for this pregnancy, birth, and baby. It was a little hard find babysitters 6 weeks in a row but totally worth it.

From reading this you probably think I'm a neat freak. I wish I was a neat freak. I'd probably be happier and heathier. In truth I'm ridiculously messy (not dirty! I like to say that clutter is evidence of a creative mind.) Our house may be in better shape than ever before. Now for a plan to keep it that way...who has the energy for that? Am I more prepared to be a second time Mom? Maybe...is anybody ever totally ready for a life change like that? I'm excited anyway. The nesting has helped. I'm a little calmer.