Nesting

Several weeks ago, a good friend of mine asked me if I had been nesting yet. Foolishly, I replied, "No, I don't think I will go through that with this pregnancy. I have everything I need for the baby, etc., etc." Hah! Then the third trimester hormones kicked in. For the past two weeks or so, I have been running around like a mad woman trying to "get everything ready" for when the baby comes. I have purchased coming home from the hospital outfits for both genders (as we don't know the sex of the baby), onesies, diapers, post-delivery necessities for me, new clothes for the entire family, winter outerwear for all three of the children we already have, Shawn's birthday presents, nursing gowns, diaper bags, blankets, Halloween costumes, stockpiles of household necessities because clearly, my husband can't be expected to go to the grocery store (whatever, he goes every week now since I have hit the point where it is just too painful for me, physically and emotionally - the lady at WalMart told me I look like a watermelon). Hmm, have I left anything out? Every time I go on another brutal shopping trip (picture my enormous belly lifting cases of diapers, laundry detergent, etc. off the shelves at Sam's Club), I call Shawn on the way home and swear "I am never doing that again. I am done running errands. My body hurts, the kids are driving me crazy, people are staring at me as if I am about to give birth to sextuplets. I'm not doing it any more!" And then, without fail, I do it again. At home, in addition to canning and freezing vegetables, I have been cleaning as if I am preparing to give birth to royalty. Organizing closets and kids' clothes, running loads to the D.I.; today I scrubbed all of my kitchen cupboards - inside and out. I'm afraid to go back into the kitchen for fear I might pass out from the bleach fumes. On the list for this week and next is cleaning the fridge, inside and out, washing windows, inside and out, and cleaning every household surface possible with my steam cleaner. Window sills and the washer/dryer are in particularly dire need. My goal is to, one day soon, be DONE. So that I can just sit and relax until the baby comes. Whatever, you say? It won't happen, you say? We'll see. I was hoping that this post would alleviate some of my stress, but I am afraid it has only reminded me of several more things to stress about: storage tubs of baby clothes for both sexes need to be dug out of hiding, organized, and clothes washed, a hospital bag needs to be packed (so what if I still have 7 weeks, no sense in putting it off), when am I going to decorate and shop for Christmas?, and when, oh when, am I going to manage going to the Twilight movie (it comes out on the day we expect to have the baby)???

I should have entitled this post Crazy Pregnant Woman's Panic-Induced Rant.

Even if I had pictures to describe the state I am in, I would probably be too ashamed to share them.