Thursday, March 29, 2007

Nesting/procrastination

Suddenly, it has occurred to me how much I need to get done in the coming weeks (including minor tasks like, oh, picking a name for our tot). Is this nesting? I think nesting may just be the same thing as getting down to the wire once you've procrastinated for as long as possible. I'm realizing that I really should have everything ready to go by 38 weeks, since our baby will probably show up early, given his parentage. That's five weeks. Shit!

We had a successful visit last weekend to see our friends and stimulate the economy at Tra.der Joe's and IKE.A. We got some good hand-me-downs from the friends (including newborn diapers, a My Bres.t Friend pillow, and two types of baby bottles and accessories: Av.ent and Dr. Br0wn's), and we were also deeply impressed by the fact that they stayed out until 3am on Saturday night. Meanwhile, we were in bed by 10pm, as was their six-month-old. At IK.EA, we got some dressers, storage-related items, and a window shade for the nursery. They were out of a couple of things we needed, but the dressers were the main thing. Our nursery will be mod but frugal - ie, the very definition of IK.EA. (Pictured at right is my 32+ week belly at brunch on Sunday in Chicago.)

Oh! The best thing was that we went to the landfill before our trip to drop off three detergent bottles full of IVF medical waste, as well as many old gallons of paint. It felt good to unload all of that crap onto someone else. Why is that sort of errand so deeply satisfying?

I've been in a logistical, money-hemorrhaging frenzy. I arranged for window washers to come tomorrow. I'm investigating IRAs so that our offspring do not have to care for us in retirement. I'm getting estimates for a new roof. I went to Tar.get yesterday to return a couple of things and ended up also stocking up on necessities like toilet paper, paper towels, saline solution, etc. so that I won't have to drag my ratty-haired, engorged-boobed self to the grocery store in those early post-partum days - or for six months afterwards. I am taking some clothes to the consignment shop this afternoon. I have completed all the tax stuff I needed to do and dropped it off with the accountant. I need to get estimates from gardeners, since I am physically incapable of bending over to weed at this point. On Saturday, we go to our all-day childbirth-education seminar. We will definitely be covertly mocking the other participants in the class. This will help pass the time, and also we are bad people.

The baby is wiggling and head-butting regularly. His hard little skull is usually right around my sternum or pressed up into my right ribs. I expect this will become even more profoundly uncomfortable as time passes. At this point, I am indifferent between a regular birth and a c-section because both seem profoundly unpleasant to me. I should probably just stop thinking about birth altogether - denial has its advantages.
(Pictured at right is the nursery that desperately needs to be organized....)

5 comments:

TLB said...

You won't have to go to Target. What's the point of me living so close if you can't send me to pick up crap for you, or babysit so you can get out of the house for a while?

Anonymous said...

You can live in denial all you want - but that baby is coming out somehow!!

Will you be posting more nursery pics?

Jane Roper said...

You're very smart to get things done and to stock up on stuff like TP, etc. Also a good idea to jam pack your freezer and cupboards with staple ingredients and easy-to-prepare foods (Stouffer's lasagna, anyone?) before the big day.

Michelle Falkoff said...

I'm with TLB--set the speed dials on your phone and just make sure you have a finger ready. That's why you have friends with cars.

Larki said...

You are most definitely nesting. I used to scrub baseboards.

My favorite nesting story, though, is my mother's. She was telling me about my own birth, and she said, "Well, my water broke while I was up on a stepladder cleaning the chandelier." And I said, "What the hell were you doing CLEANING THE CHANDELIER at nine months?" After I had kids, I understood. That sort of thing makes perfect sense to you right before you give birth.