Monday, August 25, 2008

Nesting

"Around the fifth month of pregnancy, the 'nesting' instinct can set in. This is an uncontrollable urge to clean one's house brought on by a desire to prepare a nest for the new baby, to tie up loose ends of old projects and to organize your world."

I love birds, I love nests. I am eagerly expecting a baby, counting down the weeks (17 to go). So why do I feel defensive when someone talks about nesting as if it's as "uncontrollable" as a tryptophan coma following a turkey sandwich? (That's a rant for another day.)

I pick out paint colors for the nursery. And then pick them out again. Chair rail or no chair rail? "Oh, you're nesting!" Actually, I think I just like to decorate.

I vacuum the living room for the first time in a month. "Oh, you're nesting!" Really? Most people do this every week.

I do a load of laundry. I clean the shower for the third time since the remodel. (before, after) "Nesting!"

Nesting seems to be just a different name for housework, plus a healthy feeling of imminent doom in the sense of "do it now or it will never get done after the baby arrives." I'll let you know if I have any more severe symptoms, like finally patching and caulking after our countertop swap last year. Until then, don't accuse me of nesting!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Trust me, you'll know if you nest. I realized it after I had a panic attack that the crib wasn't set up 2 MONTHS before my due date! and stockpiled all toiletries and pantry items as if I would never leave my house ever again after the baby was born.