I’ve been cleaning feverishly for 2 days and the past 5 hours.  It’s now 7:00PM, my back hurts, and my feet are swollen but I think I could clean everything for the next 4 months.  What’s worse is that I’m actually cleaning 2 homes, my grandma’s house where ALL my family still live and my Fiance’s house.  I see a mess and I get a rash just thinking about it.  I NEED TO CLEAN!

According to the most accurate piece of information, the internet, nesting occurs in women at around 5 months (hey I’m 5 months).  It also says that women who are nesting irrationally clean like there’s no tomorrow (hey, I’ve been doing that!).  Yea, I think I’m definitely nesting.  I think Fiance is getting the bug too because he’s been kind enough to clean our room and install the new shelving that I’ve been nagging him to change.

What doesn’t help is that I have both the “pack rat” gene, “super organized” gene, “lazy” gene, and “type-A, anal retentive” gene.  These are completely contrasting and opposite and do not help my cause.  The lazy gene has seemed to take a backseat in the past few weeks and so has the pack rat gene.  Let me explain how much of a pack rat I am.  I have (well, had) 3 LARGE Rubbermaid containers and numerous shoe boxes FULL of memorabilia (pictures, books, drawings, school work, papers, essays, awards, etc., crap, etc., crap) dating back to 1987.  That’s  25 years worth of crap.  Since I’ve started nesting, I’ve got it down to 1-large Rubbermaid container only housing the most important items, baby pictures, important awards, books that are sentimental.  What REALLY helps is that most things are digital and computerized these days so most of my pictures have been saved to a portable hard drive (WIN!).

I’m also a crafter, this means I have BUTTLOADS, I mean huge amounts of craft things.  Paper, punches, die cuts, silk flowers, fabric, thread, glue, paint, pens, markers, etc.  Things that I haven’t really touched in about 2 years, most of it unopened and NEVER even used!  So what did I do?  I took to facebook to sell my unused items.  Now I’ve got tons of space and cash in my pocket for baby! yay!

I’m also a shop-a-holic.  *sigh*.  I admit, shopping is my weakeness.  I am the spender and Fiance is the saver. Well, we’re both spenders but he’s more of the WISE spender, I just spend.  Because I’m a shop-a-holic, I have soooo much clothes, most that I want to get rid of, but can’t because I don’t know what will fit and what won’t fit after birth and the months following.  I read somewhere though that if you haven’t worn it in a year, throw it out, so I did just that and I’m slowing clearing out my closet and drawers.  My shoes however will NOT be thrown out.  I love shoes.  I hear though that pregnancy makes your feet grow, I really hope not because this will only add to my shopping addiction.

Being Type-A, Anal Retentive, definitely helps/hinders the situation.  I can’t lift heavy boxes for obvious reasons so I enlisted the help of my “He-Man” Mother and Aunty.  My Aunty is kind of like me, once she starts cleaning, there’s no stopping her.  So, with the help of my nagging, I mean big mouth, I mean encouragement, I got done what I needed.  Being Type-A is a problem though because I get so frustrated when people don’t do things the way I want! UGH!

Despite it all, I know this nesting thing is really a blessing.  I know I have way too much stuff for my own good.  Too many things that I don’t need, want, or use.  Things that I know I should get rid of but can’t because of my “pack rat” gene (thanks mom).  Must CLEAN!

AH THE PAINS OF PREGNANCY! To shop or not shop, to clean or not to clean, that is the question!

22 Weeks 3 Days