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Notes from a Nester: Something’s Growing in my Nest!
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a blogumn by Debra Barlow
“Notes from a Nester” has been on a brief hiatus for many reasons, not the least of which is…our nest is getting a little bit bigger. In a little over five months, we’ll be welcoming the newest addition into our family and we couldn’t be more excited. Well… now I couldn’t be more excited. Four weeks ago I could barely sit up straight I felt so sick. Luckily, some of the yucky pregnancy symptoms have started to wane and I’m feeling more like a normal, albeit fatter, version of myself.
From a nesting perspective, I’m dealing with two main anxieties as we prepare for our little egg to hatch: where we’re going to put the baby and the sheer amount of stuff you need to care for this small, helpless being.
If the baby was born tomorrow – and let’s assume tomorrow is actually 18 weeks from now and the baby would be able to survive outside of mommy – s/he would be sleeping in the top drawer of my dresser. Our tiny apartment is already full to overflowing with mommy and daddy’s stuff. I’ve spent countless sleepless nights trying to figure out how to fit baby into this small space.
Enter brilliant plan #1: let’s try to buy a home and move in, in a four-month span of time before the baby comes! Because, let’s face it, what you want when you’re expecting your first child is more stress in your life.
It’s comforting to know that we aren’t the only expectant parents who’ve experienced this nesting overdrive – I know at least three couples who have done the same thing. So now we’re actively house hunting (and by house, you know I mean condo right? I mean, c’mon, it’s LA, let’s be realistic) complete with a realtor and letter from the bank. I’m hopeful that we’ll find something in the next three months, but it has definitely added another reason to the growing list of why I don’t sleep at night.
The other anxiety is what I like to call ‘the stuff.’ A year ago, I didn’t know a diaper genie from the cardboard box it came in. Now that we’ve been thrust into the world of procreators, I’m starting to learn it takes more than a village to raise a child – it takes almost everything made by Graco.
I am not someone who likes to have things just for the sake of having. The possible exceptions are shoes, purses and small kitchen appliances. Everything else I try to keep at a minimum. My Goodwill pile is always being fed by my need to sweep out the old and make room for the new. But with a baby, it just seems like there’s a lot more new than the 8-pound bundle of joy. And when I ask experienced parents where I can cut corners – do I really need a bouncy chair and swing? Why a bassinet and a crib? – I am usually informed that I do indeed need both. I’m now immersed in the research of figuring out which of all the mountains of stuff are least likely to strangle or otherwise cause bodily harm to my child, then adding them to the every growing laundry list of ‘crap we have to buy.’
The bright spot to all this external anxiety is I’m not anxious at all about the baby or parenthood. No doubt that will change as soon as other things begin to be crossed off the list. Welcome to the new Notes from a Nester: Baby Edition. Like it or not, you’re all now on this journey with me!
You know, when CH wanted to move, I was very resistant to the idea, b/c I didn't think a whole bunch of change was a good idea for us. But now, I'm happy that we're settled in a nest and financial situation that we both feel comfortable in. He was SO right and the stress of moving was totally worth it. And I think you'll also feel better when you find a condo that you feel comfortable in.
I loved the line about all the stuff you need to keep a baby alive. I, too, wanted to get around a few of the things on the list, but the sad thing is that if you don't have a ton of time, it's probably best to just get everything on the list.
When it came time to register, I just went ahead and used a friends registry list. She's a much better researcher than me and I trusted her opinion. However, we did look do a lot of research into our stroller and car seat, since that seems to change from month to month. Hope this helps. I'd tell you not to be anxious … but you see how well that's going for me.
You know, when CH wanted to move, I was very resistant to the idea, b/c I didn't think a whole bunch of change was a good idea for us. But now, I'm happy that we're settled in a nest and financial situation that we both feel comfortable in. He was SO right and the stress of moving was totally worth it. And I think you'll also feel better when you find a condo that you feel comfortable in.
I loved the line about all the stuff you need to keep a baby alive. I, too, wanted to get around a few of the things on the list, but the sad thing is that if you don't have a ton of time, it's probably best to just get everything on the list.
When it came time to register, I just went ahead and used a friends registry list. She's a much better researcher than me and I trusted her opinion. However, we did look do a lot of research into our stroller and car seat, since that seems to change from month to month. Hope this helps. I'd tell you not to be anxious … but you see how well that's going for me.