The Mother’s Day Nest
I was conflicted about Mother’s Day this year. On one hand, I don’t have a baby yet. On the other, I have a fetus kicking me in the ribs every day, and surely that is worth something. Fortunately, I didn’t have to think too long about this. I woke up early on Mother’s Day and walked downstairs to let the dogs out and what is waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs?
Only these beautiful flowers from my wonderful husband….
Along with these beautiful cut flowers, he also got me a red rose bush that we can plant in our yard to remind us of my first Mother’s Day. He also made me chocolate chip pancakes and chocolate milk. It was a beautiful, chocolate morning.
After breakfast, we fell into a chocolate chip pancake coma on the couch until about noon. When we came to, Chris smiled at me and asked me the question that I’m confident every mother wants to hear. I mean, I am not even technically a mom yet and they were the most glorious words I’d ever heard:
“Sweetie, what would YOU like to do today?”
I thought and I thought with all of my might. This was an important decision. I may never have this opportunity again. What in my heart of hearts did I want to do? The answer came to me surprisingly easily.
I wanted to clean.
I wanted Chris to bring my shiny new vacuum up from the basement and leave me to celebrate my day with the Green Monster. I wanted to rid my house of dog hair. Of dust. Of stroller boxes. Of empty water bottles. I wanted my house to be clean. Clean enough that I could put a baby on the floor and not fear that the dust bunnies would attack him.
I wanted to clean.
But I think it went a little awry. The nesting took over. It was unstoppable. It was a force bigger than life. And before I knew it, this was happening…
Fortunately again, Chris has the forsight to intervene when necessary. For example, he put me in time out. I was allowed to do one chore at a time – say, vacuum the living room – and then I had to take a 10 minute time-out.
I discovered that you can clean anything with a vacuum cleaner. Anything. You can clean carpets, naturally. But did you know you can clean window sills that are gunky from winter? Or underneath beds? Or behind couches? Or inside the lint tray in your washing machine? Or curtains? Or dogs (don’t tell Chris…)? Or dog beds? Or furniture? You can clean anything with a vacuum! And I did! I cleaned everything in my house!
And it was clean. And God saw that it was good.
I tell you what. That nesting is some powerful stuff. What else could drag a 9 month pregnant woman to crawl around her house on all fours, dragging the Green Monster around behind her by a suction tube, attacking and cursing at balls of dog hair?
Nuthin.
24 Comments
Jenn
I love your card catalog thingy-dingy!
Katie's Grandma
Love that blue dress you have on! Your cleaning spree on
Mothers’ Day is so typical of “being very close” to having
that Great Grandson of mine.
Emily C
OMG! I think you’re going to go into labor very soon. I heard that before you go into labor you get in the mood to clean!Look out world…the Bean is coming!! 🙂
Mindee@oufrontdoor
The one and only time I ever felt compelled to vacuum mattresses, I was 7 months pregnant and technically on bed rest. But it HAD TO BE DONE. NOW!!!
Luckily I’ve not had that problem again.
Nesting is a crazy, crazy thing for sure.
Summer
I just found your site and love it! Don’t be conflicted about technicalities – you are a mother for sure!! It sounds like you had a happy and productive one.
Jenn
I love your blog!!! Is that a library table you have in that room where you had your time out? I have one too and I love it!!!!
Liesel
You can nest yourself on over to my house. The dust bunnies under my bed need a good suction!
Ashley
LOVE THIS POST! You are absolutely HILARIOUS, and you have a wonderful husband!! I hope and pray that the husband God has chosen for me is close to yours! Have a wonderful Tuesday 🙂
Camille
What a strange phenomenon this nesting is! I hope you didn’t die afterward! But I bet it was amazing to have such cleanliness all around you. I can’t imagine what it would be like.
Laura
YOU put the rest of us to shame. Give me a hike and I’m fine. Give me the tub to scrub and I can’t reach the floor. I think I had my nesting phase and Gooner missed the memo.
DeAnna
Isn’t Nesting awesome!!! Your able to clean what you haven’t been able to clean for the last few months in a matter of hours. It is just amazing!!
elizabeth
Happy Nesting! LOL!
I never had that urge with any of my three kids. Sometimes I get the urge now, but it is Oh-So-RARE! What your husband really should have done was taken over the vacuuming and sent you on your way shopping. There’s always next year!
And as if I couldn’t use any more exclamation marks: I love your card catalog! I have now officially renewed my search for one.
Donna
Too funny. I have never done the “nesting” thing when I was pregnant with either of my children, but when you have a long haired cat any cleaning is futile because she just comes by and deposits more hair…
Jes the Bes
I am a clean freak already. I nest every day of my life. Oh wait maybe that is OCD.
Nothing feels better than a clean home.
deepa
I am in full on nesting as well! Yay! It’s been so bad that I have been getting quotes from contractors for the past two weeks.
Sarah @ BecomingSarah.com
LOL! I’m glad you had the chance to do EXACTLY what you wanted on your first Mother’s Day. Happy belated!
(This post scares me a little bit. I’m already a neat freak. What am I going to do when nesting hits? IMPLODE?!)
Hilary
I agree that if nesting is kicking in THAT hard (unless you normally love to vacuum), then I think the Bean is on his way. Plus, it sounds like Great Grandma is picking up some labor vibes, and I would trust that instinct!
Era
You’re definitely a mom. Obviously a new mom, because you’re doing the vacuuming yourself. When the Bean is old enough, I’m sure you’ll recruit him for your vacuuming needs.
Era
Or maybe that’s just the kind of tyranical mother I am 😮
Queen of Quirky
Also love the card catalog. Isn’t that baby coming in a few days?!!! So excited am I.
Tina T
I had a few bouts of nesting where I vacuumed everything in site. Many of the books I had read said that women shouldn’t vacuum late in pregnancy, but my doctor declared me perfectly fit to vacuum (guess he didn’t understand my wink as I mentioned the books that gave this advice.)
Unfortunately I only had this tremendous cleaning urge when my boys were babies. Now that they’re older the dust bunnies are starting to win the war.
Lauren From Texas
Cute site! Congrats on the baby 🙂
Gibby
When I went into labor with my second, I decided to vacuum the family room. I knew I would be gone for a while and didn’t want all the visitors to come to a family room floor full of crumbs. So, I vacuumed and counted the minutes between contractions. Nesting is a wonderful thing!
Jennifer
One question- has Chris been the one keeping the toenails painted up and looking like the toenails of a women who’s not 9 months preggo?