Nesting Journal Entry # 1

I remember the days when blogs used to read like journal entries. I’m bringing that back for this little series. Leading up to the arrival of our baby, I’m writing a journal entry every Friday morning on all things “nesting.”

So, what is “nesting?” My mom thinks it’s just about the corniest term she’s ever heard, and I’m inclined to agree with her. “You’re just getting ready. Why does it have to be all cutesy?” Nevertheless, there is a culture around the term “nesting,” and so many things I do these days are falling under the umbrella of “getting ready.” As of right now, I might as well hop on this bandwagon. 

I remember people mentioning nesting when I was sick in my first trimester. I thought the hormones that would spur on cleaning, decorating, and more homemaking, would never come. In the first seventeen weeks of pregnancy, I was averse to nearly everything. I didn’t have interest in the mundane little joys of home like I usually did. I know that sounds dark, but it’s the reality. My garden grossed me out, and I let it die. I couldn’t cook breakfast anymore for my husband before he headed off to work. If he wanted eggs, he had to make them outside on the grill. I’m not kidding. The smell would make me sick all day. I was getting acupuncture 2-3 times a week just to get some relief. I wanted to be anywhere but the house. We planned a getaway for early October, because I needed a change of scenery. The last thing I felt motivated to do was make my baby registry, clean the house, organize drawers, etc. This is the only time in my whole life that I felt this disinterested in the things I love and the longest period of time I have felt constantly sick. And don’t get me started on how guilty that made me feel…. We don’t need to go there. However, around the time of our gender reveal, a fog lifted. I baked and decorated cupcakes for the party. I made games and decorations and signs. I was beginning to feel like myself again, finally. 

The itch to do domestic tasks only got stronger after the aversions slowly began to lift. Now, in my third trimester, what I feel like most is hunkering down in my home, tidying, cleaning, cooking, crafting, and reading about baby care. Part of me thinks it’s the hormones. Part of it is a return to equilibrium. Either way, I’m really happy and excited. It’s certainly a welcome distraction from any anxiety I may have about childbirth or postpartum (let’s not pretend like everyone is just cool as a cucumber about everything for their first time!). 

This week, I took on some organizational tasks around the house. My biggest organizational enemy was our walk in closet. I absolutely purged certain sections of that closet that haven’t been touched since my husband moved in over 5 years ago. I moved on to the kitchen. I needed to get a full drawer cleared for feeding supplies (i.e. bottles, pump parts, etc). I took on another cabinet and drawer to get this done, and to my surprise, I was able to comfortably condense a lot to make room. Does everyone always have more expired pantry items than they anticipate? 

Then, I moved on to the fridge. If I have any chance of prepping some freezer meals, I need to make sure I start in the fridge with some organization. Purging and scrubbing the shelves and drawers made me feel SO much better. Sort of like another fog lifting. Simple? Maybe. Silly? I don’t think so. In this week’s YouTube video, I shared my top three home organization tips that i have been following throughout this journey. I hope you find them useful! 

With Melody & Grit, 

Brady