Nesting: Part Two

I wasn't sure how it was going to happen, but a week ago, the husband and the boys got the closet started for me, and now it's all done! I love that it took us nine years to finally get a shoe rack. :)

It may not look fancy, but since I don't have any before pictures (since the boys started unexpectedly), you can't see just how bad it really was! Also, in the past couple of weeks, I have been able to clean out the fridge and the under-the-sink areas for our kitchen and bathrooms.

Oohhh, under the sinks was so bad! I don't know how I let it become so messy and just yuck. This picture doesn't do it justice. And in our bathroom, some cough syrup had leaked, so that was fun! I am excited, though, because my only real project left is to wash all the car seat covers (including the baby's) and clean out the van. Other than that, this week I can just concentrate on staying on top of things, hanging out with my boys, and anticipating this little one's arrival. :) Oh! And a nice, relaxing haircut. :D

Nesting

We have 18 days until this baby arrives.

Eighteen. Days.

This morning, when I took the boys to the library, the librarian asked me, "So have you gotten everything ready for this one to come home?"

"Uhhhh … well, there's really not much to do when it's your third."

True and untrue.

Elias is still in "the nursery," and we haven't really figured out when we want to kick him out into Kieran's room. Of course, the baby will sleep in our room at first, so all that really requires is setting up the pack 'n play. :D

But do I still have a to-do list? You betcha! Somehow, what seemed like an eternity is all of the sudden just around the corner, and there are some serious nesting things I want to get checked off of my list. Unfortunately, we have had a few rounds of sicknesses go through our family, and that just really lets all of the air our of one's plans, doesn't it?

So today I decided to stop waiting for my grown-up helper to be well and healthy and available and coerce my little minions persuade my dear children to be my helpers, instead. For the 2.5 years that we have lived here, I have had my "pantry" in the closet of the nursery and kept our trash and can/bottle recycling bins in our coat closet. Since I have also been a stay-at-home mom now for over two years, as well, my baking and other kitchen projects have increased; therefore, I knew that wasn't going to work to have a little one slumbering in there just when I realize I need more brown sugar.

I wish I would have gotten some pictures of the boys hard at work today! Okay, so it was mostly Kieran who helped, but still, he was super into it! We emptied out the coat closet, swept, and scrubbed down the walls and the floor. I put away the jackets that we haven't been using this season, then we emptied my shelving unit so it could be moved. Once I had it in the closet (in the only position it would fit), Kieran carried each food item one-by-one so I could restock the shelves. :)

We got a new stainless steel trash can that sits in the kitchen (hopefully harder to accidentally knock over than the plastic ones?), and since I stopped buying pop/soda, we threw out both of our old cans (less scrubbing for me – yay!) We also threw out quite a few other things, so now the nursery closet is reorganized, and I need to decide how I want to use the space in there. And my so-called pantry is reorganized and more accessible to me, too. Maybe someday I'll have a real pantry, but in the meantime, I'm thankful for what we have (and for all the stuff I can sneakily store in our upright deep freezer).

Next on my list? The pit of despair that is our master closet. Time to get motivated!