The Nesting is Strong with this One

Oh my goodness, am I nesting or what?!!??

I can't think about anything else other than getting ready for our little one. I am cleaning, sorting, making lists, sewing, organizing, planning. My head is constantly spinning.

Source: etsy.com via Jodie on Pinterest

I can guarantee that 90% of my day I am thinking about getting ready for this baby. I have a mental list going on in my head at all times. I have so much I want to get done, yet I have very little that I actually need to get done.

Let's be honest. With your first, you get so much ready for his or her arrival; with your second, you realize that you didn't need or use half the stuff you had ready; with your third, well .... let's just say poor third child.

But even though there is very little that I need for our newest addition, there is so much I want to do. This third baby is the game changer. I don't need any necessity things, so I get to SPLURGE. I get to do all the extras. Which for me means that I get to create, craft, and sew.

I am so excited to get so many things done for our little one. I have so many plans in my head it is a bit ridiculous. I want to make so many things for her nursery. I want to make a cute, crafty nursery that will easily be made into the girls' room once they are ready to share.

I think I have decided on a purple color scheme. I think that it works perfectly with what I want to do. I have a vision in my head that I can't wait to make happen. Have I mentioned I am nesting?

We had talked about not setting up a nursery till after our little one got here, but I think things have changed. I can't seem to quench my nesting urges with just thoughts. I need to start piecing everything together. It is going to be a slow process, since I want to make so much of it myself.

I really hope my nesting instinct stays up so that I actually get all the things I want done, DONE.

The nesting is strong with this one; oh yes, it is definitely strong.

De-clutter, organize, and sell

Why is it that you always need a vacation from your vacation?

This week has been full of just trying to get back to regular routines and organizing from a busy July. We are using the next two weeks to get our house in tip-top ship shape. The clutter has started to take over our house and we need an overhaul. 

Our house is only a 1200-square-foot bungalow, and with 2 little ones, a dog, and 2 adults, keeping it organized and de-cluttered is a constant battle. We just went through our basement storage 6 months ago and already it was overflowing with things that either need to be donated or sold. It is crazy to me how quickly it all piles up. 

The organized shelves after we cleaned them out. Sorry, I did not
think to take a before shot, and not sure I would want you to
see how bad it was. It does feel good to have it all organized again. 

Since my husband is working a ton lately, we are breaking up all the cleaning into little hour and a half chunks each night. So far we have gone through our basement and I have done most of the kitchen. I will finish that up and the bathroom during naptime today. We will have bedrooms, family room, closets, and garage left to do. Seems a little overwhelming when I think about it all. 

I am hoping that we are all done by this weekend so that next week I can get ready for my first garage sale. That should be interesting! 

I know that the more clean and organized the garage sale the better the sales, so I will need next week to get every thing clean and ready to go. 

When you have 2 little ones, doing anything extra during the day outside of our regular eating, sleeping, playing, and cleaning routine takes more energy than you would think. Bob and I use to do a lot of house projects before we had kids, but quickly those projects get replaced with just corralling the troops and spending time as a family. 

The beginning of my very, very disorganized sell pile.
Mostly home good items, but it is a definite full of
a lot of miscellaneous items. 

It takes planning and organization to just get those things done. We do less projects as a team and more as individuals. Obviously, one of us needs to be on kid duty when they are awake. The other problem is that you don't want to exhaust yourself doing a project, so when the kids are awake you have the energy to take care of them. They are rested and ready to go no matter what. 

Anyone have good tips for hosting our first garage sale? I know that organization and clear pricing are key. We live on a busy road, so I don't think that we will have much advertising needs. I am just planning on posting a Craig's List ad a couple days before and the days of. What do you do?

On a side note, I had Maisie's follow-up peditrician appointment today. She is doing just fine. The doctor is not so sure on the pnemonia diagnosis and thinks that it probably was just a virus. We will finish out the antibiotics since we had already started them. Other than that, she is back to normal. 

Nursery Done!

Man, what a whirlwind these past few weeks. I swear, I have had little time to do anything. But between fun play dates, Susan G. Komen 5K, my husband's 30th birthday, and Memorial Day, it has been fun! Through it all, my husband and I were finally able to finish moving everything around in the nursery. We are done decorating and it is ready for Miss Maisie to get here. 

If you missed that ... Yep, her name will be Maisie Michelle. I am sharing because once I post nursery pictures, here name is visible. I talk more about how we came up with her name in my next post. 

As for the nursery, we took my son's single baby nursery and moved it into a larger room to make it basically a nursery for twins. We added a crib, dresser, different window treatments, and a few more decorations. It was pretty simple to make the change and I am pretty happy with how it turned out. Calan's nursery was gender neutral from the start and that made it very easy to make it a nursery for both of them. 

Here are a few pictures of what Calan's nursery looked like before we moved it:

And here is the nursery now:

View from the door. We mirror faced the cribs. 

Calan's side of the room. We needed a new dresser to put
their clothes in because I needed more diaper space in our
changing table. 

Maisie's side of the room. We bought a
fourth shelf and added name decals for wall
decorations.

The changing area stayed basically exactly the same.
However, now it is filled with more diapers!

Third trimester here I come

Well, this is it. The last trimester is here. Baby Girl Wilson will be here in 3 short months and I am definitely do not feel ready. But the sad part is, I am not sure what I really should do. I had everything for Calan and everything is still here somewhere.

For a person who loves organization, I am kind of at a lost on where to start this time. I am not exactly sure why I am having such a block this time, but I kind of feel like an organization mess. I know that I have plenty of time and everything will work out. 

April just flew by. That is making a little nervous that May and June will be just as quick. I know that it will all come together, but I can't help but wonder when it will all happen.

Don't get me wrong. We have done a lot in the last two months switch things around in order to make better use of our house and that has been great. I could not imagine adding another baby to our home the way it was before. Now, we have plenty of space, or so I think.

But, I guess my question is more of what do I really need to do. I need to have the nursery some what organized, but she is going to be sleeping with Bob and I till I know that she won't disturb Calan's sleep too much. So, to be honest adding her to the nursery is not exactly something we need to do as soon as possible. Then there are clothes, I do need to wash items I have purchased and prepare some diapers, but all and all that is just a day job if that. Next might be getting some things from the basement like the swing and bouncy chair, but once again, not something that we need the day we get home.

A part of me wonders if I am missing something. I should probably just relax, sit back, and enjoy my last trimester. Life is going to be crazy those first months. I know this logically, but I don't think that I can completely grasp it till she is here. So, mental note to myself. STOP WORRYING. 

Moving out, Moving Forward

This morning Calan and I said goodbye to our bedrooms and took off for the night at my father-in-law's house. Today we are having our bedrooms repainted and tomorrow we move bedrooms. Bob and I head upstairs; one floor away from Calan, one floor away from the bathroom (any pregnant lady can sympathize with that one). Calan moves into our bedroom. We will finally be able to set up our second crib that has been collecting dust in our basement. I will finally be able to start "nesting" for our latest addition.

It isn't easy for me to see my home in such a disarray. I like having everything organized and decorated. Like any newly wed when Bob and I moved into our home, pictures and memorabilia from our wedding decorated our bedroom walls. Our bedding is still the set we registered for 4 1/2 years ago. What will our new bedroom look like? A big mess! I know that one day it will be all organized again, and knowing me that will be sooner rather than later, but I am not looking forward to dealing with the mess in the meantime.

Calan's room should transfer over nicely. His old room and new room are both painted the same color. I am just hoping that once we start moving the furniture into his room that we have enough space. I am getting nervous that there won't be enough room for everything that I would like in there. The room should have 2 cribs, 2 dressers (one a dresser/changing table combo), rocking chair, and side table. The rocking chair and table will be my bonus if they get in. I just want a spot to sit and read to my children. A spot to cozy up with them before bed. Yes, I can live with out it, but it would be nice to keep it in there.

On the plus side, I am sure next week I will be able to go on a little shopping trip to get some things we need and things I want. I have been pretty exhausted lately as I head into my third trimester. I am hoping this "project" re-energizes me and I get a little more pep in my step.

I promise to post pictures once I feel like the nursery is nice enough to share.

Goodbye Nursery

Calan's bunny nursery.

Like any new mother, I spent quite a bit of time planning and organizing and decorating and loving Calan's nursery. One of the hardest things for me is to see it already changing. I know Calan won't remember it, but a part of me feels sad to see it go. I feel a little like I was gypped. I finished his room last May and one-year later it is gone.

In preparation for moving around bedrooms in our house, we are having a fresh coat of paint put up in the bedrooms this Friday. Bob spent this weekend taking down all my decorative elements of the nursery and our bedroom. Everything looks so bare.

I know that everything is just getting moved around and Calan's nursery will basically just be moved into a new room. It will look very similar and everything will be rehung. Everything will be organized again, and finally there will be space for our little girl.

While I am sad to say goodbye to Calan's nursery, I am excited to get things ready for our little girl and for them to have a cute nursery together. This is going to be a busy weekend, but it is one that will hopefully move us one step closer to being ready.

Spring cleaning has sprung

The feeling is amazing when you really start to clear out the old and make space for the new. There is no hidden secret that I like to have things organized, but I am sure that my husband can tell you that in fact I am not a naturally organized person. I am famous for piles and putting things out of sight, out of mind, but not necessarily do I put things away.

On one of the blogs I follow, I read a great saying, "Don't put down, put away." Isn't that easier said than done? It is so easy to just put something out of the way to keep the high traffic areas in your home clean and organized. Our famous "toss " places are our bungalow that is set up as a spare bedroom and office right now and our laundry room and storage room in our basement. 

In the near future, I am going to be losing our "toss" locations. It is going to become even more important to put away rather than put down. 

My husband and I cleaned out our basement this weekend, as well as sorted and got rid of old clothes. It felt so good to get rid of so much stuff that we had accumillated. So many items that I know I just put down rather than put away. It is amazing how quickly things pile up. 

Our laundry room has so much space in it now that we really can grow into. It is amazing when you clear away the the junk how fresh and new a space can feel, even an unfinished, basement laundry room. 

Over the next month, Bob and I will be getting our spring cleaning done. On our April short list will be clearing out and organizing our bungalow, getting our carpets cleaned, and having a few rooms repainted. All of these chores are in preparation for moving around all of our bedrooms in May. 

I can not wait to get those things done. I feel like I am pretty behind on planning for our little girl. But after this weekend, I really am feeling energized and excited to get our house ready for littlest arrival. Bring on the nesting; I like this feeling. 

What is on your spring cleaning to-do list?

Stuff I think I need

Right now, the thing I think about most is trying to figure out the things we need versus the things I want for our next baby and for our home. If I wanted to be honest, I really do not need anything for at least the first few months. We have the necessities ­‑ clothes, diapers, pack n’ play, and infant car seat. But there are some things that I think that we need before the baby gets here.

My short list includes: a second crib, a tall dresser, a second pack n’ play, a double stroller, several more cloth diapers and a convertible car seat for Calan.

Luckily, we did not know what we were having the first time around, so most everything newborn-wise is gender neutral. It won't matter what we have, we have what we need right away. 

However, my list of wants is soooo much longer. While I have always decorated our house on a pretty tight budget, with so many room swaps, I would love a few new things to go with it. However, I know that those things will come in time. Eventually I would like a new bedding set. What we have now won’t exactly match the paint color we have upstairs.

I would also love a headboard. Our bed is going to go up against a window and to protect us from cold drafts in the winter, I would love a little something between us and the window. New side tables would be great too. Right now we have one, but I am sure my husband would like one next to him.

In the dining room, I would love a new rug to go under our new table and maybe some better lighting options. Unfortunately, there is not an overhead light in there, so it gets a little dim. Another great thing would be a coat rack. We use our coat closet for my husband’s clothes. We have a larger closet in the basement, but we tend to be a little lazy and our coats end up wherever, but usually on the back of our dining room chairs.

My husband wants us to get a new car; most likely a minivan. It is going to be a tight squeeze traveling with 2 babies, all our stuff, and our loveable dog Elle. I know this, but not sure if mentally I am ready to move to a minivan. I drive a Passat wagon right now. Our first vacation will be to my mother’s over Labor Day weekend. It is a 5.5-hour drive sans children. We will see how we fit then if we haven’t gotten a new car before.

So our list of needs is few, and our (my) list of wants is many, but it will all work out. As long as life is at least mostly organized and I have 2 happy babies and 1 happy husband, it will be fine. I just have to remind myself how blessed we are to be welcoming our second child into our lives and everything else will just workout. 

The logistics of the situation

For me, trying to keep life organized and functioning is one of my biggest concerns when it comes to having my 2 babies. My mom sometimes thinks that I am a little over zealous to put it mildly, but disorganization really stresses me out. If I can avoid it or plan around it, I am a much calmer and pleasant person to be around.

So, where do I begin this time around? Last time, I came across a great book The Organized Mom: Simplify Life for You and Baby, One Step at a Time. It was my organization Bible. It really helped with tips and tricks to de-clutter and organize each room of the house in preparation for baby. It even had great checklists for things like my hospital bag and diaper bag. I still reference it from time to time.

This time, I feel like I am floundering a little trying to get things organized. While I haven’t really started yet, I have so many ideas and plans in my head it is crazy. In order to organize my 1,200-square-foot, 3-bedroom, 1-bath, no closet space bungalow for our next family addition, I am going to have to switch up 4 rooms in my house. It is going to be a lot of swapping and moving around, so we have decided to hold off till May because Calan will be a little bit older and I want to enjoy his nursery for a little bit longer. (I really spent a lot of time planning his nursery and I’m not ready to uproot it yet.)

So here is the game plan. Our living room is going to become a dining room, our bedroom will become the nursery, the nursery will become a spare bedroom and office, and the upstairs bungalow will become our master bedroom.

The first move will be the dining room. Because of a good deal this past weekend, my husband and I bought a dining room set. It will be delivered in a couple weeks. This move will open up space in our family room, which currently has a small 4-person table in it for dining. That space will become a kid corner. We rarely use our front entrance room that is set up as a living room. When we first moved in 5 years ago, we just did not have the money to buy a dining room set and the furniture that is in it was free to us from our parents. It is just what worked out. Now, we will be able to utilize that space for many, many family dinners. Plus, by Christmas we are going to need a second high chair and I don’t think that we would have been able to make that fit in our family room. So move one, opens more living space and utilizes more functioning space in our house.

The second move will probably happen in May and that is the great bedroom swap of 2011. Right now, our bungalow is set up as a spare bedroom, office, and basically the dump space of the house. We don’t really use it, except when my parents come to stay. We currently use the biggest bedroom on the main floor as our bedroom and the smaller bedroom as the nursery. We would not be able to fit the 2 cribs, changing area and dresser in the current nursery. The babies will share a room in what is currently our bedroom. I have decided that having them share a room is what is going to be best for us. Obviously, our newborn will be sleeping in a bassinet in our room till he or she is able to sleep through the night. But after that period, having the babies share a room, I think will be healthy for them and easier for me when it comes to organizing their toys,  clothes, and cloth diapers. Plus, it still gives us a chance to have a spare bedroom and office space. My parents live a few hours away from us and while I can, I would like to make sure there is a bed for them to sleep on when they are here. The spare bedroom also gives me additional space for maybe toys and play area, as well as in the distant future, room for a third baby without having to do another crazy room shake up.

So, that is the plan. Not sure how it is all going to shake out. Not sure how it is going to get all done, but we are going to do it and take it one step at a time. Only 152 days left till my due date. Plenty of time, right?