The Nest

By Allison Norris

Mama birds scour the land for the perfect piece of straw or that little chunk of fuzz that will complete their nest. Little eggs lay there keeping warm while inside the little, awkward squawkers are about to hatch. Nesting. Dogs find cool, dark places and visit them beforehand to make sure their litter will enter the world in the perfect location. Planning. Allison tries to pack all final details into 3 days –leaving piles of stuff everywhere, hitting yard sales to find that perfect dresser for the one spot she hadn’t yet considered. Procrastination and exhaustion.

The countdown is on. 4, yes, 4 days until I am officially due. I should be relaxing and soaking up the last days of sleeping in and Bravo television. But I have an itch… one that can only be scratched by making sure that everything in my little house is organized, color-coded, cleaned, washed and ready to go! I feel like I should be carrying around a feather or some fuzz in my mouth.

My girlfriend posted photos of her nursery on Facebook. She’s only 18 weeks along and doesn’t even know the sex of her baby yet, but she has a nursery. It has clouds on the ceiling and a gender-neutral sleigh crib, because, of course, they had to get the nursery ready WAY before they even know what they are having. They only have 5 more months to get it together! Hurry!

I, on the other hand, have 5 (give or take a few, right?) more days. I figured it might be time to wash a few things and start putting them in their designated locations. My sister, Liz, has been living with me during my pregnancy but found a new apartment a couple of weeks ago. She’s been gradually, slooowly moving her belongings out, leaving little piles here and there… until “nesting time,” when I politely told her that I was going to have a NERVOUS BREAKDOWN unless all of her stuff was either GONE or put into ONE small pile near the door so that she could TAKE SOMETHING WITH HER every time she left the house! I need space! Understanding pregnant ladies, she obeyed.

We rearranged my room, moving half of the “baby stuff” that I had stored in there into my new roommate’s nursery, and then suddenly realized that I still needed a “few” things! A dresser, some drapes, a book shelf, sheets for the new twin bed that will be in the nursery for guests… as well as blankets, a diaper bag, granny panties, AH! And, it’s 100 degrees out – in Seattle?!

I stopped at garage sales, Ross, Target, Fred Meyer and finally my neighbor’s basement to acquire these very important essential items that I absolutely could not live without –and certainly cannot welcome my son without. After two days, a depleted bank account, and a lot of sweat, I got everything on my list. I felt much better.

I found my handy dandy drill along with the bits and drivers and started drilling curtain rods into the walls. Single mama in the house!

The crib took four of us to build and a solid three hours. My socks and underwear now have a home in their gorgeous new dresser (totally scored it at a yard sale for $20 – yowza!) and the diapers have been organized by “newborn, size 1, 2 and 3s” on the top shelf of the closet. All the bottles have been sanitized and stored. The onesies are washed and folded. The bassinet has clean sheets and stuffed giraffes in the storage space underneath. Everything is as it should be.

I just need a baby.