Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Birthday Nesting

Nesting is a completely rational instinct. Right? Newborn babies definitely notice and/or care if your baseboards are clean when you bring them home from the hospital. They will undoubtedly judge you if all closets are not organized. They care about chair legs being cleaned and sanitized. Right? (I dare you to disagree with me).

I had some pretty crazy nesting instincts when I was pregnant with Alana. I spent the first week of my maternity leave cleaning 8 hours a day. I scrubbed the baseboards, vacuumed every corner of my house and cleaned out closets.

With Ava it wasn't as severe. It was August after all. I was home all the time so my house was pretty clean anyway. I already vacuum and mop everyday so there weren't a whole lot of things to scrub down.

This weird urge I'm getting to clean now is different though. Its not really about bringing a new baby into a clean home. Its about not letting 40 people into my home for a first birthday party if the stovetop isn't spotless. There is less than a week till Ava's birthday and I have the urge to make sure my house is clean, top to bottom. And I need to do it now.

The day before Ava's party is my sister's baby shower. I have to go to Tucson that day to pick up a Costco cake that David insisted on getting for Ava's party and 1,000ish buns for bbq sandwiches. Its gonna be a hectic day and as soon as we get back I have to finish up the food for the baby shower. I'm like a caterer for the weekend. Two events in two days.

Amidst party planning galore I feel the need to clean my house. I know it will just get dirty when we have people parading through it for Ava's party, but it needs to at least be clean when they get here. Seriously. I can't have people in my kitchen if the stovetop is even a little bit grimy. It must be scrubbed! The bathroom must be spotless, the garbage can needs cleaned, all laundry MUST be folded and put away, floors swept, mopped and vacuumed, beds made, etc, etc.

Its a sickness people. Really. I can't stop myself. My baby won't have a dirty birthday party. Except for the part where she eats cake and makes a giant mess of herself. That part can be dirty.

5 comments:

Leigh said...

I feel your pain here. I was the same way with nesting, and I'm the same now with cleaning for events. It's borderline OCD.

Shelley said...

i understand about feeling the need to clean. i have to clean before anyone comes over or im afraid theyll think im a slob!

JoJo said...

OH gosh you've got it together! Can you come here and clean my apartment for me :-)

The Mrs. said...

Costco's cheesecake filling is where its at!!!! mmmmmmmmmm I want some now!

Janet Dillon Robinson said...

I do the same thing before big events, I go into power-clean and suddenly I'm cleaning things that haven't been cleaned since the LAST time we had an event (windex-ing windows and dusting EVERYTHING... oh how I hate dusting).

Good luck! :) Everyone will love your home/party regardless.

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