Mama Bird

With baby coming soon I have officially entered into the Nesting stage. It is kinda fun and feels so good to do things that just pop into my head and bring the biggest relief when done (like organizing the junk drawer or our medicine cabinet). It does make me laugh a little how important things seem to be in the moment. Either way the burden, of feeling unprepared in our tiny two bedroom apartment for baby 3, gets a little lighter every time I get to add something to my DONE list!

(Shea started packing his hospital bag more than a week ago,
I think someone has the eager jitter bugs --- love it!)

I came across this fun little article on Nesting (here)
and enjoyed hearing a little about this stage:
"A pregnant woman's urge to clean, organize and get their life in order is a primal instinct going back thousands of years...
Researchers found the obsessive behavior - known as 'nesting' and characterized by unusual bursts of energy ... a result of a mechanism to protect and prepare for the unborn baby.
Women also become more selective about the company they keep, preferring to just spend time with people they trust...
'It ties us to our ancestral past. Providing a safe environment helps to promote bonding and attachment between both the mother and infant.'
'One of the apparent paradoxes of nesting is in the third trimester women tell us they are more tired while simultaneously showing an increase in activity,'".

Exactly what am I up to?

Well other than my recent burst of organizational projects, I have done a little baby decor project for Sydney. I am pretty proud of it considering I designed each print out to hang. It hangs right above where her little pack n play bassinet nook is going to be.

I also have had some fun washing itty bitty baby clothes and baby accessories (pack n play fabrics, swing fabrics, and car seat fabrics). Now that Sydney's car seat is fresh and clean it sits around our home waiting for little ones to peek inside, checking to see if baby is here yet :)

I also have fumbled with a loose plan, a pre-baby plan for our family just a couple things that I wanted to make attempts at, to make baby's 3 adjustment a little easier.
I had a solid plan for both kids sleep arrangements. Therefore, sleep training was my highest priority when it came to pre-baby goals. Currently we have an overload on co-sleeping. I don't recommend it! As much as Shea loves it (he is a big cuddler), I hate it! Especially now being SO pregnant. Well truth be told I just lacked motivation and determination, and have told myself baby is going to mess up our sleep schedule anyway. So now although there have been slight improvements, they both usually fall asleep in our bed and get put in their own and then wander back in somewhere in the middle of the night. So Daddy is going to have to be their bedroom buddy when baby comes. And I am going to be on baby duty, never letting baby in our bed... EVER!
Getting rid of Bella's thumb sucking and "comfort pinching" has also been part of my plan. In hopes that we could break some nasty habits before all the baby distractions come into play. Fortunately, she rarely pinches anymore, which is a huge relief ("comfort pinching" was an annoying habit she developed at the end of nursing at ~14 months). Thumb sucking boot camp has begun and we are trying very hard to stick to it rigidly! I am so proud of the improvements she is making there.
I also am happy to report that both kids got dentist appointments just recently! Both coming back with perfect results. No cavities and no fits. I was so relieved to have these visits over before things got busy with baby, not to mention that it is all too good knowing that their teeth are healthy (even when Bella fights the brushing, most days).
Even though my sleep training failed (being as it was never attempted), I am feeling pretty good as we get ready for baby. Checking off little things every week that are making our home (and master bedroom --- baby's sleep and swing corners) baby ready. And I am not giving up on sleep training, it is definitely going to happen this summer, no matter what.
I am also enjoying having our home a little less cluttered (as we have put several bins full in storage), while we revamp our small home for baby :)