35 weeks and counting...

I have finally arrived at my favorite stage of pregnancy. True, I have a hard time moving, if I eat more than three bites of something I'm stuffed beyond words, and clothes that I like wearing are few and far between. But I'm not sick and I'm not exhausted. For as long as I can remember, the mornings and in fact much of the afternoons and evenings also have consisted of me going through the motions of life but spending most of my thoughts on figuring out a way to lay down and go back to sleep. It was much worse in the early days of pregnancy, but even though it got better that second trimester, I still would rather sleep than do anything. But no more! I finally have energy and gumption to do things! Part of it I'm sure is the fact that between the debilitating leg cramps and the bathroom breaks that suddenly wake me up in the middle of the night and the difficulty I have getting comfortable enough to go back to sleep, sleep time is really not as restful as it used to be. Still, I wake up now before Miriam and I'm really awake! I get things accomplished during the day that are in excess of basic survival! I have the desire to DO rather than to just lay! It's amazing! The experts call this the "Nesting Stage." I call it the "Not Being Sick and/or Tired and Finally Having the Desire and Energy to Do Everything I've Avoided For the Past Eight Months Stage." Although my title might be much more precise, I suppose they have the advantage of being concise. Whatever floats your boat. The reality of the matter is that I have cleared out and organized our three hallway closets, rearranged Miriam's closet to make room for Eli's things, cleared out the basement storage shelves and packed Brent's entire trunk, backseat, and passenger front seat with things he took to the DI. Well, Savers, because DI didn't take donations on New Years Day. Their loss. I have a plan of attack for the next two weeks of how to finish cleaning and organizing the basement, do the kitchen cupboards, and finish getting two birthdays (Brent and Miriam are both in January) as well as a birth day (obviously Elijah) prepared. Part of me is reveling in this energy not because I don't like to laze when I can, because I most certainly do. But I also know how much energy and attention Miriam likes at this point. I also know how much energy and attention Miriam liked during her first three months and can only imagine that Eli will want just as much. And I also remember how stinking exhausted I was after Miriam was born and trying to not only get her through the night but also the day and also somehow get myself some rest and recovery. And then I imagine adding a wonderful but typical two-year-old to the newborn and post-partum mix and I wonder how any mother has ever survived. So I'm getting things done now because I sure as all get out won't later. But as far as I can, I want to get as much done now so that I can feel like I'm ahead for the next few months rather than getting more and more behind. I want to spend that time focused on Mim and Eli and on me and not on feeling that I can't go anywhere in my house without seeing a project I haven't yet done. So I'm all about getting things done! Especially, if you couldn't tell, the organizing ones. For some reason, if something is well placed and organized then I feel like it is working for me rather than against me. And if I can get my organizing done now then I can simply enjoy it for the next year and can really focus on enjoying my two amazingly wonderful children rather than wishing they'd both sleep at the same time so I could get something accomplished. Now I'll just wish they'd both sleep at the same time so I could get some sleep myself. But I WON'T be worried about how far behind I am on the household chores that make me feel good. And that gives me so much happiness! I feel sad for the women whose kids come prematurely. They don't get this time of energy and gumption. There is something to be said about being the type of pregnant woman who, when somebody asks them when their baby is due, can honestly say "last week." I'm not to that point yet, mind you, although I did get there with Miriam. But think of all I could accomplish if it happened again!