I'm trying not to really do much of anything, but I'm not sure how long I can keep that up. I am just not very good at lounging, unless I am under a pine tree on Kailua beach, and there's not much chance of that for a while.
I have decided that going through boxes while lying on my side on the couch can count as resting. Today I sorted through letter and photos and travel souvenirs, the junk that accumulates while you try to decide if you are sentimental enough to save any of it. I love the idea of keeping these things as a record of our experiences, but the truth is I'm just not very scrapbooky. Still, packing everything and moving makes you think about your stuff in a way that doesn't usually come up. A sense of minimalism is definitely driving me to get rid of anything that seems superfluous in any way, but there is still some sentimental attachment to all these things I know I don't really need.
And at the same time that I am trying to figure out what to get rid of, I am also researching all the stuff I am thinking about accumulating. I've registered, although my list is on the odd side. I have enjoyed finding a kind of scheme for the baby's room, although I'm still not sure how it will work out in the long run. Let's just call it modern and graphic for now - I'll post some pictures if it seems to work out. My registry has pillows from Bodalee and wall art from Bookhou on it.
I love these things, but they are definitely not necessities. It's been hard for me to figure out what I might really need - when my daughter was born I didn't know anyone with a baby, and learning as I went was a hit and miss process. By the time I found things that might work for us she would be on to a new phase, and we tended to try to make due without things that might have been really helpful. So, if anyone has knows or has heard that such-and-such is absolutely essential, let me know!
I guess I should get up the gumption to read some actual parenting blogs. I have been so amazed at how much it has helped me to find other people going through infertility and the fear of loss - it should be the same for infancy, right? It's just that after years of IF, those parenting sites have always been risky territory. It's not as easy to just jump right in as I thought it would be.
7 comments:
Hi Lorraine,
So glad to see you hanging in there. I think we should all be your commenter versions of The Soup Nazi, "No stress for you!!"
As for sorting clutter from artifacts, you have my sympathies. In my old age, I am coming to see clutter-free space as a premium that's hard to beat. But I worry that at some point, I will look back and regret (or my kids may regret?) that I wasn't more sentimental. But then, as the kids get older they will have their own clutter and won't need contributions from me, just as I don't need it from my own mom.
I am love, love, LOVING that alphabet wall art! But I am a sucker for typography.
As for parenting blogs, I have had a really, really hard time finding ones that I like. It's a much bigger pond than the ALI sphere. I find so many of them dreadfully boring and/or unrelatable ... the list of unflattering adjectives could go on and on. Perhaps I am just looking in the wrong places. Let us know if you find some good ones.
Stay well.
D.
PS My word verification is "cycmed" ... hmmm, what is the universe trying to tell me today? :)
I love modern and minimalist--I have actually picked out bedding and furniture that fits that scheme...which know is totally bad luck but I couldn't help it.
I hope the rest time flies by and that you can enjoy it a little tiny bit!
OMG! I had no idea what was going on with you. Your posts stopped showing up in my reader updates. So I thought you were just taking a break from posting. I'm so glad to hear that you are home and things are seemingly back under control. I know how difficult staying put can be. (I went into the hospital with pre-term labor at 26 weeks and was put on modified bedrest and monitoring for the rest of my pregnancy.) Try to enjoy it, because the craziest will come soon enough when your beautiful baby is born.
I did a list recently for a friend of baby items I needed and things I just found fun and helpful. I'll email it to you.
Sending tons happy, sunshiny thoughts your way that this is the last bit of drama for you before your son makes his grand entrance (right on time)!
Oh, and that alphabet wall art rocks!!! LOVE IT!
I'm glad you are hanging in there, Lorraine, and taking it easy! I know what you mean about not being one to sit around. I rarely sat down before the pg. Since being pg, I think I have watched more television than in the last 5 years. My energy is just gone.
I love the items you have picked out! Continue to try to take it easy and don't over do it!
Glad to hear you and the baby are both staying in place! Although I too would have a tough time as I feel compelled to stay in motion.
Yes - time for registry items! Me too! And as I plow through online pages, trying to decide between glass bottles and plastic bottles, I am a bit overwhelmed. What do we need and of those items, which are best? How is one to know?
The only solid recommendation I can make is to NOT use a traditional crib bumper. I read where babies old enough to turn over have rolled face-first into those plush, soft, fabric-covered bumpers and have suffocated. Who knew? You can purchase breathable mesh bumpers that protect tiny limbs from going between crib slats, while allowing the baby to breathe should he find himself face-to-face with it.
Finally, good luck with the purging! I want to be a minimalist in the way I want to be 5'10" and blond. A dream that simply will never be achieved in this lifetime!
Now ring the bell and have your DH bring you a snack and some tea!
I'm just curious if you could find a Skype buddy going through the same thing???
Just a thought!
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