lists

 

I have always been a list-maker. I have lists of lists. I find it very soothing and visually organized to cross things off my lists, making that requirement obsolete and no long worthy of my remembrance. It is a relief to me to get things on my list, done. I have lists of ideas, lists of chores, things to buy, and all kinds of different accomplishments. However, they are not the orderly, clean lines that you would expect; they’re mainly so I don’t forget something, and they’re everywhere. I currently am working on a list for Target, Joanne’s, SAM’s, baby gift thank yous, the grocery store, Lowe’s, Ikea, and the list of things we still need before the baby gets there. That last list is the nerve-wracking one.
There are a few important things we still need to get before we’re “ready” for the baby to arrive. Last night, I asked Phil if I were making the belief that “women in their last month before giving birth are grumpy and sassy” true. His reaction was not to the thought that I’ve been difficult (or not difficult, he never said), it was: “that’s all the time we have left?”

Um, yes.
4 weeks.
30 days.
1 month from yesterday, until my due date.

I had to have my maternity leave paperwork signed at work, and surprised my boss with the proximity of the date. Yes, it’s not that far off!
I’m off to make another list of things we still need to do before she arrives. OH my.

Hello, nice to meet you. I’m Abigail Douglass, homeowner.

 

It’s been all of about 100 hours now, but things are in full swing at the new abode. I have to say that I’m SO tired, but every minute is a fulfillment of something deep inside me that’s been waiting in the wings for years now. I’ve scrubbed, swept, unscrewed, wiped, carried, folded, packed, watched, helped, picked up, stretched, envisioned, and generally just got in the way for every task you could imagine. We’re slowly getting into shape. I like to tell people that the best thing so far has been that we started at zero, not in the negatives, so everything we do is an improvement. The new paint job in the Master bedroom, the cleaned carpets, the wiped down bathroom and cloroxed kitchen are infinitely better than they were just those 100 hours previously. The appliances that were never cleaned (not once) are now shining and sparkling their presence in our roomy kitchen. Progress is sweet. We have one more load of mismatched furniture lingering at the one-bedroom apartment to pick up, and then we’re completely moved in. Surrounded by things in boxes and bags, but moved. It’s a dream!

 

The upstairs is coming along really well, now that the carpets are all cleaned, and the rooms are just waiting for their coat of paint. The laundry room is almost complete, too, with the washer fully operational and the new Kelly Ripa dryer just about hooked up! The next step is to continue unpacking and finding places for our things, and to get all this painting done! Phil’s main objective after today is to rip out a large section of drywall in the basement and replace it with new so that we can start using the storage in our basement as well. We have room to put things!! The baby’s been most helpful in keeping me motivated to get this stuff done. I’ve been really impressed with my own stamina and am pretty pleased that we’ve managed a lot of this alone. Shoutouts to Ken, Jenn, Nate, Tim, Chris, and Kylee—who were our big helpers.

 

So, for a rundown:
Nights slept in new house: 2
Trips to Home Depot: 4
Pieces of real mail at new address: 1 (thanks, Callie!)
Buckets of bleach used: 11
Rooms painted: 2
Carpets cleaned: 4
Pieces of furniture actually unpacked: 3 (bed, dresser, armoire)
Hours slept: 30 in five days. Definitely not enough.