The Nesting Instinct

Youssef is still looking for a full time job and he's been doing some substitute teaching. The job search is draining, but he comes home so energized from teaching... he just glows when he teaches and it's so neat to see him love doing something THAT much.

We've had so many friends help out in big and small ways and it's made us feel really loved and blessed, and made this hard time very manageable.

I've been asked by several people what things we need for the new baby (I'm due the end-ish of April) since we got rid of SO much stuff before moving down here, and because of that I decided to make a baby registry at Target The Registry ID # is 014399701598332

I registered for 17 things that we really need (plus a few things that I'd like..) they recommend registering for 75 things (!) but.. of course they would right? Our house is VERY small though for five people and I'm trying my best to keep the things that I do pick out in the compact/space-saving sort of category. This is the first time that I won't have any kind of rocking chair for my newborn, but.. besides the high price of buying one, I really don't know that I could fit it easily into our living room anyway, so I'm going to go without one.

There is just one other thing that I'd like that isn't on the registry at Target. I do have an Amby baby bed and I like it okay, but it's so hard for me to wake up at night to actually put the baby BACK into the bed that I'd really like to have a "co-sleeper" type bassinet. Something like this would be AMAZING. I don't care if it's used or new.. it's pretty expensive new and I wish I had of gotten that instead of the Amby bed to begin with when Renna was born (Lily would have loved either one, and Renna actually did really well in the Amby, but I like the co-sleeper better only because I'm such a heavy sleeper.) It's hard to know (since she isn't born yet) what SHE would like the best, but.. as I said, I do have a bed already for her and this might be something that I can get later if I don't get it in time for her birthday.

Anyway, I feel kind of awkward for just posting the things that I need/want for the baby, but I also know that it's important to share our needs with each other so that we can be blessed in the giving as well as the receiving. And, it's a lot easier for those people that really do want to get something for little Grace if I'm open with stuff like this instead of trying to be an island. ;] My birthday is the end of March (yes, I'm turning 30 on the 25th) and I can't think of anything I'd like more than being able to get a few things for Grace... unless it's a full time job for Youssef, but that's a hard one to gift wrap. ;]

Right now, my nesting instinct is mainly driving me to organize my room and closet the best I can. There was really NO room in there to organize things properly at all before we got the bed frame (off of craigslist with some cash a friend gave to us to help us out right now) and it is an amazing blessing to be able to FINALLY put some stuff away in there! Especially at this time when I'm wanting so much to make a little spot for baby Grace. Lily asked me the other day, when I got out the Amby bed to wash it, where we were going to put the baby! "Umm.. well, right there," I said. "But there's no room!" Lily was pretty worried. *chuckle*

Well, with some ingenious organizing I think there WILL be a space for her and she'll have a tiny corner of our bedroom all her own. ;]

Youssef hates hates hates moving furniture! .. He also hates spending money on something that he doesn't value as important (even if it's an amazing deal, but anything is too much when we are in a hard spot), but I know he loves me when he goes out right after working to pick up a piece of furniture (the bed frame and head board) to bring it home to his crazy pregnant wife who desperately "needs" it.

Hey, we might be eating a lot of beans and rice in the next few weeks since I chose to get the bed frame, but that room WILL be organized and ready. Maybe only other women can "get" this sort of need to be prepared -- be it as a wife for her husband or as a mother for her children-- the nesting need can run pretty strong in the home-maker. ;]