They say that a pregnant woman will know when she's about to go into labour because a sudden nesting instinct will kick in. The night before I went into preterm labour, when I was not much more than 26 weeks along, my husband got more than an earful of how vital it was that the baby's room be finished right away! I was like a crazy person, rushing around the house as if my baby's arrival was imminent. Earlier in the day, I'd even dragged my cousin to help me choose items for my registry. It was if these were the last moments in which I could get things done. Little did I know how close to the truth I was!
Thankfully, the bun is still in the oven. However, as I sit here in bed, I realise that my instinct to organise in such a hurry was not unfounded. That being said, in the three weeks between this fateful day and our open-house baby shower, my honey husband, magnificent mother, and 'we couldn't do this without her cousin all put in more hours than I thought possible to complete our son's room.
Unnecessary effort
The truth is, all this effort is not necessary. Your child will be fine no matter what the room in which he sleeps looks like. Unless, of course, you're like me and have fantasies about a gorgeous underwater nursery! I might frown at a wipe warmer and a diaper genie but give me a beautifully decorated home any day!
The project started in January when said cousin painted the room while we were out of town. The idea was to have me far away from the toxic odours that might be lingering. Not that this would be the case, but my husband didn't want to take any chances. Upon our return, while pulling out some mildewed shelves, the ceiling came down! Oops! That was unexpected.
After much back and forth between the main man in my life and my father, a suitable replacement (for the ceiling, not my husband) was decided upon. We hired a fellow to help with the labour, and while he did a fair enough job in the end, he certainly took his sweet time completing it! Since when did two hours at work, with an hour lunch break between them, amount to a full day? It baffles me why people believe that showing up at the 'office' in the morning is all that is required. Luckily, we had arranged to pay this man for the end product. Don't get me wrong here. He was very pleasant but was I ever glad to see the back of him when he finally finished!
Baby shower
Three full days remained before the house would be flooded with friends who'd be loaded with gifts. Why is it that pending parents expect to be showered with presents for their babies? We're the ones who made the decision to conceive, so why should others fork out their cash to assist? Sure, the favour is reciprocated between couples, but what about the single guys and dolls out there? They keep giving, and giving, and giving, with no return. What would they do with a pair of teeny socks? I digress here. More on this next week!
The transformation that ensued in less than half a week blew me away. Ceiling and walls were repainted, new shelving was installed, furniture was strategically placed, decorations put up, and very small clothes were hung in the cupboard. None of this was done by professionals, but the room is more than fit for the baby Prince who will soon be here!
Emmadaltonbrown@gmail.com (Please email me if you'd like suggestions for decorating your nursery!)