Saturday, June 04, 2005

Big clean-up

Not content to wait for the boy to make space in his study, for all the stuff which is to be moved there from the nursery-to-be, I made a start cleaning out the latter this morning.

Apart from my own computer, the nursery-to-be is still home to all my art gear, including a large wooden easel, folders full of completed paintings and drawings, and bags full of paper and craft materials. It's also home to the vacuum cleaner, the ladder and just about everything else which doesn't have a cupboard to live in.

That's the trouble with old houses, the lack of storage. Stuff which would normally be put away in high cupboards is stacked in corners of our baby's nursery-to-be.

Well, after an hour and a half of taking down pictures and sifting through bits and pieces, throwing some things away and putting other things into boxes, the room doesn't actually look very different - no doubt because what's left has nowhere to go yet.

The good news is that the boy has promised to start tidying up his study tomorrow, so perhaps by the end of this long weekend we'll have a space big enough for the baby gear. And if I'm really, really lucky, he'll have put together the kit-set scotch chest too, so I'll have somewhere to put all the baby clothes.

We went to visit some friends today who have a six-week old son. He seems the model of babyhood - easy to put to sleep, easy to breastfeed (according to his mum, anyway) and not a crybaby. Maybe it's because both parents are so easy-going and non-stressy, but it's made me wonder whether I've been worrying too much about it all and perhaps have read too much about potential problems.

5 comments:

Amanda said...

I read all the baby books and was very panicked about all the childcare stuff too. Probably a bit much in retrospect but I certainly didn't suddenly feel like I instinctively knew what to do once I had given birth. The first few weeks were a steep learning curve but, as I did, you will probably find as you get to know your own baby and s/he gets to know you you do get more relaxed and in tune with each other.

And although I've only been through it once I been told that it is not just about what you do. Babies have vastly different temperaments even from the beginning. The same parents doing the same things can have totally different experiences with different babies.

LK said...

Our spare room when our first girl was born sounds exactly like yours now. When she came home we had her in the bassinet in our room for the first few nights and then we cleared out half the junk from her room and stored it in the other half.

She didn't mind, she had drawers, a bassinet, a toy box, and a change table in her side and it was all good.

Don't stress about getting everything ready, they're too little to notice but they will notice a more relaxed mum. Take it easy.

Unknown said...

that's excellent advice from llcoffee.

at least you have a study and a spare bedroom. My bike is in my bathroom...

Violet said...

mtnw: I never thought I'd say it, but maybe it is possible to read too much.

llcoffee: we aren't going to go so far as to redecorate the room, although it could certainly do with a change of wall colour. I suppose most of the room prep is for the benefit of the parents' tastes, isn't it?

editter: The bike could make a very handy rack for drying bras and knickers.

Amanda said...

"... but maybe it is possible to read too much."

Definitely. And when you think about it lots of people who aren't that bright or together somehow manage to get their children to adulthood intact. I have no doubts you will be a great mother. Your baby is a lucky little person indeed.