34 Weeks: Nest or Rest

Here I am in a typical third trimester dilemma, is it more important to nest or rest?  My mind is counting down weeks at this point, while my body is telling me to chill out and take a nap.  I do not remember being so tired at the end of my other pregnancies.  Yes, I have had my iron checked and it was low...Now I am talking freeze dried liver capsules to solve the problem.  That has helped, but my mind is not in alignment with my due date. 

What is the cause of this?  OTHER KIDS!  For the first time in my nesting experience I notice that having other kids is really taking up more time than nesting.  In the past there was the glorious time of day called nap time.  Everyone in the house was successfully quiet for around two hours a day.  Even my four year old son loved his naps.  My three year old daughter did not sleep, but understood how to be quiet and mommy was in a happy place.  I could do whatever I wanted.  I folded clothes, got housework done (stress free), took a nap, watched a show on DVD, and had some quality recharging.  Now I am cleaning up poop and pee from my potty training two year old and dealing with a teething one year old (her first two teeth can you believe it?).  Meanwhile, my four year old, almost five year old, cannot believe she has to stay home with me while her six year old brother gets to go to school.  Did I mention drop off and pick up with four kids?  Just loading them all into the car for this takes around a half an hour.  All order and stress free afternoons are GONE! 

Today I begged my daughter to play outside just so the the house would be quiet while the babies took a nap.  She lasted about ten minutes before making up a story about being scared of something in the yard.  I am not sure what, but I let her come in.  I should be happy she wants to be with me.  She chats nonstop.  From what I remember about myself, this chatty side of me stopped around twelve years old.  So really I need to enjoy it while it lasts. 

As my son pooped in his pants, my daughter claimed she did not mean to push over the baby, and my bread is just about done in the oven as the phone rang.  It was my husband.  I could barely hear him and the kids just got louder.  Sorry dear, I had to go.  I love phone calls, but these days I am lucky if I can hear who is on the other line.  My great plans of sorting through several boxes of baby clothes was put on the back burner.

Then tonight my husband looked over at me and asked me what I was thinking about.  I said, "nesting."  He went to the garage and got out all the boxes of baby clothes for me and I was able to sort them all in about a half an hour.  When I was done, he put them all away.  This was the greatest gift a husband could give a woman who is 34 weeks pregnant.  With my belly in the way, it would have easily taken me about twenty minutes just to get the boxes out of the garage. 

On another note, I wish resting could be easier these days, but if I have to pick one, nesting is a lot more fun.  I am sticking to a strict bedtime to make up for my failed attempts to nap.  When the clock says ten P.M., I better be attempting to sleep.  In around a month from now a new baby will be setting my sleep schedule, so I am going to enjoy a few more nights of sleeping through the night.