When I was considering baby number two, many of my friends told me not to think about my first pregnancy, how tired I was all the way through. It could be different! It often is! You will be surprised!

And I was surprised. That they were all liars. Well, maybe not. But pregnancy number two has definitely been harder than number one. I’ve been sick more often, and without the luxury of calling in sick to my office job and confining myself to bed. Toddlers don’t really understand sick days, although we have been watching way more TV than before.

This has mostly had the effect of making me think of myself as a bit of a slug.

But in between illnesses, I’ve been having two or three days when I’m healthy. And the energy! I’d forgotten what it was like to not be sick. I am having that time at the moment, where I am giant and achey, but have some energy. So I’ve been doing what my mum is happily calling nesting (because if I’m nesting, surely a baby isn’t far away) and I am thinking more of self preservation – cupboards emptied out, things sorted into rubbish or donation bin piles, washing done and packed away, things for baby all set up, and rooms reorganised.

The toddler is going through a stage where he likes to play with puzzles, card games, blocks and other things with a million pieces by tipping the box on the ground and then yelling, “No, YOU pick it up” at me. But now instead of trying to get him to help with his cleaning, I just say okay, pick it up and put the box away in the Forbidden Cupboard. I figured either we’ll get to a stage of no mess, or he’ll have no toys left. 

I did try threatening to put them in the bin, but it turns out that he loves putting stuff in the bin, so he was happily putting all his toys away in the bin, and then I had to sneak them all out again when he wasn’t looking. 

Last night my husband made the mistake of saying, “The house is clean now but it won’t last until Saturday!”, upon which I fixed him with a look and said, “New rules go for you too. If I have to pick your stuff up, it’s going in the cupboard.” He is a wise man, who deciding that nodding in agreement was the best course of action when dealing with a heavily pregnant wife who has just spent two days cleaning with a toddler assistant. 

So, self preservation cleaning. I’ve just got to get the other half of the house done, then this baby can feel free to arrive anytime.