Nesting

First, an updated belly photo at almost 38 weeks:

I remember hearing a lot about the "nesting" instinct, a.k.a, when a pregnant woman obsessively prepares for childbirth by getting the house ready for the baby.  I heard it can manifest itself in bizarre ways, from obsessive cleaning with only a toothbrush or organizing and reorganizing the silverware.  A few weeks ago, I was paranoid that since I wasn't nesting (a.k.a. obsessively preparing my house), that it meant I wasn't ready or prepared to be a mom.  I was worried there was something truly wrong.
And then I got on a laundry kick.  Suddenly, all baby clothes and baby paraphernalia needed to be laundered and folded immediately.  If she was going to touch it, it needed to be washed.  I panicked when I saw that one of her lovey blankets was instructed to be spot cleaned only, and should never be emerged in water.  Turning to my husband for solace and advice, he told me to calm down and not worry about it -- the baby would survive.  And four loads of laundry later, I felt quite accomplished, until I realized I had forgotten to wash her changing pad cover.  Dang.  Now, I'm terrified I'm turning into one of those hovering, panicked mothers I swore I'd never be.  Or, I'm just letting my primal instinct take over.
The next episode of nesting manifested itself in making sure my pantry and house were stocked with essential items, a.k.a hoarding.  I just HAD to have enough toilet paper (I think we have over forty rolls of Charmin in the house right now), and I was hellbent on ensuring we had plenty toothpaste, shampoo, and face wash to last through the Apocalypse.  The cats need food -- $120 later at Petco, I was finally satisfied that we just might make it through and the cats wouldn't starve.  And I purchased the largest bottle of olive oil made in the Western world.
My last phase of "nesting" has been stocking the house with enough food.  I wanted to make sure we have plenty of healthy options to eat in the house so I'm not tempted to order pizza every night for the first few weeks of our daughter's life.  Recently, I've made butternut squash soup, meatballs and sauce, and a beef stew.  I ran to the grocery store to stalk up on frozen fruits and vegetables, constantly questioning if I had enough.  I started buying snacks of nuts, dried fruit, Larabars, and Clif Bars (full of junk, but at least they keep in the pantry and are cheaper than Larabars), although I now need to go out and purchase more dried fruit and nuts (it never ends!).  Here's the end result:

I realize that yes, we will have to go to the grocery store once she's here, but at least it's a start.
So, my nesting instinct has started to kick into full gear, and we have the essentials for her once she comes: outfits, diapers, wipes, blankets, bassinet, and a pack 'n play.  I'm realizing that I'll never fully be prepared for the change that's about it come, and I'm trying to be mindful of the fact that she doesn't need a whole lot of stuff to be a healthy, well cared for newborn.  And after all that cooking, I think it's time for bed.  And who knows -- maybe I will grab that toothbrush soon.