Ready, set, nest

Last night I had several pressing stories of national importance to edit, and a group of editors waiting for me to finish so they could write headlines on those stories.

Instead I made a list of things to accomplish before the baby arrives. It's 15 items long and growing by the minute. (As I wrote that last sentence, the list grew to 16 items. Without my even typing anything.)

When my sister reads this, she will call our mother and they will do the Happy Dance over this development. Elizabeth and Mom know how hard it is for me to move/unpack/decorate/generally live where I live. Elizabeth has visited me at every apartment I've rented since college and has unpacked a box each time, even when I've lived there for more than a year. Heck, I usually don't hang curtains or artwork until company is coming. Hunter has been a major irritant help to me in this regard, since he likes to have the artwork up before he goes to bed on Day One.

So the nesting impulse will play right into The Cooper women's visit in October, when we'll set up the nursery and do tons of other stuff. They won't recognize me -- I'll be the one with paint samples. I may even bring them to the airport. With the furniture catalogs, sketches of furniture arrangements and a plan for peace in the Middle East. (OK, probably not. I don't really sketch.)