Taking a time out to cry....

[Mummytwice]

What a crap few days.

I had all my supplies together, the house clean, and was ready as ready gets for this baby to come. Then I discovered bedbugs!!! These little critters have apparently had a resurgence with the jet set world, and have infested at least a third of the hotels in north america due to the fact they are great hitch hikers. It only takes one- you can pick it up by setting your suitcase next to the guys that sat on a bed in the Westin Times Square New York. They are indiscriminate- they do not care if your house is clean or dirty. Just as long as it is warm Do not know where ours came from- but to get rid of the you have to wash EVERY piece of clothing IN THE HOUSE, along with bedding and drapes, in hot water, and you have to spray to the house, and everything in it. And you have to leave the house for 24 hours.

So I have spent some time crying quietly- these events brings out the worst and the best in people. When something like this happens to me- I focus, and don't stop until its all done. I wash and clean and wash and clean until it's done. But I do so to exhaustion. And then I get mad at other people for not having the same focus. Which of course is not fair on my part. I need to let go and bend. And making messes where I just cleaned. Which is a whole other thing entirely- thats just inconsiderate.

I was handling things well until this morning when tempers became a little thin. The exterminator arrives in a couple hours- there are things that still need to get done-

I don't know if I am over reacting- but I feel like I am not getting across to our housemates the need to wash everything in hot- that it's a waste of time and energy to do otherwise. I would be so frustrated to do all this and discover that we still have them because something wasn't treated properly.

And I am soooooo frustrated. I was ready to have a baby, and now I am surrounded by chaos. (Everything in the house has to be pulled away from the walls.)

So after a few sharp words were exchanged between house hold members this morning- I went and had a cry in an empty closet. Still feeling teary- but a little better. I just want this to be over.

I just wanted to vent a little- thanks for listening.

[Wild Flowers]

I am not sure if I could give you enough of those. That so totally sucks. And what horrible rotten timing. I hope that it gets worked out. and more s

[Yo Becca]

Good grief! What a load of stress at this late date. I hope your housemates pull their weight and respect your unique situation and that you NEED that house together and clean ASAP!

Hugs and good luck getting it all cleaned up.

[jkg]

Ugh, that's awful, I'm so sorry!

[paisley]

Aw crap, that sucks. I would definitely cry too.

[PrinceE&LsMom]

Oh no!!! Horrible timing I'm soooo sorry!! You are not over reacting at all! I think I would go off the deep end if anything even minor happened right now. I hope you can get rid of them fast.

[risen_joy]

I'm so sorry mama!!! That would be so frustrating for me too!!!

And making messes where I just cleaned. Which is a whole other thing entirely- thats just inconsiderate.

I struggle with this with dh...not b/c he's an insensitive you know what - he isn't! That is just NOT something that registers with him. Not that it makes it right! I pretty much resigned myself to it and now, if he messes up something I just cleaned OR doesn't clean what he said he would - I feel fully within my rights to take said mess and dump it on his side of the closet in a bag and let him find it or sort through it later. Of course this is only with clothes/stuff clutter. He knows now that I give him fair warning!

I hope things get better and don't feel bad about having a cry - sometimes that is the best thing we can do!!!

[bemommy]

Oh man that is just awful. It makes me want to cry! Many many s your way.

[ILoveMySofie]

Mummytwice-Oh my goodness, I could have written your post!!!!! I mean, I was reading it and seriously was like um, did I write this????

We just got over a similar stress inducing situation here. After having the place totally clean and ready for baby we had to face our building getting re-piped. Sooooo most of the furniture had to be moved away from walls, all bathroom stuff removed from the bathroom and everything taken out of what is our laundry/storage room...one that I so lovingly cleaned and re-organized just days before this. Then huge holes where made everywhere in the walls so they could get to the pipes...It took 3 days for them to do it, then a weekend of waiting for patchers to come in, then another day for painter to come in. There was dirt and grime and dust and pieces of walls EVERYWHERE. I couldnt walk through the living room due to all the crap in the middle...I couldnt get inside drawers of some dressers...IT WAS MAKING ME INSANE. And Im just like you-I start cleaning and I dont stop, into major exhaustion. And do expect DB to do the same.

But its all behind now and let me tell you-i love our place more than ever. Its clean and ready again, AND we have great water pressure.
The only thing thats really pissing me off now is that one of the brand new faucets they installed is dripping, making this really loud noise and I swear it is torture to me. I just want a normal bathroom with normal water coming out of a normal faucet.
IS THAT TOO MUCH TO FRIGGIN ASK!!!!!!!!!

Now they are supposedly coming back "at some point" to fix the drip.

Hang in there, it will all be worth it at the end and your place will end up cleaner than its ever been!

[Massagemamma]

Taking time out to cry is often the best thing that we can do. If we don't let those emotions out, they stay in and pad the baby with extra pressure that they don't need. So get it out momma!!! Great job.
My heart goes out to you and your frantic situation. If baby waits until all this is done though imagine......all your nesting dreams come true. Everything so clean. Good luck momma.

[Mummytwice]

Update-

Thanks, ladies, for all the support.

The madness has almost ended.

IloveMySophie, it is as you said- the house was torn apart, didn't even know where to find clothes that were 'safe' for DD, let alone myself. We packed two station wagons and a mini-van to the max with garbage bags of clothes, linens and anything else that could be washed, and headed for the laundry mat while my sister stayed behind and watched the exterminator. Apparently, he was great. We hit the laundry mat at just the right time- it was quiet and we were able to take over half of it. We had 18 machines- most of which were triple or bigger- and this is when it got better. By the time my sister caught up with us, there was no time for anything but keeping up with the machines. As soon as we finished loading the last one- the first had finished and now to the dryer- it was amazing how we suddenly were all on the same team. Right down to the last scrap of clothing was washed- we all changed and washed the clothes that we were wearing right there.

When the last load finally came out of the dryer, we had been running for five hours. But if there were any bugs- they were dead. Yay!

We crashed last night in an empty rental unit of sis and BIL, ate pizza and drank beer, and toasted ourselves. (even my ten month old DD was a trooper- didn't fuss much at all- just hung out with whomever had a free hand and watched)

After my vent and cry yesterday, I was ready to take on whatever I needed to get these bugs, including my house mates. I was going to find a way to nicely let them know how important the process of eradication was, but it came together with out my saying much at all. they were fantastic really, in the grand scheam (sp?) of things, we just weren't seeing eye to eye on some of the things that *had* to get done. Which upped the stress level for me.

But mama's, what some of you said about the house being REALLY clean is so true. We got home this afternoon with mountains of clean clothes, a new bed (we had to throw out three) and determination to at least see some sembalance of normalacy by the end of the day. My room still has to be put back together, mine, DD's and the newbie's stuff is still in bags- but this place is spotless! the furniture has been put back, most everything has been put away. There is nothing in this house that has not been vacumed, washed, or polished in the last few days.

But now I am just emotionally, mentally and physically exhausted. Give me one more day of folding clothes, though, and I'll be ready to have this baby! again.