Looking at the world through dust-covered glasses

The Husband and I are both neat, tidy people. Magazines are neatly stacked on the coffee table shelf, the areas around our computers aren't cluttered with random papers and bills, and we usually make sure all the dishes are done before going to bed. While not quite as pristine as my grandparents' house always was (you couldn't find a speck of dust in that whole darned place if your life depended on it!), our house is in good shape for general company at any given time. The Husband has observed the secret to our success on this front: 1) Have friends/family visit regularly, and 2) Have a sense of shame such that showing off a messy house would be embarrassing.

And then Baby B came along.

Dust? What dust? Oh, you mean that the colors on the TV screen shouldn't be quite that muted? Ahhh-CHOOOOOOO!

Okay, it's not that bad, but cleaning has definitely taken a back burner in recent months. I know it really doesn't matter in the big scheme of things (I'd much rather play with Baby B and teach her things than worry about keeping a perfect house), and people certainly understand why we haven't kept on top of it, but it still bothers me a little bit that we're not able to keep things as clean as we usually do. And I'm not saying the house looks like the aftermath of a tornado or anything; compared to many people's houses, it's still very tidy...just not our norm.

Cleaning services sound like a very worthwhile cost nowadays.