Okay baby boy – we're ready for you.
At first, the nursery made me nervous.
The corners were clogged with overflowing gift bags – tiny clothes that needed to be washed; diapers that needed to be put away. Samson couldn't be trusted not to nose through the boxes and try to sneak away with a soft little something (destined for destruction) tucked in his mouth. The crib, once we put it together, just didn't look right surrounded by disorganized clutter. Who would let their baby sleep here?
To put it lightly, the transition between guest room and nursery was an awkward one.
But we finished. A few weekend hours at a time, my wife Kristie and I unpacked, laundered, painted, sewed, hung, arranged, planned. And now – a month before his expected arrival – our son's room is ready.
(Psst – that "H" stands for his last name, not his first name. We're about 90% sure we know what it will be, though.)
Our plan is for him to room with us for awhile at first, tucked in a bassinet next to our bed, but I'm hopeful we'll spend time together in here too – changing diapers, reading, rocking, nursing, playing.
We moved one of Samson's favorite dog beds to the baby's room so he'll always have his own space that feels safe, without having to miss out on the action. He is curious, and likes to be where we are. (The baby and the dog will never be alone in here together.)
He is still learning how to leave the baby's toys alone. Sometimes I lay them out (especially Sophie the Giraffe, which squeaks) along with his bones, and reward him when he chooses what's "his."
I love the wall library. The book covers are decorative, and you can only fit so many volumes in these shelves. I consider the latter a good thing, because we'll be forced to switch them out periodically with the many that couldn't fit and are waiting in the closet – hopefully seeing different books from time to time will inspire the choosing of different books (and not just us reading out loud the same books over and over...fingers crossed!). I'm sure he'll have his favorites, though. I'm pulling for Jon Klassen.
The room doesn't quite have a theme, although I wanted to keep woodland animals in mind. I hope our son grows up appreciating and respecting the wilderness (and wants to go camping with me). We considered painting a simple mountain mural on one wall – I liked this one, without the black tips – but our apartment is a rental. While our landlord would have been fine with it, it would have been one more thing to have to paint over when we move someday. I'm excited to learn this new little person and help him creatively shape his space inspired by what he loves as he grows up.
A lot of the decor is made up of vintage pieces that have orbited around our home in the past, and handmade touches. Plus thoughtful, sweet gifts from friends and family members. (This baby will never want for a cozy blanket!)
The mini gallery wall above the changing table might be my favorite part of his room.
It feels a lot better in here now. It seems like now rather than holding its breath, the room is holding a laugh. We can't wait for him to get here.
SOURCES
Crib (Wayfair)
Rug (Cedar Chest)
Large rope basket (Amazon)
Smaller rope baskets (Target)
Changing table (thrifted dresser/DIY)
Drawer pulls (Target)
Changing pad (Amazon)
Changing pad cover (Burt's Bees)
Fabric baskets (Target)
Wood bear mobile (Etsy)
Diaper pail (Amazon)
Crib sheet (Target)
Rocking chair (Amazon)
Footstool (thrifted/DIY)
Fox pillow (Target)
White shelf brackets (IKEA; discontinued)
Red camping lantern (thrifted)
Books (vintage/thrifted)
Great outdoors alphabet print (Etsy)
Quilted playmat (DIY)
Bookshelves (IKEA)
Side table (thrifted)
Gold reading light (Target)
Curtains (IKEA; hemmed)
Bear print (Etsy)
"Home is Wherever I'm With You" sign (Etsy)
New adventures print (Cedar Chest)
Hudson River blanket (vintage; eBay)
Hello Sunshine pennant (Three Potato Four)
Fox stuffed animal (Manhattan Toy)
Bunny stuffed animal (Jellycat)
Bear stuffed animal (Target)
Cat pull toy (thrifted)
Marquee light (Target)
Moon nightlight (Amazon)
Dog bed (DIY)
*This post contains affiliate links