Do you know that feeling, when you move into a new place, of just complete and utter overwhelm as you try to figure out how you’re going to tackle each unfamiliar room and somehow make it your own?
So you can finally call it “home?”
When we moved into our new house, I struggled to an ever greater degree because I was also pregnant and feeling mostly tired and unwell.
So my game plan was to tackle just one room at a time.
Of course, I wanted to start with the baby’s room. I knew that would be the most fun to decorate, and (in my mind) it was also the most important room.
My goal was to have it decorated and furnished and feeling complete by the time Trevor was three months old. I knew he’d be sleeping in Chris’s and my bedroom for the first three months, at least.
And I did reach the goal of having Tru’s room completed before he was ready to “move in” and start sleeping in his crib.
But he’s now two, and I haven’t gotten to any of the other rooms yet! With the toddler tornado-level messes he creates, I can’t help but think there’s not any point in bothering yet!
So let’s begin with the “before’s.”
While I was pregnant, Chris and I were sleeping in what would be Trevor’s room while we worked on renovations to our own master bedroom.
The room was completely bare.
The curtains, left from the prior owners, looked stained and shabby.
And although I really liked the soft blue wall color, I was in love with the neutral/gray color scheme I kept seeing in catalogs and on Pinterest.
Chris and I ended up going with a neutral, pale, grayish-beige for the walls.
Then we added gray curtains and carpet and white bedding, plus a gray rocking chair.
The most fun for me though, was discovering all the cute baby accents. Some of my favorite finds were the elephant-shaped hamper and the plush rocker in the shape of a leopard.
What I’ll remember about this room years from now: nursing Tru in that rocking chair until his eyes would slowly droop. Then silently, so carefully, trying to transfer Trevor to the crib without waking him. And then the moment of suspense when I’d set him down. The relief I’d feel when he’d stir for a minute and then fall right back to sleep. And the agonizing feeling of exhaustion and defeat when he’d start screaming again!
I’m a huge fan of Etsy, and all the amazing artists on that site just spoiled me with options for safari-themed artwork! I loved these adorable baby safari animals, which are prints in shades of gray with yellow accents.
When I bought the plush giraffe, I imagined how magical and towering it would look to a tiny toddler with a wide-eyed imagination.
And I thought that the elephant-shaped table lamp was so whimsical and cute.
More than anything, I hope Trevor can feel all of the love that went into this room! He received cross-stitched wall hangings from both of his grandmothers, featuring African animals.
The adorable wall art hanging over Trevor’s end table was cross-stitched by his Grammy.
Here’s a close-up of the hand-stitched detail made especially for Tru.
And here’s the beautiful cross-stitch quilt Trevor’s Mimi made especially for his room.
I found a beautiful customized shelf to display this amazing hand-made tapestry.
Trevor, if you read this one day, know that it took your Mimi two years to complete this quilt! It’s something really special that you’ll one day cherish like I do.
My favorite thing on Trevor’s bookshelf: definitely the wool felt animal bookends in the shape of an elephant and giraffe.
I take that back.
I have two favorites.
The silver and gray linen handprint and footprint frame on the top shelf is really special to me. I love having a little memento of Trevor’s earliest (and tiniest) days.
We did the prints when Trevor was just a couple of weeks old. The footprint was easy to do. The handprint – that was another story! It was almost impossible to pry open his tiny clenched fist and spread each finger enough to create the print without big smudges along the way. Luckily, the kit came with several sheets of paper, and we got one winner!
I thought the wall hangings next to the bookshelf were so unique and sweet, aren’t they? They’re another Etsy find, featuring paper silhouettes of mother and baby African animals.
I wanted Trevor to have one special quilt, which I had embroidered with his name and birthday.
The crib bumper was really cute, with gray elephants printed on it, but it was never used! I read that I shouldn’t have any extra bedding or pillows in a newborn crib (aside from a fitted sheet). And then when Tru got old enough to have more bedding in his crib, there was the danger of him using the bumper to climb up the railing and flip out of the crib.
But it did look really cute for those few months it sat there before Tru moved out of our bedroom!
In doing this post, I’ve tried to record everything I love about the baby nursery while Trevor is still small. Who knows how much of it will survive the craziness and messiness of the toddler and preschool years!
