Finally we get to the fun part! No more talk of lady parts or day care waiting lists. Instead, we’re playing in paint colors and fabric swatches. Woo! Now this kind of planning I can get behind.
Eggroll’s room is pretty big for a second bedroom. We’re already filling it up nicely with furniture we had and things we have found or purchased. So far, we’ve only spent money on her crib, which will be white. We got a hand-me-down glider from our sister-in-law, which is also white, and we found a desk on the side of the road that will make for a great changing table now and homework spot down the line. This will need a fresh coat of paint, as will one bookshelf we (cough, Randy, cough) will paint white. That means we’ll have mismatched furniture – some white, some cherry wood – but I think it will look nice in the end.
Randy spent this last weekend painting the room “Daffodil” from Sherwin-Williams. We picked this color because it was fun, but not too bright… on the swatch. In real life – pack your sunglasses when you come over! It’s bold!
A good friend refinished the glider’s cushions for us using a cozy green and white fabric similar to what you see below. Woo! One project done.
The quilt you see in picture #3 has been my inspiration for the room. I had to wheel and deal with the manager at Buy Buy Baby to purchase just the quilt. It was a floor model, so even with a few rounds in the washer, there are some imperfections. That’s OK. Eggroll can’t use it as a blanket anyway (see! I’ve been paying attention in class!), so we’ll probably use it as a playmat. Lord knows with Big Brother Noah around, the quilt will see much worse than a few scuff marks.
As you can imagine, my list of DIY projects is out of control as always. I’ve tried to at least put an order to things, but I’m not confident I’ll get to everything before her arrival.
Before Eggroll was even a glimmer in my eye, I knew I wanted to have a letter wall like what you see below in my baby’s nursery. Since I was so stoked about this idea, the letters are already done! I can’t show them to you though because I’ve changed up this plan a little bit… I put her initials (which are not E.J.) on bigger letters than the rest of the alphabet. Two birds, one stone. Boom.
I found PERFECT fabric to match the quilt on a recent trip to Joann’s. I only bought samples though and promptly lost the receipt that listed the name. Blast. Assuming I can find it again, I plan on making a crib skirt and simple valance curtains for the room using tutorials similar to #2 and #3. Finally, I want to make sure we have a mobile somewhere in the room. I stumbled into #4 on Pinterest today which might be perfect. I can use more of the scrapbook paper I used for the letters to tie the room together.
My list of projects continues… including changing table pad covers, breastfeeding infinity scarves, burb rags, and homemade toys. Unfortunately, I still need to do a lot of other projects before I get to this stuff. Ah well. There’s always maternity leave, right?! Wink, wink.
If you have any other projects for me to add to the list, let me hear ’em! Bonus points if they would take less than an hour (a la a newborn’s nap time) to complete.
Project number one when eggroll is here is … nap! Seriously. During those first few weeks you’ll need the extra shut eye for those middle of the night feedings. When she’s a little older, she’ll take longer naps and you’ll have plenty of time to craft, sew and decorate. She won’t know the difference.
My current plan is to force myself to lay down with at least every other nap those first few weeks. I know they may be short, but I also know how easily I get distracted (hence the fact I am writing this at 10am and am still in workout attire from a 7am visit…).
Another one of those ideas that sound good in theory, but may go out the window the second we are actually trying ’em out. 🙂
Thanks for the shout out with the letters and infinity scarf 😉 I didn’t get everything I planned to do (DIY wise) before my little guy was born, but I’ve been playing catch up. Just write a list of things you’d like to see get done in order of importance! I also started some projects that I knew would be easy to finish after he was born (ex: monthly onesie iron ons). I did all the stenciling and painting before he was born and ironed the heat and bond on and cut them out just the other day while his dad was holding him for a little while. Can’t wait to see your nursery! Good luck 🙂
Absolutely! I stumbled into your blog from the breast feeding scarf tutorial and now I can’t get enough. You have so many good ideas!!
From the blogger perspective, I’m also curious to see how/if your posting schedule changes due to the little man. And you so much for being an inspiration!
Oh I’m sure it will change! Though, I wasn’t doing too well before I had him too, because I was (and still am!) in the process of moving, so it was hard to get posts out. I guess we’ll see how I do! Lol
Good luck! Decorating is so fun. I am really happy I did the majority of our decorating before the baby came… You will have time when your little girl is napping, but I promise you will want to hold her when she is a sleeping beauty. I was able to get my Christmas tree up early and Christmas cards done, but I kind of felt guilty doing those things when my baby was in his swing, looking at me, no, STARING at me. Even when he is asleep, I have a crazy amount of guilt (and perhaps that is not the right word, but I guess I don’t know what else to call it?!?!) if I am not holding him and stroking his face and kissing him. He’s probably wishing me to lay off, but I guarantee you will be the same way with your miracle!!!
Oh, an nursing and pumping… whhhoah. WTH. That gobbles up your time and is crazy. No one opened up to me before I had the baby regarding what a life changer that whole process was. I give any one a HUUUGGEEE amount of credit that is able to keep to the nursing. I did it for about 4 weeks and started pumping one week after I delivered. I then turned exclusively to pumping and then shut it down by 8 weeks. It is the most incredible commitment and felt a lot of guilt with that too, but I needed to get my sanity back. Every 2-3 hours I was feeding and then every 4 hours I was pumping. At night, 11pm/1am/3am/5:30am feeding the baby, getting them back to sleep and then pumping for 20 minutes, which can’t be skipped or your supply goes down… again, WTH.
AHHHHH! Having a baby is seriously so awesome and wonderful and so incredibly insane wrapped up into the most perfect human you will ever lay eyes on. I can’t wait to read about your experience as it all unfolds!!
I have high hopes for the next several weeks. If Eggroll holds off until her actual due date, I may be in decent shape, but if she comes even a day early all hell may break lose. (Or she may not have homemade burb clothes… tragedy. 🙂 )
Girlfriend, good for you for giving it your all. I am reading so much about the pressure to breastfeed and I can see how you’d feel guilty if you can’t keep it up. That said, YOU SHOULDN’T. I know other moms are going to be judgy, but I wish ladies would remember that this is HARD work. Somethings gotta give somewhere. You’re still a perfectly wonderful, awesome mom!!!