The Nurseries

One of the first things a mama starts planning when she's expecting her first little one is how to put together her dream nursery. When Caleb was still swimming around inside my belly, I remember spending hours looking on the Internet for just the right bedding set to adorn his room. To my relief, thankfully, the search didn't come up in vain. An adorable farm set complete with cows and tractors seemed just the thing for a baby boy (especially one who's mom was still feeling some homesickness for her country roots since we were living in Maryland at the time). It was just one of those things; once I saw it, I knew it was the one. 

The bumper pads, quilt, and curtains weren't the only thing I hunted for in those days leading up to his birth. I pretty much wore my legs off (and Dave's) going to store after store after store looking for the perfect crib/dresser set. To be honest, I didn't even really know what I wanted; I was just looking for something "different." My mom and even my dad met up with me a couple times to help with this expedition, and, believe it or not, my dad is actually the one who ended up finding the set we bought - a convertible crib in the shape of a sleigh bed with a matching chest, dresser, and bookshelf that were compact enough to fit comfortably in Caleb's small upstairs bedroom.

I ordered the bedding set well in advance, but the furniture was purchased just in the nick of time. Even though they delivered the set earlier than expected, I think it arrived maybe only a week or so before Caleb did. Our friend Berry from church came over to help Dave assemble it; then, the decorating began! There were a few pictures to hang over the crib and a handful of miniature stuffed farm animals from my mom, as well as some farm themed piggy banks from our baby shower at church to add some extra touches.

And, here it is, my firstborn's first room:

After all that planning though, Caleb only slept in that nursery maybe a couple of times before we moved to a new place. Those first six months, he slept in a pack-n-play in our room instead because it was easier to nurse that way rather than running up the steps in the middle of the night. I also felt safer having him in the room with us since the front door was between our room and his. I feared if there was a break in or a fire that I wouldn't be able to get to him quick enough. And, while these thoughts may have been a bit overprotective, having him near comforted us both I believe in those first several months.

Upon arriving in Virginia though, all of that changed. Caleb was transferred to his own room across the hall from us, and for the next year, our little boy made good use of that nursery.


That is, until one day when he began scaling the rails of his crib. For his safety, we quickly shifted things around, converting his crib into a big boy bed. I had already picked out the new bedding in anticipation of this transition months before and given it to him for Christmas. While I was sad to see that adorable nursery packed away, his new pick-up truck bedding was cute too, and it gave me another opportunity to decorate. In the next few months, I picked up decor pieces here and there to finish up the room and finally it was complete.

There are a few reminders of his nursery still hanging around. I kept that farm themed baby quilt in the room draped over the recliner to enjoy a bit longer.

A special wall hanging to match his nursery bedding made by Grandma McKinstry also stayed in the room despite the new theme.

Not long after all that change, along came Hadley! My drive to design a beautiful nursery was reignited when I found out I was having a girl. My best friend Jen from college had picked out a lovely pattern from Pottery Barn Kids for her daughter, and I was secretly hoping I'd have a daughter while they still had this line of bedding available. (I must say, that girl has good taste!) I shopped around quite a bit to make sure it was "the one," but I kept coming back to the same pattern. I loved the country quilted look and the soft colors - so different from a lot of the loud, bright sets we found elsewhere. Owls it was! 

Since Caleb's crib converted to a big bed, we decided to let him keep it and find a new crib for Hadley. We learned our lesson the previous round though to buy something cheap since they chew on the railings when they teethe. Sadly, since Caleb's was the sleigh bed style we couldn't put any rubber protectors to keep the wood from getting marked up when he chewed on it. This was another reason we went ahead and turned it into a big bed. We didn't think it would be in any shape to use if multiple infants gnawed at the finish and didn't want it destroyed since we had the matching furniture.

So again, the hunt began. Store after store we tried, coming up empty handed time and again. Feeling overwhelmed and rushed, I began praying to find the right one. It may sound like a silly thing to pray about, but God tells us not to be anxious and to present our requests to him instead so I did. He was faithful to answer too! Finally, there is was and at an amazing deal. 

I didn't go for everything matchy matchy this time, knowing that eventually we'd replace the crib anyway and move her to a bigger bed. Instead, we went white since it is so easy to match. For example, I'd purchased a changing table from my cousin Stacey second hand and it looked great together. We also found a dresser that we thought would work but ended up returning it because the drawers were crooked. It wasn't hard to replace though since white dressers are a dime a dozen and quickly found a new one.

Unlike with Caleb, the room wasn't really 100% ready for her like I'd hoped. For the first several weeks, her baby clothes were on a quilt on the floor waiting the arrival of her new dresser. There was no glider to rock my sweet girl either, and I was waiting to put up the wall decor until all the furniture arrived and I was sure how it would all be arranged. Again though, I was in a big rush for no reason. Hadley ended up camping out in our room for 8+ months before transitioning to her nursery. 

Since I never got around to posting pictures of the finished product, here is a peek into Hadley's room:

Even though she got a late start at using her room, Hadley has definitely made good use of it since. Unlike Caleb who has always take full advantage of any opportunity to crawl in bed with us, Hadley gets too excited if she tries to sleep anywhere else but her own crib. This somewhat makes sense since Caleb is a sound sleeper while Hadley wakes up to much smaller noises. For this light sleeper, having her own space is ideal, especially considering that her daddy is a loud snorer.

Tired girl

Just precious

Still my baby

This time around with another little one, there were no blank canvases to begin decorating. All three upstairs bedrooms were already occupied, so it was a matter of whose room we'd need to rearrange for Reid to have a place to rest his sweet head and store his things.

It would make perfect sense for the boys to share a room since they are both, well, boys. The problem was though that with Caleb's full size bed there isn't really room enough to add a crib. Then, we considered Hadley's room but weren't sure if Reid's night time wakings would rouse her and cause double the trouble in those midnight hours.

We'd learned from experience though that no decision need to be made immediately. We knew that just like the other two, he'd probably spend the first several months tucked away in our room, snoozing in the same pack-n-play his siblings used. By that point, Hadley probably would be out of the crib and into a toddler bed, and maybe her sleeping habits would be different. Time would tell.

Our dresser was scooted over a little to accommodate his bed (and make sure we could still open the closet), and we brought up a bouncie seat and swing. Some Desitin and baby items were placed on our dresser and a few diapers stuffed into the compartment near the changing table. And, that was that!

So, while it may not be the picture perfect nursery that my friends expecting their first children are posting on Facebook like the rooms I prepared my first two, here is Reid's space:

No complaints from this boy.

While all of his baby clothes are being stored in his big brother's room, for now, we also get the pleasure of sharing our space with this cutie. Even if his night time gruntings wake me up, it definitely makes me feel much more secure to have him so near and makes nursing much easier.

This post didn't include as many cute kid pictures as normal, but I hope you enjoyed a peek into our home, especially for those who don't live nearby or haven't had a chance to visit. As much time as we spend in these rooms, I figured they should be featured at some point on here. Keep watching in the months to come; I'll have to update you later on how we rearrange and adapt as everyone gets older.