I can hardly believe I'm saying this, but...my Baby Girl is turning ONE this week! How did it happen so quickly?! I find myself having a case of the feels several times a day as we approach the milestone, which is mildly annoying as I have to then reapply mascara regularly (waterproof, shmaterproof.)
In the spirit of growth and nostalgia, I started looking back at what I was doing this time last year (other than harboring a bona fide fear of developing my own orbit). I thought it might be interesting to take a look at the nursery then and now - what I loved, what I hated and all the other practical changes that have happened in a year.
Last you saw the nursery, it looked like this...
...and for the most part, it hasn't changed tremendously. Now, it looks more like this:
A lot of it is very much the same, and it still is my favorite room in the house (amazing, as it was my least favorite back in the office days).
What I Love
I am still incredibly glad I chose a lot of pieces that weren't too baby-ish. The dresser is elegant and sophisticated and, if the Scrunchkin grows to dislike the style somewhere down the road, it can be repurposed in almost any room in the house.
Likewise, the crib (which is convertible, as many are nowadays) won't look too little girl-y when it becomes a head and footboard. The framed pictures over the crib will also stick around much longer than smaller baby-themed ones as her room continues to change.
Another project that I'm still in love with is the fabric covered storage bins under the bed. They have held up really well, and have maximized the use of that space. They also, evidently, make excellent cat beds, as the things that are stored under there tend to emerge slightly flattened and with quite a bit of fur covering them. King of the house, he is.
I am oh-so-glad I skipped the diaper stacker/organizer/caddy that is recommended by every registry ever and instead went with a tiered basket wall shelf. It's such a cute piece that I will be commandeering as soon as we're through diaper-dom. In addition, keeping them in sight and in reach means I always know when I need to restock or reorder and they're always close at hand when my Baby Boogaloo starts a-wigglin' (usually about .02 seconds into the change). And speaking of changing the baby...
Skipping the changing table? Best. Call. Ever. The changing pad is really all I need, and, despite a few creative changing-table-hacks I've seen, a piece of furniture that takes up room and has offers very little in the way of storage would have annoyed the snot out of me. THAT, however, takes us to...
What I Hate
Okay "hate" is a strong word. I don't think there's anything that I truly hated.
But one thing that didn't work out nearly as well as I imagined was having the changing pad on top of the dresser. Don't get me wrong - it was safe (screwed to the dresser) and functioned the way it was meant to. But Baby Girl has NEVER been one to lay still for a diaper change, and I found myself changing her on a towel on the floor more often than not (she does manage to escape now and then, but at least it's more of an army crawl and naked foot chase rather than a barrel roll and BASE jump sans parachute.). I'm embarrassed to say that it took me months to actually move the changing pad to the floor (as you can see, this was another cat-claimed territory). But now that it's there, it works perfectly. The pad stays under the dresser when not in use and slides out for quick changes.
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| Senor Toddlesworth does not see a problem...except, perhaps, the camera in his face... |
The camera for monitoring the baby has also moved. Initially, I wanted to keep it on the shelves by the glider. This was partially for aesthetics, but mostly because our apartment has the absolute worst outlet locations and supply. But that locale had two major drawbacks: 1. It shot across a window which affected the light sensor and made it very difficult to focus, and 2. You could barely see the baby from that angle. (Evidently, that's important when you're monitoring the baby)
So, the camera got mounted to the wall directly above the crib. It certainly solved the other two problems, but I actually still hate it. As I mentioned, the apartment sucks for outlets and, in this case, there's only one in the room. As it's nowhere near the camera or crib, we have wires draped across the wall and window (yes, they are out of reach of the Little One.) which looks horrible and has created other hazards by the need for extension cords and power strips. Outstanding.
Other Changes
I loved the layered drape of the sheers in the baby's room, but I knew from the beginning that at some point I would have to change it so that she couldn't reach them from her crib. Being the overachiever that she is, that happened far earlier than I anticipated. Now the curtains are swagged to the side furthest from the crib, and the ribbons have been shortened so that they're still out of her reach. At some point they'll have to go too, I'm sure!
Before the munchkin made her late-but-great appearance, I had this lovely little idea of keeping all of the diaper changing essentials in the top drawer of the dresser, right under the changing pad. Once the diva entered the scene, I quickly realized that was plan was well-intentioned, but misguided. I am usually using all four appendages and a borrowed paw or two from the cat to swap out diapers in the Baby Rodeo. There is absolutely no way to pull open the drawer, sort through supplies and identify and grab what's needed. And once the rodeo has come to its conclusion and the wild horse is streaking through the house half-naked and giggling there is zero chance of me putting things back neatly.
I needed something that would allow me to just grab (or dump) and go. I went through several variations of solution, but ultimately I wound up with this adorable little caddy from the dollar section at Target. It's cute enough that I don't mind it being out all the time and the handle makes it easy to tote it around when necessary. At some point I really want to doctor it up a bit, but for the meantime, I added a pretty little tag and called it a day.
Another update to that same area is a small basket of toys. When Wild-Hearts-Can't-Be-Broken starts to do some baby break dancing on the pad, I grab something out of the tote to distract her. I'm told a baby tranq dart is probably illegal.
I added a ribbon and a wire hook to the side of the wall mount storage baskets to display the baby's hair accessories. It took about two seconds and looks so cute. Besides, as my wonderfully strong willed daughter refuses to wear them, this may be the only way anyone gets to oooo and ahh over how cute they are. :)
I have to say, I'm probably prouder of this room than any other I've put together before. I love that it has a mix of practical and pretty; that it's tailored to her current age but with sights on her future room too, and, mostly, that it is so personal. I certainly wanted it to be beautiful, but, more than that, I wanted it to have meaning. I wanted it to be a love letter to the tiny little imp who has taught me what sunshine really is.
I imagine it will go through many more variations, and I look forward to the changes. But right now, I'm appreciating where it is, where I am, and, of course, my beautiful little one year old (who is completely oblivious to all of these things). :)
Have a fantastic week friends!
