Earlier this month Jeremy and I completed our dossier, which unlocked a new level of baby prep—NURSERY DECOR.
We intentionally saved this whole she-bang for this stage in our adoption because this is where it gets REAL hard. Yeah… filling out hundreds of pages of paperwork is easy when you compare it to waiting. And we have no idea how long our wait will be. We’ve been told to prepare ourselves for up to ten months before we may be matched with a baby. So while we’re, of course, hoping for a shortish wait, we’re preparing for the long haul.
So we saved this nursery decorating process for now…. to distract me! And what a beautiful distraction it is. My husband knows me so well!
So far I only have a few things picked out. I know I am using a wallpaper from Lulie Wallace’s new line (pictured above). She’s one of my favorite artists of all time, and shortly after we decided to adopt, she announced she was doing a wallpaper line. So it was a no-brainer. Her prints are so gorgeous, I had a really hard time choosing. I love the bugs and the swans (and honestly a bunch of the floral prints too—she did NOT make it easy). But I decided to go with Lulu.
As far as a theme, we don’t want to make it too theme-y, but there’s a bit of an animal theme that just kind of happened. I like it because teaching our kiddo to love animals is almost as high up on my priority list as teaching her to like Justin Timberlake.
Similar to our own bedroom, I want to make our baby’s nursery a light, airy space. To me, that just feels like comfort and SLEEP.
The week last summer that we told friends and family we were adopting, Laura gave me this giant wicker giraffe (you can’t see the whole thing here, sorry, but it’s a planter too). It was such an insanely risky, but perfect gift. It made me realize that she really does know my style because this giraffe is now the inspiration for the rest of our nursery. (Love you, gummergal!)
This elephant hamper was the first thing I ordered, just recently. I felt like they made a good pair. I’m probably pretty close to filling my wicker quota now. Planning to focus on white wood for the furniture, and I’ve been eyeing a blush pink glider.
So far it’s turning out very soft and pretty, so I’d like to add some elements that are on the fun and bold spectrum as well. Or maybe I’ll save that for the playroom since I’ve already got a head start with that rainbow wall.
My friend, Cayt, gave me the advice to create a low, accessible bookshelf. So I am definitely planning to do that. I’ve already got a few cute board books added to my collection.
I want to hear your mom advice! When you put together your nursery, what things did you love OR regret in the long haul. What was useful? What wasn’t?
Also! Where do you love to shop? I’m already a verified stalker of The Land of Nod.
Oh, and while we’re at it—I’d love to hear what shops you like for kiddo clothing as well!
Keep in mind our baby will most likely be above the age of one, so we’re not planning for a newborn (but Laura is, so I’m sure she’d love to hear your advice!). It’s definitely a priority to me to create a space that can evolve throughout our daughter’s childhood.
I’m really excited to spend A LOT of time on this room in the coming months as well as the playroom! It’s my favorite project ever. xx -Elsie
ps. If you missed the news that we are adopting, you can read our announcement here!
Congratulations!
For nursery decor I love animal prints, or orginals watercolor! Like these https://www.etsy.com/shop/Mydrops
Serena
Such an exciting time for you both! I am obsessed with keekaroo changing pad, it wipes clean (literally wet wipe and done) and is MAGIC. Also, for late night changes we installed a light strip (IKEA; used for closets) behind the dresser. For clothes I love the quality of Boden. As far as decor we kept it pretty theme-less, crisp white walls and pops of color (dresser is turquoise). Happy shopping mamas!
Congratulations!!! I’m an adoptive mama to one sweet baby boy who will be 2 next month. 🙂 The adoption process can be challenging and emotional, but I’ve always felt lucky that I got to see my community surround and support me in a way my friends who didn’t adopt never got to experience. And you will find yourself (as my husband and I do, pretty much every single day) saying, “How did we get so lucky?? Why were WE chosen to be parents to the most amazing child of all time??” There is just nothing like it, and I am so happy that you and Jeremy get to experience this soon! <3
We did a domestic infant adoption (where birth parents choose adoptive parents) and didn’t know how long our wait would be or which gender we would get, so we did a gender-neutral nursery. I tried to decorate the room with art and accessories I’d use anywhere else in the house so that when our son got older and wanted to fill his room with trucks and cartoon crap, I could move everything elsewhere and re-use it, ha ha. But I also tried to make it a nurturing space with sweet artwork and lots of things that would reiterate visually how much we love him (if that makes sense).
But I agree 100% with the black-out curtains! and the white noise machine!, and for us, a glider has been so special for night times and reading books, etc.
Congratulations again! This is going to be one of the most amazing times of your life! 🙂
Like others have said keep the room simple and mostly uncluttered. A white noise machine is good and we diffuse lavender (or other essential oils if our little one is sick) to help aid sleepiness. Fleece footed pajamas are a must at this stage to keep them warm. Also I always suggest self closing outlet covers because if they pull out anything plugged in then you have a hazard outlet. Anchor furniture safely, accidents can happen even with a mellow kid. We keep our kid room very minimal with the only toys being a few nighttime board books and a small basket of stuffed animals at the foot of his floor bed (I should mention that we do a Montessori setup). Other items in the room include a rocker, footstool pouf, mini armoire(where he has his in season clothes accessible to him) and a small/light side table that holds his night water cup. If it were me I’d skip the crib all together and just go to a low floor bed if they’ll be 1 or older but it really depends on your kids personality and personal preferences.
For us, storage is everything. Different kinds of storage for different kinds of toys and stuff. It must be easy to do the everyday “cleaning” (i.e picking up stuff from the floor). My 3 year old loves to “read” so it’s important that he can reach all the books that he wants. Apart from storage, my best tip is to create flexible solutions so you can adapt the room as the child grows.
I was wondering where exactly that rainbow wall was! 😉 Love it.
Can’t wait to see what you do, friend. Xo
Carrie
www.wearwherewell.com
Those wicker animals are the cutest! I love the idea that the giraffe is also a planter. I don’t think you can go wrong at all with animals. I have a teenage son now, but if I did the whole nursery thing again, I’d keep things simple. Listen and learn from your child, you’ll grow with them. I too LOVE the Cat & Jack line at Target – they almost make me want another kid.
I have that elephant hamper but in a bigger size. It works really great as toy storage too. I like Smallable for baby and kids clothing. Wishing you all the happiness and love in this new journey, Elsie!
I’m so excited for you guys! I have an infant son, but my husband and I would love to adopt someday!
My only advice would be, don’t stress if you’re not finished decorating when your baby arrives. If she’s under the age of 3, she won’t notice or remember, and you can start to learn her personality right away and include things that she enjoys. Just some encouragement! Nesting is never really finished 😉
Ditto on the sound machine! ESSENTIAL!!!!
What an exciting time for you. For a glider, you have to test them out in person before buying because comfort is key. My son and I spent a lot of time in our glider – LIKE A LOT OF TIME – for the first year of his life. We ended up buying a Dutalier (secondhand cuz they are SPENSIVE!). I also find the BEST sweaters for my little guy at thrift shops – think really well made cable knits, vintage Mickey Mouse. A diaper pail/genie is key because diapers really stink and you want to contain that smell. Also, I don’t know how old your baby will be when she finally comes home to you, but I wouldn’t have survived without my Solly Baby Wrap. The Ergo 360 is amazing as well. Congrats!!!
Do not waste money on a changing table, I didn’t. Buy a dresser you love and the child can use for their entire childhood, if not life. Then buy a changing pad.
http://www.target.com/p/circo-wipeable-changing-pad-cover-chevron/-/A-15117796
This one is from Target but they sell them everywhere in a variety of styles. You can accessorize it with different color and patterned covers.
Second most important thing, a soft rug that doesn’t have to be dry cleaned. It will be spit up on, puked on, and if there is ever a bad case of diaper rash you will need to throw blankets over it and let the baby crawl around naked. Which leads to pee and poop on it. If your child is a budding artist like my daughter was, she will paint a picture with poop on it when she wakes up from a nap early.
My kids are now 13 and 11. Enjoy the baby toddler years. They are so very easy and fun and they go so quickly.
Congratulations to you both.
Congratulations on your upcoming adoption! I am so excited for you! Being a mom is seriously the best thing ever. That elephant hamper is also the first thing I ever bought for my son’s nursery! He is 18 months now and loves it. He figured out how to take off the lid at about 12 months. He enjoys “helping” me clean up by throwing his dirty laundry in it… but he also stashes small toys in it, so look out for that when you are throwing clothes in the wash. 🙂
Every kid is different, so listen to advice, try some things out, and find out what works for you and your child. For instance, most parents seem to use room darkening shades, but my son is the exact opposite. He loves having nightlights so he can see his stuffed animals at night (only include in crib as your child gets older.) During his daytime nap, he loves to have the window open so he can look out while he’s falling asleep. He sleeps 12 hours at night and takes a 2-3 hour nap during the day, so that’s working well for us. 🙂
There are some really obvious things you should “baby proof” but you’ll find out more as soon as the baby starts moving around. Things you never thought would be a problem will start getting pulled down, and everything goes into baby’s mouth, so you’ll learn quickly what you need to move higher or put away.
There is one bit of advice I’d heard about pets that has worked well for us. As you prepare for the arrival of the baby, start pulling on the dogs ears and tail and legs, especially as your dog is eating. The baby will love your dogs and want to tug on them and sit on them, so it’s good to get them used to this so they don’t bite the baby.
And lastly, I echo the advice from a commentor above: all a child really needs is loving parents. The rest falls in to place. It is fun and exciting to plan and decorate the nursery, so go all out. But remember that in the end, the baby won’t care about a perfectly decorated nursery (or a perfectly clean house) as much as it will matter that they are able to sit in your lap and read their favorite book with you for the 100th time that day.
I’m sure that you are going to be a great mom!
So happy to hear your great news. As the mother of a beautiful adopted girl who is now 14 I can only tell you that what ever the wait is it is worth it – the best and most wonderful thing you can do in life.
So exciting! Please checkout Atelier Choux Paris’ organic cotton, extra-large illustrated swaddle blankets and nursery decor (wall stickers, bedding coming soon) on atelierchoux.com and on our Instagram. The perfect way to add a touch of luxury to any nursery and diaper bag. We are proudly Made in France and based in Paris with our two little ones! And we are happy to offer A Beautiful Mess readers a discount, just let me know here and I’ll add a code.
Bisous,
Daniella
https://www.instagram.com/atelierchoux/
Love the wicker animals!
My daughter is turning 1 in April. We went for a simple yet whimsical nature-y nursery.
Baby/kids clothes are my weakness! I swear her wardrobe is so much better than mine. I like H&M, Old Navy, and Cotton-On for basic everyday baby clothes. Janie and Jack for fancy wear. Then there are tons of small business clothing shops I follow on IG: Aggieandfrancois, sadiethenty, kaikaicreations, tutudumonde, cleobellalittles, moonfacecrew…omg! the list goes on!
Congrats and enjoy the journey!
We bought a change table … what a waste of money! The storage isn’t great underneath and we wish we had just bought a dresser and placed a change pad on top. You will be putting down/lifting up your baby multiple times from the change surface so make sure you consider the height of the surface with your/your spouse’s height. I’m an occupational therapist and I can’t believe I didn’t think of the ergonomics of this activity (baby brain)! Make sure the surface isn’t too low or you will be getting back pain!
Good luck – I’m sure it will be a beautiful nursery! ?
Don’t buy clothes until you know what size your child will be in. My toddler was in 18 mos clothes before he was a year old. I bought most of my children’s clothes at garage sales, thrift stores, and consignment sales.
Our sound machine and black out curtains have been great tools for getting our children to sleep easily. Our Ergo carrier has been great for carrying our toddler on our backs when walking or hiking in places which aren’t stroller friendly.
I wouldn’t invest too much into decor until you get to know your child’s personality. My older son changes his mind every few months as to what he’s really into, so we keep things simple on the big items and change out little things to match his interests.
Mabo Kids has the sweetest clothes! And Willaby Clothier! And Tiny Cottons! Oh, I could go on forever.
My cousin and his wife adopted two babies—both newborns and two years apart—and each time they were matched within a month of completing the paperwork! It was insane, and I have a feeling it will happen sooner rather than later for you two =)
Even though I don’t have kids (sorry, no help on the decor), I’ve been loving all the paper you’ve shared on your Instagram! I can’t wait to see what direction you go with that room.