Getting ready for baby feels like a weird dream, and getting ready for baby in another country, an island at that, is a WHOLE other ball game. We are in a version of corporate housing so storage is beyond limited and painting the walls is out. And beyond that, getting furniture to Nassau is going to be hilarious. While the nesting and type A tendencies seep out of me, it will take a puzzle to find a way to get the necessities here and on time. But I am beyond up for the challenge.
Given our situation, I head to Miami at 34 weeks and stay there until 6 weeks +/- after the baby is born. Leaving us under 11 weeks to get things in order here at home and in Miami. It will definitely keep me busy! What do I need two of? What do I need in the first 6 weeks versus later on? Where the heck will I be staying? If you know me, you know I could go into full craze at any moment over this. Luckily, every time I feel the baby’s little kicks or see my little lopsided stomach in the morning, I couldn’t give a shit. I just feel blessed.
Because I am who I am, and additionally because I have zero patience and I love visuals, I created a little story board for the nursery. I think it’s really helpful when pulling items together. These aren’t the exact curtains or the exact chair, but everything else is on order or on the baby registry. I’m excited to see it all come together slowly in real life.
Blanket : I love this blanket from Land of Nod with the subtle touch of pinky coral. It gives the gender neutral nursery a feminine touch for our baby girl. This one is on our baby registry. The sheets that match it (Swans and Cats) are so so cute. I’ve already ordered the kitten ones to get started. It’s nothing too overwhelming or crazy, and she could go up with it.
Rug : I love this rug too. I have seen it in so many peoples homes (and Instagrams) in variations of colors and patterns and it’s great. I wanted something to lighten the room, since it’s a smaller space, but still not give way to too many stains. I had baby and belly time, as well as our cat, in mind here. I think this is just the right plushness, sophisticated enough to not feel so cheesy, and yet sweet.
Crib : At 12 weeks, Jeff and I decided to wander into Babies R Us since we were in Miami, and Jeff wouldn’t be back until the birth of the baby. It was the only time he would be able to see a crib selection in person. As you can tell I love grey, but Jeff wasn’t sold until he saw this one. As soon as we walked passed it, Jeff said “This one”. It’s a solid piece of furniture, one that follows her from crib to full sized twin bed. Spending a ton on pieces that you can only use for a few years frustrates me. This was a perfect solution. Even if we use it again for a second bambino, it has the chance to turn into one of their beds or even a guest bed. Winner. And we were lucky enough to get it as a gift from his mom.
Chair : This is not the exact chair. Ours is from BuyBuyBaby, but it’s the same idea. I asked multiple friends about gliders and rockers and this BuyBuyBaby chair option kept coming up. It’s amazing! I’m so glad we hadn’t purchased a chair else where. You go in, pick a chair, pick the upholstery for it, use a coupon (!!), and boom the chair of your dreams gets delivered. Their chairs are so comfortable and you suddenly feel the future naps and late nights when you sit down in it. They told us it would take 2-3 months to get the chair, but it’s already ready! Now for getting it to the island!
Puff & Pillow : The puff and the bunny pillow are from Etsy. I love that BabyList allows you to register from there as well. There are SO many cute options from decorating on there. This puff is a must, but as the nursery comes together I can see myself grab details on easy. There’s something loving about knowing you got a pillow or a basket from someone making it by hand instead of mass made.
Dresser : The most famous nursery dresser of them all! Anytime you are on Pinterest looking at nurseries, you will see this dresser in various colors and hacks. I actually first came across it at my Aunt’s house. She has this dresser in her living room and it’s gorgeous. It took two days to put all the pieces together, but I love it. It’s sleek and homey and if it gets destroyed on our move back to The States next year I won’t fall apart. I’ll probably just get a new one. The drawers are surprisingly deep too! Which is helpful since we have zero closet space available for baby.
Book Shelves : The hack of all hacks. Ikea photo ledges or spice racks as book shelves. I love the simplicity of it, and it’s cheap! I have 3 stacked in the room right now. Once we place all the furniture, I’ll be placing these at a baby friendly level. I can’t wait for the game of Baby putting all the books on the floor, and me desperately trying to have them look as pictured over and over again. Let the baby games begin! It’ll be my cardio.
Star : Another Ikea find. This gorgeous paper star will be placed either over the changing pad (on the dresser) or the crib as a mobile. It’s so whimsical to me. I wish we had space for a ton of them.
And there you have it. My nursery inspiration. I’ll need to add in some floating shelves, some family photos, and a chest of stuffed animals and blankets. (Plus a diaper genie hidden somewhere!) I’m sure it’ll be a complete train wreck once you add in bouncers and vibrating chairs but it’ll be pretty for a hot minute. Haha! Regardless as it comes together, and falls apart, I’ll be posting about it here. I’m so happy to share things. Pregnancy has changed my outlook on the blog and I’m loving the new perspective.
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