December Nursery Update

Some before pictures . . .

We had a lot of room prep/construction type things that felt like they took forever in the nursery but we're past the bulk of it now which means we can get started on the fun part - actually decorating! We really wanted to knock out as much as possible before the holidays so we could just relax and, barring the closet doors (which will hopefully be put in this week), we're officially done for a while!

After about 15 different paint samples, we decided to paint the nursery the same neutral gray we have in the main living area of our house because we love it so much (Benjamin Moore Abalone) and then add one dark accent wall (Behr Dark Ash) which we're going to do some sort of mural on. I initially was going to do a beige/cream in there but it just sucked the brightness out of the room and made it feel really dingy. I definitely tend to lean towards more cool and clean tones.

The grays pick up whatever color the decor in the room is, so while I was initially nervous the walls would look too "masculine" I love how they're reflecting the teal accent we decided on. I figure if it's a girl I'll get more than enough pink stuff to balance it out too ;)

The changing table is finished and living in our office until the closet doors are in and the floors are cleaned up. Instead of a traditional rug, which didn't feel warm or thick enough for a baby to me, I decided to get a plush carpet remnant bound from a local place. Ben's step-mom had that done in her living room and it's so, so soft without covering up all the beautiful hardwood. 

Ivy knows something is going on, but she's definitely not 100% aware yet. I've been folding baby clothes on the floor with her nearby, letting her sniff everything, and giving her extra cuddles every night (read: smothering her, crying and telling her she'll always be my first baby while B looks on and laughs). 

I know it will be a huge learning curve, but I keep reminding myself that it's a new schedule for everyone in the house and it's such a huge blessing that I'll be home with no real timeline to manage it all and make sure everyone gets the attention they need. It sounds so over the top but I'm thankful for the two years we had to really train her and get her on a schedule because she's really mellowed out and I think she is going to be great with the baby. And I know I'll feel even safer having her there with us at home, not that she's much of a guard dog, but that bark is pretty intimidating ;) 

That's probably it for nursery updates until my shower this spring but we have our big halfway appointment tomorrow so, like I said yesterday (posting twice in one week?!), pictures to come!