Over the past week, I’ve seen so many people celebrating babies. Each day I woke up to a Facebook feed full of pregnancy announcements, birth announcements, and posts about getting ready for a new baby to arrive. There were also cute pictures of baby firsts: The first birthday. First Independence Day. First month in this great big world. First night in the nursery.
It was beautiful to see, and it made me think about the first time I brought my baby girl home. She was so small and so alert. She watched everything so intently. She was my “baby born in a wheelchair”, and I was so happy to have her.
I delivered her two weeks earlier than expected, and maybe a day after I made peace with the fact that I probably wouldn’t go until my due date. It was the same time I sat on my bed and forced myself to make peace with an unfinished nursery down the hall. Don’t get me wrong, the room had everything it needed. It was just missing those personal touches every parent dreams about adding. There were no pictures on the wall, no comfy corner for baby rocking, and nothing to announce to the world that this was, indeed, my little girl’s room.
I wanted her nursery to be a labor of love, littered with creative pieces of the people who love her. I wanted it to be just right. And almost nine months later, I think it is. It’s the one room in our house that makes you feel happy the moment you enter it. It’s bright and playful, with a softness that still makes it relaxing.
I tried to put thought and love into every detail of my daughter’s nursery, and found four ways to do it:
Make something
You can paint, draw, or just be crafty. I made tulle pom poms to hang from the ceiling, wrapped a cardboard letter in tulle, and used tulle as decorative trim for metal hooks my mother-in-law gave me.
I designed prints with famous quotes that seemed to fit my baby girl’s growing personality. The “force is strong…” quote was particularly meaningful because it was the theme of our gender reveal party
My mother-in-law used her sewing skills to make our favorite fitted sheets for the crib.
Capture a moment and frame it.
You can use photos of special moments with family and friends, photos that depict milestones, or those cute pictures that show off your child’s personality. My husband and I wanted to frame our favorite pictures from the day our daughter was born, as well as from her newborn photo shoot. My oldest sister-in-law, who owns Smit’n Photography, took all of the photos.
Choose a meaningful message and display it
You can use decals, framed quotes, Bible verses, or write your own message. I wanted my girl to have something that would speak life into her, and remind her of who she is. So I wrote a haiku that included her name.
Decorate with mementos from pregnancy
Many people opt to use an ultrasound, but you can also use keepsakes you collected while you were expecting. I put small keepsakes in a baby-themed flowerpot my youngest sister-in-law gave me on Mother’s Day when I was in my second trimester.
I also framed an adorable card from one of my baby showers. I loved how it matched the colors of the room.
I know that as my daughter gets older, this room will see many changes. There will be new items, new gifts, and different DIY creations. However, I hope she never forgets, or stops feeling, the love that went into creating her very first space.
How do you put love and creativity into your child’s space?
