The Making of a Baby Boy Nursery...and a Baby Boy Mama

Finding out we were having baby number two was one of the best days of my life.  Finding out that baby number two was going to be a boy.....well, I was a little freaked out.  Freaked out because I love being a "girly mama".  I love all things pink and frilly and sweet.  I love baby dolls and hair bows and ballet lessons.  How would I ever learn to like what boys like? What do boys even like anyway???  

Both times I was pregnant, finding out what I was having was almost as exciting as actually having the baby!  The main reason I like to find out is so I can start decorating the nursery!  You can imagine how excited I was to find out I was having a girl the first time around.  It didn't take long for me to decide on bedding and a color scheme.  Pink (of course), sage green and white!  I loved, loved, loved designing a girl nursery.  

Let's just say I was less than inspired to design one for a boy.

I searched obsessively diligently for inspiration.  I found nothing.  The only thing I had decided for sure was that I would not invest in a crib bedding set.  To me, it is a waste of money.  You can only use bumper pads for a short time.  They are dangerous for newborns and later toddlers use them to stand so they can climb out.  You can't actually use the nice plush comforters or quilts that come in the sets because they can be dangerous too.  Basically, you are left with a dust ruffle and a crib sheet.  Let's face it, have you ever walked into a nursery after the baby is born to see the crib set in tact?   

The other sure thing in the room was the furniture.  While the light wood furniture circa 1995 wasn't the most glamorous thing we owned, it was in good condition and would be fine for a boy (poor sweet boy).  We had a dresser and night stand.  A friend gave us a crib in the same light wood color.  Since the new nursery was taking over our current guest room, we needed the room to accommodate guests.  A twin bed with a trundle I found on Craigslist was the answer. 

The light blue and yellow mixed with the chocolate brown in this twin quilt I found at Marshall's was appealing to me. If only my light pine furniture would magically transform into a rich dark brown, all would be right in the world.  It wasn't ideal, but it was somewhere to start.  As my due date grew closer, I was getting desperate. 

I would totally give a shout out to who it belongs too and where to find it but this was two years ago and I can't remember!  If it is yours....it is awesome.  Thanks for the inspiration.  I am sorry that I was too cheap to buy it.

I found this wall decal during one of my on-line searches.  The fact that it mixes animals from the jungle, farm and best of all a dog that looks much like our beloved boxer made me fall in love.  Being the cheapskate incessant diy'er that I am, I decided I could paint it myself.  That would allow me to take the solid design and use a mix of patterns to make it a little more "babyish".  I printed out a copy of the picture above and attempted to free hand it with a pencil onto the wall.   I went through about six erasers before I got it right.  Once I was happy with how the sketch turned out, I painted the patterns along with the rest of the walls.  Here is how it turned out.

As you can see, I made a couple of design changes.  I nixed the rooster and added a cute little bird on the giraffe's back.  I used painters tape to tape off the stripes on the elephant and the dog.  The large dots on the giraffe and the horse where pressed on with a round stenciling sponge.  I went back over the dots with a small flat brush to fill in the paint and make them solid.  To make the designs look like they were cut out, it was important to have the dots continue off the edge of the animals.  The dots on the bird were just dabbed on with a small rounded tip brush.

I had so much fun doing the animals, I wanted to do more!  I was finally inspired.  My inspiration led me to the corner of the room where I painted a tree trunk and branches.  The leaves are cut out of scrapbook paper and stuck on the wall with double stick tape.  This was really easy and my daughter (who was almost four at the time) loved helping me. 

 

I said I didn't need a crib bumper, but I came across a dust ruffle, bumper and sheet set at TJ Maxx for $24.99 and couldn't pass it up!  Don't worry, baby is safe and sound.  He hasn't spent more than 3 or 4 nights in there anyway!  He stayed in a pack and play in our room until he was big enough for me to snuggle with him in our bed where he has been for the past year and a half.  No comments....Cass:)

After the initial shock of finding out I was having a boy...I started to settle into the idea.  I even started getting excited.  Baby brother is now a wild and funny 18 month old.  I absolutely love that he loves cars and dinosaurs and trains.  I have grown to love all of those things too.  

The best part of designing a nursery for a baby boy is seeing him in it.  He gets so excited when he sees the animals.  He points at them and yells out his best attempt at "giraffe".  

I am so blessed.  I have a beautiful girly girl and now a precious little brother who is 110%  boy. In the words of the great Hannah Montana, I have the "best of both worlds" and I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

 My sweet, sweet baby boy:)