A Mint and Orange Nursery


As soon as we found out that we were expecting again, my mind began churning with ideas for the nursery (#interiordesigner4life).  (Regardless of the fact that baby #3 basically changed all of our plans for the year, so I didn't even have an actual room to base my ideas around for the first few months...)  My mind got stuck on the color mint green, with orange accents.  I originally wanted to do a lot of gray in the nursery as well (walls, crib, etc.), but since the walls in this room were already tan I stuck with them - less work since only an accent wall needed to be painted.  Also a lot of these things may look familiar from Caden and Brooklyn's nursery in Madison, and they coordinated much better by leaving the room mostly as it was. Re-using things was not only practical but also fun to envision and set up in a new space.

I have to say, even if we knew that we were having a boy or a girl, there's something refreshing about a gender-neutral nursery.  It feels so fresh and clean, and there will be plenty of pink or blue in the months and years to come!




Felt banner: Orange Circle Garland.  Would be super easy to DIY - I was planning to before I saw this one and snagged a super good deal around the holidays.
White frames: Target
Prints: DreamBigPrintables



Dresser: Oppland 3-drawer Chest with Door

 



(Eeensy-weensy-teeny-tiny newborn diapers all set to go...squee!)


Of course, the nursery isn't truly done yet.  I plan to add photos or maybe a large canvas above the glider after baby is born and we have newborn/family photos taken.  Pro tip: always leave room for more pictures!

Glider (old): Babyletto Madison Swivel Glider
Pouf (old): Moroccan Embroidered Pouf
Pillow: Target Threshold 18x18 Pillow with Tassels


Diamond wall art: DIY - made by covering foam core with fabric (fabric all from Jo-Ann Fabrics)



Changing pad cover: Circo Plush Popcorn Changing Pad Cover-Multi
Lamp and shade: Target, old
Turtle shell box: gift (I think from Target), old
Elephant toy: made by friend, old





Crib: Dream on Me Synergy 5-in-1 Convertible Crib, Natural.  Also I just want to point out that I got this crib for $104...maybe $125 with shipping.  I have no idea why the price is way more than double that now...
Crib sheets: Target Orange Tile Crib Sheets
Swaddling blankets (in basket): Oh Joy! 3-pack Muslin Swaddling Blankets-Dots
Prints: DreamBigPrintables
Silver frames: Target, old






Just like Caden and Brooklyn's nursery before, this has easily become my favorite room in the house.  I think a big part of that is because it's the first room in the house that is truly "done" just the way I want since we moved in.  There's also something calming and relaxing about a nursery, and this one has so much beautiful natural light that it's easy to feel content and soothed...hopefully baby thinks so, too!

Caden and Brooklyn also love this room.  We usually leave the door closed or they would ransack it at every chance.  They love to go inside, crying "Baby!  Baby!  Baby!" as they point to everything.  They love to sit in the glider and rock (which was actually in their room until just a few short weeks ago) and have us lay them down in the crib so they can pretend to be babies.  Even though their "toddler beds" are really just their cribs still, they look HUGE in the new crib with the mattress set at the top level.  We should probably get this out of their system now so they don't invade this space too much once baby is born!



Projects: Valentine's Day Canvas


The Christmas decorations are put away.  Even the toys are organized and structured back into some semblance of "tidy", instead of the post-Christmas chaos of new-toys-meet-old-toys-meet-where-did-we-even-get-you-from-toys?

I enjoyed the cleanliness, the openness (doesn't your living room feel so much more spacious once the Christmas tree is down?!?), the neat and tidy and uncluttered look, free from any and all holiday decor.

Then I got the itch.  Maybe it was too mundane and uncluttered.  We don't really have any Valentine's Day decorations.  Neither Tyson or I are very big on V-Day itself, but I AM big on all things holiday and festive, so immediately began thinking of ways to remedy that situation.  By enlisting the help of:


Toddlers.

Super easy, a little messy, and they LOVED it.


Supplies: 8x8 canvases, acrylic paint, foam brushes, felt heart stickers, scrapbook paper (not shown above).

Let's do this.

(Please excuse the long photo montage of twin toddlers painting, but they were all just too cute not to.)









(I love foam brushes for toddlers because they are easy for them to hold and control.  Also it's pretty difficult to pick up too much paint with one, unlike a traditional paintbrush, which can be more awkward and "gloopy".  Foam brushes are also easy-peasy to rinse out, or cheap enough to toss if that doesn't happen!)



(Don't forget to rinse out your toddler(s) as well.)


(Maybe I should back up to say that step one is to cover your floor with a sheet.  Caden accidentally flipped his paper plate of paint onto the floor, where it landed upside down (of course), within the first 20 seconds of painting.  #oops)








(The above is an example of how most of the photos of Caden painting turned out.)





I added the letters after the paint had dried, cut out of scrapbook paper that I already had. Print out your words in the size and font of your choice, trace, and cut.  Or trace very carefully directly off of your computer screen, if you moved approximately three months ago and have yet to set up the printer.  Your choice.

Caden and Brooklyn then went to town with the felt heart stickers.  No pictures, because somebody had to carefully remove each tiny, annoyingly stuck-on paper backer from each individual heart sticker before they could be used, and I couldn't move at a speed that was acceptable even for one toddler, much less two.



They were pretty proud of their creations.  They love all things paint and stickers, so this was super age-appropriate and fun for them, AND held their attention for awhile (major WIN for any toddler mom!)  So easy for me, too.  Besides peeling all the backs off those darn heart stickers.




Operation Valentine's Decor complete.  For now...

(Obviously this could be adapted for any holiday or for no holiday at all, with different word choices.  These would also make fun gifts for dad or grandparents!)


Twins to Toddler Beds

So.  We made the switch to toddler beds.

I should say that we are working on making the switch to toddler beds.

What I really should say is that we were forced into making the switch to toddler beds.

Believe me, I was in absolutely no hurry to get them out of their cribs.  They liked them, they stayed contained, baby #3 is getting their own brand-new crib anyway...there was absolutely no rush.

Until one morning in the middle of December, when I walked into their bedroom, to find:


THIS.


Hey, how'd I get over here anyway?

And then, that night, LOOOOOOOOOONNNNGGGG past their little bedtime, it was all:


THIS.

But with more giggling.

*sigh*

Caden went from never making any attempt whatsoever to get out of his crib, to the next day figuring out how to get into Brooklyn's crib, to figuring out how to get out of his crib completely the very next day.

So.

We put it off a little bit, because there was enough chaos with the holidays and we needed to more fully toddler-proof their bedroom if they were going to be running loose with no adult supervision.  Also Caden enjoyed being Houdini for 5 or 6 days or so, but then completely gave up crib climbing of any sort for the next three weeks or so.  However last week he started up again. That coupled with the fact that in a mere five (5!!!) weeks we will be welcoming another baby and it will be hella easier on me post-C-section if they can just get in and out of their beds themselves.

This all led us to one night last week, where you could find us doing:


THIS.


(Same cribs, just swapped out one side for the toddler rail attachment which they came with.)



You could literally see the lightbulb moment on Caden's face once Tyson finished with his bed.  He immediately got a huge grin and climbed up into his bed by himself.  And then back out.  And then back in.  And ran/jumped around on it a bit.  Like, Gee, mom and dad, why didn't we do this SOONER?!?!?


This is certainly not a post with tips about how to transition to toddler beds.  Every kid and every experience that I have read about seems to be so different that I think you just kind of have to wing it.  All I can say is try to keep the evenings as free as possible, be firm with bedtime boundaries, make sure the room is toddler-proofed beforehand, and if you're lucky enough to not be pregnant while all this is going on, treat yourself to a glass of wine afterwards.

It's been going...okay.  Probably better than expected.  Nap time has actually been easier than bedtime.  (For which, hallelujah!  More and more people have been telling me how their kids gave up their nap for good once their beds were switched over.  Caden and Brooklyn, and, more importantly, ME, are just NOT ready for that.  They and I still need their nap in order to function for the rest of the day.)  Most days they go down just fine for their nap and don't even try to get out of bed.

Bedtime is another story.  Part of it is that Caden doesn't like the door shut, but cracked open with the hall light on.  Not so much because of he's afraid of the dark, but he's an absolute stickler for rules and routines, and since we've moved bedtime has ALWAYS left them with the door cracked open and the hall light on  He is NOT having it if I close the door.  And actually, I think he would stay in bed even with the door cracked open, if not influenced by his sister.  Brooklyn runs from her bed to peek around the door, where I sit on the floor outside their room, and waves at me until I tell her to "Get back in bed" (this starts out gently but gets sterner and sterner...) and then runs to sit on her bed for approximately 2.3 seconds before running to the door to wave at me again, until I tell her to "Get BACK in BED", and this REPEATS IN AN ENDLESS LOOP.  Often Caden joins in the fun, though with somewhat less enthusiasm.  This usually ends up with me sitting IN their room in front of the door, and that's the trick that keeps them in their beds and so they eventually fall asleep.  Brooklyn would certainly stay in their room and almost as certainly fall asleep eventually if the door were to stay shut and she could no longer escape very far, but Caden absolutely wails every time she or I shut the door.  Just one of those instances where having twins - each with their own distinct personality - is certainly more difficult than having one child.



(Brooklyn sits in the chair and reads to Caden before bed.  She holds up the book to him, turns each page, and every time says, "BOOK!".  Caden points at the pictures and listens patiently.  You're right in thinking it's adorable.)

Last night was our best night yet, I think I only had to tell them to get back into bed once and they stayed there...so here's hoping.  Five weeks til baby comes...they can't keep up their nighttime shenanigans THAT long...right?

Right?!?

Prepping for a Singleton

It's official.

We are scheduled to meet Baby #3 at about noon on Monday, February 22nd.

(Yes, I scheduled a repeat c-section.  Suffice to say that my doctor thought it was incredibly likely I would end up with a c-section again anyway, even if I tried for a "natural" birth, and I was not about to go through 12+ hours of labor again, including 3 excruciating hours of pushing that resulted in no progress only to wind up being sliced open anyway.  Cut me open.  Let's do this.  Done.)

It's kind of weird to know your baby's birthday in advance.  Granted, I will be 39 weeks (+2 days) at that point, so it IS possible I could go into labor before then, but still.  See you in 6 weeks and 4 days, baby!

***

I'm not really sure what to expect with one baby.  It seems like everything I know about babies, I know in relation to twins.  Sure, I expect it to be easier -- Tyson and I won't BOTH need to be up for all feedings all the time during the middle of the night, forever, for example -- but one baby also seems kind of strange to me.  To us.  Take breastfeeding for example.  Nurse twins by feeding one on each side.  Done.  Switch sides the next time.  I think with one baby you're supposed to try to nurse both sides each time?  Maybe? However also in relation to my second-pregnancy-been-there-done-that apathy, I feel no desire to research these things whatsoever.  We'll figure it out.  There are nurses, doctors, lactation experts, etc. at the hospital.  It'll be fine.

***

I went to my 32-week appointment yesterday.  I actually lost weight since my last appointment a month ago ("I think you're the only patient or person ever who actually lost weight over the holidays," my doctor remarked, "What about cookies?  Didn't you eat any cookies?"  Oh yes sir, I ATE THE COOKIES.) and am measuring smaller than 32 weeks.  To have lost weight and be measuring SMALLER than the week I am in?!?  Boggles the mind. Twin pregnancy this is not.  I actually sort of feel like I'm not doing my pregnancy duty by losing weight.  I immediately began to rectify the situation by making a lemon ricotta pound cake.  Take that, scale.

***

People keep asking me if I'm looking forward to having one baby this time.  Won't it be so easy?!?  The short answer is yes (barring any colic/other unforeseen medical problems that we did not have to deal with last time).  In fact, I feel like being in the hospital is going to be a sort of vacation with just me and baby.  I've never had only one baby to take care of before. Throw in meals delivered to me three times a day and lying in bed surrounded by fluffy pillows with someone at my beck and call at the push of a button?  Sounds pretty good. However once we are home, keep in mind that Caden and Brooklyn will STILL BE HERE. While, yes, taking care of one infant will certainly be easier than taking care of two infants, I will be taking care of one infant and also two VERY active just-barely-turned-two-year olds.  We are not trading Caden and Brooklyn in for the 2016 version of a Williams baby.  Yet.

***
January's project: ACTUALLY PREPPING for a baby by finishing off the nursery.  (As well as planning Caden and Brooklyn's birthday party.  And organizing/decorating the office which became our catch-all room after the move while Tyson was gone.  Since I absolutely do not go overboard on these kinds of things (har har har) there is absolutely no pressure here.) (Who, me, NESTING?!?)  (I have my calendar organized with what tasks need to be completed each week. Sometimes each DAY.  Typical first born child/OCD much?)  Progress so far: accent wall painted.


Crib is ordered.  Dresser is being picked up this weekend.  Misc. decor ordered or already delivered.  Boxes stand at the ready to be unpacked.  Take that self-imposed-somewhat-arbitrary calendar deadline of January 24th!