Nesting, part 1

With only four weeks to go, I thought I’d take you on a tour of some of the house projects we took on to get ready for our new little one.

Since we decided to stay in our little three-bedroom ranch, there were more projects to tackle than simply setting up a nursery. We had to move my office out of the third bedroom, sell and donate a bunch of items we didn't use much, and find a lot of new storage. I'm happy to say we're almost there! Just one more weekend, and the nursery should be complete. (Cue sigh of relief from nesting mother.) I’ll give you a full tour then. For now, I thought it'd be fun to share some of the other projects took on.

One of my top priorities was to create a few spaces where Aaron could play independently while I'm busy with the new little one. So he got a new craft corner in our dining room and a new play kitchen that’s right next to our big kitchen. I'm a huge fan some of the Montessori philosophy of creating independence, even in toddlers. I notice Aaron is so much happier if he can decide what he wants to do, then execute (mostly) by himself. I’m hoping that setting up these areas will allow him to play a bit on his own while I’m breast-feeding, diaper-changing, etc.

Aaron also got a big-boy bed so we could move the crib over to the nursery. So far, he hasn’t put together that he can get out whenever he wants. In the morning, he still calls for us to come get him. Lucky me!

For me, we found a desk armoire on Craigslist to serve in place of my office. Paul painted it the same color as our living rooms walls in the hopes it wouldn’t look too huge. I thought it would be a big struggle to work in the main living area of our house and be confined to a smaller space. But actually I like being more in the action of things (although I rarely work while Aaron is home or awake), and the small space has forced me to be much more organized.

The last thing we needed was some extra storage, even after a lot of donating and recycling. To accommodate some extra stuff, we decided to get rid of our old TV cabinet in exchange for a bigger entertainment center and overhead shelf (built by Paul.) I’m amazed at how much we can fit in this one space! It was certainly underutilized before.
BEFORE:

AFTER:

The bins hold my sewing and knitting supplies, family photos and miscellaneous stuff from the old office closet. The entertainment unit holds a stereo system, all of our electronic stuff (including cameras, chargers and a whole bin of extra cords). It also has lots of extra space for future purchases.

Looking at these photos, you wouldn’t think that any of these projects had anything to do with getting ready for a baby. But in retrospect, they’ve helped me feel so much more prepared to welcome a new person into our home.
Next week, stay tuned for a sneak peak at the (hopefully completed) nursery!