Preparing for number 2!

I spent the last month or so scouring Pintrest for toddler room ideas, which really is never a good idea.  I have this love/hate relationship with that wonderful site, it makes me so excited for a new project but also simultaneously overwhelmed with how exactly I am going to pull it off!  We decided to convert the guest room into a "big boy room" for Griffin and keep our nursery for the new baby.  I LOVE how Griff's nursery came out and really spent so much time on hand making the decorations (with Kara and my Mom's help!) so I wanted to keep it as it was!  The guest room was a blank slate so we started by taking Sean and my dressers out of our closet and moving them into the room.  The room doesn't have its own closet so it needed a good amount of storage space!  This meant that Sean and I had to finish putting the closet system in that we had started in our original move, so after doing some planning and buying we have a closet that works much better for us and Griffin gets a couple of nice dressers!  Next was decorating, creating a reading space for him, toy storage, curtains..etc.  I wanted to make a room for him that was both bright and fun, but also not too age specific so he could grow into it over the next 5+ years.  We did not buy him a big boy bed and decided to move the crib into the new room.  The new baby won't need the crib for at least 6 months or so after they are born, and Griffin sleeps AMAZING in his crib and doesn't crawl out.  I'm not ready to give up the sleep that Sean and I are finally getting in every night!  I need to soak it up as much as I can before Schoonmaker 2.0 comes!  Instead we are setting up our pack-n-play in the nursery where the crib would go and have the baby sleep in that until its time to transition Griffin. 

My favorite part of his new room is his reading nook!  We read books together before every nap and before bedtime, so a cozy reading space was important.  He loves it and calls it his "cozy corner".   I actually got to put to use the dog bed I got Jake that he never sleeps in!  Saved me some money on an expensive floor pillow and lets be real, Griffin LOVES dog beds.  I also really like his cubbies and rug!  I tried to tie in some of his favorite things like trains, dinosaur's and bugs but not go too crazy because I know his interests will change.  It was really fun to show Griffin the finished project, he pointed at his bug poster and said, "that's my favorite!" and then pointed to his displayed artwork and said "I made that!".  He also got to "help" daddy put up his decorations so I think that helped too :) 

 

 

 

I got these from Etsy, they are printed on old dictionary pages.

 

 

 

Artwork from daycare

 

I put most of his toys away and only have his favorites here :)

 

 

 

 

 

Reading nook!

 

 

 

 

 

His favorite bug poster

Leo loves it too!

 

 

This little boy loves his new room (and cooking with rocks and sugar)

Instead of nesting and preparing a nursery, I get to nest by preparing our little guy for his transition to getting older and having a sibling.  I remember preparing for Griffin and really enjoying the nursery but also skipping out on the whole "caring for a newborn" section at the bookstore.  Its nice to go into this next life event with a little more experience.  I am not as focused on the milestones of the pregnancy or obsessing over the kind of labor experience I want to have.  Instead I am enjoying the kicks and nudges and knowing how much our hearts will get to grow in 12 more weeks.  In some ways I am more relaxed about the future because I know I can't predict how Griffin is going to adjust, or how this baby is going to sleep, or how we are going to balance two kids.  I do know there will be days that I will probably break down in tears from exhaustion, but those days will be balanced with moments of pure love and joy for my family.  The future is exciting and a little scary but the thought of what I means to bring a child into this world keeps my feet firmly planted on the ground.  To say its a responsibility doesn't quiet put it into the right words....maybe a gift to be able to show another sweet baby the way, love them unconditionally and be truly thankful for the joy they bring to everyone's life.  I can't capture the feeling in words right now, maybe it will come to me in December :)