Gerrit’s New Room

January 16, 2019 nk3302 Comments

When I wrote about setting up Berend’s nursery, I mentioned that we were reusing a LOT from Gerrit’s old room. That meant Gerrit needed a lot of new things: a new bed, a new mattress, new bedding, and a new dresser. He had had his beach nursery setup since we put his room together in North Carolina when he was about 6 months old. Here’s what his room had looked like for 3 years:

This was his room in North Carolina, but we set it up almost exactly the same when we moved to Texas.

When we found out we were pregnant with baby #2, I started thinking about ideas for Gerrit’s new “big boy” room. I found this awesome photo on Pinterest:

And then I asked Andrew how much he loved me and if he thought he could build furniture. 😀 Turn out… he can!

We put Gerrit in his new bed for about a week before we moved to Little Rock last spring, just to get used to being in a bed instead of a crib. Yeah… we kept Gerrit in a crib until he was almost 3.5 years old! Would you believe that he never once tried to climb out of his crib? He tried to climb into it a few times but never out. Anyways, we wanted him to get used to it before we moved since so much change would be happening, and we wanted him excited for his new bed when the crib got unpacked in New Mexico.

When my mom came to New Mexico to help out while Andrew was gone, she made the tent part of the bed. Thank goodness, because I’m veeery basic when it comes to sewing. It’s something I’d like to get more experience with, but I wasn’t about to just wing it with Gerrit’s tent. I’m so glad my mom took on the project for me!

Gerrit loves his tent bed! I found the quilt set on Zulily, and I really liked the colors of it. I’m not a fan of “kid” bedding, because I prefer something that can be used for years to come. I also liked the quilt because of all the colors! Hopefully it will get used even if Gerrit wants a new room theme or if we pass it along to Berend down the road. Andrew eventually wants to build a small matching bedside table for Gerrit, but for now he’s using this cute tree trunk ottoman. Then we’ll move the ottoman into the reading corner. Gerrit stores some of his stuffed animals in there right now.

Here’s Gerrit’s reading corner! We hung his name print from my friend Emily on the wall, and I got him his own sling bookshelf to keep his books separate from the board books downstairs. My mom recovered a body pillow we had with a leaf print fabric for the corner, and I used the pillow sham from his quilt set for another pillow. I think I want to add more cushions or pillows, but that’s what we have there for now. I also have an idea for something to hang from the ceiling, but I haven’t had time to do it yet. Stay tuned!

I have had this growth chart for Gerrit since he was a baby. I can’t even remember where I got it from! I’ve been keeping it updated, but I never hung it because it didn’t “go with” his beach theme room. It matches perfectly in his camping/forest room though, and he enjoys frequently checking to see if he’s grown lately. I got him a plug-in night light to replace his whale light too. I couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for, but I liked the map and the nod to our Air Force life with the airplane.

On the opposite wall, we put the table and chairs set that Andrew had had as a kid. His parents sent it along with him when he passed through Reno last August, and I love that Gerrit has it now.

Above the table and chairs we hung this canvas map of the United States. It was an early birthday present for Gerrit. He loves seeing where we’ve lived, where his cousins and grandparents live, and where we’ve traveled. Plus who doesn’t need a map when out camping? 🙂

Here’s the dresser my mom and I built! It arrived just in time for her to help me put it together, and thank goodness, because it was definitely a 2 person job. Gerrit even helped a bit too:

Once we got Gerrit’s clothes put away, we could put stuff on the dresser! I kept the blue basket from his nursery to hold his nighttime diapers and lotion, and he still has the same sound machine. I’m 100% okay with raising white noise addicts. I picked up the ‘explore’ sign at Walmart as well as the wood-look frame for the photo of Andrew and I with newborn Gerrit. The little lantern was going to be his new night light, because I thought he could take it with if had to make a trip to the bathroom at night. But it was super bright, and I was prepared to return it, but Gerrit loved it. So it stayed.

It took me awhile to figure out what I wanted to hang above the dresser. I contemplated painting something myself again, but I wasn’t sure it would go well, so I thought I’d enlarge a photo instead. That looked like it was going to be expensive, so I scrapped that idea and decided to pick three of my favorite photos from our trip to Puzzlewood in England from 2013.

I found the frames at Hobby Lobby and loved the rustic, natural look of them. And the compass hanging with the photos was another Walmart find. I feel like their decor items have been improving lately… I may have to look there more often.

I still have a couple of things I’d like to add to Gerrit’s new room, but I didn’t want to delay sharing it any longer. He seems to like it (especially his awesome bed), and I hope you all like it too!

Berend: 7 Months

January 3, 2019 nk3302 Comments

We’re heading into the ~~Christmas season~~ new year with a 7 month old! Yup, posting late again… oops!

Age: 7 months on 15 December 2018
Weight: about 19.5 lbs
Height: about 28″
Teeth: 1
Clothing Size: 9-12 months and 12 months
Diaper Size: size 3 in disposable and one size in cloth
Milestones: saying “mama,” up and down motion with arms (shaking toys, slapping the water in the tub or hitting the table), reaching out to be picked up, scooting backwards on his belly, smacking his lips, using raking grasp

Likes: being carried, standing with assistance (but he tries hard to only use one hand), walking with assistance, baths, tickles, food, bouncing, babywearing, putting everything in his mouth, sucking on his bottom lip and his tongue

Dislikes: being held while sitting, Mama walking away, going to sleep, reading ( 😦 ), car rides, getting stuck on his belly

Sleep: No real changes with sleep this month. We’ve had a few slightly better nights (sleeping a stretch of 3 hours) scattered among our bad nights, but Berend still sleeps only 1-2 hours at a time for the most part. He often wants to nurse when he wakes, especially if it’s been closer to 2 hours since he last ate, but sometimes he just wants to cuddle. I really don’t think he’s that hungry when he wakes, but nursing probably give him comfort, especially now that he’s teething.

Berend is pretty solidly on 3 naps a day, although he has had a few days where he only had time for 2 naps. He still takes short (30-45 minute) naps the majority of the time, but he also takes some awesome naps that are 1-2 hours long. I’m hoping we get more of those soon, because I’d much rather work around 2 naps than 3. I’d love to get out of the house more. I never thought I’d want to cut naps out, but it definitely allows more freedom in the day!

Berend is pretty much on the same schedule he was on at 6 months: to bed between 7 & 8 depending on when his last nap ends, up many times a night, comes to bed with me anywhere between 2am and 5am, nurses quite a bit (more at the beginning of the night than in the early morning), and is up for the day between 6:30 & 7:30. He averages about 12.25 hours of sleep a day total.

Eating: Ugh, I suck at remembering to offer food to Berend! He continues to do fairly well with solids. He seems to be getting better at moving solids to the back of his mouth to swallow, but he still occasionally gags and throws up a bit. I’m not sure he likes banana, but most other things he seems to enjoy. Berend really enjoys meat just like his big brother!

Berend continues to nurse around the clock. He is still easily distracted during the day and takes full feedings only before naps. He typically nurses every 2-3 hours during the day though. At night he nurses as often as every hour and sometimes stretches it to 3 hours. I guess this explains his wonderfully chunky arms & legs!

Mommy Update: Guys, I am so tired! I seriously fantasize about sleeping. I think the lack of sleep has made me a little Grinchy this holiday season. I’m trying to enjoy it all, but I’m stressed out and feeling spread too thin a lot of the time. Look at my tired eyes:

This photo was taken after Gerrit’s first Christmas program. Berend loved all the people and singing, although sitting still was a challenge haha!

I think I’m feeling especially stressed right now with Christmas. Like it or not, most of the “holiday cheer” comes from me as the mom. I’m in charge of 95% of the holiday stuff, and that on top of caring for 2 young kids and being sleep-deprived has me spread very thin. I’m trying to just enjoy the ages that my boys are at and see the magic of the season, but it’s tough sometimes.

Memorable Events: Berend celebrated his first Thanksgiving this month! We combined efforts with our neighbors across the street, and it was great to be with another family for the holiday. They have a 2-year-old son, so Gerrit had fun playing with him. Unfortunately, I completely forgot to get a picture of all of us! So here’s the photo I had Andrew take before I got Berend ready for bed that night:

About a week after Thanksgiving, Berend’s first tooth popped through! It really caught me by surprise, because Gerrit didn’t get his first tooth until he was 8 months old. I just assumed they would be pretty close to the same age for that since they’ve been so similar for most other things.

This month we upgraded from our family car to an SUV for some extra space: more seating and more room when traveling. I was hoping we could get a new vehicle before we traveled for Christmas, so Andrew decided to just go ahead and do it the first weekend in December. It seemed like a good time to switch car seats too: Gerrit went from rear facing to forward facing, and Berend went from his infant seat to a convertible one.

The rest of Berend’s 7th month was spent getting ready for Christmas! He got to see us decorate around the house and set up our Christmas tree. After 2 Christmases with just a 4-foot tree, we were excited to get out all the ornaments for a full 7-foot tree.

And here is Berend’s December photo:

Berend, it’s so fun watching you experience new seasons and holidays with us. It’s probably a little overwhelming on your end, but we love having you involved in our traditions. We love your smiles, your giggles, and your dedication to becoming mobile! We can’t wait to see what next month and the new year hold in store for you, baby bear!

Crafts · Daily living

Berend’s Nursery

December 16, 2018 nk3307 Comments

I started planning Berend’s nursery before I was even pregnant with him. I knew I wanted to reuse as much as possible from Gerrit’s beach nursery, so it really narrowed down room themes for me. I needed something gender neutral with a set color scheme (light blue, turquoise, white, neutrals), so I settled on a winter look. Once I started looking on Pinterest, I quickly decided I wanted a Scandinavian/Nordic winter theme.

I loved the minimalist, simple look of Scandinavian decor, and my color scheme seemed perfect for a winter-y look. Plus being in base housing means white walls… perfect for a snowy look! I figured I would focus on blues if we had another boy, and I would bring in purples and some sparkle if we had a girl. Either way I wanted clean lines, simplicity, and a cozy feeling. Here was my favorite of my inspirations:

Something I liked about Gerrit’s nursery was that most of the items I got to decorate his room were things I planned to reuse elsewhere in our home once we changed up his decor. I wanted to do that again with Berend’s nursery, and a winter look meant I could use some pieces I already had for decorating for Christmas. The few items I purchased for his room are not baby-ish, so they’ll definitely make their way onto my mantel or counter top down the road. I think I actually did even better than I did with Gerrit’s nursery in that respect! One of the first items I bought was this nightlight from RH Baby & Child:

It wasn’t my first choice (I was going to go with an animal), but it was on sale, and once it arrived, I fell in love with it! It looks like a snow-covered cottage on Berend’s dresser, and it gives off just the right amount of light.

Because I was buying so little for Berend’s room, I decided to spend a little more to get the crib sheet I really wanted from Crate & Barrel:

It is so cozy! I love this crib sheet, and it looks perfect in Berend’s bed. I also bought a light blue cotton crib sheet for when it gets warm out again, but this flannel one is so nice for fall and winter.

One of my favorite parts of Gerrit’s nursery decor was the painting I made to hang above his crib. I really wanted to do that for Berend as well, but I am not much of a painter! Gerrit’s was fairly easy since it was just layers of color to look like a beach scene. But the thing I chose to do for Berend’s room would require a little more skill:

This is actually not a painting; it’s a napkin! I found it on Pinterest while searching for inspiration, and I loved this. It has the simple Scandinavian look I wanted, and it didn’t look too challenging. To make things easier on myself, I made stencils for the houses and the triangle trees. Everything else was me doing my best with some wine for confidence haha.

One thing that I had wanted to do for Gerrit’s nursery but never got around to doing was a mobile. This time, I found one that I thought I could do on my own:

Again I loved the colors and the geometric design! I ended up doing things a bit differently though, because I wanted a little more color against all the white I already had going on, and because I didn’t want to order more than two packs of beads to copy this design haha! Here is what I ended up with:

Obviously neither of these are perfect, but I really like how they turned out. I also love having that handmade touch in my baby’s room. Berend is almost 7 months old now, and he has started checking out the mobile while laying in his crib.

Here is his completed nursery! Looking in from the doorway:

Berend’s dresser, glider, and decor:

I haven’t decided if I’m 100% happy with where I have everything on the shelves, but this is how it looks right now.

I got a simple diaper caddy for the living room when we were in Little Rock, and I decided to just move it into Berend’s room when we moved to Clovis. It matches, and it holds what I need for the few diaper changes that actually happen in his room since it’s upstairs. I got the same sound machine I have for Gerrit (the updated version), and the “winter wishes” sign is something I picked up at Hobby Lobby.

The stone frame is from Gerrit’s beach nursery, and I found the little aqua colored lantern on Amazon.

I believe I got these little tealight holders when we lived in England, but I can’t remember where I got them from. They usually make their way onto our mantel for Christmas and winter, but for now they look perfect in Berend’s nursery.

This little polar bear mama and babies might be my favorite decoration in his room! I wanted to bring some bears into the decor once Berend was born, since his name means “brave as a bear,” and I was excited to find this set on Etsy. I was so happy with them when they arrived! It’s another thing I spent a bit more than I usually would, but it’s also something I plan to use in the future, and it’s meant to be played with as well.

We have the same glider from Gerrit’s nursery, I framed one of Berend’s newborn photos, and I picked up this simple metal basket from Walmart for his bedtime stories.

A close up of this corner of Berend’s room: the little two tier table is something I bought from a rummage sale page when we lived in North Carolina for Gerrit’s room. I’m happy it looks great in Berend’s nursery as well.

The little arctic fox is something I found on Zulily while I was pregnant with Berend, and we actually ended up with two copies of “On the Night You Were Born” when Gerrit was a baby. I moved one of the books into Berend’s room as decoration and to read. The curtains are also being reused from Gerrit’s beach nursery.

Over on the wall with Berend’s closet is this name art from my friend Emily. She had gotten a similar one for Gerrit when he was a baby, and I love that she thought to get one for Berend as well. On the floor is a simple wooden activity cube that we had gotten for Gerrit for his first birthday. Both boys still enjoy playing with it!

As I’ve mentioned in a lot of Berend’s monthly updates, he does not sleep well. So I’m happy to have this beautiful nightlight glowing in his room every night.

I did my best to capture it in low light so you can all see how sweet it is. For some reason, it really makes me happy to see it in the wee hours of the night/morning.

So there is Berend’s Nordic winter nursery! I feel like this theme took a lot more creativity and Pinterest inspiration than Gerrit’s nursery did since it doesn’t seem to be a very common theme. I’d love to hear your opinions, so please leave a comment for me!