Before we move on to our bedroom reorganizing, I'd like to share a few of the things that made our transition into parenthood a little easier...
Our first priority was to keep the room simple and uncluttered, and arranged so that we could save on extra steps and seconds throughout the day that would eventually add up to more time to relax (or sleep :). The best way to accomplish all of this was to arrange and organize the room into "zones" based on the activities that would take place there. By that I mean that everything needed to dress her in the morning was in one space, everything needed to feed her was within reach of the rocker and that there would never be a reason to step away from the changing table while she was being changed.
Even though we knew that toys would not be a concern right away, we purchased these two sets of cubbies with that in mind. In the meantime, the baskets were the perfect place to store extra blankets and rags and everything we might need for nighttime feedings.
On the other side of Ellie's crib, we set up a space with everything we would need for diaper and clothing changes. Instead of purchasing a changing table, we took the mirror off an antique vanity and topped it with a changing pad. The drawers kept her wipes and creams handy but hidden, while the diapers were right out in full view and very easy reach on two shelves. The baskets kept the diapers tidy, so we didn't mind having them on "display."
Just to the right of the table is a clothes hamper, and hidden on the far side of the dresser is a diaper pail.
Amazingly, the tall white dresser was mostly empty, since we decided to keep all of Ellie's clothing together in her closet. One drawer contains cards and mementos from her birth and subsequent birthdays, holidays and special events (since an underbed box wouldn't have worked here). Another drawer holds extra bedding, and a third was used for extra feeding and changing supplies. It's nice to know that we will have plenty of extra storage space to move into as she gets a little older.
I was unable to find a photo of Ellie's closet as it was set up when she was a baby, but I'll share some recent ones in a future post to show how we've organized her closet to keep up with how quickly babies and toddlers grow and change.
I'm a sucker for kids books, and I wanted to store and display Ellie's collection while making it easy for her to pick her bedtime story each night. These shelves were a real project (each one is covered with pages from old children's books), but as soon as they were up and filled with Ellie's books, I was completely in love with her nursery. Under the shelves, a large wire basket corrals her collection of stuffed toys. We use the basket to set a reasonable limit on the number of animals that we keep for her to play with. Once the basket gets too full, we know it's time to pass along the ones she no longer plays with.
It's hard to believe that our baby is now a "big girl" (as she reminds us each day), but my husband and I have thoroughly enjoyed the last two and a half years and countless sweet moments in that nursery. We hope that as the space grows and changes with her, Ellie will find it to be a place where she always feels relaxed and peaceful.
