Mabel’s Nursery Tour
As if the fact that Mabel turned two last week wasn’t enough, I’ve been slowly realizing that my little girl is truly growing into an independent young lady. It truly is a joy to watch her grow into her own and have a deep, determined (some would even say stubborn) desire to do things herself, but I can’t help but feel the drop of sadness that goes along with watching your baby grow up. We have slowly been collecting the things we will need to help Mabel step into her next chapter of childhood, like a bigger bed, but I have been storing those pieces in the basement until we make the official transition. I thought that since I know deep down in my gut that the transition day will be coming soon, I wanted to photograph this current state of her nursery so I can always remember this significant chapter of our family.
There are many memories in this space, as I’m sure any other mothers would relate to. She didn’t transition into sleeping in her crib in here until she was about 5 months old, but I will never forget how big of a change that felt like for me once she did. Since then, I have seen how beneficial it has been for her to have her own space. To this day, she still spends nearly an extra 45 minutes in her crib after she wakes up from her nap, playing with stuffed animals and reading independently. It’s like she cherishes the few moments of quiet, alone. I wouldn’t be surprised if she gets that from her Mama. She knows we see her on her little monitor camera and often remarks about it when we do finally come in to get her.
Because we didn’t use her nursery right away when she was born, I took my time to set it up. We sourced the crib (an old Ikea model) off our local buy-and-sell and purchased a new mattress to use with it when it came time for her to use it. I scored the stunning orange mid-century mod chair secondhand as well, and to this day, it is still a favourite place to sit with a book. My parents handed down the dresser we have been using in her room, which just so happens to be an old dresser that I once used as a kid too. It’s pretty squeaky and one drawer is broken, so I have a feeling we will be replacing it with something a little easier for Mabel to access on her own once we transition this space. All the other little accessories and artwork found their place over time.
Perhaps one of my favourite parts about her nursery is that it is full of meaningful pieces that were lovingly collected or created for my sweet girl - a perfect reminder that she is so deeply loved and cherished by so many people. When I was expecting Mabel, we weren’t yet in our new house and we didn’t have a space at our old place to set up for her, so my nesting instincts manifested themselves in a lot of crafts and gifts. I crocheted a blanket using this pattern, made her a rainbow wall hanging (pictured later in this post), and even sewed a stuffed cat from scratch. I have really fond memories of dreaming and imagining who my daughter would be as I spent many hours working away on those creative endeavours, pouring my unfounded love into projects for someone I still had yet to meet.
Many people in Mabel’s life have gifted her special creations too. My brother and sister-in-law made an adorable block set that spells out her name, both of her grandma’s made her beautiful special blankets, her great-grandmother gifted her a beautiful pair of hand-beaded moccasins, and her crib and toy basket overflow with stuffed animals that were so kindly given to her. It has been fun to watch how lovingly she cares for each and every one, calling them by name, tucking them in, changing their diapers, and presenting them with snacks.
Speaking of diapers - you may notice that her nursery doesn’t have a change table. Our last home (where we brought Mabel home before moving into our current home when she was 5 weeks old) didn’t have the space for a change station. We made the decision early on to simply change her on our bed or the floor using a change mat and a diaper caddy. I remember telling this plan to a seasoned mom who was casually inquiring about the nursery when I was still pregnant. She was convinced I would change my mind and that I would absolutely need a designated change space. I can honestly say that I have never regretted this decision. Her diaper pail lives in our bedroom and we have supplies both upstairs and down to do a quick change wherever we need to.
I sourced the pair of poster prints above her crib from Society6 (left and right) and hung them using glass-free poster frames. I figured this would be the safest choice, but it also ended up being a really affordable choice too. I’m thinking I may change these pieces up once I transition her room to bring a fresh feel to the space. With a low upfront cost, I don’t feel guilty about changing them out. I talked more about this in my post all about artwork for a kiddo room.
My favourite spot in Mabel’s room is the little shelf above her dresser. It holds the animal barn I made as her first Christmas gift, a toy camera from her aunt and uncle, her first piggy bank, the stuffed cat I made her while pregnant, her beautiful handcrafted moccasins, and a framed photo of her with her cousins (all born within 7 weeks of each other). I made the shelf myself using some art-deco inspired gold shelf brackets and a simple piece of pine board painted white. Below the shelf hangs one of my favourite pieces of artwork I purchased from an antique store many years ago. It is made of yarn in the most beautiful colours and adds the perfect vintage touch to her room.
Of course, the most important consideration of any nursery should be how it functions. I loved decorating Mabel’s space and making it as cute and comfortable as I could, but it ultimately has to be functional too. Mabel’s dresser holds two of our most prized possessions as a parent - her sound machine and her humidifier. I’m a firm believer that there is no perfect baby registry or list of must-have items since every child is so different in their needs and behaviours. When I originally registered for the Hatch Sound Machine, I had no idea how much we would come to rely on it. This little unsung hero gets used every single night and I am convinced it has helped us build really healthy sleep habits for Mabel. I love this particular one because it can be controlled by bluetooth through my phone and can also transition to a ready-to-wake clock for the toddler years. The other must-have item that I didn’t realize I would need is her humidifier. When you have a congested baby, there is very little you can do for them. We have found the humidifier is the best solution to at least get a little bit of sleep on those under-the-weather nights (including teething sniffles!). I could hug this thing.
We have always used muslin blankets for Mabel and she has a pretty trusty collection of 7-8 that still get regularly used (although she has now developed a favourite that gets used the most). Her muslin blanket collection sits on her dresser for easy access. When Mabel was younger and having a particularly fussy evening, I would sing “My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean” to her on a loop until she would settle, often with her little face nuzzled into one of these muslin blankets. For that reason, these soft little blankets have come to be called Bonnie. Despite her deep love for all her stuffed animals, Bonnie is by far her number one comfort and companion.
And for a few honourable mentions. My parents gifted Mabel the big soft llama that lives on her floor. She loves to climb around on it, but probably more so, both Curt and I love to lay our heads on it while we play with her in her room. Her book ledges are basic Ikea picture ledges that I painted in a mustard yellow to bring a pop of colour to her room. One thing I never feel guilty about buying for Mabel is books. She loves flipping through books on her own and I love that most of her books are easy for her to see and (generally) accessible to her little hands. I also love and appreciate her basic video monitor, blackout curtains, and cozy rug. (In case you are wondering, yes, it is risky to have a cream rug in a baby’s room. We have had one incident that required stain removing, but I never count anything too precious to worry about it getting ruined, so it hasn’t been a big concern for us).
It makes me feel both happy and sad to think that this room will soon take a new form as Mabel continues to grow. I’m excited to see how it will continue to adapt over the years as her needs change, but I will always look at these images of her nursery and remember these precious early years with her. Regardless of how her room adapts, I know that I will always continue to pour my heart into making this space special for my sweet girl so she always feels a sense of comfort, contentment, and security here.
Until we share this space again -
