Just the Right Amount of Rooster

First of all, I am LOVING our name post (that didn't intentionally set out to be a name post). Funny enough, you've managed to list all but one of the names on my top five list and then give me five more to add to it (that's really quite amazing; I didn't think there were 10 girls name in the whole universe that I liked and you got 9 of them in one blog post). As JP just said, when I told him I was going to read my list and he was going to give me verbal or facial reactions to each one, "Can't we just name her Claire again?" That's part of the problem- I love Claire's name. I love it. And I want to love the next one too. But then I remember that when we first picked Claire's named we liked it, then after a few weeks of using it in utero we loved it, and now after three years of living with a real live Clairebear we REALLY love it, so hopefully love will grow again. I'd really like her to have a name in the next few weeks- I like deciding it early, like calling her that as she squirms around in my tummy, and like having her name in my mind while I buy her tiny sleepers and plan her cozy nursery.

And speaking of buying tiny sleepers and planning a nursery, after knowing our baby girl was a baby girl for all of 24 hours, she managed to amass a pretty decent wardrobe and many a bookmarked webpage for her nursery decor. First, I accidentally ran into Carter's on my way to Target. Clearance tags are my budget busting kryptonite and before I knew it, both of my girls (my girl-S!) had patriotic swim wear for next year's 4th of July trip to the lake.

 

And then all of this happened.

 

The trio of big/little sibling shirts were clearly necessary for hospital room pictures, the pile of cozy sleepers were all less than $6 each and were so sweet and so fuzzy and my unnamed baby NEEDED them (her coming home from the hospital sleeper is in there too; it involves a tiny embroidered owl and was the only thing I paid full price for, but it could not be helped- there was a tiny owl), and then I think the knit sweater booties speak for themselves. When I got home, Claire took one look at them, squealed, and IMMEDIATELY concurred that they baby needed them. The girl likes shoes as much as I do- I think I need to pray she never fits into mine.

On Saturday night, during our now regular Game of Thrones catch-up viewing, I started bookmarking pages for her nursery decor.  First I fell in love with this trio of art prints on Etsy.

 

It set the stage for the rest of the bookmarking.

Next came this cozy blanket that just makes me want to wrap a baby and hold it for hours while we watch the Food Network.

 

Then I found these bird cages on clearance at Pottery Barn Kids, a store I usually avoid because it's way too expensive, and I now think we need a duo of them hanging over the dresser/changing table.

 

Speaking of the dresser, we purchased this one during our Mother's Day trip to Ikea. It's not assembled yet, but it will be before November. The white with dark brown knobs are going to go well with my new theme.

 

The walls are going to remain the white painted bead board that they currently are, and I think my theme will go well with much of my already existing guest room stuff (hard to believe I put together that guest room only 14 months ago, back when I was sure we were done having kids and it would be my beautiful grown-up guest room for years to come).

 

Baby will have her on ensuite full bath, something totally unnecessary that may sometimes be handy (sink and shower right nearby for midnight spit up and diaper attacks). There is a small, but now functioning closet, and a beautiful bank of windows for natural light (and wood shutters to block it out). The curtains are grey with a pale blue stripe, I think they will still work, and the already existing bird picture and fun blue/white lamp will keep the pop of blue going from my inspiration art, while I add more pink and brown in the crib bedding (I might be able to borrow a friend's! checking it out tomorrow). The little dresser currently in the room is going out to the entry way or living room and the bookcases will be relocated to the back wall. There will also be a rug, but that will come later- I'm on a rug buying hiatus for the moment.

 

The queen bed is going to stay. I paid too much for the frame far too recently to part with it, plus I love it and it is so handy to have. I'll push it against the wall in the corner if needed, but it's not like babies need a lot of floor space (that's what my snazzy new play room is for!). I even think the little vase of yellow flowers can stay as another pop of color. I have more bookmarking- and of course plenty of actual shopping- to do, but I'm getting excited about where it's all going in my head.

 

And speaking of shopping. These were the first three items in my cart on Claire and my big food run on Sunday. I'm so very pregnant.

 

Then we made cinnamon rolls from scratch on Sunday because, again, pregnant.

 

Also on Sunday, JP and Landon rented a U-Haul trailer and embarked on a 10-hour journey to the lake house and back on Sunday to pick up the beautiful (huge!) table and chairs my parents purchased from the owners of their new lake house to give to us.

(very quick pic snapped to show my parents my men and my table had made it home safely;
the hutch in the back is going to be moved somewhere else)

I will miss our beautiful dark square table, but as a future family of five who likes to entertain, we really did need a bigger one. And isn't this one pretty? Thanks mom and dad! And speaking of my mom (because it's important to maintain a clean flow of topics in your blog posts), as I was talking with her earlier that day, she gave me an update on how the unpacking and decorating was going in the new house. She was quite delighted with her kitchen and as we were discussing about cabinet space and decor themes she remarked with great satisfaction, "I really think I've managed to get just the right amount of rooster."

She was talking very seriously about the decor items she was artfully, and no doubt classily, displaying on top of shelves and cabinets, but it was so funny and so delightfully my mother that I've decided that phrase is the pinnacle of decorating success (or any success- use it in a sentence today! It's surprisingly flexible). So as I mine the depths of interwebs looking for the perfect items for my sweet baby girl's birdie nursery, I'm really hoping for an end result with just the right amount of rooster.*

(* and no actual roosters)