Blank Guestroom to Minimal Beachy Nursery - Plus a 7 Month Life-with-Baby Update

"Nothing about having kids is minimal," a friend told me when we started our foster parent journey. She was right! Kids come with so. much. stuff... That's why it was so important to me to be intentional with my kids' stuff and spaces from the very beginning!

Here is our nursery as it looked the day before the stork brought us a baby (more on that later).

Let's talk details!

My talented mother-in-law made the curtains, quilt, glider cover, and pillows.

My mom made this adorable No Wake Zone sign.

I found the cutest little fern to hang from this old nautical pulley. Peep that tiny little quilted lumbar pillow for the glider!

We put a daybed in the nursery so one of us could sleep in there comfortably on fussy or sick nights while the other gets a good night's sleep. It has come in so handy! We also used the daybed as our changing station.

Black out shades were a must.

The dogs were ready for a baby!

Here is the nursery before: a blank canvas/ sad guest room.

Seven Month Nursery Update

I always see decorated spaces on Pinterest and Instagram and think, "Yeah, but what does it look like when you actually *live* in the room?" Well, here's what our nursery looks like after about 7 months with our son.

What's different? There are two more things hanging on the wall: a framed version of the baby's bedtime routine, and a baby monitor. I originally didn't think I was going to want a monitor because our house is small, but I was wrong; we love it.

The dresser is much more crowded than it was pre-baby. We keep the humidifier out all the time. Full stop. I didn't register for one originally, but I would 100% recommend a good humidifier for new parents. Daycare snot is real! We also keep his Owlet smartsock & bedtime story (obvs Goodnight Moon) out on the dresser. We added a small sound machine that lives behind the lamp on top of our Echo Dot. Lastly, we replaced the stock photo on the dresser with one of our little bean. ::swoon::

The hooks are more full as well. We added a dedicated diaper bag for daycare, plus his hat, sunglasses, and ear protection for easy access.

You might also notice the plant is different... I killed that fern almost immediately, so I replaced it with a lower-maintenance pothos plant.

I also just recently took the time to make a matching bed skirt for the daybed. The throw pillows that used to be in here are now in our play corner in the living room. This changing pad, by the way, is my #1 baby item.

This room is probably the most "finished" space in our home, but spaces are never truly finished. Our nursery has worked well for our family, and we have made tweaks as needed. I still have couple things on the wish-list, like a decorative laundry hamper and a monogrammed pillow. Be inspired to do what works for you in your kids' rooms! You don't *have* to have or do anything, no matter what the registry companies suggest or the furniture package includes. Go do something different! Cheers, Handy Caitie