Touring our Home: Havilah's Nursery

I thought maybe I would write a blog post on Havilah's nursery before she was even born. Here she is six months old and I'm just now doing it. 

I feel like this post is a lot more than just a nursery tour. Over the past few months, as you might have noticed, I've barely written at all. Sometime in May it all just hit me. I was doing WAY too much. Besides being a mom of four babies six and under I was Drew's kindergarten class homeroom mom, and involved in church leadership, and going back into what I consider "full time" photography, and trying to be a good wife and friend and "do all the things" that we are supposed to do... have a clean house and cook good meals, and plant my own garden and be responsible with our money and Shaun and I are also in the process of building a house (we have not broken ground yet but there is a LOT that goes into just getting to that point... our land was not sub-divided, had no storm water plans etc) It was all just TOO MUCH. The inside of me was screaming for breathing room. Something had to give. I remember sitting down in the gray tufted chair in the corner of our bedroom and just thinking "who do I want to be? What is most important to me??" It felt like such a big and confusing question, but the answer came so easily. As a lover of Jesus I want to be a good wife and mother. And I want my children to know Jesus. And that is all that I care about. I had to figure out how to clear space to breathe again. So from that place I made every decision about our summer. 

Instead of booking a photo shoot a week, I booked only one a month. Instead of blogging when something was stirring in my heart, I just let it stir and prayed over it and processed it for what it could mean for me without documenting any of it. Instead of saying yes to the opportunities that came my way I said no. It felt like loss. It felt like gain. It felt like setting boundaries. It felt like laying down burdens that were never mine to carry anyway. It felt like a retreat into myself, pulling all resources back to home base where I could regroup and think and just be. We got our kids into places of worship however we could, whether it meant taking them an hour away to a conference or just having worship music on in our house. Our bedtime routine became a peaceful one instead of a battle through incorporating worship into it. I began reading a chapter of Proverbs to them every morning. (That changed and challenged me the most.) We made a list of the things we wanted to do together this summer and hung it up where we could see it, and I wrote down the dates when we would do things and then we protected those dates from the other things that tried to crowd them out. I found behavior charts for character that I want to develope in my children and bad behavior I want to correct and we started implementing that. Instead of feeling five steps behind in this area I now feel confident and like a weight has been lifted.  I considered stepping back from leadership in church but my heart is so in that, and that never felt like something I was supposed to lay down just yet. 

As I re-evaluate at the end of the summer here I know there is still more to step back from, to say no to in order to give a big, loud, confident, committed YES to the things I am most called to. There is still not enough margin in my life, and still too much stress. I'm not quite sure how to unselfishly navigate this season. I desperately need to protect healthy boundaries and keep myself free to be a wife and a mom, and do that well. It is many lessons in grace, and it is a huge need to hear Holy Spirit speak clearly to me as I make decisions. 

But as I re-evaluate, I realize that I can lay down most all the extra things that I've said yes to in my life, but I have a very hard time letting go of writing. It is more than just a "thing that I do..." It is how I process, and it always has been as far back as I can remember. I've missed writing more than anything else that I let go this summer. Because this is all still a work in progress, I don't know how I will channel writing back into my life, whether it will be a schedule, whether I will wait for inspiration to hit and then just try to wing it... I don't have a clue. I just know I can't go months at a time without writing, even if it is just in a notebook for myself. 

So there. My explanation for why I've been absent, which has nothing to do with Havilah's nursery. 

Here is her room now: 

(and I don't know why really, but I just HAD to dust and vacuum and spray the room with lavender before I could take these photos... not that any of that is transferred through looking at the photos... but I just couldn't help myself. So her room is currently super fresh and clean which was an added bonus to this whole process. ) :) 

Here is almost the same photo, taken back when she was still in my belly. (Was there ever really a time I didn't know her yet?!)

My sweet, sweet, thumb sucking daughter, sitting smack dab in the center of the room I fussed and nested and decorated and fluffed for her for all the months leading up to her arrival. If she only knew how much love I poured into her nursery while I waited to pour it out onto her. 

Below is the hutch Shaun (with help from our boys) built for her a few weeks before she was born. He used an old shelf passed down to us from my grandmother as the base. We painted it white and he added the shelves with a bead board back. 

 A few up close shots of the scenes on the shelves:

A tea set from a dear friend, Little House books from my Mama. Hand-made quilts and blankets stacked on the bottom shelf. Some of her newborn photos. My mom's piggy bank from when she was a little girl. 

Her crib! The same one all three of her brothers slept in as babies. Above it is a fabric banner I made for my sister's bridal shower. 

This little antique bedside table was from the same place her dresser came from. I adore it. When the fan that was in the nursery before broke it was the perfect excuse to replace it with something pretty. I think functional items should be the most beautiful, since they are something you have to have anyway. This fan was from wayfair. The pretty print held by the binder clip was from... oh my gosh I am having the worst post-pregnancy brain moment and blanking entirely on the name of the shop I definitely know. PLEASE comment and tell me what it is cause it's going to drive me crazy til I remember. 

 Her dresser also functions as her changing table, and it is so special to me. My mom and I went in the rain to choose it at an antique store right after my ultrasound confirming she was a girl. 

 Side by side of the same view, one from while I was pregnant with Havilah still and thinking I was going to do this blog post soon (roses are still alive) and photo from now, roses dried. January light verses August light. :)

That is her little hospital bracelet in that tiny wooden bowl.

 Again... photo from before to now... maybe I should buy some fresh roses?? 

One of my favorite details in her room is this baby dress on an antique hanger... the dress is one of the first things I bought her. And those little socks... My sister gave them to Isaiah when he was a baby :) 

And because functional things should be pretty... I keep her baby powder in this little glass salt shaker :) 

So there it is, my girl's nursery, finally documented, it makes me so happy. 

I want to remember what this little space looked like, especially after we build and move to our new house. I get all sentimental just thinking about it.


For more "touring our home" posts:
Living Room
Kitchen
Dining Room
Back Porch
Boys' Room
Master Bedroom

Touring our Home: Master Bedroom

I took these photos of our master bedroom months ago, back when I thought I would post our whole house tour over a matter of a few weeks, before the fall was over. Now it's January. But that's ok. I'll keep on going and even if it takes another month or more it's alright with me. :) 

This is what our bedroom did look like. I still love the blues, but the duvet cover and pillow cases were wearing out, holes were appearing, and it was time to refresh. There's one photo of the new pillow shams at the end. The long term plan is to get memory foam contour pillows, a thicker, more high quality down comforter, possibly a new duvet cover (but I also like the white down comforters plain too) and replace our matresses. The matresses, thinner comforter and euro pillow shams will eventually be in the boys' room. One little step at a time. :) 

The chest at the foot of our bed is wonderful extra storage since we just have a small, standard. Bulky items like sweaters, sweatshirts, extra bags and seasonal clothing get stored in there. It used to be the wood box in Shaun's family farms' kitchen years ago. 

My end table. I have this theory about functional beauty. If I have to have an item in my home, and it is something useful and functional, it would be just be an all around win if it could also be beautiful. This phone is a prime example. It was my birthday gift from my sister in law last year. I didn't have a cell phone for over a year, maybe it was two, and so we really depended on our house phones. We still use them a ton, and I just love the beauty of this phone by my bed :) This was also taken back when my little bonsai tree was flourishing. Poor guy has dropped almost every leaf since then, but I am trying to convince him to hold out for spring when he can go out on the back porch and be happy again. And I love these Homegoods metallic frames that hold photos of Shaun and I in them. 

Shaun's end table. I wanted to buy him a nice one for his birthday in 2013, while I was pregnant with Jaden. I walked into goodwill, they had this brand new one from target for sale for $25, with price tags of 89.99 still attached. I bought it right away, and a kind soul helped me get it to my car since I was quite large with child (story of my life) and had two toddlers along. I am so thankful every time I look at it for such a great deal and the kindness of that woman, who carried it to my car in exchange for me holding her coffee while she did it. 

I have two little journals hanging from clipboards next to my bed. They don't get as much use as I thought they would, but they are still convenient and nice to have. One is to jot down goals and have as a visible reminder. The other is to write down outfit ideas. (May sound silly but when you're in a rush to go somewhere and have a brain block on what to wear, it is so helpful!) 

This is my dresser. I keep all t shirts, sweatpants, shorts, leggings, socks, tanks, pajamas, etc in the drawers. And I love my entryway piece (for keys and mail) turned jewelry organizer that we painted and hung next to it. 

I would love to replace that fan. But... priorities. And it isn't one right now. 

Again with the functional beauty... my wooden hair brush is my favorite one ever. And that little amber roller bottle of peppermint oil. Not just cute, but helped me tremendously with the headaches I got during this pregnancy. (Thank you Chrissy!!!) 

This little corner is my favorite. I love this chair. I hunted for it for a few years before I found it and committed. It is so comfy and very cozy to sit and read in at night, or just to have a place to sit to put my shoes on. I hold my boys and read to them here, I imagine I will nurse my girl here on occasion, and I sometimes sit in this space when planning out my week or menu.  Some of my favorite photos of Shaun and I are in those frames, and the shadow box has the slippers, jewelry and flower I wore in my hair on our wedding day inside.

The top of Shaun's dresser is always a mess. I don't have any idea how to organize it, and so I have kind of given up trying. He knows what's there, and I just leave it alone. :) 

Keeping it real... This is our messy space. It always looks like this or worse. Shaun doesn't like his work clothes to mix with his regular clothes. For now, hooks are the solution, and again, he has a system I don't quite understand for rotating what's in the laundry basket and what's on the hooks. And because my side of the closet is too full to also hold my scarves, they are all hanging on the hooks as well. I'd love to come up with a "functionally beautiful" storage situation for his work clothes too, but again with the priorities, and I'm about to have a baby right now. :) 

For Christmas I took down the fabric garland hanging above our bed and this wreath and "&" marquee took it's place. I ended up loving the fabric garland for over our baby girl's crib, so it went in there, and after Christmas the wreath came down, leaving just the ampersand.

 I love the simplicity of this tiny piece of art and the neutral colors and patterns of the new pillow shams and the stripped comforter. So that is where we are at right now. Whenever the boys come in to snuggle in the morning Drew always turns the lights on over the bed and I think it is adorable :) 

I just recently finished the nursery, so depending on when I go into labor, I might get to post photos of that sometime in the near future, and I can't wait to share how it came out!!! 

*For more "touring our home" posts*

living room

kitchen

dining room

back porch

boys' room

Touring Our Home: The Boys' Room (Shared space between THREE kids) :)

My boys are all in one bedroom now as we get the nursery ready for the next baby.... We've gone through this process before... First moving Isaiah in with Drew to get ready for Jaden, now moving Jaden in with his big brothers to get ready for baby girl. Jaden couldn't be happier. :)

I am head over heels in love with the photo below, all three in jammies in snuggled up together :)

 

So this is what their room looks like now. Well, this is what it looks like when we spend a little time picking up and making beds first anyway. Just for the record, I don't make their beds on the daily. They did every morning this summer, before school started. Now we just don't have time before rushing out the door and starting the day.

 

 Here is what that corner where Jaden's bed now sits looked like before:

 I like it better with all the little furniture moved and just the bed there now. We took the white covered end table out of the room, slid the wooden one over next to Drew and Isaiah's bed, and moved the book case next to the door. The little table is kind of a floating island in the corner where the dresser and closet are, and in some ways is in the way, but they love sitting around this table to color and read and play so much there was no way I was moving it out. So a little crowded is ok with me.

 

So Drew and Isaiah still share the double bed on the left. Jaden now sleeps in this single bed on the right. It is actually the bottom frame to a bunk bed with the railings from the top bunk attached to it. We have plans to eventually add the top bunk frame to it and puts two twins next to each other perpendicular to the top bed to create a king size bed on the bottom. Drew will get the top, and Isaiah and Jaden will start sharing. But this is what works for now :)

When I told them I was taking pictures of their bed Drew and Isaiah lined their favorite stuffed animals up in front of their pillows "for the pictures."

 

Drew's:

Isaiah's:

We just pulled out all their Christmas books to stack up on their end table. And underneath are their "treasure box"- the contents of which are always changing, and their sticker books and crayons in a little basket. They keep their fish food and card games in the drawer. 

 

Dresser Number one. We play music all through the night and day in their room, so the ipod dock sits here. And their awesome antique car, that is sometimes decoration, sometimes hauling around their stuffed animals on the floor. And their two fish. Underwater, and Little House. The best fish names ever. 

 

The closet is where the real magic happens. (In my opinion) It's what allows three boys to share a not so big bedroom comfortably. Besides the visible dresser, I have another one tucked into the closet. This means each boy gets three drawers (one for pajamas/socks/underwear, one for summer clothes, one for pants and sweatshirts) plus a third of the closet hanging space for long sleeved shirts/sweaters/vests/coats etc.. 

I have a pretty precise clothing rotation system down by now... Isaiah is really just one year behind Drew in clothes, so I only have one year of clothing in storage ready to be pulled out at a time. I keep the boxes for the year gap between Isaiah and Jaden under the bed. When it's time to change them over, Drew gets new clothes, Drew's clothes get moved to Isaiah's drawers, Isaiah's clothes go to boxes to wait for next year, the boxed clothes move to Jaden's drawers, Jaden's clothes go to the attic. (That last step brings me to tears every time... moving the things they've all three worn into storage for now...)

 

There is a big bin of stuffed animals to the left of the dresser tucked into the corner of the closet. the right corner has a bag with their toy nativity set and pop up tents in it. The clear plastic bins hold shoes waiting for each one to grow into. And there's that wire bin to hold all their sports balls.

These frames will eventually be updated to photos of all three of them. I have quite a few favorites I can't wait to pop in there :) I also have a corkboard to hang, a really cool silver moose head and three hooks for their backpacks to hang on. Not sure when those things will be hung though... might wait til a little later. :)

 

And now.... let's be real.... Here is the minefield you might have to walk through to get to their bedroom more often than not. Their stuffed animals are always going on adventures and taking over whole rooms or hallways of the house. I wouldn't have it any other way. :)

 Sweet Jaden boy asleep in the early morning light. And this is what the bed would likely look like the rest of the day too. :)

 Looking at their VERY special Peter Pan pop-up book from aunt Nan.

 And reading their nativity book on the floor:

It is so fun watching the three of them become so close. I shared a room with my sister as far back as I can remember until the day before my wedding. I wouldn't trade that for the world. Late night talks and falling asleep laughing and not being able to avoid each other if we were fighting... We would clean our room together and rearrange our furniture for fun and look through each others closets... I'd do her hair and we'd dance and we basically had the most fun sleepovers every night. I am so looking forward to them experiencing the same kind of bond of closeness and time together, falling asleep and waking up in the same room just does something for that, I'm convinced.