The Nursery

Setting up your babies room is fun and exciting! You get to paint and pick our new furniture (or get hand me down stuff if you're like us) put up cute decorations. But don't let it stress you out. It is not a contest to see who can have the cutest nursery. The kid is not going to appreciate all that hard work you did until... well maybe never. But don't wait until the baby is born to get the room ready. I know some people do this because it is a tradition in their family or their religion. But you can never be too prepared for this baby. SO get it done before the baby is born!

That being said, make sure you get the low fume paint, or get your husband to do all the painting. My husband chose to do all the painting, which was wonderful, but it was on his schedule...which was not as fast as mine, but he got it done and it came out beautiful. I think it is good for the husband to do it, it gets them in the mind set that they are going to have a kid and this will be their room. Maybe that's why they procrastinate.

Things you NEED in your nursery:
A changing table with a changing pad, place for diapers & wipes, a crib, a dresser, a rocking chair/glider/yoga ball, diaper genie and a white noise machine. Most of these things are pretty standard. We use a yoga ball to bounce our daughter to sleep instead of the rocking chair/glider - she just likes the ball and not the rocking chair. We also use a white noise machine, more to drown out the other noises in the house.

Things you may WANT in your nursery:
A video monitor - you don't need this but it is nice to have.
A night light - more for you to see when you go in to check on the baby or to put the pacifier back in.
A rug - to keep the room from being too loud and echoy.
A mobile - for over the crib - something to look at while they lay there screaming!
A bookshelf filled with books - this can be in another room, but books are key to the child's literacy later in life.
Decorations - not necessary but can tie the room together.