baby. boy. gray.

The 10 week mark is officially here. I would like to say that I am in the home stretch, but I realize that the last month is really like hitting the "wall" in a marathon.  So, I will coast along for a few weeks while I can still bear it.  Then I may start to get antsy. 

While we were away, our contractor (I say "our" because he did our kitchen and it pretty much feels like he's lived in our home on and off for the past 6 months) painted the nursery for us.  We were originally excited about tackling this project ourselves, but the toxicity associated with painting paneled walls is not the most baby-friendly.  I felt pretty safe about leaving it to Bob while we were gone and the house could air out for a few days.  Julia always says, "Bob fix it", she knows that we have our limitations when it comes to DIY home improvement.  If it doesn't involve a paintbrush or sewing machine, I am somewhat out of my element.  Nevermind, I am always out of my element.  If it's a project that takes precision and I can't wing it, I err on the side of seeking assistance.  Otherwise my husband will probably end up rolling his eyes.

The fun part of this was deciding how we were going to tackle this project.  Take one look at the before pictures and you can see my dilemma.  Paneled walls are a force to be reckoned with.  My friend Kate just took on her own paneled wall painting project in Delaware.  I find that the farther North one travels, the greater the likelyhood that they will encounter these bad boys.  I just don't get it.  

 Dark photos, I know. I realized the night before our 6am flight that I had no "before" pictures of this room.  I couldn't miss the chance to document the end of the panel era. 

Kate solidified my inspiration to embrace them and paint them rather than to get rid of them all together.  Our budget further supported this option.  I did want one solid wall in order to have some element of contrast in the room.  The blog The Lettered Cottage also provided some great inspiration along with a trip that we took to Chatham in Cape Cod just a few weekends ago.

 The built in drawers were removed because they were no longer very functional after 50 years, so we added a custom shelf, which I am in love with.  It adds so much to the room.  Inside the closet, the son of the original owners (who is now in his 50's) carved his name "Skip" in the wood.  We opted not to sand that part out.  It adds to the character.  Also, the horseshoe has been there since the house was built in the 50's.  I love it.  Our future cowboy may too. 

Our solid wall - as soon as you enter the room.  The color is difficult to capture with the camera.  It's a soft blue called Heaven on Earth.  I am a sucker for paint color names.  I find it quite fitting!

I am so excited to start moving things into the room.  As you can see, the paint is barely dry and I have already snuck some diapers in there.  Most of the nursery furniture will come from Julia's room as she will transition to a big girl bed when she is ready.  Since we were inspired by the Cape Cod grey/white contrast , we bought a little souvenier from Chatham when we were there a few weeks ago.  This is where we were engaged, so we were excited to add a handmade element to the room from a place that will be very much a part of this child's life. 

So here we are.  A space for the baby.  He can arrive whenever he is good and ready and well baked.