Where to Put the Kids?

The baby is coming, and this Mama is in full nesting mode! I’m pretty sure I’m driving my husband crazy with all the switching around, re-arranging, re-assembling, and new furniture I’ve been soliciting his help for. How many different sleeping/playing arrangements can you make in 2 rooms for 3 kids? Behold…

Boys Room and Girls Room

At first I decided this room would be my daughter’s room because she had the bulk of stuff, and our little boy and the baby could be together so that their sister wouldn’t be disturbed when she had to wake up for school in the morning. Nap times could be separate and work out.

The transition seemed right! We wouldn’t have to buy anything new or expensive, perhaps just a toddler bed or twin mattress when our little boy was old enough. In the mean time, he could continue sleeping in his crib and we could have the baby with us in a little bassinet.

Shared Boy and Girl Room

Then we bought a bunk bed and figured that while the kids were young enough they would really enjoy sleeping in the coolest bed and share a room together. They were beyond psyched! We moved the dresser to their new shared room and consolidated the rest of their belongings.

Turns out that little brother had a hard time going down for naps in a strange new bed and ended up spending most nights in all 3 rooms—his new room, his old crib, and Mom/Dad’s bed. He got up and cried after falling out of his big-boy bed, and stumbled in the dark hallway to our bed, and when he finally fell asleep we would put him in his crib where he was safe and familiar and allowed us peace. We separated the bunk bed into 2 twin beds to ease the transition.

And the Winner Is… A Nursery!

When the hospital told us to get ready to “room in overnight” and our baby was being discharged, I kind of freaked out… Where we would put the baby?? I still had no bassinet, our son was still not sleeping in just one place (the crib was technically still considered his bed), and we realized that we’d need a room just for the nursery rather than a combined nursery/playroom.
Our baby would need to be protected through cold/flu/RSV season, and the likelihood of him catching something that would send him to the hospital would be 3-fold if he was sharing a room with anyone or having to come in contact with any germ-laiden toys or germ=carrying siblings. If anyone was sick or we had visitors, we’d need a place where he would be isolated and where strict hand-washing was observed—an extension of his hospital stay. 

The day before the baby was discharged, my husband painstakingly re-assembled the bunk bed all by himself. He moved the kids’ cubby shelf along with all their toys, books, and stuff into their room. He put up the painting I had purchased that same day. He adjusted the crib to infant-height, and I got it ready with linens and diapers and put the mobile up. We were finally ready for our baby to come home!

Update: Click here to read more about Walker’s Nursery!