Must Haves For Baby: Building a Nursery

Even though she doesn't sleep in her crib yet, Sweet Pea enjoys playing in it!

The past couple of days I've written about some of the things that can make life easier with a new baby, today I've made a list of things that I find handy to have in the nursery.

Building a Nursery
If you have the space, a room dedicated as a nursery sure is nice to have even if, like me, your baby still sleeps in your room.

• Changing table - So many people told me this was unnecessary but I love it! Don't waste your money on an expensive one since it's not permanent furniture... I store everything related to my baby's bum here in cheap collapsible cubes.
• Crib, mattress, 3 sheets, 2 mattress pads - Buy a new crib and mattress; if you look around online and in stores you can find some really good deals on very nice stuff. I bought Sweet Pea's sheets from Carousel Designs - they are located in Georgia, make all of their bedding in the US, and have wonderful customer service.
• Dresser - You'll need a place to store all of the clothes, blankets, socks, hats, etc. for baby. This is a great item to buy used or you can re-purpose one you already have kicking around.
• Bookcase or other storage- My husband used these free plans from Ana White to build an 8-cube bookcase.
• Mobile - If baby isn't in her crib yet you can attach this to the changing table to make diaper changes quick and easy! You can also make your own - I made one for decoration purposes and will post about it another time.
• Trash can - I don't see any need to spend $25+ on a Diaper Genie when you can get a trash can for under $5.
• Hair brush, thermometer, infant acetaminophen, infant gas reliever, gripe water, first aid kit, bulb syringe, etc. - If you have the basics before bringing baby home you can always add to your stash later.
• Lots of baby hangers - I hang up all of Sweet Pea's 2-piece outfits and nicer clothes so that the dresser isn't stuffed to the brim.
• You can go nuts decorating your baby's nursery. There are tons of great ideas on the web, especially on Pinterest. While I was pregnant I created this "baby board" as a way of collecting ideas I liked. Five months after bringing Sweet Pea home however, her room still isn't finished - and it's totally not a big deal! Once she starts sleeping in there we'll get it done...
• A website that I LOVED looking through for ideas was Project Nursery. I even won a vacation from them through one of their contests!

Tomorrow: Baby Must Eat...