Navy Blue Bear-Themed Baby Boy Nursery Tour in Irwin, PA

So, I should preface all of this by saying, I am in no way, shape, or form an interior designer. I wish I was – oh I so wish I was. But, alas, I can admit that I simply do not have the eye for it. I cannot visualize things like they do on HGTV (which is probably why I love HGTV so much). So, that makes “designing a nursery” super challenging for someone like me. I desperately wanted a beautiful, cohesive space, but putting that space together has been a challenge. I’ve done the very best I can though (along with the help of a few people along the way – shout out to my sisters) & I am so excited about the results!!

Putting together a nursery space for this little boy has been such a unique experience with this pregnancy. Just in case you aren’t familiar with our story – this is our second child, but when we were expecting Braelynn, we were temporarily living with my parents. We had just moved across the state to be closer to my family & even though we desperately wanted to be in our own space by the time our first baby was born, it simply was not meant to be (in fact, we went & looked at a handful of houses just hours before my water broke & I went into labor). That being said, there was no “nursery prep” for Braelynn. She simply slept in a corner of our bedroom.

Of course, eventually, we did find our house (it was totally worth waiting for too) and when Braelynn was about 8 months old, I was able to design her “nursery”. Needless to say, one of the things I was really really looking forward to with this pregnancy was putting together a nursery space – before the baby was born – in anticipation of his arrival.

The room that is now baby boy’s room was previously Derrick’s office & our guest room. I so wish I had a photo of what the room looked like before. Unfortunately, an overly excited person (not to be named) started moving the room around before I realized what was happening & had a chance to snag a photo. Derrick’s office has now been temporarily moved to our dining room & we no longer have a dedicated “guest room”. Before you start feeling really bad for Daddy Bear though, we are in the process (literally, right in the middle) of renovating our 3rd floor so that it can become his “man cave”/office space/whatever-else-we-need-it-for room. He is literally trading a 10×12 room (that he shared with a double bed) for a gigantic 19×14 space. He’s going to be just fine in the long run – no worries (I mean, he has to have somewhere to compose his music & record his YouTube videos!)

But, back to the nursery: I didn’t originally know what I wanted the “design” or “theme” to be. But then, my Mom & I went down to Pittsburgh to do some early Christmas shopping, and we found this sign at Hobby Lobby. Instantly, I knew exactly what I wanted:

So, the “theme” of the nursery is two-fold: it’s mountains & woods & “exploration” themed (stemming from my favorite place in the world: Deep Creek Lake, Maryland – where my family’s Lake House is). And it’s also bear themed (which stems from Derrick’s nickname in college which was: Smokey The Bear). My sister Ruby & I painted an accent wall navy blue (the same navy blue that’s in our living room) and playing off the buffalo plaid on the “Don’t Wake The Bear” sign, I added in little pops of red. Listen to me, sounding all “professional”, like I know what I’m doing (trust me, I’m totally clueless).

A lot of the items that are in the room have sentimental value – the crib was mine (followed by all of my siblings using it and finally Braelynn using it). The dresser is Derrick’s old dresser. It’s quite beat up, having followed him all over the place – but I love the character it has (and hey, it’s going in a boy’s room, it’ll probably get even more beat up as the years pass – and that’s okay!) The rocking chair was given to us & we used it when Braelynn was a baby. The blanket is a handmade gift from my Aunt. And, the black teddy bear (that I thought matched the room so well) has already been stolen back by a certain big sister who decided she wasn’t quite ready to part with it yet.

But, no more words! Here are some photos & a little “tour” of baby boy’s nursery!
And just in case you were wondering, we intentionally left space on the walls because “apparently” there are some more fun items to hang coming our way for Christmas. I also need to move a lamp into the room – so it continues to be a work-in-progress!

So, here we are!
The nursery is complete!
My bag for the hospital is packed!
We are fairly certain what the little guy’s name will be (we’re about 97% there).
And I am just 3 days away from being at 37 weeks & full-term.
Little man: feel free to come anytime after Thanksgiving dinner – we already love you so much & we cannot wait to meet you!

And last but not least: this space would not be complete without the help of our family! From my Dad & brother installing a new clean drop ceiling, helping move big furniture, & helping us with tackling the 3rd floor. To my sister Ruby for helping me paint. And to my sisters Amy & Emma for coming over & helping me rearrange furniture & find a layout that worked, plus helping me hang things on the wall. I simply have the best family & I am so thankful for all of their help in putting this space together!!