Meant to Be?

Shortly after the doctor first told us that she was 70% sure that we were having a baby girl, I had an inspiration for the nursery.  Before I go any further, I should first mention that I'm a "blue girl"--half of my wardrobe is blue, I had blue hydrangeas for our wedding, my car is blue, our bathroom towels are blue, I painted the accent walls in our house blue...I just typically gravitate towards blue.  I'm thrilled that our baby girl is healthy...but I just don't feel like I can claim that I am "Team Pink".  When our doctor told us she was 70% sure, her words were actually, "I'm 70% sure you're having a girl...but don't rush out and paint the nursery pink quite yet", and my immediate thought was "oh don't worry--I don't plan on painting the nursery pink even when you're 100% sure!".

So my inspiration:  Butterflies.

I figure that I can use all kinds of beautiful colors--including some blue, and yes, some pink as well.  This way, I figured that I could get away from the stereotypical girlie pinks and purples, and yet still create a nursery theme that is sweetly feminine.  So I started with simply googling "butterfly nursery theme"...and got goosebumps at one of the first results to pop up.  For starters, the color theme of the bedding setting was predominantly made up of a soft yellow, a light blue, and a rusty red.  I loved the color scheme, and I loved the design--not super girlie, and yet clearly feminine.  But more importantly--the name of the set stood out to me.  It was the name of my dog!  She was an amazing Boxer and a faithful companion for sixteen years until my parents had to put her down just over a year ago.  That sealed the deal for me--it just felt like it was meant to be. 

A week or so later, I attended a bridal shower for one of my former colleagues, and won a prize for one of the games.  When I pulled out a butterfly-inspired candle, I once again felt like my butterfly concept was meant to be (though I promise to never light the candle in the nursery and remove it for safe keeping when our baby girl gets old enough to be curious about fire).

I think I pretty much have my heart set on this design.  I've had the idea of painting large butterflies on the walls of the nursery to add some color to the room.  I really do want to make it a beautiful space for our baby girl, and I pray that she will love it--whether she turns out to be a "pink girl" or a "blue girl" like her mom.

Today's blessing was an amazing seven-page list of suggested baby items from a former colleague and friend who I really admire.  Her daughter will be three on Halloween, and she is now pregnant with her second, and I think that she is an amazing mom.  When I asked her for some recommendations on baby products, I was imagining that he she would share a list of four or five of her favorite things.  Instead, she sent seven pages of links and descriptions and feedback and suggestions!  I admit that it's a tad-bit overwhelming to start thinking of all of the products that are out there for babies right now, but it's such a blessing to have someone who has gone through it (and will be going through it again) and can share some honest feedback.