Better Than Wallpaper

This is my favorite room in our house. It was home to all my baby girls and has served as Elli's and Bryna's room. It is right next door to my room. With each new baby we brought home, a toddler was moved upstairs, and a baby in here....except Cal who spent his newborn life in a makeshift room in what is now our dining room. It's a big room with lots of natural light and a fireplace. The wallpaper is my most favorite thing ever. I remember my daddy and NPayne covering every square inch of those big walls with it, almost 19 years ago. I've rocked all my babies in here, had tea parties in here, read books in here and sang lullabies in here. I've rubbed backs in here, fallen asleep in here and changed diapers in here. I have told my girls that this wallpaper will stay in this room forever...which is why they have stayed upstairs...that and the fact that this room has no closet. They are older and have their own tastes and expressions. I understand that. Elliot has recently started asking if we could re-do her/this room and take out all the "baby" stuff. I begrudgingly agreed but said THE WALLPAPER STAYS! After the foundation work was done, the walls in this room took the biggest hit. Much of the wallpaper is now ripped and ruined. NPayne said the Sheetrock needs to be replaced, and he offered to rehang the wallpaper (if I could find more). I saved the extra from all those years ago, but it's not enough to cover all of the walls. One day as I was sitting in here thinking back to all those middle of the night songs and feedings and rocking, I realized that it is time to embrace my babies growing up, really embrace it. I've been taking baby steps in that direction, because I've been forced to (my oldest is almost 19). So I told Elliot we could paint the new walls whatever color she wanted. She was so excited about expressing her own style, and I am excited for her. I love re-doing stuff, and I have lots of treasures we will use in here. After some thought, she decided she wanted white walls with lots of colorful things hanging on them, so today I took all the "baby" stuff out. It won't be the nursery anymore, but when I come in here; I will think about my people becoming wonderfully, creative and caring "big" people and that is better than wallpaper.