Who knew painted walls could grow?

Over five years ago, I wrote this post in celebration of Lily's nursery coming to life. In November 2013, I couldn't think beyond the next three months, couldn't imagine what it would be like to have Lily at home with us, couldn't imagine what it would be like to enter, as Brandi Carlile sings, "the end of being alone inside your mind / You're tethered to another and you're worried all the time."

But, darn, if I didn't love her nursery.

Those bubbly sea creatures, the joyful knowledge that they were conceived of and painted by someone who loves us so much, the creativity of a muraled nursery--I looked at them daily and never even asked how they might grow with this tiny person inside my belly.

And then that not-so-tiny person turned five.

For a while, we'd been promising Lily we'd flip her big-girl bed when she was five in order to give her a little loft space underneath, but I think we were hedging our bets a bit that she might forget.

Not our kid. The questions started coming fast and furious about when, precisely, we'd get around to The Change. And so we arrived at an increasingly frustrating weekend morning, researching the Best Under Loft Bed Spaces for Preschoolers of All Time Ever. Because, of course, we weren't going to fall short of The Best.

It definitely had to involve fairy lights. And some sort of elaborate treehouse construction. Likely stairs instead of a ladder. Some secret hidden door. And pink. Lots of pink.

And then we saw that octopus on our wall, and we suddenly thought, "well, of course. Under the sea."

So, maybe it's not The Best Space Ever, but Lily thinks it's pretty darn fantastic. It does involve fairy lights (and a hot glue gun and Jeff dodging blobs of hot glue), and it will eventually have curtains to make it feel a bit more of a hideaway. We quickly learned Lily wanted nothing to do with stairs--ladders are what all the Big Girls are using these days.

And it's got love.

A whole lotta love.

Just like we've got for our Big Girl.