Merry Christmas...

Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!

3 months...

Wow!  My baby is three months old!  and about to celebrate his first Christmas!

So... here is what he has been up to:

- Grabbing his toys

- Don't think he's discovered his hands, but he sure likes to suck on them!

- Laughing!  It's the most wonderful sound!

- Kicks and scoots around
- Loves looking at books that we read to him, he really concentrates on all the pictures

- Follows us all around (with his eyes)!

- Is very alert during the day!

- Still hates tummy time, but can hold his head up like a champ on my stomach

- Is getting really good at holding his head up in general.  He gets a little "bobble head" at times, but is improving =)

- Sleeps up to 7 hours straight at night (although sometimes he wakes up every 3 hours)

- "Talks" all the time!

He is such a blessing to us!  We really have a good baby!  I'm not just saying that because I'm his mom either!  We are just so thankful to have Colin and are so excited to help him celebrate his first Christmas!

Christmas decorating...

We decorated for Christmas a coulpe weeks ago.  We didn't go all out since we aren't spending Christmas here... but we wanted to at least have a tree up for Colin's first Christmas (even though he won't remember it!)  I was very happy that Colin's stocking got here in time!

We got a small tree this year.  It's fun to see the decorations we have gotten over the years!
I like this picture because you can see Colin in the background =)

My [not so] expert opinion...

I know a lot of people blog about what they like/dislike once they have a baby.  When I was pregnant I really liked to know what others liked... so I figured I'd do a post about what has worked or hasn't for us so far.

Colin is almost 3 months old and so far here are a few things that I have liked:

- OXO Guardian Night-Light

This has been used since day 1.  I love it!  The blue light stays on while it's charging, and when you take off the white light it gives off a soft light that is just enough to do night time changing.  It's the only light I need... and it allows me to see without turning on the big lamp.

- Prefold Cloth Diapers - for burp cloths
I didn't get a picture of these, because really any prefold cloth diaper cloth works.  I am AMAZED at the amount of burp cloths we go through!  And these really hold up!
- Boppy

I know everyone puts these on their registry, and I know some people don't like using them, but for me - love it!  In the early days it really helped with breastfeeding, and now that he is getting older it is being used to help him sit up.  (It is also a good prop for photoshoots =) just put it under a blanket)
- Tiny Love Gymini Play Mat

I have also used this since day one.  As you all know, we have an indoor dog - Suzi.  She is my first baby and is so loved, but boy does she shed!  So this is the perfect place for Colin to lay and not worry about getting hair on him.  (Suzi knows she isn't allowed on it)  Now that Colin is a little older, he has really enjoyed looking at the toys and pulling on them.
- First Years Sure Comfort Tub

For one of my baby showers I got three (yep 3!) bathtubs!  This one has a sling type thing that goes in it for newborns.  It is great!  It holds him up and he seems very comfortable.  I have used a different type (without the sling) and he hated it!  I think the sling makes him feel secure in the water.
- Lil' Lamb Dream Swing and Infant Seat

(I only posted a picture of the swing, but there is also a smaller seat that I use too)
These have been WONDERFUL!  Colin loves both of them!  The swing we use every.single.day.  He normally falls asleep in it, but he also enjoys just looking around.  It's hard when they don't have head control but yet want to look around, this is perfect!
The smaller seat is what I use mainly when I am taking a shower.  He is so content in it.  Doesn't fall asleep but just enjoys sitting in it - oh and it vibrates.
- Nursing Tank Top from Target
I didn't get a picture of these either, but I wear these ALL the time when I'm around the house!  They are simple and they look just like tank tops - but with easy access for breastfeeding.



There is a couple things that haven't worked for us... I don't really have that many yet...
- SwaddleMe

These are good in theory... Colin was swaddled in the hospital and that is how he fell asleep.  Well, it takes a few a lot of practices to be able to swaddle correctly.  So I got these to help.  They worked at first, but once we got Colin home he would bust his arms out of the swaddle.  So, we just ended up swaddling him without his arms in it... these blankets just didn't work for us.  For those that are pregnant, take advantage of the hospital blankets!  They work perfectly!
- ItzBeen Baby Care Timer

I was so excited about getting this...
but I haven't used it.  Not once.  My mom has a friend that wrote a breastfeeding book and I used this for the first 2 months of Colin's life.  It helped me keep up with how often Colin was eating, which side to start with next, how much I pumped, and there was a place for notes.  So I used this instead of the Itzbeen.

I also got way too many bottles.  You never know if your milk supply will come in, or come in enough, so I was just praying that I wouldn't need to use all the bottles (in case I needed to supplement formula).
I also have tons of washcloths.

That's about it for now.  I'm sure I'll have more to add once Colin is older! 

Football teams...

Growing up, Garet was raised a Redskin fan.  He is from Washington D.C.  If you follow the NFL you would know that the Redskins and the Cowboys are huge rivals!  Well... my brother is a Cowboy fan.  So anytime they play each other, Garet and Eric will exchange texts and phone calls picking on the other.  When we traveled through Charlotte at Thanksgiving, Kailey (Eric's wife) gave Colin a few gifts.  Among those was a Cowboys onesie!

You can see how Garet felt about it =)  But we had to keep it!  It was personalized!

Along the same lines... here in Alabama, people watch college football more than pro football, and Alabama/Auburn are HUGE rivals!  Seriously when you first meet someone, that is in the top questions they ask you... "Are you an Alabama, or Auburn fan??"

So once again, Kailey got Colin a cute onsie:

Hope I don't make any of our Auburn friends mad!  I promise we still claim "neutral"!!  =)

Playing hard...

Colin loves hanging out on his activity mat.  He has gotten to where he will really focus on his toys that are hanging - and even grab them (even though I don't know if he is aware that he is grabbing them!)  He is quite content on the mat, so I use that time to get a few things done.  The other day I went to switch some landry over and came back to this...

He was sound asleep!  One minute he was "talking" and hitting at his toy, and the next: sound asleep!  I love how he sleeps with his arms up!  So cute!

Update on the cloth...

I have been using the cloth since we got back from our Thanksgiving trip, and it is going really well!  I think that when you use cloth diapers, it is a trial and error way of learning!  You have to figure out what works best for you and what doesn't.  Colin seems to like them just fine =)

I use the Flip System and so far so good... Garet is even 100% on board!  I like that I don't have to change the entire diaper when it's just wet.  So far I haven't needed any more covers than I have (I have 7) and I haven't gone through all the inserts either (I think I have about 30).  I do a wash every other day.  It is a small load because I was these separate from all our other laundry.

I have noticed that when he is wet, Colin let's me know!  With the disposable, he doesn't cry every time he needs a change... but with the cloth he normally does. 

I bought a diaper sprayer that attaches to our toilet, and I am very thankful for that =)

So, everything is going good with them so far!  You can see they fit him better than last time I put one on him!

Santa...

Colin got to meet Santa today!

He was so good! 

We also finally got our Christmas cards ordered.  I tried to be creative with my pictures...

but in the end, I just went with a normal family shot. =)

Birthday...

Happy Birthday to my brother!!!!

(This is the last time I saw him.... in May...)

Eric has been at bootcamp, combat training, and now is in California taking classes for the Marines.  I am sooo proud of him!  But I am really ready to see him again!  And Colin is really ready to meet his uncle!

We had a photoshoot and made a collage for Eric.  Colin is proud of him too!

Eric, I miss you!!!  Can't wait to see you for Christmas!!  I love you!

Movin' on up...

My little man is getting big!  So big, in fact, that I had to move him from his cradle in our room to his crib in his room. 

Garet's dad made Colin a beautiful cradle!  It was wonderful, and perfect to have in our room.  It really made night feedings much easier!  I could just grab him from beside me rather than walking all the way to his room.  So... I hadn't really thought about when I would move him into his room... but I didn't think it would be this soon.  And I really didn't think it would be hard for me! 

Somehow since we have gotten back from our Thanksgiving trip - Colin has outgrown his cradle.  Here he is at 2 weeks old...

and here he is now

obviously too big for it!

So... I sucked it up, got his monitor all set up, and on Thursday night Colin slept in his room for the first time. 

And I survived =)

Baby, it's cold outside...

Yesterday we bundled up and went on a long walk around the neighborhood.

It was probably the coldest/windest day so far.  Our sweet boy got his warmest onesie and hat on (and a blanket on top) and we hit the road =)