My favorite (mommy) things...

Right now I am in Houston and don't have any of the pictures that I've taken recently, so I figured I'd post some of my favorite Mom accessories that I've discovered. I know there are a number of expectant moms who read this blog, so maybe this will be of some help to you! And if anyone has a favorite item of their own that you wish to add, feel free to comment!

1) I love my baby ring sling! Colt loves to fall asleep in his baby sling and it lets me move around hands free. He can lay down in it, sit looking out at the world, or snuggle with me against my chest. He can also nurse while laying in the sling! I recommend the padded sling, which is softer on your shoulder. Slings are important for infant development too! They keep the baby in close proximity to the mom or dad which allows the parent to respond quickly to the baby's needs, it allows the baby to see the world from your perspective which helps him socialize with others, and it mimics the womb with it's warmth and confined space which leads to a happy baby! The sling is definitely a must have. Check out http://www.slinglings.com/ for more info. We also have a Baby Bjorn and an Ultimate Baby Wrap which I like for long excursions (because they balance the weight between both shoulders), but the sling is great for around the house or a quick trip to the store (plus, you can pick the fabric to accessorize if you want!).

2) Can't live without the swaddle blanket! We have the swaddle blankets that you can buy at BabiesRUs from Kiddopotomous (about $10). But my neighbor has one from http://www.miracleblanket.com/ ($30) that I would've bought if I didn't already have 3 from BRU. Swaddling mimics the confined space in the womb and is great for calming a fussy baby. (You can read Happiest Baby on the Block for further benefits of swaddling.) I've also found that Colt sleeps MUCH longer at night when he is swaddled than if he is not. His arms will flail around when he's not swaddled and that ends up waking him up. When I try to swaddle him in a receiving blanket, he just wiggles out of it... thus, the necessity of a swaddle blanket!

3) If you are planning to breastfeed, you will definitely need a nursing cover (unless you aren't afraid to bear it all)! I originally bought some nursing shirts from http://www.motherwear.com/, but now I don't even use them because I just use my nursing cover to cover us up! The nursing covers from http://www.bebeaulait.com/ have a bit of wire or something that bends the top so you can look down at your little bundle of joy while they are eating, and it gives good air circulation! Plus, you can choose the material to make the cover shabby chic! I've used my nursing cover to feed Colt at home when we have company, at baseball games, in restaurants, at the mall, etc - it gives an ease to breastfeeding on the go!

There are a number of gadgets available for moms and newborns, but these 3 are ones that I use EVERY SINGLE DAY! Thank God for such wonderful inventions :)

On another note, the reason I am in Houston is because Ty's dad is having some issues with his health right now. It was discovered that he has blood clots in his lungs, so Colt and I came to help out (me, not Colt) and give him moral support (more so Colt than I). Steve (aka Bang Bang) is a very wise man and already enjoys sharing his "pearls of wisdom" with Colt, and we want him around for many, many more years. Please pray for Steve and his health!

Colt meets Uncle Cody & Aunt Chez

Colt enjoyed meeting his Aunt Chez and Uncle Cody and was on his best behavior. Uncle Cody was on his best behavior too. He even ventured to change a diaper and babysat Colt all by himself while Chez and I went to get pedicures! (Sorry, Chez - I can't figure out how to type the ^ above your name!) Despite the fact that Cody spent a week of his summer touring baseball parks around the country, he still wanted to visit Tropicana Field, home to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. So we packed up little Colt and took him to his 2nd Rays game. Unfortunately the Rays lost again, but we all had a good time nonetheless. The stadium has a sting ray petting tank that we visited and Colt may have had his first tv appearance as the cameraman for Fox Sports was videotaping him at one point! I touched a sting ray but wouldn't let Colt because I didn't want one to go Steve Irwin on him.

I'm also attaching pics from a recent game night with our young couples class at church. The kids were all mesmerized by the baby and wanted to hold him. They did a great job! The person I was worried about holding Colt was this guy named Jesse Petersen :) Just kidding, Jesse! He's the one holding Colt in the 2nd pic. He really loves holding Colt and does a great job. You can check out his blog at http://www.perfectlypetersen.com/, if you dare.

Many firsts this week!

Colt is now 6 weeks old! He is sleeping for longer stretches at one time (sometimes he'll have a 5 hour stretch!) which means we all get more sleep. His neck is getting stronger and he's able to hold his head up for a little while. Among these milestones, Colt has also had a number of other "firsts" this week.

First smile!

It makes my heart melt when he looks right at me to show off his pearly, uh, gums?

Daddy gave Colt his first bottle. Yum!

Colt went on his first playdate. His little friend is Brady Roell. Colt is 5 days older than Brady! Actually, his mom and I went to lunch and then hit the mall, but it was a good outing for us all.

Mamaw Patty was here this week, since Ty went out of town for 6 days!! She was such a help, especially those few nights when Colt was very fussy. She took some fabulous pictures while she was here! A few of my favorites are below.

First MLB game!

Colt's first Devil Ray's game!
I love the tush on this outfit!
Alethea and Abbey are scared of the gators... aah!

Alethea, Abbey, and Ashley with Colt (my sister and step-sisters... aka the girls)

My brother, Andrew, always told me I was adopted because my name started with a C and now that my dad got remarried, I'm still the only kid whose name doesn't start with A!

Grandad and Grandma
Aunt Alethea and Colt... he's a squirmy little booger!

Colt has baby acne... a preview of what he'll look like in his teen years??

This week Colt went to his first major league baseball game. While the Devil Rays lost to the Tigers (3-1), we had fantastic seats for free right behind home plate (thanks to our friend Nick) and had a great time! Ty even caught a Raymond doll (the Devil Rays mascot) that was being thrown out for Colt. It was amazing to me that despite the loud noise, Colt slept through pretty much the whole game, just waking up to eat. Eating, by the way, was quite a challenge in such little seats! My mom made me this nursing cover that I used, but I definitely think it would be great for the stadium to have a room for nursing mothers!! We saw several infants there, so I know the room would be used. And they have a nursing room for the player's wives, just not for us ordinary folk. :(

My family left yesterday for Abilene. We had a great time while they were here. They came for a few days, then went to Disney World, then came back. They went to the beach, aquarium, and we went putt-putting. And there was lots of baby holding involved in their itinerary. It was fun spending time with them and I'm sad they had to go home! After having both of my parents here, I am reminded how my interactions with Colt are influenced by them in my life. I hear my mom and dad in many of the things I say to Colt or voice inflections or phrases, etc :) Kinda crazy!!

Colt had his one month check up. He weighed 10 lbs 5 oz and has grown to 22 inches!