A Little Fun on Father's Day

A full blog post will be coming soon, but I had to get this picture up because its just too funny!

Grandpa Tom and Cole having fun with a napkin

Designer Discounts

For mommies, make sure to check out Totsy. Its a great site that offers sales on fabulous kiddie gear.  Use my invitation link: http://totsy.com/join/claudiaromney

It's True...He's That Cute!

More on the Baby Products

Over the past 2 months I have come to realize I don't need every baby gadget or product.  Here are some things I haven't really used and could probably live without and one thing that's a must add to any diaper bag:

The Bottle Warmer 

Now don't get me wrong, this is a great product.  I just don't have any use for it.  I buy powdered formula and prepare it for every feeding, not in advance.  I use room temperature water so there's no need to warm it.  If you're the type who buys the pre-mixed formula or you make your powdered formula in advance and store it in the fridge (or for that matter have to warm up stored breast milk), then you probably have more use for the warmer.

The Dishwasher Basket and Bottle Sterilizer

I have a few of the baskets and haven't used them.  I'm going to save them in case I use them more as Cole gets older - for his little sippy cups and utensils - but so far its easier for me to wash bottles in the sink.  Brett and I don't use a lot of dishes and it takes us a while before we fill the dishwasher.  I hate the idea of running the dishwasher unless its full so I just fill up the sink.  That, of course, means I don't use a sterilizer.  I don't have one, so maybe its a luxury I'm missing out on.  I'm also not such a paranoid mommy that I feel like I can't get bottles perfectly clean without good old fashioned soap and scrubbing.

Now here's a tip on something I LOVE:

Changing Pads

These little pads are inexpensive and quite handy.  I put one on my changing table and in Cole's crib.  It helps cut down on laundry.  In the early days, and especially after Cole's man bit surgery, he had the occassional leaky diaper.  It was so easy to swap out a changing pad than have to put on a new crib sheet or changing pad cover, particularly in the wee hours of the morning.  Using these changing pads got me thinking...and I came up with a must have addition to my diaper bag: puppy pads.  That's right, you read that correctly.  Puppy pads.  I had some left over from when Koda was a puppy.  Seeing how well the changing pads worked at home I decided puppy pads were the disposable version while I was out and about.  This way, any mess happens on the puppy pad and I can just throw it away after changing Cole.  I don't have to worry about the changing pad in my diaper bag getting dirty and having to tote it around all day til I can get home to clean it.

If you feel differently about any of these products, or have any tips or ideas of your own, feel free to let me know!

New Additions to the Blog

Since this is our first baby, I can't claim to be an expert in parenting.  However, I have come to learn about what baby products I like and which ones I've discovered I can live without.  So I've decided that whenever I have one of these little epiphanies, I will post to the blog.  Hopefully this will be helpful to the mommies-to-be and those of you that already have little munchkins can comment and share words of wisdom.

Up first: The Miracle Bottle

I recently decided that I needed to increase my bottle supply.  After reading tons of reviews online, I decided to try the Born Free bottles.  They are fantastic!  The venting system really helped reduced gas and I could tell Cole was much more comfortable.  I bought the 9oz size, which I would recommend for those even with newborns and here's why: you're going to need the larger bottles eventually anyway, so you might as well buy one set instead of buying small bottles first and then buying the larger size later.  They sell different size nipples and are great for babies who are combo breast and bottle fed or for those who are switching from breast to bottle.  What's really great about these bottles, aside from the fact that they're BPA free, is that they can be converted to sippy cups later by adding handles and sippy tops.  This is fabulous considering how costly baby supplies are - you're dollar will go a long way because you'll get a lot of use out of these bottles.    For the pumpers out there, they sell an adapter that allows you to pump directly into these bottles! For more on Born Free, go to www.newbornfree.com

Great Product 2: The Pack 'n Play

A playard might seem like an obvious choice on any registry...and it should be.  I LOVE my Graco Pack 'n Play and can't imagine life without it.  We have a two story house.  Having this playard allows me to have a setup downstairs so that I don't have to go toting Cole up and down the stairs.  It has a bassinet for him to sleep in while he's little and, once he's bigger, he can play and sleep in the larger play pen.  It also has a changing station that holds just enough supplies.  The greatest part is the portability.  Cole is constantly going to the grandparents houses for visits.  For his extended stays, we just pack this up (in just a few seconds because its sooo easy to do) and head out the door.  From the day he was brought home Cole has always slept in his room in his crib.  However, I know a lot of new parents want baby in their room.  I think this is a great buy and could be used in this way instead of buying a bassinet.  Where a baby will soon outgrow the bassinet, this can grow with baby and is perfectly safe for baby to sleep in.  For more info and to see Graco's other products, go to www.gracobaby.com

Last but not least: The Fashionable But Useful Diaper Bag
I am absolutely in love with my Petunia Pickle Bottom Diaper bag and clutch.  I have the boxy backpack which can be worn as either a messenger bag or a backpack.  Petunia offers a glazed finish which makes the bag easy to clean with a wet cloth.  Its big enough to fit all the necessities and then some!  Plus, they come in the most beautiful patterns and offer moms a stylish option to the traditional diaper bag.  Certainly worth every penny!  The clutch is great for quick errands where a full diaper bag is not necessary.  I have a picture of mine in the post about my baby shower.  For a better look, visit www.petuniapicklebottom.com

That's it for now.  Feel free to comment and share your own products and ideas!

Month 2

I can't believe Cole is already 2 months old. The time is just flying by! He is learning and growing so much every day. If you ask me, he is looking more and more like his daddy.


The past few weeks had some very special events for Cole. First, his first meeting with his Aunt Laura! They both were dying to meet each other. Laura stayed for almost a week and got lots of quality bonding time with Cole. He loved every minute of it! He even properly initiated her with a poopy diaper to change :)


The reason for Aunt Laura and Uncle Pete's visit to Las Vegas was to attend Stav and Kelly's wedding...so this month was also special because it marked Cole's first meeting with Stav and Kelly. Mom and Dad took the opportunity to have a night out alone to attend the wedding. Cole had a great time with the grandparents being completely spoiled.

It was so special for Laura, Pete, Stav, and Kelly to meet Cole because Brett and I have asked them to be Cole's godparents. We plan on having Cole baptized in a few months and we feel lucky that Cole has these great role models to guide him in life.

Here are Cole's stats from his 2 month doctor appointment: he weighed in at 12lbs 14 oz and was 23.5 inches long. The doctor said that puts him in the 75th percentile for both height and weight. She said he's progressing nicely in his development and that he'll probably be ready for some solid foods at 4 months (she said maybe even a little earlier since he's growing so well). This checkup also included about 6 vaccinations, and Cole handled them like a champ!

Now I'm just enjoying the time I have left before I have to go back to work :(

5 Weeks Old

Time is flying by! I can't believe Cole is already 5 weeks old. He had his check-up with the doctor today and he's growing like a weed! He's 10 lbs 15 oz and 21 1/4 inches long. At this rate we may have a Longhorn linebacker in the making after all :)

Its so exciting to see him learning and changing every day. He can hold his head up a little longer, he smiles, and is super wiggly. With as much fun as we're having with him, its going to be so hard to go back to work. It makes me sad to think my time with him is almost half way over. Its true, people should be paid to be stay at home parents! I just don't want to miss any firsts because I'm away at work - I want to be there for it all!

Slowly but surely I've been getting more used to going out with him and being more "relaxed" as a parent. It feels good to act like a normal person again! In a few weeks will be the first time we leave him with a babysitter (Abuelita Elsa) while we go to a wedding. I just know that I'll be thinking about him the whole time! Even though Cole will occupy our every thought, Brett and I are looking forward to the night out.

Speaking of things to look forward to...Aunt Laura is coming for a visit! Cole has been dying to meet his Aunt (and Uncle Pete, too). We're going to get to play all day!

So that's the latest update on Cole. So far things are going great!