Vote for Collin

I could never be one of those "stage" moms that obsessively drags their child to photo shoots, probably in the hopes of living vicariously through them. Come on, how much fun can it be for a little kid to stand in long lines for model shoots or auditions. That said I will completely contradict myself and ask you to vote for Collin for American Baby's cover contest so Collin (er mom and dad) can possibly win a trip to New York for a few days and Collin can have his shot at fame. And money that goes into his future college fund.

I have to say Mike and I produced a pretty cute kid and I can't help but look at the other baby entries with a competitive eye (please don't shoot me for sounding so shallow).


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America thanks you

A visit to the Oregon Coast

We had our first overnight trip with Collin this weekend at the beach. The nifty inflatable travel crib blew up with ease and Collin slept pretty well in it (except for waking up at 4 am to party). We stayed in the sleepy town of Manzanita which seems to be populated by the over 60 crowd. It's just a short distance to Cannon Beach and was nice for lounging. Both Mike and I enjoyed reading for the first time practically since Collin was born. We also walked around, did some shopping and of course showed Collin the ocean. Though with the wind blowing in his face, I can't say he had much enthusiasm for it.

Here's a few pictures of our trip:

Roll Over!

Yes I realize the title sounds like a dog command. However watching my little guy evolve from a sleeping, pink faced bundle to a robust babe that can move around is quite amazing! For a while Collin has been flipping from his back to his tummy only to be stuck with his arms and legs flailing, then suddenly he mastered the art of flipping the other way! The way he kicks his legs and moves around, I think he'll be crawling in no time. It's a little scary. I'm holding out hope he's the next David Beckham.

Check out the new trick:

Collin's first outdoor excursion

Pre-Collin when we went on a day trip we grabbed our backpack and jumped in the car. Today when we went 1.5 hours away to hike around Silver Falls for a couple of hours, this is what we brought:
1. A bunch of diapers
2. Wipes
3. Extra onesie
4. Blanket
5. Baby backpack for carrying Collin
6. Stroller
7. Water and granola bars for us

Anywhere with a baby involves preparation and more diapers than you think necessary (especially when you have a kid who gets at least one blowout a day). I also feel like I'm now chronically late whenever I go anywhere with Collin. It's amazing how just as I feel like I've got everything together and I'm all set to go he'll grunt and I'm running upstairs to change him. Or he screams in hunger. Or I realize I forgot the wipes.

Today, we hiked around Silver Falls, which is a beautiful setting and perfect for an outing with baby as it's not too challenging--mostly flat with some hilly elevation but nothing that hard. Still it's a pretty good workout when you strap an almost 14 lb baby to your chest.

Collin's eyes got big as he peered at the waterfalls for the first time. He passed out after about an hour and got a little bit burned on one of his cheeks. It didn't seem to bother him so we're hoping it doesn't start to itch. And of course Mike and I felt like irresponsible parents who are setting up our son for skin cancer. Sigh.

Here's some photos of the day:

First glance at a waterfall

Already!?

Everybody says babies are easier at three months--I was skeptical. What, like some kind of magic switch goes off and the baby suddenly realizes that there is more to life than eating, pooping and sleeping?

Well it's true.

Collin is much more content than he was even a month ago and life is suddenly ready to be explored. He smiles, giggles, bats and kicks at his toys, sucks his thumb and has a new trick of blowing spit bubbles. He likes hanging out on his back preferably to stare at things that move like fans or mobiles. And he even rolled over from back to tummy! Mike casually mentioned this two days after it happened--hello milestone?! He also did it for my dad/grandpa so I know one of these days I'll catch him at it. Of course he still has his meltdowns and cranky times but overall he seems to be liking this baby phase. And I hope I'm not jinxing this but he slept 9 whole hours last night! I woke up at 630am, stared at the baby monitor and hoped my son was still alive. Then I heard him stirring and went to check on him; he gave me a big smile and some coos. Sleeping through the night makes everyone happier!

He spends time with grandpa a couple days a week which allows me to actually work, and there's the added benefit of him bonding with my dad. We also hired a babysitter to come over once a week while I'm home. The balance between family and work is starting to get easier.

We go for Collin's second attempt at his follow-up hearing test on Wednesday (he has to be asleep for the test and last week decided shrieking would be more fun). Hopefully he'll stay asleep and we'll get some results. He definitely reacts to sounds so he doesn't seem to be getting any worse. He also has an appointment with the ear/nose/throat doc at the end of the month. My little guy may have a hearing aid in just three months. Hopefully we'll get some clearer answers, stay tuned...