Delainey Kate: 2 Month Update

Oops, I'm a few days late... but Delainey is two months old as of November 2nd.

In some ways it feels like she's always been a part of my life and I'm in shock that it's only been 2 months... and in other ways, I feel like she just arrived and there's no way it's already been 2 months. Maybe this is just what parenthood feels like though?

Anyways, Baby Delainey had a big month:

She made her first craft with me before Halloween. We made little creatures with paint and her cute little footsies! Speaking of Halloween, that reminds me, she also celebrated her first holiday (other than Labor Day, which doesn't really count)!

She visited an amusement park for the first time and took her first nap on the beach. The amusement park was a joy with her, she slept a lot of the time and loved looking around and spending time outdoors... and well, she napped most of her time at the beach so she still has yet to really see it!

She now maintains eye contact, coos and grunts at us, and smiles all the time! She has a range of different cries that we are learning to identify, one that sounds like she's yelling "MAAAA!" and while it's pitiful it makes us laugh a little before we soothe her.

She is starting to gain control of her little head and loves to be sat up so she can look around at the world and take it all in. She has also rolled herself over a few times during tummy time, although we aren't claiming she can officially roll over yet because it's only happened a couple of times.

She loves being held and bounced around, especially by her daddy. He sings her a song with lyrics he made up for her and it may very well be her favorite song and oh-so-sweet.

Speaking of her favorite things, some other things she seems to favor currently include spending time outside, staring at the ceiling fan and the closet light when it's dark (what we use as a night light), and of course, she loves milk.

We think she may be a redhead, although it's hard to tell! Sometimes her hair has strong hints of red and other times we see blonde. She's a mystery... although, one thing that isn't changing much is her beautiful blue eyes! They are lightening some but still are very blue.

She's finally graduated into size 1 diapers and can fit into some of her 0-3 months clothing! Really, all I know is at two months old she's a dainty thing, but perfect in every way!

Keep Things Fun with Ahoy Boutique Sheets in Your Nursery!

Thanks to Ahoy Boutique for sending over these gorgeous sheets to include in the Baby Shower Gift Guide, regardless all opinions expressed below are completely my own.

You guys, time just keeps flying by and I realized I haven't even finished telling you about all my favorites in my baby shower gift guide... so I'm back at it! Today's post is about one of the best parts of Delainey's room and something I change fairly regularly - the sheets!

While sheets may seem like a small detail in a nursery, they actually are a center point. The first thing I see after I see her, something always in photos of her in her crib, and definitely part of the room that really makes the theme come through. That's why when I decided I wanted a couple of custom sheets for my girl's crib, I turned to Ahoy Boutique.

This little Florida based etsy shop is one of my favorites, with so many unique children's bedding options it's hard not to change the theme of Delainey's room weekly. Whether you are doing a bold striped floral look or a muted swan princess look, Ahoy Boutique has bedding to match the theme of your child's room!

Since Delainey has a tropical themed mermaid room, we obviously loved the more tropical sheet options! When I saw the pineapples I knew she needed these and once I felt them in my hand, I just knew she'd love the softness! These babies are perfect for my baby!

The other sheet I chose for her nursery is the geometric mermaid print! It's a gorgeous mixture of all the colors of her nursery and equally as soft as the pineapple sheet! Made with the utmost detail, these sheets will last for years to come!

Speaking of years to come, I'm also pretty excited because in a few years, when it's time to change the theme to something Delainey likes, we could always find the perfect match in Ahoy Boutique's collection!

So take a minute and see what fits your theme... As you can see, we fell in love with the pineapples and the mermaid print, what do you love the most?

Interested in finding more awesome items for babies and new mamas?
Click here to check out my Baby Shower Gift Guide!

Six Phone Apps Every Parent Needs

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of TempTraq for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Keeping an eye on your baby is important, I think all parents know that. Whether we are in the room lounging with our little darlings or across the hall while baby naps in their crib, it's nice to know baby is doing okay without having to constantly be peeking into the crib. Today I want to share a few different ways you can use your phone to keep an eye on your baby, not just literally but with data and information as well.

We'll start with TempTraq. It's the only wearable, Bluetooth temperature monitor that continuously monitors temperature. Now when baby isn't feeling in tip-top shape, you can just apply the soft, comfortable patch underarm and it senses, records, and transmits temperature data for up to 24 hours to your phone through the TempTraq app.

Not only is TempTraq a Temperature Monitor, you can use it to keep an eye on when your babe drinks, eats, or take medicine - making caring for an ill child just a little less stressful. Get your hands on one of these handy thermometers at Target, CVS, or Walgreens, as well as TempTraq.com and monitor fevers! Put your mind at ease and worry less, even when baby is sick... Buy TempTraq now

Another app I love use so I can keep an eye on Delainey's development is the Wonder Weeks app. It's been educational to learn about her "leaps" and it gives a little insight as to what milestones she should be achieving as she goes through these growth periods! We're actually in our 2nd leap currently and the app has taught me so much about what she's experiencing, it's definitely a great tool for first time moms!

Glow Baby is a great app to keep track of diaper changes, nursing sessions, sleeping patterns, and more. While TempTraq can help you keep an eye on some of your baby's activities, I highly suggest checking out Glow Baby for the other items you want to keep track of. I personally like to use the app to track her diapies and her sleeping, it's nice to make sure she's leading a regular, healthy lifestyle and with the little graphs this app provides, I love it.

My baby monitor actually has an app to watch my darling from my mobile phone, using Smart Sync I'm able to see into her room - no matter where I am! I love being able to keep an eye on her from the baby monitor screen too, but being able to pull her up on my phone is just the bee's knees!

If you're feeling fancy, Philips Hue is the coolest way to make sure the lighting in your baby's room is perfect. You can adjust the color, intensity, and more... this can not only be comforting, but a learning tool for baby as well. Discussing colors, patterns, and beyond, I'm sure our Hue lighting system and the app that goes along with it will be used for years to come.

Owlet is my last recommendations for apps, it's the easiest way to keep an eye on your baby's pulse ox level and their heart rate! Just attach a little sock to baby's foot and you can keep track of your baby's vital signs all night long!

So tell me, what apps do you use for baby on your phone? I'd love to hear about them in the comments below!

Light Up Your Life & Set The Vibe with Philips Hue

Thanks to Philips Hue for sponsoring today's discussion, regardless all opinions expressed below are completely my own.

Whether it's white light inviting you to study a little longer, purple light lulling you into a sense of relaxation, or yellow light reminding you of the sunset, light plays a pretty big role in the vibe a room gives. I never really thought much about lighting until I learned about the Philips Hue. This awesome little lighting system allows me to set the mood for every occasion right from my phone, it's the coolest new addition to our house and Delainey's pretty lucky to have it all in her room... and I'll be honest and share we may have to use parts of the beautiful Hue lighting system throughout our house now that I know how gorgeous it is.

We decided to spice up her room for Halloween, giving her gallery wall some needed pizz-azz, her overhead light also got a makeover, and we even have it all set to a motion sensor to make diaper changes in the middle of the night a breeze. We just walk in and the lights turn themselves on to a dimmer setting, based on my choices.

Whether you want the room to brighten at an exact time of day or you want to adjust the tones of the color of the lights, using the Philips Hue app with the Ambiance Starter kit, the Go, and the LightStrip is an entertaining way to give each day a colorful new view and each room in your home its own inviting vibe!

The Philips Hue Ambiance Starter Kit includes the bridge that connects everything, as well as 3 White & Color Ambiance bulbs - just install these bulbs in any regular light fixture and it's time to start getting fancy with your lights.

The motion sensor is a real life saver with a newborn in the house... and it'll make a nice little prank on Halloween. For now it's set up in Delainey's room for diaper changes but in a few days this little sensor will give us a warning that trick or treaters are about to ring. It'll be so convenient to know when little ones will be knocking for treats, especially if we light them up with a colorful fun setting.

The Philips Hue Go is the light I plan on having out front with the motion sensor, it's so handy and the perfect little travel light. You can use the app to adjust the colors or just push the button on the device to make it match the color you prefer!

The last item in my Philips list is the LightStrip Plus, the perfect way to illuminate anything you're proud of. We LOVE her gallery wall but it felt like it was missing something until the light strip was added. It's fun to make the room glow different colors and the gallery wall being lit up in all its glory was stunning.

With over 16 million colors and infinite possibilities, the ambiance you desire is readily available with Philips Hue. So we can add some orange and a pumpkin or two to Delainey's room to help her embrace the holiday and in a few weeks from now, we can add some green and red to give things a Christmas vibe. I'm loving how versatile the lights are and how simple they are to work. Speaking of simplicity, you can even set your whole light setup to adjust based on the colors of a photo you upload. I'm excited to play with this feature, as well as many other cool little tricks the Philips Hue line offers.

Are you ready to invest in a Philips Hue light system like this? You can find these cool new additions for your home at Amazon, the Apple Store, Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Home Depot, and MeetHue.com, among other retailers. If you choose to purchase via MeetHue.com, use the code "HueHalloween" through October 30th and receive 15% off all products all orders $100 and under!