The Rock Show

Last weekend, we took Benton to his first Micah Dalton show at Eddie's Attic. For those of you who don't know Micah, he's an amazing singer/songwriter from Atlanta who just released a new EP. He also sang in our wedding five years ago. 

Benton seemed to love the music. He was not a fan of the talking in between songs and chose that time to whine. Since he was the only one in the entire place under the age 21 and we didn't want to cause a scene, we took turns taking him out in the hall when he got cranky. Too bad they didn't have a "ticket sharing" policy because we weren't all in there together very much.

This is Benton in his rock show outfit. Thanks to Ronny and Sandy for the look. Please note how he even put his little hand in the pocket. Kills me.

Benton also attended his first wedding. Brack's uncle Bo and his beautiful wife Eun-hui got married at Noccalula Falls in Alabama. We had a really fun time. Benton had a cute little collared shirt that he wore during the ceremony but then we had our first poop explosion in public. That shirt is now in the trash. Anyway, here's our family picture after the wedding.

We can't believe how fast the time is going or how happy we are with our little guy. He keeps us laughing and we find ourselves staring at him a lot. I'm sad that in a few days I'll have to spend eight hours a day working instead of playing with my baby. But rest assured I will have breaks for cuddle time. It's necessary to keep up company morale. 

Week by week

Six weeks of baby Benton...

My baby's daddy

I've learned a lot of things since becoming a mom. About babies, diapers, breastfeeding, cries, poop and baths. I've learned new skills and mastered others. But what surprises me the most is how much I've learned about my husband, Brack. (For the record, I gave up on creating a nickname for him. Too much pressure.)


I never had any doubts that Brack would be a great dad. I did, however, think it would take him some time to get used to having an infant around. See, Brack hasn't had a ton of experience around babies. He never got excited to see a newborn and he politely declined most of the time if someone asked, "Do you want to hold him?" For all of those reasons, I wasn't at all prepared for how comfortable he would be when our son was born.


Let me say now that Brack was my hero during the whole birth experience. I'll leave the details for another post, but just know that he was a rockstar in the labor and delivery room. A true coach. And once he saw Benton for the first time, I could tell he was in love. Of course, there was no lack of jokes about placentas, lumpy skulls and miniature penises (I wouldn't expect anything less), but the way Brack looked at his son were some of my favorite moments of that incredible day.

I kept expecting to see a nervous or uncomfortable look or a moment of panic, but Brack completely surprised me. He took to fatherhood instantly. He learned how to swaddle, he changed the first two diapers (insert poop joke here) and held his boy for hours that first night. I think he even surprised himself at how natural he was as a dad right away. 

Brack has continued to be amazing at home, too. He's great at getting Benton to sleep and making him smile. He's a pro at changing diapers and finding new ways to play with Benton. They have "tummy time" together every day.

Today, we went to walk around the park since Brack had the day off. We watched another dad helping his little boy ride his bike without training wheels for the first time. I couldn't help but imagine Benton at that age asking his dad to teach him to ride. I can't wait for those moments.


I am so thankful for my amazing husband. As we get ready to celebrate our five year anniversary this week, I can't believe how much I have learned about Brack in the last five weeks. One day, Benton will understand how blessed he is to have such a great father who loves him and shows him an example of his heavenly Father. We love you, Brack!

I'm a mom!

My first Mother's Day was perfect. Even though we didn't get to fly to Jamaica like some of our friends (you know who you are), I had a wonderful day with my husband and my tiny baby boy. Benton really knows how to make a mom happy.

He started the day by showing me his new outfit. Seriously? So cute I can't even stand it.

We went to church (where he behaved perfectly in his sling) and then to Doc Chey's for lunch. Yum! Then we got to rest and cuddle at home all afternoon. Benton gave me a sweet card and a book for me to read to him. He was really excited about it. Check out that smile! (You're going to want to click on that picture for a better look. Trust me.)

Later, we went to Rita's for Italian Ice and to Trader Joe's. Then we went for a walk at the park. It was a beautiful day!

Last night he gave me yet another gift. Sleeping for six hours before waking up to eat. Hallelujah.

Thank you, tiny baby, for an amazing day. I love being your mom!

Genius baby

Benton is one month old today. In honor of this special occasion, I wanted to share with everyone our baby's newest hobby.

He can find anything on the internet.

Must haves

This post is dedicated to the products that have made my life easier since bringing a baby home. While this is certainly not all of the things we use and love, these are the few that help me survive every day.

1. The Boppy Pillow 

You’ll notice about 50% of the pictures we take of Benton are of him in this pillow. I use it for nursing him (so helpful!) but he also likes to hang out in it and look around. If he’s awake and not crying to be held, he will sit contently in the Boppy right next to me on the couch. Like he’s doing right now. I even sit him in it in the bathroom while I take a shower. Don’t worry, I put a towel down first. It's also perfect for his afternoon naps. I think the reason he likes it better than the swing or the bouncer seat is that he can sit in it and be swaddled at the same time. Which brings me to product number two.

2. Aden + Anais swaddle blankets

These blankets were given to me by a family friend and mother of four (thanks, Layne!). They are huge, lightweight, soft and perfect for us. Benton loves to be swaddled and with regular receiving blankets his little feet can escape pretty easy. Not in these suckers. Plus they also work great as a nursing cover. I can keep him wrapped up and cover myself at the same time. Genius. (By the way, Target sells a less expensive version of these.)

3. Pacifier

I have to admit, I was hesitant to use a pacifier. Not so much because I thought he’d need one until he is 12, but because I didn’t want him to be confused with nursing. Thanks to the advice of my wonderful friend and super mom Michelle, I came to terms with the idea and have never looked back. Benton actually won’t take a pacifier all the time. But when he’s not hungry and just needs to be soothed, it saves me from being the human pacifier. 

4. The Sling

The Hotslings AP is my hero. Benton absolutely loves it. He falls asleep almost instantly every time we put him in it. Even if he doesn’t sleep, he is quiet. Which means we never leave home without it. He has sat through three church services, several grocery store trips and a really long chorus concert without making a peep. This particular sling is perfect because it’s adjustable and will also work in a few carrying positions as he gets older. It folds up perfectly to fit in the diaper bag and there are no huge rings or buckles or crazy straps. Love it.

Benton and I are headed to the grocery store by ourselves for the first time. Hopefully the sling and pacifier will live up to the praises today. Wish us luck!