Stephen Colletti and his wife, Alex Weaver, are celebrating their first holiday season as parents — and they have the adorable card to prove it.
The couple teamed up with Minted to commemorate the special occasion, and Us can exclusively reveal their Coastal Stripe foil-pressed holiday card by artist Stephanie Heinrich Godbout.
“I wanted something casual, I wanted blue and something that felt true to us. I also wanted a sunset,” Weaver, 32, told Us of her vision for the card and accompanying photo shoot. “I was a little nervous about how the shoot would go with a baby close to bedtime, but it actually went surprisingly well. Rhodes is such a happy baby, which made it easy and fun!”
Signed from mom, dad, baby and their Siamese cat, Bennet, the stunning light blue striped card features a gold accent border and a dreamy black-and-white photo of the family of three, with baby Rhodes sitting atop Colletti’s shoulders as Weaver holds her husband’s hand.
The NASCAR reporter and Colletti, 40, announced the arrival of their first child, son Rhodes August Colletti, via Instagram in May after tying the knot the previous October.
The Laguna Beach alum reflected with Us on sharing this new chapter with fans who have followed his journey since his early reality TV days.
“Becoming a dad has been the most meaningful change of my life, and the kindness people have shown us in this new chapter has meant so much,” he told Us. “It’s pretty wild that people who first met me as an insecure, knucklehead kid are still here cheering me on. In a way, we’ve grown up together.”
The couple — who celebrated their first wedding anniversary with a kid-free trip to New York City, where Colletti surprised Weaver with Harry Styles tickets — are still adjusting to life as parents, and discovering new surprises each step of the way.
“How little sleep you get and how much my life revolves around my baby’s sleep,” Weaver told Us of the most surprising part of becoming a mom, adding, “I’ve also learned how much coffee one person can drink in a day!”
As for Colletti, the One Tree Hill alum told Us he was surprised to learn “that bouncing on a pink yoga ball while holding a baby at 3 in the morning would be a massive part of early fatherhood. I will never look at a yoga ball the same again.”
Yet, Weaver reiterated that it’s all worth it.
“Rhodes is the best boy,” she told Us. “He’s so happy, so sweet and curious. He amazes us every day with something. It’s been so fun watching his little personality develop.”
As the holiday season approaches, Colletti and Weaver are looking forward to introducing Rhodes to their favorite traditions — and making a few of their own.
“On Christmas morning, my mom always makes cinnamon rolls, so I’m excited to carry that tradition on with Rhodes. This year, Santa will be making his first delivery of goodies for him, which makes everything feel even more special,” Weaver told Us. “We also got new family stockings with Rhodes’ monogram, so it’ll be fun to start creating little traditions of our own as a family.”
Since they both spend a lot of time on the road for work, Weaver and Colletti are looking forward to a “cozy” holiday at home with their baby boy.
“I know he’s going to grow up so quickly, so I’m trying to soak up as much of this stage as I can,” she told Us. “I want to bottle it up and keep it forever.”
