So, you would think the birth of your first child would be enough change for any one couple to take on, but nope we decided a while back that it was time for another change as well. Today is Kev’s last day of work. He gave his notice about a month ago at the company he worked for here in Albany. Starting this Monday, he will be working full time at his very own Web Design company, Iron to Iron. The idea started formulating a while back, but over the last few months it was clear it had to become a reality. He is not doing this alone. He is joining forces with a super talented developer, Jon Christopher. Jon is not only a good friend but we consider him and his wife Carrie part of our family. I could not be more proud of the two of them. They have worked so hard for the last few months getting this all started. They are the most talented duo I know and I know will make such a great team. Kev will be handling all design aspects and Jon the development. Here are some screen shots of their new website. The site is just beautiful. Kev is so talented. He never ceases to amaze me with where he gets ideas from to create such amazing designs. To read more about their new venture you can read Kev’s article on his personal website or Jon’s article on his personal website.
Dear Kev:
I could not be more proud of you! You have worked so hard for the last little while (well your whole life) to get to this point. All the late nights will all be worth it! I have never felt more confident in this decision. I have no doubts and I am 150% sure that this is the right thing to do at this exact moment. I know it has been an especially tough month for all of us but starting Monday it will all be worth it. I love you with everything I have and am so excited for our future.
I don’t think I will get to a style file today. It is again raining. I wish everyone a Happy Weekend/Halloween. I can’t wait to show you pictures on Monday of our Halloween costumes. We are also off for a day of roller coaster fun tomorrow at six flags with friends. Its going to be a great fall weekend!
I don’t think there is a better feeling than holding a sleeping baby on your chest. I just had to put that out there because Rowan is cuddled up on me right now in the Moby wrap as I write this. It makes me smile from ear to ear. It’s our little routine during the day when she takes a nap. I change her, feed her, then wrap her up and we sit here in this big leather office chair and rock back and forth listening to Nathan McKee (Leanne Marshall’s Project Runway Music) on repeat and she falls asleep and I get some work done. I can feel her heart beat against mine and every so often I stop and take a deep breath, smelling the top of her head. Oh baby’s smell so good. I like these moments.
We are adjusting good into our new life with her. There are def. still ups and downs but for the most part we are still in a groove movin’ forward. It’s funny how you will think you have conquered something and have it all figured out and then something changes and you start all over again. I guess thats what happens when you have a baby that continues to grow- things change. Things don’t stand still. Its good though it It keeps us on our toes. She is starting to become a little more independent. She will be happy lying down playing by herself for like 15 mins. haha that is huge! She smiles so much now too- it’s so cute! My goal everyday is to make her smile as much as possible.
I have my 6 week appointment tomorrow. I am ready for the green light to start exercising a little. I hope it will make me take a little better care of myself. I find myself at 4pm thinking have I eaten anything today? It just seems to be the one thing that I push aside during the day because there is so much other stuff to do. I need to get better at having breakfast and lunch. I know it will give me more energy. I am not doing it intentionally I just get busy.
Some people have asked us about our bed time routine because Rowan sleeps so good thru the night. Its not something we stick to every night but we try as consistently as we can. We start around 9:30pm & head into our bedroom (she sleeps in there with us in her Stroller Bassinet). We have dimmer switches on our bedside lamps, so I turn them down to keep the room dim. I turn on some relaxing music and we undress her. Give her a bath (every other night) and then we massage her a little as we put on some lotion. We get her dressed in her jammies and we swaddle her. Then I nurse her and rock her/sing to her until she starts to get really sleepy. Then I put her into her little bassinet. She usually wakes a little but I leave her so she gets use to falling asleep on her own. I turn a fan on for white noise and then I shut the door and say good night. She does fuss and cry some nights but we leave her. If she starts crying I always look at the clock and set a time that if she doesnt stop crying I will go in and get her but I have never had to go in- she always falls asleep before my time limit is up. Usually under 10 mins.
Swaddling is key for us and that her bassinet is a cozy small space- I think she feels safe and secure in there. We have to swaddle her in those straight jacket swaddlers with the velcro. She busts out of any hand wrapped blanket and then will instantly wake up. She has a crazy startle reflex. We are going to start moving up her time for bed to around 8. That will give Kev and I more of an evening together before we go to bed as well.
I am still nursing. Do I love it? No. I don’t. It’s a daily struggle for me. It has nothing to do with her not feeding well because she does. I just don’t enjoy it and that makes me feel really guilty. I have decided to nurse her up to her 2 month doc. appointment and then I think I might switch to formula. I know I might get lots of slack for that, but unless something changes in the next 2 weeks that is what I think my plan is. We gave her, her first formula bottle last night. She drank it like a champ and then had the longest little happy time yet. There was no crying, no fussing, no grunting or kicking like she usually does in the evenings. We have really tough evenings with her. Our doctor had recommended that we try 1 bottle of Soy formula in the evenings before she gets upset and see if that helps. Well it seemed to really help her. So its hard not to think she will be a happier baby if she is always having formula. I don’t know? It’s something that I do go back and forth on every day. We have been having lots of situations lately where she is being watched by our parents and that means they need bottles. I have been pumping like a mad women, but I only have a hand pump and I can only pump on my left side. Which still takes like 30 mins to get 4 ounces. So I keep nursing her on my right, but that is the side that always hurts the most- so it is getting worse because I keep nursing her on that side so I can have enough on my left to pump. It’s a disaster. There is no winning.
Some of you have asked about what I wear to nurse. If I am going out and I know I will be back in time to nurse I wear whatever. If I am going to be out for a while and know I will have to nurse her somewhere I usually just wear a button down shirt and a cardigan. I am not a good social nurser though. Rowan hates the cape thing so I end up going in another room or sitting in the back of the car so it really doesn’t matter what I have on because I usually just unrobe anyways. Sorry to sound so negative about nursing. I know its so good for her and that is why I am so guilt stricken over it but if it’s making me stressed is that really doing her any good anyways? I don’t think so. Its different for every one. Some nurse for years and some not at all. I am just trying to figure out where I fall.
On a different note. How cute is Rowans Oneise? It’s my new favorite. There is just something so adorable about a baby in a onesie. I think it is there chubby legs showing. I just want to nibble on them! Her oneise is from a company called Barely & Birch. They are an awesome Organic kids clothing company. I love that on their website it says “Kid’s have dibs on the future. Let’s give them a good one.” Thinking about Rowan growing up of course I want her to live on a planet that isn’t full of pollutants. So providing clothing from a company that is doing so much good is a great place to start. Kev and I love screen printing so I was so excited to look thru all their water based screen printed tees. They have so many cute ones. Make sure you go and check out their site!
haha this is when you know our photo shoot together is done…
On my wish list for fall was a pair of wool paper bag shorts. I have searched a long time for a pair that I liked but never really found a pair. Then I was in Boston on Tuesday visiting with Melissa + Julie and I found a pair that I just loved at Urban Outfitters. I have been saving some birthday money from last month for when I found something awesome and I was super excited to finally find these shorts. They are going to be great to wear all thru the winter with thick chunky tights!
Rowan and I are off to go do some errands and after having a little chat this morning (mostly I just chatted) we decided to plan a surprise for Kev tonight! Hopefully we will have some pictures tomorrow to share. This has been a long awaited week for us. I will share details tomorrow but there is a big change happening in our household and it deserves a little celebration tonight with Kev, Rowan and I.
It’s getting to be that time of year again where a coat is no longer an accessory but more of a necessity. Here is the northeast winters are brutal. I am always on the look out for a good winter coat. If I had it my way I would have a closet full of coats that I could match with outfits but a good coat is quite costly so I am always so picky. I am in need of a new coat this year. My old one is has seen better days. I seem to lose my keys inside my coat each time I put them in the pocket because of the holes. I always have one major criteria for a coat and that is a hood. It is just too cold here to not have one. It has to be one superbly awesome coat for me to consider it if it doesn’t have one.
It’s pouring rain out today so chances of being able to get outside to take my outfit pictures are not looking so good. If it clears up there will definitely be one up later. Fingers crossed
oh man isn’t she so stinkin’ cute? I keep dreaming about carving a pumpkin big enough that she can sit in just so I can take pictures. Also, I think it would be hilarious to carve holes where her arms and legs could fit thru so it looked like she had a pumpkin body! The thought of that cracks me up. We got her halloween costume the other day. Its super funny on her. All 3 of our costumes go together. Its going to be great. I can’t wait.
I don’t have much to write today, I am at my mom’s house with Rowan. We miss kev terribly but my sister and brother in law are here from Canada so its great to see them! My mom is babysitting for me tonight so I can go meet up with the lovely Melissa from Dear Baby and then I am having dinner with Julie! yay for time with friends!!
WE NEED YOUR HELP!!
We are getting our birth announcements printed and we need your help voting on which one out of the four below we should get.
Tiny Prints has the best selection of Birth Announcements. They have hundreds to chose from- this is why I can’t figure out which one to get! I have narrowed it down to these four and whichever one gets the most votes will be the one we get printed. Good news for you though!! If you help us by voting, you have a chance of winning a $50 gift certifcate to Tiny Prints yourself! They have so much to offer there; Announcements, invitations, greeting cards and some super awesome photo books. It will be easy to find lots of stuff to spend $50 dollars on!
Here are our 4 choices…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/5114180788/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/5114179980/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/5114180608/
number 4 inside (its a card)
TO ENTER:
1. Visit Tiny Prints and check out their awesome selection
2. Leave us a comment letting us know which announcement is your favorite and what you might spend the money on
3. Vote for us Here (NOT REQUIRED, but if you enjoy jenloveskev I appreciate it!)
Giveaway will run until October 31st. Winner will be randomly chosen and announced November 1st.
Easy as pie! Mmmm Pie!!
Good luck everyone!
Thanks for helping us out!
Stay up to date with all things Tiny Prints by following them on Twitter!
Happy Monday every one!
How was your weekend? We had a great weekend all together. Friday, Kev and I went out on our date night. We didn’t make it to the movie, but we had a fabulous dinner and some warm drinks at starbucks. On Saturday we went to our friends wedding. We brought along Rowan this time and she did fantastic. I was so worried about her during the ceremony, but she was quiet the whole time and didn’t even mind getting passed from friend to friend at the reception. This is what I wore to the wedding, I was going to wear heels but I kept it a little more laid back because Rowan was with us. I wanted to feel comfortable. It was quite mild during the day so I didn’t want to wear tights, but on our way home I sure wish I had some on. I always try to hold off on tights as long as I can, because once they go on I wear them straight for like 5 months. I think they are way warmer than jeans or pants. Anyways, here is my wedding look…
haha I guess I was in a looking down to the side kind of mood when I was taking these. I need to get a little more creative with taking pictures.
Guess What?
I am going on a date tonight!! Yay!! Our friends are coming over to babysit and Kev and I are going out for a real date. hehe. Funny how things change in a matter of 6 weeks huh? Anyways this is what I am going to be wearing out tonight. I think we are going to go very tradition date and go out to dinner and then go see a movie. I really want to see Life as We Know It. Have you seen it? Will I cry a lot? especially now being a new mom? Does it have a happy ending? I am such a romantic comedy nerd.
I had been eyeballing this dress on modcloth like the whole time I was pregnant but knew it wouldn’t work till after I gave birth. So in August I finally ordered it. Today is the first day that I am wearing it. I am pretty excited. I love polka dots and I love florals so its like the best of both worlds. This is by far my favorite fall jacket. I usually wear it over everything this time of the year, its really heavy and keeps me super warm.
Ready to Retro Dress: c/o of Modcloth
Moto jacket: Forever 21
Hat: Forever 21
Flats: Target
The day of our Baby shower my mom gave us a very special blanket. It was the blanket I was brought home from the hospital in. She had saved it all these years and now wanted to pass it on to me, as we were getting ready to welcome home our own little bundle of joy. She made me a copy of this picture of my dad bringing me home wrapped in the blanket. I knew I wanted to get a picture of Kev with Rowan wrapped in the blanket as well when we brought her home.
I think this might be my new favorite outfit. I think I say that every time I post a new outfit lately, but its just so nice to get dressed after you have been pregnant for so long. I promise one of these days I will stop talking about it but I am loving dressing for fall!! I really love all the long chunky sweaters out there this year. Every store is over flowing with them. Its seriously like wearing a fashionable robe. How can you go wrong with that? I am a big fan of anything that feels like you are wearing pajamas. When I got this dress from Ruche, I knew I wanted to pair it together with this sweater. I love the lace peter pan collar on the dress and its mixed up polka dot pattern. I paired it with an old belt and some new to me but old vintage boots I scored at the Boston Swap a few weeks ago.
Taking outfit pictures with baby is proving to be a bit of a challenge. Her little cries break my heart. She is one tired little baby today. I am pretty excited about this week though. I think I am going to be heading into boston to have dinner with some very lovely ladies and then my sister and brother in law our coming from Canada this weekend!!
Happy Wednesday!
Dress: c/o Ruche
Sweater: H&M
Belt: Thrfited
Boots: From Swap
I have to apologize to Brooke from Wily Wiley because at the swap she came up to Julie and I and asked if we had seen some brown knee high boots that she heard some girl had brought to the swap? I answered no I hadn’t. Later that night though I was looking thru some stuff I had grabbed and realized that the brown boots that she was talking about were at the bottom of one of my bags and I hadn’t realize it. I felt like a jerk. Sorry Brooke. If you want to swap and style them sometime let me know. I would be willing to share them for a bit!
We are going to group these 2 weeks together. I feel like over the last 2 weeks we have really come into our own. We are learning what she needs and when she needs it and are days going relatively smooth. Kev and I are both starting to feel more confident and that lets us enjoy her more and more. She is turning into a little baby with each day that passes. She is not just a little newborn that sleeps all the time, she is awake more and more active. She even gave us her first little smile the other day. Ahhh when she does it I don’t know if I should laugh along with her and just burst into tears because I love her so much. Its the most adorable thing ever. I love so much that she is starting to interact a little with us, it makes every breakdown and sleepless night seem worth it. Speaking of sleeping- she sleeps thru the night like a champ. I hope I am not jinxing myself but she sleeps a good 7 to 8 hours thru the night almost every night. It makes for a very well rested and happy Mommy + Daddy.
We went to the doctors last week and she is growing fast. She weights 10lbs 3oz. and is 23 inches long. This puts her in a very awkward clothing stage. Her new born stuff is way to short but width wise still fits, but if you put her in 3month anything she is swimming in it. Either way it looks like she is wearing the wrong size. I guess we just have to deal for the next little while till the next size fits her. We are also going to be making the switch hopefully this week to our bumgenius diapers. I just ordered the potty pail and toilet sprayer which I am pretty excited about. Our friend has one and it is awesome. Who’d of thought I would be excited about spraying poop into the toilet. haha. gross.
We have started getting better at going out as well. It all has to be in a very orchestrated time frame between feedings but we are getting the hang out it. All in all things are going well. We are in a groove and loving everyday with our precious little one
p.s
They reset the votes over at topbabyblogs. I have connected with so many fabulous readers from that site and would really love to get back to where I was. So if you love jenloveskev could you please take a minute and click the banner below and vote for us. It just takes 2 clicks! (if you really love us you can vote once a day!) Thank you so much!!!
Happy Monday Everyone!
How were your weekends? Ours was fantastic. On Saturday we celebrated Kev’s 28th birthday. We had a great day together as a family and then hung out with friends in the evening. For his birthday I got him tickets for us to fly to Flordia next month. I am super excited to head down to my parents house on the water for some R&R. Its something this household needs desperately. Now we just need to figure out how to fly with baby and all her gear? At least we have a little time to figure it out.
Today has not being going all that great. Rowan has been super fussy. Well fussy isn’t even really the word. More like screaming at the top of her lungs if she isn’t being held. I decided to try to swaddle her up, get her cozy and go for a walk. That usually puts her to sleep. The bumpier the ride the better too. I got dressed before we left so I could take some pictures along the way. I think I am head over heels in love with this little outfit. The dress is so simple but so sweet at the same time. I miss dressing up for school each day but even though I didn’t really have a purpose for putting on a pretty dress and heels today didn’t make it any less fun. I love playing dress up. I am already back in pjs & a hooded sweatshirt with Rowan sleeping in the moby wrap as I type this. The dress is back in the closet and anxiously awaiting a trip out into the world.
oh yeah. My straight across bangs are back. I am so glad I cut them!
Yay! Its the weekend! I am totally excited because its Kev’s birthday tomorrow and although I don’t have as an elaborate plan as last year, I do have a great day planned. He is joining me in the 28 years old club tomorrow. Here’s hoping for some nice weather!
Also, I have some major halloween planning to do. I love halloween its one of my favorite holidays. I am always something dead. I don’t know why- the makeup is just so fun. Some of my favorite pictures ever are from halloween. There is something so fun about dressing up. You can look as crazy as you want to and no one looks as you weird. Ok thats not true. Walking into stores being a dead mime got me some weird looks. haha. Here are some pictures from years past.
What should I be this year? More importantly what should Rowan be this year? and is it weird to go trick or treating with a baby? Obviously she doesn’t eat candy, but I want to go with her so badly. Will people be mad when I show up and say trick or treat holding an almost 2 month old and take their candy? haha. Oooh I love candy.
I am not sure even where to begin with this. There is so much that I want to express and I am not really sure how to get it all out in written form. There is so much more to the birth of your child than you can really ever express to someone. It is a moment in time that will always stand still as its own very magical moment in your life. No matter how tough it is, as soon as its over and you are holding your little one the experience cements itself in your brain as this very surreal time frame that really can’t be explained in full detail to anyone that wasn’t there with you. That’s how I feel anyways.
Rowan was 9 days late. Every day that went by that she didn’t come had me more convinced that she was never coming. Then one night at 3:30am in the morning I woke up and all that changed.
I had mentioned before that my family had come out on Friday night because my midwife told me I was 3 centimeters dilated and could go anytime. I wrote how we spent the evening swimming and eating chinese food. It was a wonderful evening except there was still no baby. Kev and I were sure she was going to come that day. Friday ended and Saturday began and we filled the day with activities to keep us all (kev, me and my family) entertained. We went to a Tugboat Fair on the waterfront, we went for a walk around Peebles Island, we went and saw Toy Story 3. We even came back to our place and watched Fantastic Mr. Fox all together. We finally had to say good nite to my family and they went back to the hotel. I was pretty discouraged. Everyone was here to welcome this baby and she just was not coming. That night Kev and me got into bed and spent what seems like forever talking, giggling and just enjoying each others company. It will be a night I will always remember. It was if we were both waiting for that evening to happen. It settled our nerves and I think deep down made us ready for Rowan to arrive. We fell asleep that night holding hands like we always do. At 3:30am I woke up. My stomach was killing me. So crampy. I got up because I thought I had to go to the bathroom. Nope and then my stomach started feeling better. I went back to bed. I woke up again about 15 mins later. My stomach killed again. I laid in the dark room wondering is this what contractions feel like? I wasn’t sure. I grabbed my iphone and looked up “what do contractions feel like?” haha. After reading some message boards and getting the consensus that they do indeed feel like very strong period cramps. I was sure I was having contractions. I got up. Walked around a little bit trying to get myself ready for what was ahead. I said a prayer that I would stay calm and that Rowan and myself would have a safe and health labor. I woke up Kev.
“I think I am having contractions” I said. He jumped out of bed grabbing his glasses, trying to put on clothes and asking “Really?” I told him what I was feeling and he started to get all our stuff together and by the door. He asked if I wanted some music on and he put on some Frank Sinatra for me. I love Jazz/lounge music. Frank Sinatra, Etta James, Ella Fitagerald you name it I love it. It was dark but with a few lamps on. I paced back and forth taking some very deep breaths while he finished getting everything packed. I could tell he was a little frazzled. He went down stairs to pack the car and when he came back up he had this calm and strong demeanor. Something had changed. He came over and gave me a hug. He said “we can do this, I know we can!”
We started timing the contractions and they were coming every 5 mins. Kev kept telling me we should call our midwife, I wasn’t ready though. I really wanted to stay home as long as possible, but within 30 mins of having 5min contractions they were down to 2 mins. I finally agreed. These were no longer strong period cramp feeling contractions. She told us to come in. So off we went to the birth center at the hospital. It’s only about 10 mins away but it seemed to take forever. Every bump was torture. The contractions were getting more intense with every one that was coming. I was still in good spirits and was able to breath thru them. We got the the hospital at exactly 6am. We went upstairs and I got checked in. I got into our room and the contractions were getting very, very intense. Walking around was not cutting it anymore for easing the pain. I was starting to moan thru each one and I was starting to get a little scared. My mom hadnt arrived yet and it was just Kev and I in the room. We were waiting for the nurses to come in still. I remember starting to cry and I asked kev “what if i couldnt do this? What if I can’t do this with out an epidural?” I really wanted to go natural. Its not a choice for everyone and I don’t have any judgement on anyone and how they labor but for me that is what I wanted. So badly too. He told me he knew I could do it and if I wanted to have a natural birth he had faith in me that I could do it.
The nurses came and said I had to get into the bed for just a few mins so they could monitor the baby, see how everything was going and do an exam. They checked and I was still only 3 centimeters dilated. Ahh I was crushed. I thought for sure I would be farther along than that. Sitting in that bed while they monitored the baby for a bit was absolute torture. Having contractions while laying there was the most pain I felt. I hated every minute of it. At 7am there was a staff change. The new nurse that came in was seriously like my guardian angel. I really feel like she helped me in the exact way I needed. Tara was a young, super sweet, gentile natured girl. She came right in got me out of the bed and got me set up on a birth ball next to the bed. She kept telling me I could do this and I believed her. As soon as I was out of the bed and on the birth ball the pain became so much more manageable. I straddled the ball and leaned forward with my head on a pilliow on the bed. I rocked from side to side to help move the baby downward. Kev sat behind me rubbing my back and pushing in when I had a contraction.
Everything was more intesnse. The contractions were coming so fast. When they hit you- it takes over your entire body. It takes everything in your power to try to not tense up thru them. This part really all becomes a blur to me. I think I was very focused and almost kind of retreated into myself a little. I remember listening to the music, laying my head on the pillow, and focusing on rocking side to side. Every once and a while I would hear my mom tell me to take a drink of water and she would hold a cup next to me with a cute pink and white stripped straw from our baby shower so I could sip some water. I never got angry or snappy. I was just quiet. No talking. I could also hear kev whispering to me every once in a while, telling me he loved me and that I could do this. I sat on that ball and rocked for a very long while. I started getting the urge to push with each contraction at around 8am. They were surprised that I was already feeling that so they got me back on the bed to check and sure enough I was already 8 centimeters dilated. They could feel that the baby was ready to come but because my water hadn’t broken yet it was slowing her down a little. They told me as soon as the midwife was there she would break my water and that the baby would “ride the wave” out. Waiting for the midwife seemed like forever. I was def. in transition. I sat back on the ball and rocked. All I could think about was to contining to rock back and forth.
There was an emergnecy c-section down the hall so the midwife that was coming in for me had to go into surgery. They called another one of the midwives. I had to wait a little longer. I was passing out in between each contraction. Exhaustion starts to take over. I wasnt sure I could do it anymore. I think I started whimpering and crying. I was tired. Everyone ralled around me and were so encouraging. The 2 nurses were so great to me. The last 30 mins were extremely hard. I remember finally hearing Margarets voice in the hall. She was one of my favorite midwifes and I couldnt be happier that she was finally here. She came into the room. I got back on the the bed and she broke my water. It was a rush of very warm water. She told me if I wanted to I could start pushing when I was ready. It seemed so surreal.
The room was so calm. It felt like a cozy little bedroom. My midwife sat right on the bed with me, coaching me thru what I needed to do. The nurse held one foot, Kev held the other and I grabbed under my legs. When I had a contraction I would lean forward and push with everything I had. I remember feeling a very distinct movement the first push. I feel like I actually felt her move down and become ready to come out. I felt a burst of energy. I could feel her with every push. You really have to push and give it everything you have. I didn’t push all that long. Maybe 15 mins. I remember giving it that last final push and having the greatest feeling of relief. It was like this rush and then everything was over. She was born at 9:38am and weighted 8lbs. 11oz.
Rowan was instantly put up on my chest, covered with blankets and there for me to hold. It was absolutely amazing. Tears just pour from your face as you look at this little being that you just birthed. A real little baby. The room may have been busy but I dont remember any of it. I laid there in a bubble with Kev and Rowan. In that moment it’s all that I remember, crying and laughing with Kev as we stared in disbelief at our 1st baby. She was perfect, half me and half Kev. I hardly remember having to push out the placenta or that I even had to be stitched up. You are so focused on the baby that nothing else seems to matter. I did tear a little and I got 3 tiny stitches. At the birth center they let you delay everything that needs to be done to the baby for up to 2 hours. We totally opted for that. We took those 2 hours to sit in the room by ourselves with her cuddled together on the bed. Letting her get to know us and feel safe and secure in our arms. It will be 2 hours I will never forget. What a magical moment.
The whole thing although hard was everything I had hoped it would be. Afterwards you are on cloud nine because 1. you are holding your baby but 2. You feel like super women. I was so proud of myself for what I just accomplished. That is why I say it was amazing. It was such a rush of emotional highs and lows, but to go thru that and then be rewarded afterwards with a healthy beautiful baby. No feeling can top that. I still look at her now a month later completely in shock that she was inside of me, that I pushed her out and that she is here. It is so crazy sometimes to think of.
I have to say our nurses, midwives and birth center were the perfect match for us. That is the only advice I would give someone in all this. Every women labors different so there is no right in wrong in how you give birth but just make sure you are giving birth in a place that supports you in every way. A place where you trust every thing they say and a place where you know your voice will be heard. It will make for such a rewarding experience in the end. I wanted to give birth in a very natural way. I didn’t want lots of cords, and machines and drugs. For me that is what worked. Our room was calm, relaxed and I was able to move around. We had Cat Power playing the whole time. It helped keep everything feeling relaxed. I wanted the baby to come into this world feeling that calm atmosphere. To Kev and My Mom: I could not have done that with out you. You helped keep me calm and were there for everything I needed. You encouraged me thru every doubt I might have had and I love you guys forever.
Rowan Winter is our perfect little baby and I love her more than I ever thought I could.
We have been having the most fabulous fall weather lately. I love days that are still warm and nights that are crisp and cool. If you follow me on twitter you may have seen a picture I posted last night of some scissors and a big clump of hair. I cut my bangs. I was standing in front of the mirror deciding and I just grabbed the scissors and went for it. There has been no regret yet.
I actually wore this outfit on the weekend. That is why I do not have short bangs in the picture. I felt like it was the perfect mixture of cute and preppy. Plus I love these new studded flats I got from target. I have been wearing them non stop. They seem to go perfect with everything.
I seriously can’t tell you how excited I was to start taking outfit pictures again. Its a nice excuse to remember to get up and get dressed because some days it seems easier to just stay in pjs. I always feel more accomplished though when Kev comes home and I am dressed. I have had a few new Modcloth dresses in my closet that I have been dying to wear. I ordered them before Rowan was here, but I ordered them in sizes to wear after she came. This dress is just so pretty. Its light weight and has a fuller skirt which makes me feel so feminine. I can imagine wearing it all thru the winter with different colored tights. Yay! for new dresses.
I think today I am going to cut my bangs. I have been debating with myself for months on whether to grow them out or not. This is the longest I have ever lasted without cutting them, but I think I have had enough. I had visions of wearing it parted in the middle with no bangs like I see on a lot of pictures, but I try it and I just like look 7th grade Jen with middle parted hair. I don’t think I will ever get there, so I think its time to snip, snip. Eeek I don’t know though? I hate feeling regret afterwards because its not easy to grow them out and I have had a good run of about 9 months with out cutting. Ahhhh I don’t know what to do?
I was looking thru some old posts from this time last year and I couldn’t believe that a year has past since I ran my first marathon. I have been working on my birth story this week and re-reading my marathon post sits very near and dear to my heart still. Labor + running a marathon were 2 of the hardest yet 2 of my proudest moments. They made me feel strong, like super girl. As I am nearing my 6 week mark I am looking forward (but a little scared) to get back into running. Running to me is a way to let it all go, a way to stay calm, to relieve stress. It has been a very long time since I have gone running but I am looking forward to that runners high again soon. I have my eye set on my next marathon sometime next year. If you haven’t read my marathon story yet- its a good one! (although I know I am a little bias) I ran raising money for a Charity called LOVE 146. What an amazing charity! I will def. run the next marathon for them again.
Fall has always been my favorite season. I love the colors, the cooler air, the still warm sun, the smells and the fall starbucks drinks (hehe). Every time fall rolls around I wish it could last forever. Yesterday was one of those perfect fall days. It had so much more meaning to it then normal. We strolled along as a little family, talking, laughing and reflecting on our life. We drove thru the berkshires yesterday and took Rowan by our very first house. I can’t believe it has already been a year since we sold the house and moved to NY. We drove around the streets where we would talk walks and bike rides and laughed at how crazy this past year has been. I like that we have roots in so many places. I know New Years is always considered the beginning of the new year but for some reason (maybe because I am a teacher) fall always seems like the new year. A new season, a season of re birth or something and with that, I am really excited at what this year has in store for us.
Rowans Birthdate, Weight and Name:
For guessing her exact name: Megan from Megventures
For guessing her exact Birthday (September 12th): Robyn
For guessing closest weight without going over (8lbs 11oz.): Elizabeth Ann. She guessed 8lbs 10oz.
It’s not very often that we do a couples style file, but we were both looking pretty sharp on our first night away together from the baby. On Sunday we headed out to the Cape for our friend Suzi’s wedding. It was the most beautiful fall day. The wedding was so nice and we could be happier for our friends. We had a great night together and we managed to not call home to see how Rowan was doing until we were on our way home (some good advice we got). I couldn’t wait to hold her when we got home though!
I have had this dress for about 4 years, but I never grow old of it. I think its just so pretty. I love the lace at the bottom. Here are some pictures of me wearing it almost 3.5 years ago on a cruise we took when we lived in Hawaii. funny huh? Now this was a good buy! It wasn’t even all that expensive when I bought it I think. I am pretty sure I got it at TJ Maxx. I love when you buy something that you love no matter how much time has passed.
Well, here we are at the end of our third week. We are learning a little more everyday. This week I have to say has been running pretty smoothly. I was a little scared of it at the beginning because it was my first real week alone during the days. I feel like I have so much to talk about. Hope you will bear with me.
First off. I want to say a HUGE HUGE Thank you to all you readers out there. You have no idea how much your comments, emails and tweets have meant to me since Rowan has been born. I always love them but they have been so encouraging to me. You have no idea how many times I have been up in the middle of the night feeding, feeling so overwhelmed and just being so uplifted by reading your words of wisdom on jenloveskev. I think if I could offer any advice to a new mom it is to have a good support system and it doesn’t even have to be a real life one. haha. That sounds funny but I mean it. Just reading your comments have totally made me feel like I can do this and that I am not alone in any of this. Moms are a very powerful group of ladies and they offer so much love in person or thru the internet. So never feel like you are alone if you are a new mom. For one, I am here. I would love to hear from any of you. That is why I am trying to be as honest as I can about this whole journey. I think it’s a scary thing and its not always pure bliss. I hope people know its ok to have the lows as well. If you ever have any questions please feel free to email me or ask me on my formspring. I don’t know a heck of a lot but I would be willing to share any experience that I have had thru this whole thing. That really goes for anything. Parenthood, marriage, fashion or just life in general.
I have been asked a lot about her name. I saw Rowan I think in a baby name book months and months ago and I instantly added it to the running list of names I had been keeping on my phone. It just stood out to me as this strong warrior princess name or something. Like Liv Tylers character on Lord of the Rings. That kind of Princess. A kick butt kind of princess, who is beautiful with pretty dresses on a horse with a sword defeating evil. haha. Can you tell I really like Lord of the Rings? I am really geeky. Anyways I told Kev and over the next few months it just stuck. Kev started calling her Rowan and then we couldn’t imagine her any other way. Winter has always been a word I have wanted to use as a middle name. Rowan Winter just seemed perfect!
Rowan has been sleeping at night like a champ. We are able to transition her into her little bassinet beside our bed now. She still needs to fall asleep on us but as long as she is swaddled she will stay asleep in her bassinet. She even slept 6 hours straight the other night. Oh yeah! She usually does somewhere between a 4.5 to 6 stretch and then feeds and then goes to sleep again for another 3ish hours. During the day she wont sleep in her bassinet and needs to be held but we are working on that as well. We have to swaddle her in one of those straight jacket ones with the velcro. She is like a little Houdini if you don’t. With in seconds she will have both arms wiggled out and raised high as if she is saying “you can’t contain me, I am super girl!” hehe. It was important for us to get her to start sleeping on her own because although we are ok with co sleeping, I really just enjoy my time in bed with Kev. Its like the one place where its just us. No phones, no tv, no computer. We used to go to bed early all the time to just hang out and chat and cuddle. So I like having that space and that time. I think its important. Now that Rowan is here its not a lot of time but even if its for a few mins, its worth it to me.
I am really trying to stick with the motto of just Going with the Flow. We are not on any schedule or anything. When she is hungry we feed her, when she falls asleep we let her sleep. Its working for us and seems to be way less stressful than trying to fit ourselves into some sort of mold. The thing I am struggling with this week now that I feel like we are getting back to regular life, is how to get back to regular life. haha. Does that make sense? I was talking to my friend the other day and she hit the nail on the head when she said “its a weird feeling to have absolutely nothing to do, but not be able to get anything done.” Thats what it feels like. I really cant understand how you are able to clean, do laundry, cook, run errands or really do anything else with her. I know it takes time to figure it all out, but that is what we are working on this week…
haha that and still working out our thoughts on breastfeeding.
So 2 weekends ago we decided to try to take our first family outing together and go apple picking. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time together. We had some laughs along the way as we tried to take some family photos in one of the apple fields. Our big ideas for pictures didn’t plan out as we had hoped but we did get some good shots in the end. Even looking at these now 2 weeks later, I feel like we look like babies back then to where we are now. haha. Parenting is a crazy journey. It stretches you in ways you didn’t know you could and fills your heart on a daily basis. We love our little Rowan Winter. Everyday we fall more and more in love with her.
1. I love that Kev loves wearing the BabyBjorn thing so much. He thinks it makes him look so cool. hehe 2. I always eat way too many apples when I go apple picking 3. I love apple cider donuts 4. I have mentioned on the blog before how kev got me the LoveBird necklace from Figs and Ginger for valentines day a couple years ago, well after the baby was born and we were all alone in the room cuddling and starring at Rowan, Kev gave me a new Figs and Ginger Necklace. This one has 2 grown up birds and 1 baby bird. A new necklace for a new addition to our family. I love it so much and of course cried as I opened the box. I love FIgs and Ginger and I love with all my heart my amazingly sweet husband.
As fall rolls in every year my favorite thing to wear is always something easy going. This year is no exception, especially now with Rowan around. There isn’t much time for playing in my closet. I love Jean shorts, button downs from kevs side of the closet and cardigans. This outfit is just so comforting to me. I have been wearing some sort of this ensemble a lot lately. It was def. perfect for our walk the other evening.
Lets take a look at some of my favorite things from my sponsors today shall we?
Ruche continues to update their site with great new fall items. I am in love with these dresses. I can picture mixing and matching them up with pretty tights and cardigans. Anyone have any fall weddings they are going to this season? I do, I do! We are going to one next weekend and I am so excited to wear a pretty dress like one of these ones.
Have you ever been to tinyprints? They have the most amazing invitations, birth announcements and greeting cards ever. I love their stuff! Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I am always scheming up halloween parties. How awesome to use one of these halloween invites to send to friends!! Check out all there halloween invitations at Tinyprints.com
Modcloth has been rocking it lately with all their shoes. There are so many I want to order. Finally my swollen pregnancy feet have gone away and I am ready to find some new awesome fall shoes!!
So I actually cooked dinner last night! Yay! That is a big step for me since little Rowan Winter has come along. We have been lucky enough to have the best friends in the world who have been bringing us delicious dinners for the past 3 weeks so I haven’t even really needed to cook. This soup was actually one of the meals that was brought to us and it was so yummy I decided I needed to make it again myself for dinner last night. It was such a nice fall night. It was raining out, I had just a few lamps on, some fall candles were burning and it was cozy and relaxing feeling. Rowan was sleeping on my chest and the smell of this soup was filling the house. I also was drinking a very good pumpkin ale and watching O’ Brother Where Art Thou which is one of my favorite movies. I love fall so much!
This soup is really really easy, which is perfect because Rowan only gives me about 10 mins in her bouncy chair before she wants to be held again. The recipe came from All Recipes. Nothing like a easy hearty soup to warm your belly. I made some garlic toast to go along with the soup. Our friend had brought a homemade loaf of bread with a dinner the other night and I used the left overs to make the garlic toast. It was so good!!
Ingredients: SOUP
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 medium potatoes, cubed
1 medium butternut squash – peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 (32 fluid ounce) container Veggie stock
Salt and Pepper
1. Melt the butter in a large pot, and cook the onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, and squash 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Pour in enough of the veggie stock to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 40 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.
2. Transfer the soup to a blender, and blend until smooth. Or mash with a potato masher for a chunkier soup. Return to pot, and mix in any remaining stock to attain desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients: Garlic Bread
Bread
Butter
Garlic salt
Parmesan Cheese
Parsley
1. Butter bread. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Add parmesan cheese and parsley.
2. Broil
I’mmm baaackk! YAY! This might be a longer post about one, this outfit but also where I wore this outfit too. It was really funny to take an outfit picture after I hadn’t taken any in over a month. A month! Can you believe that? I have been taking a picture almost everyday for 1.5 years so it was really kinda weird to stop for so long. haha don’t get me wrong there was no way I felt like getting dressed in the last month though either. I gained a total of 30 pounds during my pregnancy and I can happily say all but 10 have come off own their own so far. While I am feeling super skinny now compared to being pregnant my old clothes still aren’t fitting quite right. 10 pounds is still 10 pounds and can make clothes feel a little snug still, especially when I think half of that 10 pounds is in my boobs.
For me the perfect way to cure the new momma blues of a post pregnancy body was to buy a new fabulous outfit that fit my body at the stage it was now. No trying to squeeze into old clothes or feeling bad for still wearing maternity clothes (which I still do and will continue to do for sometime I am sure- soo comfy those elastic waistbands!) I had the chance to have a special first night away from baby last week and I wanted to get an outfit that made me feel like a million dollars. I am happy to say that this outfit did just that. I think it might be my favorite outfit ever. haha maybe its just cause I haven’t been able to dress like this in almost a year but its still a pretty sweet fall outfit. I loved how all the colors and patterns went together. The mustard yellow with the bright orange/coral I think were just awesome. Plus how cool that I found matching nail polish. I am so nerdy!
Last Thursday Punky and Melissa hosted another fabulous clothing swap. Those Swapaholic girls really know how to throw a party!! Even ABC nightline came out to film these 2 fabulous ladies. Here’s hoping I make it on to TV too!! There was wine, friends, crazy clothes swapping and a very fashionable blogger fashion show. It was my first night away from Rowan and I missed her like crazy, but it was so great to get out, get a little break and spend the evening with my dear friends. Julie, Punky and I all seemed to have the same color scheme in mind that night! Great minds think a like I guess…
I honestly feel like we just started taking these pictures. It really does blow my mind how fast time can go by. Before we get to far away from being pregnant anymore, here is a look back at all our weekly pregnancy pictures. I loved looking back at each week and seeing all the photos. Each one holds so many memories now- I am so glad we have all these posts to look back on. I def. have a few favorites, but what are yours?
What weeks stood out to you guys?
In case you are new to jenloveskev or wanted a quick way to look back at each weekly pregnancy post to see more pictures and read our letters to Rowan- Here you go…
Well little Miss Rowan Winter is actually going to be 3 weeks on Sunday but I guess that’s the life of new mom: Late at everything! Here is our picture from Two Weeks anyways.
The second week was much better than the first. I really can’t express how hard the first week at home was. It was nothing like what I had expected. It really took us by surprise. The second week was still very hard but had much more sleep involved which lead to a much happier & coherent Mommy and Daddy. The second week we started deciding things for ourselves instead of from things we had read. The major one being letting ourselves sleep as well when she had fallen asleep on us. Rowan would NOT sleep if she was not being held and after reading and being warned over and over about sids and the risks of sleeping with baby we had refused to sleep with her sleeping on our chest. Well after a week of maybe 3 hours a sleep a night and a first weekend of MAJOR breakdowns, we decided if we felt comfortable then by all means we were going to sleep with her. Did you know we are really the only country that doesn’t practice bed sharing? Anyways, lets just say it helped us a lot and now she is even sleeping in her bassinet at night for a few hours. (now in her third week even more!!)
Kev also went back to work during our second week. That was a little scary for me. The day he went back was also around the time I think we hit our first growth spurt. Rowan was hungry all the time and fussy all the other time. It was a hard 2 days home alone with her. I didn’t know why she was so upset all the time. I think she is a naturally gassy baby but those days were extra rough. I will be honest and say I still don’t love Breastfeeding. She latches good and she eats like a champ, but it still hurts like heck and its a hard feeling sometimes knowing you are the only one that can feed her. I am committed with sticking with it for at least a month and seeing if I feel differently then. I am slowing seeing how other moms love it but I am just taking it day by day.
Although it is still tough and we are stilling trying to figure each other out, our love for her continues to grown everyday. The first day Kev went to work he came running thru the door that night so excited to see her because he missed her so much. In such a short time you can’t image your life with out them and you miss them when you are away. It has def. made us slow down a whole lot these last 2 weeks but it has been such a joy to spend them together as a family. Each day I wake up and am excited to learn something more that day that I didn’t know before about her and we get to learn it together, Kev, Me and Rowan.
On a side note this concludes all our Guest posts. A big Thank You! to all my blogger buddies for helping me out.
I will return to regular blogging on Monday.
Next Week will have:
1. My first Style Files post baby
2. The winners of Guessing Rowans name/bday/weight
3. Week 3
4. My birth story
Its going to be a great first week back!
P.s. Aren’t Rowans shoes so super cute? My dear friend Laura made them for me. You should def. check out her etsy shop!! She also made Rowans adorable Purple Flower hat as well.
I asked each blogger to pick a piece of artwork that spoke to them in some way. It could be famous, not famous, new, old. whatever piece of artwork they wanted and then to create an outfit inspired by the piece. I will be back to regular blogging on Oct. 4th.
First off, I just want to congratulate Jen and Kevin on being new parents to a beautiful baby girl. It’s such an exciting journey ahead for the two of them, and what a pleasure it is to be able to follow along!
I honestly didn’t know how I was going to come up with a dress to wear, so I just started layering the right colors until something came together. I think in the end I was wearing four dresses! First was a beautiful white eyelet maxi dress that I secretly want to get married in one day if only for the fact that it’s so simple. The next was a pretty sheer dress with the most glorious white ruffle collar, and the one after that was classic pastel pink dress that would’ve looked a little better if it were about four inches longer—but I guess I was going more for a conceptual look anyway. Finally there was my pink-going-on-peach lace house dress which I added for extra volume. I finished it all off with a cute southern-style hat, and a pair of wooden heel oxfords that always make me think of Marie Antoinette!
Welcome to my personal lifestyle blog. It features topics such as motherhood, family life, fashion, cooking, and all sorts of adventures. I hope you enjoy what you find!
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