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Tuesday, May 27, 2014

my sun, my moon, and all my stars

I came across this quote on Pinterest and right away pictured my sweet girl. I love the way her eyes crinkle when she smiles, the soft rolls on the back of her neck, her shiny new smile with two little teeth, her little monkey feet, her dramatic pout lip, her laugh, the way she grins up at me when I'm singing her lullabies before bed. I love being her momma.


xoxo, Jen

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale: What I Bought

Well, it happened.

On Friday I finally (and gleefully) fell victim to the Nordstrom half yearly sale. I blame it all on that Carrington... she is a great shopping partner and a bad influence. ;) 

Check out what I picked up:



I've known for a while that I wanted to pick up a North Face for miss C. Steve and I live in ours in the colder weather, so it only makes sense. :) I can see Carrington wearing this all throughout the fall and winter, so grabbing it on sale was perfect. (I got the white and grey combo, not pink, as shown above.)


Bobbi Brown Makeup 

My make-up needed a major update (I still wear eye shadow from high school. I'm not even kidding.) and I love Bobbi Brown cosmetics -- I use the shimmer brick and lipgloss every day. So since they were having a buy $75 and get a free lipgloss (a $25 value and the same as my favorite lipgloss listed above, only in a great sheer cherry color for summer), I took advantage. I chose this, this, and this



These are reasonably priced for "designer" glasses. I bought a pair (the only pair of sunglasses I own!) 4 years ago and wear them every single day. Due to my own carelessness, they're all scratched up so I picked up this pair for just $60. The shape fits my face well and they've held up great considering what I've put them through!

Did you shop any Memorial Day sales this year? What'd ya get? :)

xoxo, Jen



Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Four Years Later...

Four years after saying "I do" on a sunny (and warm!) May day, our life together is very different, and yet so much the same. I was just a baby (barely 22) when we stood at that altar, and yet my heart always knew it was you.

Here we are today, living in a different state, on house number two, on baby number one (the very best thing that has happened to us, hands down), with different jobs than we had, and different cars, too. We've traveled to a few different countries and several different states, slept on the floor of an empty apartment, gone for hikes, swam in the ocean, flown on planes, and taken about a million walks. I love our walks together. I can picture still taking them when we're 80. 

 I love the way you make anywhere home. 
I love the way you make my dreams your own.
I love the way you refer to Carrington, Layla, and I as "my girls."
I love the way you make me laugh.

Four reasons (out of so many) why I love you, for the four years we've been hitched. :) 

Happy Anniversary to my Stephen!


xoxo, Jen

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Don't You Hate It When...

I've been having a week of the most random thoughts. Can anyone else relate to these? 

Don't You Hate it When...

1. You're trying to shove popcorn (Target popcorn, obviously) into your mouth (like an animal) at a red light, and someone pulls up right next to you? I don't need an audience, k? Look away.

2. There aren't enough bunches of oats in your Honey Bunches of Oats.

3. Monday and Tuesday TV is over (all of the good trashy reality, of course) and there is nothing else to look forward to the entire week. Well, until Friday when Shark Tank is on. What is my life? 

4. Speaking of TV, when shows you like are only 30 minutes long. With commercial breaks, that's like 4 minutes. You look at Facebook for a sec, and the episode's over!

5. You just bought something and you get a coupon in the mail the next day for that very item.


Anyway, I'll leave you with this ham. :) That face. That bellybutton. She kills me.


xoxo, Jen

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the momma's out there! You all deserve to sleep in a little, put your feet up, enjoy your favorite things, and of course your favorite (little) people. :)

 I had a wonderful first Mother's Day weekend. It kicked off on Saturday with a delivery of 24 beautiful roses, lunch and shopping with one of my besties and my sweet mini. On Saturday Steve, Carrington, and I went to visit Johnson's Farm, which is an adorable little farmer's market and nursery near us. We browsed the market goodies, strolled through the flowers, and ate lunch (including apple cider smoothies...um, YUM) outside. Later, Carrie and I took a nap together. After she went to sleep, Steve and I rented We're The Millers for the second time. That movie is hilarious! 

Today I woke up to two cards (one from Steve and C, one from our puppy), and we met our moms for lunch halfway between our homes. It was such a perfectly beautiful day, and I soaked up every minute. My mom is truly the strongest, most selfless, most loving person I have ever known, and I am grateful for her beyond words. Love you, momma!

And to the little girl who made me a mother...


Dear Carrington,

The moment I knew you were coming, I became your mother. I worried, and hoped, and wrote, and thought, and dreamed, and cut out caffeine, and cut out hot dogs (probably for the best!), and added more vitamins, milk, fruits, and veggies. I recorded every moment and cherished every movement. From the very moment I knew you existed, when you were still microscopic, I adored you. 

The moment you were born, is a minute that stands still in time, that is on "pause" in my mind. 10:26 a.m. If the rest of my life becomes a blur, the exact minute you were born into the world and I heard them announce the time and your daddy say "She's here, she's beautiful, she has your ears," will always be clear. 

You, with blue eyes like the sea, like the sky, like your great-grandmother's, and your rosy cheeks (so very kissable), and your fuzzy head, and your gummy smile - you are the one who made me "momma." You have made all of my biggest and best dreams come true. And I love you somethin' awful, Carrington Elle. I always will.

All my love,
Momma


xoxo, Jen 


Tuesday, April 29, 2014

5 Month Update

I can't believe it's been 5 months since I delivered this little peanut. Where is the time going, and can it please slow down?


Weight: Not sure, but I'd say definitely over 15 lbs.

Length: She was 23 3/4 inches at her 4 month appt., so I'm guessing she's grown a bit

Health: Still great... yay!

Sleep: Still sleeping 11 or 12 hours, typically 7:45pm - 7am. We started unswaddling her arms since she's rolling constantly now, and while she has a little harder of a time falling asleep, she's doing pretty well with it so far. Fingers crossed that we are past the 4 month sleep regression threat... I was so worried about that!

Social: Still busy as ever! We've had a good amount of visitors to the house, including both sets of grandparents, gone to may lunches, traveled home for a family get-together, and finished up our mommy/baby yoga classes. I'm thinking things are only going to get busier with summer around the corner.

Diet: Still doing great with Alimentum. She is so fascinated when we eat. I can't wait to let her taste her first "real" food in a month!

Clothes: Still rocking 6 months -- you can tell that a few outfits are getting snug. Ack!

Baby Gear: We added the Fisherprice Rainforest Jumperoo to the many pieces of baby gear in our living room. She's liking it so far (for short periods of time).

Crying: Cries when super hungry (we try not to let it get to that point) and super tired. She is going through a screaming/shrieking phase that is pretty tough on the ear drums. ;)

Likes: Still singing, reaching for and grabbing whatever's in sight (and then promptly shoving it into her mouth), walks, and rolling... especially from back to belly.

Dislikes: I think she's teething so she's most unhappy when she can't shove something into her mouth... poor bub.

Postpartum: Feeling good. :) Still not as "in shape" for summer as I'd like to be, but I'm feeling a little better about that. I recently had a baby... I think I get a pass this year.

Milestones: Rolls from back to belly constantly, is starting to sit unassisted (not for very long yet), more interactive and interested in her surroundings than ever!

Happy five months in the world, my sweet girl! You are learning and growing so much everyday, and daddy and I couldn't be more proud of you. We look forward to waking up to your big smiles every morning. You are such an easy-going girl (for the most part), and so determined to move, grab, do. Your giggles are my favorite sound in the world, I love kissing your sweet pudgy cheeks, and I can't wait to see what this next month brings us. Love you, always!

xoxo, Jen

Monday, April 28, 2014

Weekend Recap

We had a really nice weekend... hope you did, too! As I type this, miss C is sleeping unswaddled in her crib. Such a big girl. I can't believe she'll be 5 months old tomorrow!

On Friday morning, we had our last mommy/baby yoga class. I'll miss it and considered signing up for more sessions, but I think summer will be keeping us plenty busy. Here's Carrington with her sweet little pal, my friend's daughter Josephine. :)


Friday early evening my in-laws arrived and were sweet enough to watch Carrington while Steve and I went to dinner with all of my co-workers and our significant others. It was our second time away from C in 5 months, and while I really missed my girl, it was a fun evening! I might have had a touch too much champagne ;) but got up at 7am (like a boss) with C on Saturday morning, so all's well that ends well. 


Saturday we started the day with Dunkin' Donuts (that's how you know it's going to be a great day!), did yard work, took a walk, took a nap, and relaxed. Saturday night we had another event to attend... our dear friend's surprise 30th birthday party. As reluctant as I was to leave C for a second night (even if it was only a few hours), I think it is good for her to have time with people other than myself, since I'm with her all day every day. I knew she was in the most loving hands with her grandparents. :) The 30th birthday party was a blast! 


Sunday was spent with our girl... snuggling, finishing up some yard work outside, and hitting up Barnes & Noble for a Starbucks fix and some reading. We took C into the children's area and she was reaching for and grabbing almost everything. It's so much fun to see her learn and grow!

xoxo, Jen


Sunday, April 20, 2014

A "Hoppy" Day :)

As I've mentioned before, Easter holds an extra special place in my heart since we announced our pregnancy to our families last Easter. We found out we were expecting C shortly before Easter last year and, because of this, her nickname has always been Jellybean. I was so excited to celebrate her official first Easter with us this year, at almost 5 months old. :)

My mom and her wonderful boyfriend, James, came to visit us this year. Admittedly, it was a relief not to have to travel anywhere and I was really looking forward to hosting a simple dinner at our house this year. The day didn't fall short. We started off with an amazing lunch at one of my favorite local places, Turning Point, and then headed to the park for a nice walk. After our walk, we headed back to our home for some visiting and prepared dinner and dessert. Everything turned out great! Ready for picture overload?


The Easter Bunny went a little overboard for C's first Easter



The cutest bunny ever.



My Easter beauty



Momma & daughter selfie



The girl's got sass, what can I say?



Somebunny is very loved.



I die. 



Grandma & Carrie!



Silly bunny. <3



Pink lemonade cake for dessert. Please and thank you.



Our first Easter as a family of three. Such a fun day!

Hope you had a great weekend and a "Hoppy" Easter! 

xoxo, Jen

Friday, April 18, 2014

Five on Friday

It's Friday! Yay!

This week I'm trying something new... linking up with some of my favorite blogger gals, including Christina, for a fun Five on Friday post. :)



-one-

Carrington's first Easter basket from mommy and daddy was so fun to put together. Obviously, she's not going to really, truly enjoy the basket this year since she'll be just shy of 5 months. The basket is a PB knockoff from Homegoods and the goodies include: an Easter outfit from Carter's, a sun hat, bunny ears (love the dollar section at Target), a mini plus chick from last year (how we announced our pregnancy to our parents last Easter!), teethers, and the Berenstein Bears Easter book. 



-two-

I found this total flashback photo of Steve and I from his Homecoming dance, 2003, while cleaning out my closet. I'm 16 and he's 17 and we're both in our really fun awkward teen years. 



-three-

I am obsessed with a new snack: Triscuit Dill, Sea Salt, & Olive Oil dipped in Summer Fresh White Bean Truffle dip. It is so amazing I can't even begin to describe it. If you have a Wegman's super market by you (and I hope that you do), go buy this dip. 



-four-

Have you read this article? If you have given birth (particularly if it was a c-section), read it. I literally cried laughing. 


-five-

I'm always excited for summer, but especially so this year! I keep thinking about all of the fun things we'll get to do with Carrington, from vacation, to picnics outside, to taking her swimming for the first time. Any recommendations on the best swim diapers? Right now I'm learning toward the Honest Co. one! Would love to hear thoughts. :)



Have a great weekend! 

xoxo, Jen

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Easter Prep

I can't believe Easter is this weekend! Although it's later this year, all of this winter weather has made it feel like it will never come. Easter always marks what feels like TRUE Spring to me. Flowers popping up, pastels everywhere you turn, warm sunshine. :)

Today miss Carrie visited the Easter bunny! I thought she might scream her head off (and who could blame her? that thing is pretty creepy!), but she did so well... all smiles, that girl. Here's her first official Easter bunny pic:



I also can't wait to share C's first Easter basket. So far she's already received 5 others... yes, 5. That is what being the first baby amongst family and friends will do. Mine looks pretty pitiful in comparison, but I'm still excited to fill it up with fun goodies and take a pretty picture on Easter with her next to it. :) 

My mom is coming to visit us on Easter and I'm scouring Pinterest for some fun, easy Easter dinner recipes. So far I'm thinking either the traditional ham or something different and more casual like pulled pork sandwiches. Garlic potatoes, corn bread pudding, and salad are the sides I have in mind. For dessert? Pink lemonade cake!

What's on your Easter dinner menu? I'd love some ideas!

xoxo, Jen

Monday, April 7, 2014

Our Weekend

This weekend was jam packed, but so much fun.

Friday night we had our friends Sophia and John over for dinner. I worked with Sophia and she recently left to start a new job, so it was so much fun to catch up over dinner. Her husband is in law school, so he and Steve have a lot to talk about. :) Steve insisted on cooking {and who am I to argue? ;)) and made a baked ziti with his famous meat sauce. It was delish. There was a lot of laughing, a lot of food {and a little drink}, and maaaaybe a little dancing. Maybe.

Saturday my lovely cousin and BFF Gina aka "Aunt Gigi" came to visit. She loves Carrington to death and we love her, so it's always fun when she visits. She also came with not one, not two, but three adorable Easter baskets in tow for C. Can we say spoiled?! It was so sweet.


We relaxed and spent time catching up Saturday afternoon...


Saturday evening we headed to our favorite place ever, The Pop Shop, for dinner. My other cousin Brandon and his girlfriend, Sarah, met us for grilled cheeses, fried pickles, french fries, and ice cream sundaes. Pure gluttony. 


On Sunday daddy hung out with Carrington while Gina and I had brunch at another favorite spot, Turning Point, and did some shopping. This white orchard tea is amazing, and they serve their tea with rock sugar sticks. Love. Don't let the healthy tea fool you, though... I had pancakes topped with granola, bananas, and lots and lots of syrup. And bacon. Can't forget the bacon.




I'll leave you with this little munchkin. Love her somethin' awful.



xoxo, Jen





Monday, March 31, 2014

Carrington's 4 Month Update

Happy Monday! (isn't that a bit of a contradiction?) 

Our weekend was one of the most relaxing we've had in a while. My in-laws were supposed to come up, but plans changed, so suddenly the weekend was plan-free. To make the most of it, we went out to dinner as a little family of three (still love saying that) on Saturday night, followed by a trip to Babies R Us to check out bouncers for C. We put her in one (after wiping the crap out of it, obviously) to try, and she looked so proud, like she thought she was a big girl. It was the cutest thing ever. So I think we're going to order the Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo this week! Once we got home, we put C to bed *in her crib for the first time* and the husband and I rented The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. So good! And C did great in her crib! I, on the other hand, was up about once an hour to check the monitor. Sunday we satisfied my fierce taco craving by having a yummy lunch at Chipotle, then did some shopping at Target. 

Our Carrington girl turned 4 months on Saturday! She is more bright and beautiful every day. I've been doing a monthly update picture that I post on Facebook for our friends and family, but decided to begin doing an official monthly update in this space, as well! 


Weight: 14 lbs. 1 oz. (somewhere around the 55th %)

Length: 23 3/4 inches

Health: Excellent! I know I'm probably jinxing myself, but so far, no colds or sicknesses

Sleep: Again, I'm probably jinxing myself, but it seems like we've been blessed with a pretty great sleeper. C sleeps about 11 hours a night, usually from 7:45 or 8pm to 7am. She takes 3-4 naps a day, anywhere from 30 minutes - 1.5 hours.

Social: This past month we did a lot of visiting. C's auntie Sarah and uncle Jamie came to visit and we went to dinner, we visited with both of our families back home, we went to auntie Becky and uncle Paul's house for takeout dinner and a visit, C came to work with mommy a few times, we went to a poetry reading and visited with close friends there, plus every Friday we do a mommy/baby yoga class and then lunch with our friends Margaret and Josephine (who is just 12 days older than Carrie!).

Diet: C is still doing very well on her alimentum formula, and though we were given the green light to start solids, I think we'll aim to wait another month or two before beginning.

Clothes: C is almost exclusively in 6 month clothes now (and the few 3-6 month items she has) - I can't believe it! She has so many 6 month outfits, I'm already stressing about her getting a chance to wear them all. Hoping the weather warms up soon so she can wear some of the sweet spring dresses!

Baby Gear: Carrie is still loving her SkipHop activity mat, naps in her swing, plush baby doll, and OBall.

Crying: Carrington only truly cries when she gets those terrible gas pains (we hate you, gas bubbles!)... other than that, she gets a little fussy/whiny in the evening around 5 or 6pm. But overall she's a pretty laid back girl.

Likes: Girlfriend loves to be sung to (specifically the ABC's, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, If You're Happy and You Know It, Twinkle Twinkle, etc.), talked to, and cuddled. She also loves riding in the car and her stroller (usually lulls her to sleep).

Dislikes: Doing much better with tummy time but still tells us she's over it after a while. Also not a huge fan of getting dressed. 

Postpartum: Nothing too new. Kind of weirdly, my c-section scar has been kind of itchy lately, which is annoying. I'm thinking it's been all the weather we're having... my skin is extra dry. I'm also in the market for a treadmill - need to tighten up this tummy for summer!

Milestones: Carrington rolled over for the first time last Monday, and then did it all day the next day. Since then, she's been on strike. ;) She rolls from belly to back. Does great with tummy time, grabs toys (and brings them to her mouth), tracks objects and watches mommy and daddy, holds weight when standing assisted.

We love you so much, jellybean, and can't believe you've been here for 4 months already. You're growing and learning so much each day, and we are so proud of the sweet, smart, silly, sometimes shy, smiley, lovable little girl you are already.

xoxo, Jen

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Let's Talk Mom Suits

Swimsuits, that is! 

I totally applaud those moms who can go back to their bikini a few months after giving birth. I rocked mine while pregnant, but 4 months post partum, I just feel like I'll be more comfortable in a one-piece this season. Even though I'm below my pre-pregnancy weight, things are just...different (you moms know what I mean). Don't get me wrong... I'm more in awe of my body than ever, I just want the loose bits tucked in so I can focus on having fun this summer. ;)

However, being in my mid/late twenties, I don't want to succumb to the generic "mom suit" just yet (or ever). So here are my favorite young, updated, fun, and sexy suit picks!

#1 - This Trina Turk suit is to. die. for. I think this might be the one.



#2 - Robin Piccone crochet suit. I'm kind of feeling the crochet...



#3 - Red Carter one piece with peplum. Super cute, but not sure if I could pull it off.



#4 - Victoria's Secret Flounce one-piece. Loving the price!



So what do you think? What type of suit will you be rocking this summer?

xoxo, Jen




Monday, March 24, 2014

Shameless Selfie

Selfies with this girl are the best kind. Everything is more fun with her. :)



Hope you all had a nice weekend! 


xoxo, Jen