LIFE & COLOR: MEET ANDREA

An interview with MH Editor, Rebecca

MEET ANDREA – Andrea (@andrea.coonrod) is a lifestyle blogger, content creator, and mom living in Denver, Colorado. A mom to two girls – Lennon & Harlow – she’s now expecting baby number three (also a girl!) due in December. Here, she opens up about what she loves about her city, the spots you must go to when visiting, and offers sage postpartum advice.

Tell us about  living  in  Colorado!
We have lived in Colorado for about 5 years and have lived in 5 different counties during that time!

Why did you decide to start your family here?
My husband had a job opportunity pop up that offered us the chance to live here and we jumped at it. We both have always wanted to live somewhere with tons of sunshine and adventure and this place offers it all.

What do you love about the city?
There’s a lot of things to love about Denver, my favorite is probably the food though. I love to try new spots every time we can. I am very drawn to aesthetics as well, so if a place looks like it has a good vibe I automatically want to visit.

Why does  Colorado  feel  like home?
Colorado feels like home to us because we started our lives here – it’s where we’re raising our girls, exploring all through the city and mountains, and where we’re finding a great community and friends, which is a huge plus.

How would you describe the “local color” of Denver?
I would definitely say it’s very diverse and unique. You will find all walks of life here in the best kind of way. I really do feel lucky that in general people here are very positive and genuine.

Can you tell us about the locations you are shooting in?
What do you like about them? We shot in a few locations in Denver. We began at the Botanical Gardens which has always been a favorite of mine. When we lived near the gardens I would take my first born daughter there all of the time to see everything and she was always mesmerized. The magic in her eyes was so sweet, it’s always remained special to me. We also visited RiNo (River North Art District) which is one of my favorite places to be downtown - the art, music, food, and life in general is very exciting and unique. The umbrellas and art walls are so fun and inspiring, and constantly changing so it’s fun to go there often to see what has been created.

What are you inspired by?
My family mostly, definitely nature, and the combination of the two while exploring. It’s so easy to get stuck at home or let the days pass you by, so finding new and fun things to do outdoors all year long helps keep us entertained and always brings inspiration for content or new ideas.

What is your favorite color?
I love them all but if I had to choose, purple!

What are your favorite colors to wear?
This is a hard one because I love patterns, so mixing and matching all the colors is usually my favorite.

What are you most grateful for in this moment?
The health of myself and my loved ones.

Tell us about your family!
My family is my biggest passion. It’s definitely hard living away from where my husband and I grew up, but it’s only made us four (soon-to-be five) closer. My husband and I met in college and it was pretty much a done deal after the first time we hung out, so I guess you could say I am a believer of love at first hang out. Our girls are both so silly, theatrical, caring, and stubborn. Somehow, they both got all of those qualities but have such unique and different personalities. It’s so fun to be able to watch them together.

Can you share your birth plan?
Truthfully, my birth plan isn’t anything spectacular. Both of my girls’ labors and deliveries were long and painful so I am hoping this one is a little smoother. Genetically, my water will not break on its own, which is something we didn’t know until after having our second girl. So this time around will hopefully benefit this mama! I would like to have a natural labor, I have really enjoyed a warm bathtub while laboring and a quiet/serene environment…anything to keep the stress away because this is such a beautiful time. As far as baby goes, once she arrives, dad always cuts the umbilical cord and we immediately do skin to skin for as long as possible! Taking in these initial moments and having that contact is so important.

What is your best postpartum recovery advice or tip for moms?
This is difficult because everyone's experience is so different. I would say that trusting your gut and giving yourself grace in everything you do is most important. If you have someone (spouse, parent, friend, etc.) who is able to take care of the normal household duties like laundry and cooking - TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE! It’s super important to rest your mind and body as much as possible, even if you feel like you want to get straight back into your normal routine. Take it easy!

Can you share your feeding plan? And what you have learned with your previous children?
Things can always change but I breastfed both of my girls and hope to do so again this time around. This has always been something that is incredibly beautiful to me, although slightly painful and definitely time-consuming. I would like to incorporate bottle feedings into her routine as well, simply because I learned my lesson with my first born who would never take a bottle, no matter how hungry she was. With my second I incorporated one bottle feeding a week into her feedings at 2 weeks and she never had issues, so I am hoping to do the same so mom can have a break every so often!

Tell us about having a third daughter.
This was something we were very prepared for. We would have been beyond grateful to have a boy or girl but after having 2 girls and finding out baby #3 is a girl my heart just exploded with happiness. At this point my husband and I have come to the conclusion we can only make girls and we are completely ecstatic about that!

Are your daughters excited about the new baby?
BEYOND EXCITED! I was always worried about the age gap because it will be about 4 and 6 years but sharing the experience with them both so far has been nothing short of joyful. They want to know everything, feel every kick, kiss my belly every night and tell sis goodnight- it’s adorable. It makes me even more excited about when she arrives.

New baby’s name (if sharing)?
This is still undecided but we have a few in the mix!

What Motherhood styles are you loving right now?
Right now, the weather just took a turn for fall (yay)! I am very excited for oversized sweaters over high waisted fitted and stretchy skirts. This is a favorite outfit of mine so I can show off the bump while still maintaining some style!

What is the BEST thing about being a mom right now?
Right now both of my girls have such big personalities and their humor and creativity is in full bloom. It’s the best thing to hear your kids make a funny joke and giggle about it together. I think anytime I can hear those laughs is always the BEST thing about being a mama for me.

What is the MOST CHALLENGING thing about being a mom right now?
This new way of living through COVID. Any parent knows how difficult it’s been over the past year and a half and things seem to be going backwards at this point. All we want as parents is to give our kiddos the best possible childhood and navigating this has made that more difficult. Luckily, kids are resilient, and they adjust quickly if we offer them the right tools and positive mindset.

How do you juggle motherhood, your brand, and having a life?
First off, I am super lucky to have a supportive husband, without him I don’t think I could manage it all. Second, I have to have passion around what I am doing, otherwise it doesn’t end up being a priority to me and inevitably would fail, so everything I do for my business definitely has to drive me in a positive and creative direction. Lastly, and this is something I say for just about anything – listen to your mind and body. I take breaks a lot, find other things that bring me joy, and try not to stress too much about it all. All of these things are exciting and I am so grateful for them so I always want to try and keep that mindset. If I need a break or anything, I do it, no hesitations.

Tell us about  your website!
My website is basically a compilation of all the things I share. From goofy stories of the girls to difficult times maneuvering motherhood and tips & tricks, home decor, and all my favorite things wrapped into one space.

How did you get started?
I started my blog purely to give myself an outlet, as well as share our lives with family that don’t live close to us. I used to write every single day and I hope to start this again soon!

What type of content do you focus on? Any favorite posts you’d like to share?
My favorite posts are all from when the girls were younger and I was writing daily about everything. Some are insightful, some are hilarious, and some are just me needing to talk about motherhood but they are all vulnerable and I love having those memories to look back on.

Follow Andrea on Instagram! @andrea.coonrod
And keep following the Motherhood Road Trip to hear more about Andrea & Denver!