Friday, July 30, 2010

211/365


211/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
When Kenzie was born, I had the hardest time finding any shoes that actually fit her teeny tiny feet. Even newborn shoes seemed really large, but fortunately, she was born in July so shoes weren't always necessary. Baby #2 will be a fall baby, and well I can't have my baby be shoeless...me being as shoe obsessed as I am.

I saw these today, and had to pick them up. They were just too cute to not get, and assuming this baby will be like Kenzie (and most newborns) her feet will probably feet these just fine.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

210/365


210/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Uninspired to take a photo tonight. I just got too caught up with other things and didn't get around to taking any photos today. This is just an old music box that was mine when I was a child. I think it came from Germany. I also think I may have photographed it at some point in the last year or two already. Oh well.

Spent almost 2 hours at the pediatrician's office for a routine 2 year check up, in which during that time Kenzie had a tantrum/breakdown. We were supposed to go to the lab after the doctor appointment so they could do a routine lead test, but got there to find a sign on the door that said "Closed... Be back at 2:15" Considering it was just before 1:30 I did not feel like waiting around for another 45 minutes. So instead, we left, walked home and will just go back tomorrow or one day next week. It was annoying to already be there and not be able to get this done. I feel like I'm constantly back and forth at the doctor as it is just being pregnant, so another trip for something that should ideally take less than 5 minutes is just annoying.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

209/365 /// Week 30 of 52

"In the summer all the lights would shine
there'd be music playin'
people laughin' all the time"

- the national, mansion on the hill -

I went to the Container Store to see what they had for shoe and toy organization. I'm definitely in a nesting mode. I'm constantly trying to get things organized. I got some cute little, pink storage boxes with a cat face on the top that double as stools for little kids. We have a cheapy plastic table from Ikea for Kenzie to sit and play at, but the chairs we have are too tall. These little stools are just the right size, and I can store items inside them, not to mention they can be pushed all the way under the table completely out of the way when they aren't being used.

I ended up buying an over the door shoe rack that holds 36 pairs of shoes. I was hoping to use it to store all my flats and sandals. Unfortunately, our bedroom door does not have enough room behind it to even be able to open the door all the way. It can be mounted to a wall, and I think it will fit on the wall at the end of our closet and still give us room to install more shelves for additional storage. I was really hoping it would fit behind the door, so I could get all the shoes organized before John came home from work, but I am going to need his help getting this thing hung on the wall.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

208/365


208/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
"The ghost who walks
she's on the prowl
for the man she loved,
he cut her down
it was an ordinary night in June
when he drove her to the lake
so they could watch the full moon"

- karen elson, the ghost who walks -
.
.
.
Just a photo of another wall decal that I put up a couple of days ago in our office. The wall with the window is angled, so it's impossible to hang anything on it, but wall decals work out perfectly. This was just an inexpensive one that my mom actually had picked up at TJ Maxx. It works well with the Bird on a Wire decal we also have on the wall, and it makes the room look more complete. I think I'm done with artwork in the office now.

Monday, July 26, 2010

207/365


207/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
There can only be one "K".

I think we may have decided on a baby name, but we're not revealing it just yet. We were between two names that we both like, and one starts with "K", but since we call Kenzie "K" we might be opting for the other name. Also, while I was in the hospital last week, one of the resident doctor's had this same name. I think it may have been a sign that we should go with that name. Most likely we will still use the other "K" name for the middle name though.

In other baby news, I cleared out the lower half of what used to be my shoe closet, but is now going to be Baby #2's closet. We still need to figure out the organization in our own closet, but for now I managed a way to get things into it that won't drive me too crazy until we get more shelves and storage. I just need to finish clearing the closet out, touch up the walls with some paint, and the nursery is just about ready.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

206/365


206/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
We finally had some time to blow up the new pool that I bought for Kenzie, and of course, today is nowhere near as hot as it has been. I had bought a pool earlier this summer, but it was so hard to drain the water out of it, so we rarely used it. The new one is much smaller, has a drain, and has a fun sprinkler feature. It might be smaller, but it's a lot more fun. We've been using the bubble maker too when we are out in the yard. She loves trying to catch the bubbles. Since it was a little windier today the bubbles were going all over the place.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

205/365


205/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Currently listening to:
artist: David Bowie
song: All The Young Dudes


This morning we found Zoe, our dog, sleeping in Kenzie's bed since we had laundry on ours. Once Kenzie discovered that the dog was in her bed, she had to climb in and join her.

We had a lot of rain overnight, and unfortunately with all the rain we got water in our basement. This is the second time that has happened since we moved in 5 years ago. The last time it happened was a similar heavy rain, but at that time we didn't realize that the boxes in the corner of the basement were sitting in water, and months later we discovered that most of the stuff in those boxes was ruined. This time there isn't as much sitting on the floor that would be ruined, but it is an annoyance to find water all over the floor. I did my best to mop up what I could, but some of it is just going to have to dry on it's own.

Friday, July 23, 2010

204/365


204/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
I ordered this dress about a week ago, and it arrived on Wednesday. (I know you can't see it...I didn't really feel like setting up the tripod.) When I got a chance to try it on yesterday, I knew it was going to need some modifications to make it work. It was really inexpensive to start with, so rather than return it, I figured I could alter it myself. The skirt part was really full and just too moo-moo-ish for my taste. I figured if I took it in several inches on each side it would work out just fine. It's still full, but not as full, and definitely not a moo-moo anymore. The bust needed a little modification too, since it just did not lay right. Lastly, the length was MUCH longer than pictured. It hit right at the widest part of my calf, and I thought it would hit more at the knee. So I cut 3 inches off the length and hemmed it, so now it hits right at mid-knee which is much more flatterning. After those few modifications, it looks so much better. So a few changes, and I was able to wear it on this really hot and humid day. And the bonus? This is not a maternity dress, but because of the style I can wear it now and later. I might take it in some more after the baby is born, but it might be just fine even without the baby bump.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

203/365


203/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
I'm playing catch up with my 365 tonight. A few weeks ago I had to go in for the routine glucose tolerance test to test for gestational diabetes during this pregnancy. I failed the one hour pretty miserably, so had to go back for the 3 hour test. I wasn't too shocked about this, since I had to do this for my first pregnancy. What shocked me was how badly I failed that one hour. So I tried to watch what I ate more closely, and then went back about a week later for the 3 hour test. Nothing more fun than sitting in a lab for 3 hours doing nothing but reading and waiting to get blood drawn. I did that this past Friday, and got a call on Monday that I failed 2 out of the 4 blood draws, and the other 2 were borderline, but since I failed the one hour I had to go and be admitted for a 24 hour stay at the hospital for diabetic management. Yesterday I went to Rush and was admitted for my 24 hour stay. Oddly all of my glucose test results were really good, and the nurses joked if I even needed to be there for this. Now I just have to watch my carb intake and test my glucose every morning and every 2 hours after my meals.

As for this photo....Kenzie's daybed finally arrived this morning. So far she loves it. Maybe I'll luck out and she'll sleep until at least 7:30 tomorrow morning.

202/365


202/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three

201/365


201/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three

Monday, July 19, 2010

200/365


200/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
The day started well, but has since gone downhill...





....I've had better days.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

199/365


199/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Currently reading:
My Fair Lazy, by Jen Lancaster

We didn't do too much today. Kenzie woke us up a little later today (7:30), which was nice. Since she got her big girl mattress (the bed finally gets delivered on Wednesday), she's been coming into our bedroom to greet us in the morning. It took her a couple of days before she figured out she could open her door, which I crack open at night, but once she did she started greeting us in the mornings around 7:30...then 7:00, and 6:50. We really hoped she would sleep until at least 7:30 today, which she did. I'm not used to this early morning waking up, since she almost always woke up at 8:30, and since she was in a crib just played quietly with the toys in the crib until I decided to get out of bed around 9 or even 9:30. I'm hoping for another 7:30 morning tomorrow, but I'm guessing she'll be up once she hears John getting ready for work in the morning.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

198/365


198/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
crown fountain
millennium park
chicago, il

We headed out in the 90 degree weather today to enjoy a free concert at the Pritzker Pavillion in Millennium Park. We went to see Sybris, a local Chicago band, play at noon. We had seen them a few times before, but we don't get to shows as often anymore since we have a toddler now. So we found some shady seats in the pavillion, enjoyed the show, grabbed some lunch at the Park Grill afterward, and then headed over to Crown Fountain so that Kenzie could play in the water. She had a lot of fun running through the water. I stayed on the sidelines while Daddy and K walked through the water for about 15-20 minutes. She was soaked by the time we left, but we were just planning to do some quick shopping at Old Navy before heading back on the L train to go home. She had so much excitement (and heat!) for one day that she fell asleep before we even got to the train, waking only briefly when we got home and changed her out of her wet clothes, then slept for another couple of hours. She woke up in time for us to decide to go pick up some food for dinner. We ended the day staying in the a/c and watching "Up in the Air" which I really enjoyed.

Friday, July 16, 2010

197/365


197/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
I didn't have any photos taken for today, so I just snapped a couple of John. So here is a rare husband photo for the 365.

John was away this week in L.A. for work. He left Monday, and got back around midnight last night. He worked from home today, which was a great help, since I needed to go do the glucose test for gestational diabetes. I failed the one hour and unfortunately had to go back for the three hour. This happened with Kenzie, and I passed the three hour. I'm really hoping for the same results this time around. There is something just so draining (no pun intended) about sitting in a lab for 3+ hours and having blood drawn every hour. I think I read all I could read to last me for the next week. I was so tired by the time I got home, I ate some lunch and ended up taking a nap while Kenzie took one.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

196/365


196/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
"And once in a while,
I know our hearts beat out of time.
And once in a while,
I know they'll fall back in line."

- the rural alberta advantage, in the summertime -

When it's cold outside and the snow is on the ground, I look forward to summer. When it's hot, humid, and sticky, I look forward to the cooler days of fall. Today is one of those days in Chicago, where you just step outside and you feel sweaty, instantly.

Needless to say, after walking to and from Kenzie's dance class this morning, we have decided to just hide out indoors for the rest of the day. Not even shopping will drag me back out there.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

195/365 /// Week 28 of 52

27 weeks /// 7 months

Officially 7 months pregnant today. It's hard to believe how fast the last 7 months have gone. It's another hot and humid day today too, so I'll probably be spending most of my time hiding out in the air conditioning. It's one of those days though, where I feel like doing something other than hanging out at home. I'm trying hard to avoid shopping though, since we've spent quite a bit of money the last few weeks. I know if I just go out "window shopping" I'll end up wanting to buy something so best to just avoid it all together.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

194/365


194/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Kenzie started her two week summer dance class today, but instead of waking up at her normal 8:30 time, she was up at 7:30 playing in her room with her new toys from her birthday. She was full of energy when we went to the dance class, which was much more full than her last session, which only had 4 kids total. This class had 8 or 9 kids, all girls. Kenzie seemed to have a really good time meeting new kids, and also seeing some familiar faces.

Monday, July 12, 2010

193/365


193/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
This was Kenzie's 2nd birthday present from John and I. I had wanted to get her a little kitchen for awhile, and decided it would be perfect for her birthday. I had liked this one because I like the style, and it's a nice small scale. We intended to put it together on Saturday night, but got a little distracted so ended up putting it together Sunday morning before her party started in the afternoon. She loves it. Since a few people knew we were getting her this they got her some fun food toys to use with it. She is having so much fun playing with this. This afternoon she and I sat at her little table and had a tea party with the Fisher Price tea pot set she got from my parents. She really loves the pouring sound it makes and kept "refilling" our cups.

192/365 | Elmo Cupcakes

For Kenzie's 2nd Birthday

Yesterday was Kenzie's second birthday. About a week or two ago I decided that instead of buying a cake or cupcakes, I would just bake some and decorate them with an Elmo theme. She LOVES Elmo these days, so it was perfect. I baked from scratch some chocolate mud cupcakes that I know have gone over well in the past, and since they were a heavier and more cake-like consistency I knew they would work out well in place of birthday cake. Of course, I was so busy with things on Saturday, that I didn't get around to decorating the cupcakes until 10 p.m. that night. Fortunately, I had baked the 2 dozen cupcakes I needed earlier in the day. I could not find red sprinkles anywhere, so had to make do with the red sugar sprinkles. Some recipes I found suggested using orange gumdrops for the nose, but I found these red sour cherry candies that worked out well, and the flavor went really well with the chocolate. The eyes are white icing with chocolate chips. When I was almost finished I started running low on white icing so opted to make "2" cupcakes. These two cupcakes were the cupcakes I pulled to the side for Kenzie. Unfortunately, since we waited too long to get to the cake, she was pretty tired and crabby from missing a nap and having too much fun with everybody, and basically wanted nothing to do with her cupcakes. I think she also was pretty upset to see the 2 candle burning so closely to her beloved Elmo (the candle was on the 2 cupcake). She ended up having some of her 2 cupcake tonight after dinner.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

191/365 | 2 year photoshoot

Tomorrow Kenzie turns 2, so today I decided to try and get some shots of her for her 2 year portrait. It is hard trying to get a very active toddler to do what you want. I set up a backdrop and everything, but she wanted to be everywhere but where I wanted her to be. Oh well, I did get some cute photos, and tomorrow hope to get some more in her party dress. Today she wore her Eiffel Tower top and pants that were a gift from our friends Nora and Mike. I had been saving it for her to wear around her birthday, because I knew I wanted to use it as part of the photoshoot.

Today was also a big day because Kenzie's big girl mattress was delivered. Since the husband is away for business next week, we moved the crib out of her room, to make room for her daybed which should hopefully be delivered while he is gone. It already shipped, just waiting now for the delivery company to call and schedule the actual delivery. She was upset and confused watching us take the crib apart (so we could get it through her door and into the nursery), but once she saw her mattress she was very excited. We tried to have her take a nap on the mattress, since there would be no chance of her getting hurt if she fell off, but she ended up finding too much freedom and opted to play with all her toys instead. So she ended up sleeping in the crib in the nursery. We just put her down for bed a little while ago on the mattress, and so far she has stayed in bed. Hopefully, she'll stay there the rest of the night. I guess we'll find out what happens. I'm hoping she gets enough rest to not be crabby for her birthday party tomorrow.

Friday, July 09, 2010

190/365 /// Week 27 of 52

"And I feel so lucky sometimes
I've got a feeling I've been here before
I can see the world for what it really is"

- lush, I've been here before -

Just a quick self portrait, since I don't think I took one this week yet for my 52 Weeks project. I'm pretty sure almost all of my sp's have been taken with the 50mm. I can't help it, I really like that lens.

Thursday, July 08, 2010

189/365 | Modern Baby Clock Owl

"Baby Lee I'm only trying to remind you
they had me in mind oh yeah when they designed you
and Baby Lee I'm always watching from a distance
oh marry marry me oh baby now I am insisting"

- teenage fanclub, baby lee -


The rest of the art for the home office arrived today. This clock is 5x7 and is laser cut bamboo. It's small, but really cute.

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

188/365 | Toms


188/365 | Toms
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
I had been wanting a pair of Toms for awhile and then when I saw that I could get Kenzie a matching pair, I couldn't resist. It still took me some time before I finally ordered them, but I am so happy I did. Not only are they really comfy (and cute!), but for every pair of shoes sold a child in need gets a brand new pair of shoes. So two kids are getting new shoes because of my shoe addiction. ;)

Tuesday, July 06, 2010

187/365


187/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Our Hero Design prints arrived today for the home office. So after John came home from work, we headed over to Michael's to get some frames, so we can get them hung on the wall. The home office is coming together. I still cannot believe it took us almost 5 years to redo this room.

The Autumn print is hanging above John's desk, and the Owl Always Love You print is hanging over my desk. They are absolutely perfect for the orange wall.

Monday, July 05, 2010

186/365


186/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Sometimes when you have no ideas for what should be your photo of the day, you look over and think that maybe the reflection in the lamp might work.

So this is what you get for today. I had a headache all day, and really bad baby heartburn all day, and really was not feeling very inspired. Hopefully, tomorrow I will have better ideas.

185/365


185/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Spent the day at home. A couple of friends came by late in the afternoon. John made baba ghanoush, shish kabobs, and lemon dill rice. We had chocolate mousse cake for dessert, and then went outside and watched the fireworks that our police officer neighbor sets off each year.

This is my photo for Sunday, July 4th. It was late, and I forgot I still needed to take a photo.

184/365 /// Week 26 of 52

On Saturday, we headed out to my hometown to celebrate my grandma's 85th birthday. John was fixing our roof from a leak that started awhile ago, so I had some time to snap some self-portraits. I realized that morning I still needed to do my 52 Weeks shot.

This is my photo for Saturday, July 3rd, and I'm now halfway through my 52 Weeks project.

Friday, July 02, 2010

183/365 | *yawn*


183/365 | *yawn*
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
Somebody decided to climb into our bed this morning and get underneath the covers. In the last week or two, she started climbing up onto our bed and will just sit there and look at her books or play with her toys. A couple of nights ago, when it was almost her bedtime, she climbed into our bed and got underneath the blankets. Today she did the same thing. I think it's about time we consider buying her the big girl bed.

Thursday, July 01, 2010

182/365


182/365
Originally uploaded by daisy plus three
"All dressed in uniforms so fine,
They drank and killed to pass the time,
Wearing the shame of all their crimes,
With measured steps, they walked in line."

- joy division, walked in line -

I ordered these t-shirts for John and myself a couple weeks ago from Threadless, and they finally arrived yesterday. All proceeds go to the Gulf Restoration Network. If it was available in a kid/toddler size I would have gotten one for K too, but they only had them for adults.