play

Every time I blog, I wish that I had [more] time to do it. Truth is, I have so much to do on a daily basis that I have no choice but to eliminate something in order to a.) get the other things done.; and b.) keep my sanity. Ugh, priorities. The blog always causes anxiety when I think about what [I think] I want it to be. So much planning, so much dedication, and the pressure to be consistent in order to make it worthwhile. But you know what, screw that. For the last week, I’ve been in Los Angeles attending the Adobe Max (design) conference. And doing one small thing there made me realize that I can’t – and I don’t – want to stop playing. And if part of “playing” means blogging randomly about anything I want, with no pressure, then that is what I will do. 🙂 So, with that, I’m going to blog random art projects or photos or whatever I feel would be fun to share — with no pressure and without making content planning a part time job in itself. After all, all it takes is a blank canvas and some paints, a coloring book, or a big bed to have a little fun…

in our closet.

Anyone else itching to purge your (& your baby’s!) entire wardrobe in order to make room for new, pretty spring pieces!? I literally have stacks of clothes ready to drop off at Goodwill. The warm sun (well, thoughts of it here in Minnesnowta…) and fresh air makes me want to ditch the big sweaters and long down jacket — NOW! Welcome to my life again, pretty white tops, maxi skirts, and sandals! I’ve already had moments of weakness excitement for spring and clicked “buy now” a couple times without looking back. (#onlineshoppingaddict) Here’s a peek at some of the new items in our closets…

first birthday | pink ombre + gold glitter

Ahh, the much anticipated first birthday. The first birthday party of many to come… The theme: Pink Ombre+Gold Glitter. My thought was since this was one of about two birthday parties in which I get to call the shots, why not make it lovely and do exactly what I want to do [with no regards to the baby’s interests]. You know, because before I know it, she’ll demand (in a high-pitched 3-year old voice) that she wants a “Dora” party or some other equally-awful theme (sorry if any of you had a Dora party for your daughter…) that I would have to really flex my creative muscle in order to make visually appealing (and photo worthy). Back to Pink Ombre+Gold Glitter.. At the time of planning it, I thought I was pretty creative. But then I saw all over Pinterest that every other mommy was doing the same thing…

As a photographer, thoughts of getting the right photo takes priority for every decision in my mind. (any other photogs have that problem!? It’s kinda exhausting! But great too.)

That being said, I HAD to get not only amazingly-delicious, but gorgeous, cupcakes from my favorite gal at Miss Sara’s Cakery in Hastings. And instead of dusting off my KitchenAide mixer and making a cake for Finley that she would inevitably destroy, I paid $60 for a beautiful pink ombre cake (that was a light mint color inside!). Totally worth it for two reasons: 1. It looked amazing in her cake smash photos. 2. She barely destroyed it which meant that we got to eat it!

Who knew helium was so expensive (and that there is a shortage of it)!? After making multiple phone calls to see if various places could fill balloons I’d provide or rent out a helium tank, we ended up buying a disposable tank ($40) that filled close to 50 balloons. I tied various pink & gold ribbon to the balloons and cut them at all different lengths. Cory had the duty of buying washers from Home Depot (much cheaper than party stores!) to hold the balloons down. The outcome was even more than I expected… while Cory was annoyed trying to walk through a sea of balloons, I was in awe. (Helpful hint: if you buy a disposable helium tank, do not fill balloons even a day before the event. It doesn’t last long!)

In addition to the balloons, we had various pink flowers down the center of the tables (with a gold striped table runner made out of wrapping paper). I steered clear of roses since it was Valentine’s Day (seriously, $8 a stem!? No. The roses you’ll see in a photo were for me from my loving husband who remembered it was Valentine’s Day too!). I bought a tassel banner off etsy (here) and did some DIY glitter heart cupcake toppers and a “ONE” banner for the highchair. That was pretty much the extent of the decorations.

It was the perfect little party! We mingled, drank wine, and ate hors d’oeuvres before opening gifts and singing happy birthday to the birthday girl. I totally thought I would lose it during the singing but surprised myself and didn’t. And then my wonderful friend, Amanda, put together a video of the party that was enough to set me over the edge. If I saw it somewhere else, I would think about how much I wish I had a video like that of my baby’s birthday. I’m so lucky!

As if we wouldn’t remember her first birthday well enough, Finley helped us out by achieving another milestone — pooping in the bathtub! Way to go, little lady!

Here’s a photo recap of her big day… (and don’t forget to watch the video at the end!)

infographic love

Wow. Wow. Wow. I am beyond excited & humbled by the outpouring of love for the one-year infographic I posted for Finley’s birthday. I’ve gotten so much interest in doing custom designs for people around the world. First off,  I definitely want to and am going to try with all I have to do custom orders for everyone interested! I just need to figure out the logistics of it all to ensure I can complete them, not only for each one of you, but also in a timely matter. So please bear with me for a little while longer! My hope/plan currently is to list the infographic as a product in my etsy shop as an easy way for anyone to place an order and communicate with me. I also plan to offer a mounted print or canvas of the artwork as an additional option to the digital file. I will reply back or email each one of you as soon as possible to get things rolling. In the meantime, I thought a blog post would be a good way to communicate quickly so people aren’t left hanging for long. 🙂 I have a few other ideas brewing in my head that I am excited about too… Stay tuned! And thank you, thank you, thank you for the love!! I’ll leave you with a sneak peek of Finley’s 1st birthday photo shoot…

happy birthday, baby!

It’s one of those moments in life when my feelings clash… like it was just yesterday that she was born, yet at the same time, it feels like forever ago! I will be saying the same thing on her 25th birthday, no doubt. (omg, I’ll be 55 then!) Regardless, I cannot believe my teeny-tiny-newborn-valentine-baby-girl is one year old today. More posts about my first year of raising a daughter, thoughts on being a mommy to a one year old, along with a first birthday party recap, will happen in the near future, but for now, an infographic in celebration of her big day! Happy Birthday, baby girl!

(Visit my etsy shop (or click on image!) to order your own infographic like this and more!)

life as a mama | a “new normal”

I knew life would forever be different, but there are no words, no advice, no books, nor countless stories from experienced parents that can prepare you for parenthood. When we got home with Finley, we looked at each other, confused, as if it was our first day of kindergarten, with no clue what to do next. I felt so lost, I wished I was back in the hospital for a couple more days to feel be taken care of. The first few nights, we slept with our lights on (dimmed) because, heaven forbid I couldn’t see my baby if I opened my eyes. Feeding/changing her countless times in the middle of the night was a huge production. Cory and I would both get up, turn on lights, fumble around to make a bottle, get pooped and peed on while changing our crying baby’s diaper. The whole ordeal would take at least an hour. We were zombies during the day the entire first week month. And the first week is when everybody and their brother wants to visit. Bless their hearts.. 🙂

If this trailer of “Up All Night” doesn’t sum it up, I don’t know what does. I cannot stop laughing when I watch this!

The swearing, the crying, the wipes… the freaking wipes! They stick together and you can never get just ONE out with one hand while the other hand is holding the baby’s legs so her feet don’t get in the poopy diaper.

Cory and I also had a moment when we looked at each other and said, “We need to get out of the house”. We felt like prisoners in our own home. But, going out in public was also a huge production… Was she just fed? Is her diaper clean? Is she sleeping? Ok, Go! Fast! And God help us if she starts crying when we are in a store. It happened in Target and we [sorta] panicked. No one wants to be “the lady with the crying baby”. I stayed in the aisle with the screaming baby while Cory ran to another aisle to get a bottle of water so we could make a bottle for her (see, we weren’t even prepared enough to have a bottle ready in public!). By the time he got back, she had stopped crying. The good news is, when the baby is that little, people just give sad, puppy-dog-eye faces and think it’s so sweet, versus when the child is a little older, you get glares while they think “OMG. Control your bratty little child, lady!”. Can’t wait until those days…

My parents stayed with us the first week. I’m not sure we would have made it through that week without their help. Chances are, Lucy would have starved to death and us to, for that matter. One night, my mom stayed up in the living room while Finley slept in her cradle until she woke up for her first feeding so we could “go to bed” for a couple hours without the anxiety of Finley being next to us, needing us. Something so small, yet so wonderful.

There is no doubt that I wore the same two outfits every day for two months. (I’m sure Cory was really attracted to me.) I was so proud and felt accomplished with each little thing I may have gotten done in one day; whether it be a shower, a prepared meal, or doing the dishes. My biggest milestone that first week was when I figured out how to pump and do my makeup at the same time. First epic fail as a mama: spilling the pumped milk all over the bathroom floor. I could just cry [over spilled milk]!

I’m somewhat ashamed to admit it, but there was a night or two when I woud rock Finley’s cradle with one arm off the side of the bed, telling her to “Go the F to sleep. Please. You are an infant. You are suppose to sleep“, then instantly feel so mean for using the F word directly to my sweet, innocent daughter. (But rest assured, she’s a baby and doesn’t know good from bad [words] yet.)

Though amazing, those first couple months weren’t very glamorous. But, truth is, my life is so much richer and full of love than it’s ever been before. Between a happy marriage to my handsome husband who would do anything for me [and I for him], an adorable dog who is loved more than most dogs [and is part human, I’m pretty sure], and now this healthy, beautiful little baby who is all ours (all ours!!), there is so much love. So much happiness. I feel incredibly lucky+blessed every. single. day.

I mean, does it get much better than this:

Finley is just over three months old now and I finally feel like we’ve [sort of] gotten the hang of things. This “new normal” is pretty darn wonderful. She’s been such a good little baby… She rarely cries, loves her nuk, enjoys bath time, smiles when I use the bulb suction to suck boogers out of her little nose every day (seriously!), lets me dress her up in multiple outfits and take way too many pictures of her, and will go from breastfeeding to a bottle [that is only room temperature] with no hesitation. She’s not picky! She’s been smiling since she was four days old and is just one happy, easy going baby! I know the days will come when she’ll seem like the naughtiest little girl in the world (while people glare at me and think I should control my kid), but I’ll still love her to pieces and all the while, still think she’s the best little girl in the world too…

Because she is. 🙂

finley | 02.14.2013

Finally, I’m back! I’ve been having thoughts of blogging for weeks now, but hadn’t found the creative juices (or energy… or time…) to sit down and get the job done until now. And what better time to do so than on my sweet daughter’s 1-month birthday! I always used to secretly chuckle about how [new] parents always go on and on about how they “cannot believe their baby is 1-month, 6-months, or a year old” — asking “where has the time gone”. Well, consider me guilty. It definitely is hard to believe she is already a month old! But it’s also one of those situations where it feels like forever ago that I was at the hospital in labor, yet it feels like just yesterday. I know, totally doesn’t make sense.

To kick off blogging again, I thought I’d fill it with a fun Finley infographic vs. a wordy post. In the near future, I will blog about my “birth story” and other thoughts+feelings+stories (+pictures!) of this wonderful world of motherhood…

week 36+37 | full term!

Guess. What. It’s February, people. That means we have officially entered the month our baby girl will join us in this world (well, most likely)! I’ve heard it’s a pretty awesome month to be born… 🙂 It also means I am considered full term. FULL TERM! omg. Even though the end is in sight, it still doesn’t seem real-real. When I’m feeling really “normal” (i.e. In a position where it doesn’t feel like I swallowed a basketball), there is sometimes an extremely brief moment I forget that I am even pregnant. And, all along throughout pregnancy (obviously knowing the outcome at the end of those 40ish weeks is, in fact, a real baby), sometimes it just seems like you’ll be pregnant forever. And then, wham!, you are 37 weeks and you have to remind yourself that it really is going to happen… any-day-now-soon. The anticipation is killing me! As if I can decide or play a factor in when she arrives, I’ve already been contemplating when to start the natural forms of inducing labor (spicy food, walking, foot massage.. among other things). Conversations in my head have gone something like this:

“Probably should wait until after the child birth class on Saturday…”

“Or maybe do it before and I’ll go into labor while we are actually at the hospital [for the class]! How convenient!” (update: no such luck.)

“No no, maybe it should be after my doctor is back from vacation next week..”

“Or maybe it would best to wait until after my baby shower at work..”

And then I remember that this whole thing isn’t up to me. Pretty sure little miss kochendorfer will come when she wants to! I’m anxiously patiently waiting for some signs that will give me an mama’s inkling as to when it will happen though. Instead of focusing on the “scary” aspect of what’s to come (labor+delivery), I’m focusing on the “exciting” aspect and cannot wait!

In anticipation of the end being near, a few things I’ve been daydreaming about…

Gloriously laying flat on my stomach, utilizing my wardrobe again and all the fun shirts I haven’t been able to wear for months, sitting up without grunting, enjoying a delicious glass (or two) of red wine, buttoning (or zipping) my coat all the way up (especially in this freezing-ass weather!), sleeping (or is this just wishful thinking for the next few years??), whitening my teeth, s-u-s-h-i, sitting in a hot tub, and jumping on a trampoline. Ok, so those last couple aren’t things I do on a regular basis but when you know you can’t do something, that’s when you want to the most! So, I’ll find myself a hot tub and a trampoline (remember… Sky Zone…) just as soon as I can. 🙂

I don’t know for sure, but I may have a mild case of nesting going on… maybe. I’ve organized a few [junk] drawers here and there, dusted the legs of the dining room chairs, and I also did all the “baby laundry”! It (baby laundry) was so much fun! The whole laundry room smelled like “baby”. (Because as a first time mama, why yes, of course I bought the baby detergent, Dreft.) Her clothes look so incredibly teeny+cute hanging in the closet.

I also have a little stockpile of baby goods to take with to the hospital all ready to go… (not shown, but was given the helpful tip to also bring a Boppy!)

My crafty mom has been busy again. She recently mailed me more goods that she whipped right up. A knit baby hat & matching leg warmers, a Boppy cover, and a crib sheet… Totally cute, right?! (It’s so fun having a mom who can do this kinda stuff! What will she make next…)

Lucy is always so willing to test things out before baby k just to make sure all is ok. Yeah, I know, such a sweet+caring big sis. The leg warmers have been approved!

Kind of a cute story that is totally a coincidence but I can pretend it’s not.. The other night, baby k wasn’t moving a ton so I was poking at her, asking her why she was so sleepy, trying to get her to move more (because if you’ve been pregnant, you know the worry it causes when the baby isn’t moving much, right!). I said out loud, “You aren’t moving because daddy’s not home, are you!” (Cory was at work) Awhile later, I heard music to my ears (the sound of Cory’s car pulling into the garage), and in walked Cory, home early from work (best feeling ever as a cop wife). And after he sat down and we started talking, baby k started kicking up a storm. No. lie. Cory thinks it’s because she’s going to be a daddy’s girl, obviously. That’s cool, that’s cool…. As long as she’s a mama’s girl too. 🙂

The near future’s “baby” checklist:

1. Paint/finish rocking chair. (photos to come)

2. Finish ruler board for baby room. (photos to come)

3. Clean out car & install car seat.

4. Clean house.

5. Have baby.

(Not necessarily in that order.) 🙂

full term!

As you can see, I’m rocking somewhat of an “outtie” belly button through my shirt.. I can’t quite pinpoint how I feel about this yet. When I’m in public, I kinda feel like I’m exposing something, almost like too much cleavage in a really low cut shirt. Anyone else feel that way when it happened to them??

week 35 | baby shower recap

so thankful. every day.

I felt was so spoiled over the weekend — all I did was open gift after gift for myself (well, for the baby?). Not only was it my baby shower, but my [immediate] family and I also celebrated a faux Christmas together since Cory and I didn’t venture to northern MN this year for the holiday. For years, I’ve been wondering when I would stop being spoiled by my parents [on Christmas]. When I graduated high school? No. Surely then, when I got married? No. Said goodbye to my 20s? No. Then it must be when I give them somethingone else to love more than they love me (a granddaughter!), right?? I’m close to finding out if that’ll be the case (I’ll keep you posted)! But, the weekend definitely was no indication of it happening. I will be perfectly ok with becoming an official adult not being spoiled anymore and know that if my daughter is spoiled (because obviously she will be), it’ll feel like I am too. 🙂

The night before my baby shower brought back visions+memories of the chaotic+insane+exhausting week before our wedding… Good memories of course… mostly. My parents and I (Cory would have been along for it all had he not been working) ventured to about seven different places in three hours… picking things up, returning things, and buying supplies+food for the next day. My Mom and I had our own personal chauffeur as my Dad dropped us off at the door of every place we went before coming in (thanks, Dad!). The rest of the evening was spent preparing delicious foods, cleaning, and putting up the most lovely decorations, with a brief break to devour pizza at 9pm! Huge thank you shout out to all who helped: Mom+Dad, sister+Nick, & cousin Margaret+Jake! THANK YOU! There is no way I would have gone to bed by 1am without each person’s contribution!

(Who loves pictures?!)

More sweet baby goodness from the weekend:

only a preview of all the fabulous gifts I was given…!

And, the conclusion of the curse of the curtains saga! Are you ready? I’m in love love love with how our sweetie’s room is turning out. A modern twist with just the right touch of girliness. When I run upstairs for something, I pause for a good 30 seconds to stare at her room before running back down [with a smile on my face]. Still working on the finishing touches but here’s where we’re at..

Here’s a close up of the artwork above the crib (printed on a metallic-sheen paper and designed by me (although kind of a knock-off of things I saw online)… 🙂 The middle frame will eventually have a B+W photo of her [or all of us] in it after she is born.

And take a peek at this ah-mazing baby quilt my equally amazing mom made for us.. I am so in love with it!! It’s perfect. She even hand quilted it! I’m going to love it forever and I think little baby girl will too. 🙂

(did I mention that she made the curtains for us as well? Complete with black-out liners to keep it nice and dark while naps are in session…)

Today is January 23, which means that I am exactly one month from my due date — February 23! Let the countdown begin. 🙂

35 WEEKS!

weeks 33+34 | countdown is on!

I wish it was true that I feel like I’m 90 years old because I just did a kick-ass workout at the gym yesterday (a girl can pretend, right?). Nope, instead it’s due to falling on my arse (thanks, invisible ice) and a little preggo bowling over the weekend. The good news: I didn’t hit my head or baby bump whatsoever (kept the bambino safe!). Bad news: a hole in my beloved Lulu Studio Pants. So, so sad. As for bowling.. I figured it would be interesting to try to bowl with what seems like an actual bowling ball attached to my mid-section already. I was right. I took bowling form to a whole new level. To be on the safe side, I used the lightest ball I could find and I threw the ball so gently (really, it was all I could manage!) that sometimes it barely knocked down the pins! (I’m happy to report I did bowl a 105 despite my goofy pregnancy form!)

We took another step towards making this whole baby thing real life last week — a crib! I made Cory wait until I got home from work to put it together because I wanted to help watch.  With each new thing we do, I think Lucy knows something is seriously up. She made sure to be part of the process from beginning to end…

building the crib.

love it.

I had been waiting for this day for a long time, dreaming of putting Lucy inside the crib for a little photo shoot. Usually she’s not impressed with being forced to sit in random places for photos, but she seemed quite content with the crib. In fact, she ended up laying down and gazing out the window. It’s like a giant dog bed! If I’m not careful, we might find her snuggled next to her baby sis sometime in the future…!

just chillin’ in baby sister’s crib.

Doesn’t she look so freaking adorable in there!? Especially with the pink bow around her neck… 🙂

More sweet baby girl goodness:

Hat from Bekima Knits  |  Baby Sling from Zulily

I can just imagine a little chubby-cheeked, 6-month old in that hat! Hello, photo opps when that day comes… 🙂

More on Week 33+34:

Whacky Pregnancy Hormones: I blame it on pregnancy. It has to be. Lately, the smallest, dumbest things annoy the crap out of me! Even the fact that I get annoyed by things annoys me because I can’t control it.. Yikes! Cory gets the joy of hearing about what’s bugging me. So do my mom+sister, usually. [Thanks for hearing me out!]

Germaphobe: Something I totally am not. Usually. I’ve never been the type of person to get all worked up by a few germs. (Heck, I feed Lucy bites off my spoon (don’t judge!) and give her licks of my ice cream cone.) But this whole influenza nastiness going around has given me a change of heart. I am terrified of getting sick during these last six weeks of pregnancy, not to mention the weeks (+months) after bringing the babers home! The other day, for the first time ever, I grabbed one of those “cart wipes” at Target and wiped off my cart before shopping. And I won’t use stair railings in public and find myself getting really grossed out at the thought of who may have touched something before me. (The absolute worst might be going into a public restroom stall immediately after a stranger comes out… gross gross gross!!)

In addition to be especially germaphobic right now and simply using common sense as a pregnant woman, I finally got a flu shot! I don’t think I’ve ever gotten one, but this year it was imperative. I feel so much better knowing I got it, but will continue to cross my fingers I don’t get sick during the two week window it takes for the vaccine to take effect.

01.12.2013: Little did I know on this day exactly five years ago (2008), I would meet the man who would now be my baby daddy (I use this term as a joke, just FYI). I told him that was the luckiest day of his life (totally was). But really, it was mine too. I couldn’t be more grateful+blessed+happy to have him as my husband and don’t know what I’d do without him.

Baby Fever: Over the weekend I had two photo shoots that involved FOUR newborn babies! Talk about making me super duper excited to meet and hold my baby! Be sure to pop over to my facebook page to see photos of the sweet babies…

What’s next?: My last bi-weekly doctor appointment and then I move on to weekly appointments… How did this happen so quick!?

This weekend is my baby shower! I’m so excited. My sister and I are having so much fun planning all the details — decorations, food, etc. Photo recap of the event coming next week! In my next life I’m totally going to be an event planner…

As [super] excited as I am to meet this little girly, I also am a little freaked out just how quickly it’s approaching. I still feel like I have a million things to do before her arrival and am not sure I’ll have enough time to get it all done. Lets hope this so-called “nesting” business kicks in sooner than later! One thing that I always remember and keep in mind is that there is nothing that is going to make me feel “ready” to bring home an infant and know what to do with her. It will just happen, we’ll take it as it comes, and learn as we go. It’s going to be an amazing+crazy+emotional rollercoaster+gratifying+sleep deprived+heart warming+pure joy+unconditional love overload! Bring it on.

Check out my 34-week bowling ball…

34 Weeks | bowling!