put a ring on it...

CONGRATULATIONS!!!  On a small beach in the Chicago's Northwest suburbs (yes there are beaches in Chicago) my sister's boyfriend Jerry popped the question last Saturday; ceasing the moment with the warm weather that came and went all in the same weekend.  Julie was shocked to say the least!!!  I had a good feeling Saturday morning when she told me they were headed to Wilmette for his brother's birthday, and sure enough by 3pm that afternoon Julie was blowing up my phone.  I am excited and thrilled for their big day in Cabo San Lucas!  I have big shoes to fill as she helped with every aspect of our wedding celebration in San Diego and Chicago!    Sending lots of love and calm vibes their way...wedding planning can consume and overwhelm, and the journey is only just beginning.  Happy Engagement J & J!!! XOXO

Little Flutters

Last Wednesday (May 18th) Ky and I went for a walk at Point Loma Nazarene University across the street from our house.  There are plenty of hills and the campus is beautiful right along the ocean; so we tend to frequent this area often.  As we were walking downhill I felt a strange feeling in my lower abdomen and immediately stopped in my tracks feeling my tummy.  After our last doctor's appointment we were told that I should start to feel the baby move, she described that it would be comparable to little flutters or that butterfly feeling in your stomach.  As I had my hand on my stomach for the first time ever I actually felt the baby move.  I was in complete shock and beyond excited.  I grabbed Ky's hand right away hoping he would be able to feel the baby as well, but no such luck.  I started to sob as this was finally feeling "real" to me.  I was overcome with happiness at that very moment.  When we arrived home I made sure to share the news with both of our Mom's.  Even though you still can't visibly tell that I am pregnant, I had confirmation that baby Reding is "moving" along just fine.

1+1=3

17 weeks and 6 days down!  As you know we have a bun in the oven!  And tomorrow will mark 18 weeks, or in other words, 4 1/2 months.  I was always confused when my pregnant friends would tell me in "weeks" how far along they were, or when you ask someone how old their son or daughter is and they tell you 22 months!  But now, being on the other side of the coin, I understand why everything is counted in weeks and months, and also understand that it is still frustrating to those that don't count that way.  Note taken, I am on your side.

Ky and I are beyond excited and grateful that we have made it through the woods and are now in the safe zone with the pregnancy.  I still pinch myself to simply be reminded that I am in fact pregnant.  I am patiently waiting to "pop" and or to have a pregnant belly...but I am sure in a few months I will miss these days when I can still manage to fit into my pre-maternity clothing and see my feet.  Luckily I have 2 girlfriends who recently had babies that offered to donate their maternity wardrobes to me.  I received 2 huge garbage bags from my girlfriend Mary, and Jen kindly sent me a 20 lb. box of maternity wear galore.  The problem is I like most of their maternity clothes more than my own clothes.  With their help I will be a stylish pregnant lady to say the least.

Along with clothes Mary also gave us some awesome baby stuff, including a car seat.  Someone in the family doesn't want to give up his spot as my baby.  I couldn't resist, and knew as soon as she set the seat on the floor that at some point he would make his way into that seat...not more than 15 minutes later...

On May 31st Ky and I will have our 2nd trimester ultra sound which I can hardly wait for.  Our first one was at 8 weeks and resembled more of a little blob than a baby.  Carly, one of the little girls I have watched for the past 8 years was with her Mom when I shared the news and showed her the photo.  She immediately began jumping up and down and crying.  Carly asked, "what Mom, what?"  So she showed Carly the picture and she said, "what is it, I don't see anything."  And Shannon said, "it's a baby Carly, they are having a baby."  Carly replied, "where Mom, I don't see a baby."  Ky and I couldn't stop laughing, and Carly was right, by the picture you certainly couldn't tell it was a baby.  Hopefully I will be able to post a picture of our baby in a few weeks....when you can actually tell it is a baby!

ZBB

Sunday night Ky and I went to see our first country concert together!  Hell has definitely frozen over.  Not only have Ky and I only been to a handful of concerts together (he typically isn't a fan of most of my music selections) but we have now been to 2 concerts in one month!  Record breaking indeed.

I took a cat nap on Sunday afternoon knowing that this night would not allow for my usual 9pm bedtime.  Our friends Jordan and Rachelle accompanied us to the show where we were all grateful to have bundled up for the chilly evening. 

Zac Brown Band put on an amazing performance and did some impressive covers as well!  Everyone around was singing and dancing their way through the show. 

Of course this morning I hit snooze 56 times; but it was worth every minute, and if you ever get a chance to check them out you will not be disappointed.
And who doesn't love a little Fried Chicken???

Custom from Calista

My girlfriend Calista is an artist in every sense of the word with a sense of creativity that blows my mind more often than not.  The sad thing is that I believe I can be creative at times with words, photos, decorating etc. but not standing next to my friend, at best I am an amateur!  She has not only been one of my influences to start my blog, but has also help me create and re-create my page a few times among the other countless creative things she has guided me in from helping with wedding stuff to just being a critical voice. 

To show you just how creative she is she actually has a website that showcases some of the beautiful handmade items she creates.  When you have a moment check out her website, she can ship anywhere in the US too!
http://customfromcalista.com/

A big thank you to my friend and a Happy Mother's Day to all!
Learning and growing from one another is a true gift, and I am beyond grateful for all the mother's that have helped me learn and grow over the years, especially my own mother! 

Can you guess what I have??

 And is now the size of an avocado...