Hello Teething...please go away

Expect the unexpected.  Especially when it comes to babies.  Ever changing.
Jack is a dream, from what I have experienced thus far in his 4 short months.  Even tempered, easy to please, smiles that melt your heart, a good eater, good sleeper etc. 
The teething has begun, and now I know I have the next 16 months of this to look forward to, as does he, poor guy.  Good thing we teeth at such a young age.  I can only imagine the pain he is going through, and it is certainly best not to remember this time indeed.

Fast forward to 7 months old....FINALLY, we feel a tooth poking through on the bottom.  It has just pushed through the surface in the last week, and he is chewing on EVERYTHING he can get into his mouth.  My hair, books, papertowels, toys, hands, his socks/feet, the remote, cell phones...you name it, his hands grab hold and in his mouth the object goes.  At this stage he is very similar to a Lab puppy, thankfully we don't ever leave Jack unattended for any period of time where he might have the opportunity to destroy a closet full of shoes, doors and or even couches as many Lab owners are all to familiar with.

7 months has been a big milestone for not only Jack but for myself as well.  As of May 29th I am officially done breastfeeding and pumping, just in time for his first tooth :)  The timing couldn't have been any better.
My production began to slow down and mother nature helped me out in that department with the guilt factor.  Not only has it been saving the Reding family some loot on formula, it was a nice bonding experience that only Jack and I had.  But the flip side is that I had to be extra cautious of what I was eating and drinking at all times, and never going to far from Jack for any period of time.

A whole new chapter has begun, and this little tooth is just the beginning.

Gotta start somehwere

So much to recap from my last post...and instead of continuing to try and find the time I figured I could write a quick post to get me back in my groove.

Over 2 months have passed, that included a bachelorette party, a birthday party,  2 weddings, a new position at work, vacation, a visit from Nana and Grandpa, milestones for Baby Jack, Rock n' Roll marathon, the list goes on...

June has arrived and the calendar is booked solid.  In fact the calendar from now through September is more or less spoken for, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

OK, so now that I have started to blog I don't want to stop...

Traveling man

Being home for the holidays this year was a true gift in itself.  The sales world doesn't stop for holidays, and oh how I loathe that aspect, especially since we are so far from family and most of our vacation time is spent traveling to Chicago and Oregon.  Jack managed to get 2 round trip plan rides under his belt in his 4 short months, and I am happy to say he was a dream.  A bit overwhelming to say the least traveling with a newborn; all in all I give the 3 of us a gold star for a job well done.  Meeting all of his cousins and extended family and friends for the first time was wonderful!  Oma and Nana went above and beyond and had their homes prepared for the arrival of a prince.  From car seats (thank you for making our travel load lighter), pack n' plays, strollers, diapers, wipes, swings, toys etc.  Jack was fully equipped with all the comforts of home. 
Our trip to Oregon in December greeted us with mild Christmas weather which was a real treat.  A visit to Santa was a must along with Great-Grandma Fern in Springfield.  Not to mention a relaxing 10 days away!  Never would that have happened had I not been on maternity leave...I think I should plan every baby around the holidays ;)
January brought Jack and I to Chicago to celebrate aunt Julie's bridal shower.  I was a nervous wreck flying with Jack by myself, and admittedly cried on the flight to and from Chicago (I swear I thought my hormones would get back to normal by now) but found that people are inherently good natured.  I have never had so many strangers offer assistance with my baggage when traveling through an airport before, and trust me, this made me the happiest mom, simply by helping Jack and I get from point A to point B.
No trip to Chicago is complete without drastic weather changes, going from 40 degrees to below 10 the evening we arrived followed by a blizzard the next day.  He certainly saw his first snow fall, although he won't remember it.
During our trip we had a sleepover and photo shoot at the talented auntie Melissa's house where Jack got to meet his buddy Liam for the first time (born 3 days apart).
My how things change with a little one...we laughed so hard we cried while taking photos of the boys, we barely had time to eat dinner that arrived by 9pm at night, and we hardly drank the wine we had poured with the intentions of having a relaxing evening together catching up on life as we know it.  Jack and Liam had other plans...and sleeping soundly was not one of them.  Needless to say I couldn't be happier to be experiencing these moments as they happen with one of my very best friends!
April will bring Jack and I back to the windy city for aunt Julie's bachelorette party...and I am hoping that we can leave our hat and mittens behind this time around.

The life of a working mom

Jack helping with the laundry

 I think at this point I can add professional juggler to my resume, as many other working mommys I know.  Finding a delicate balance is a challenge in itself, not to mention getting enough sleep, getting to work on time, doing laundry (thank you Jack for fitting so nicely into the basket so I can carry both you and the laundry downstairs at the same time) multitasking, making and eating dinner, the list goes on.

In many ways it feels great to be back at work and financially contributing to our family, but in more ways I miss the one on one time with Jack that I had for 3 months.  Luckily Ky helped make my transition an easy one as he was able to work from home during the first 2 weeks that I went back to work.  A day in the life of Mr. Mom, I think he finally understood why I wasn't able to get as many things done during the day that I always hoped...the little man consumes your day, and I couldn't think of a better person or reason to NOT check things off of my "to-do list".  Today my comfort comes from our fortunate situation with Jack's sitter Giovana.  He lights up when he is with her and my heart couldn't be happier that he is being cared for and loved while I am away all day. There is no price that can be placed on the peace that a parent gets from having the right person care for your child, but I make it a priority to let Giovana know daily what a BIG and important role she plays in our family.

I officially have a month of work back under my belt and some more changes are right around the corner.  Nothing like staying on your toes. 

February already?!?!

Where has the time gone??? 
I swore I would keep up with my blogs and here I am 2 months later...hmmmm.
The sad part is now I am back to work and will have plenty of time to catch up on blogging, although I would much rather be spending time watching Jack grow and discover the world of possibilities in front of him...I will just have to wait until 3:15pm these days.
So much has happened with the Reding family since Jack arrived, the question is where do I start.
Well, this is a start I guess.
Ky is on his way home from a business trip and Jack and I couldn't be more excited to pick him up from the airport so I am going to sign off for now.
Be back soon!

We hit the JACK-pot

Weighing in at 7 pounds 9 ounces, Jack Walter Reding stole our hearts for the first of many times on October 22nd, 2011 at 12:32am.
Ky and I have been in awe since he has arrived, and although I have done plenty of reading and received endless amounts of advice, nothing can prepare you for the moment that you become a Mom.  I haven't had much time to eat, sleep, shower, check emails, return phone calls or texts, watch TV, do my hair or make-up, or let alone blog...but I know I am over due.
After 18 hours in labor and getting stuck in the birth canal Jack was born via C-section on his actual due date.  It was quite exhausting, but Ky and I were so anxious to meet our new baby, and find out if it was a boy or a girl.  After I was prepped for surgery and Ky was by my side Dr. Duhamel announced "it's a boy!"  He was finally here, we got our little boy, and we were both the happiest parents in the world at that very moment.  The nine months of pregnancy, aches and pains, sleepless nights, heartburn, all were forgotten in that instance and I would have done it all over again in a heartbeat. 
Jack's Oma Lola and Uncle Kirk were patiently waiting outside the operating room doors to meet the newest member of our family.  Smiles and tears were shared as we all had someone new to love.

The next several days we became what felt like permanent residents at Scripps hospital in La Jolla.  The recovery from the C-section was anything but easy, and to add to the discomfort I had an allergic reaction to the epidural causing non-stop itching for the next 48 hours.  Thankfully Ky fell into the role of being a father with no hesitation, and became a diaper changing champ from day one.  In fact I didn't change one diaper until several days after we left the hospital.
Nana and Grandpa arrived later that day to meet baby Jack, he couldn't have been more welcomed into this world.  Although a little hectic, I couldn't have been happier to have our parents here for Jack's arrival, and I will always be grateful for their selflessness in helping our family.  I am just hoping they will come again for the time when Jack has a brother or sister on the way.

I am looking forward to getting back in the swing of things and keeping you posted on happenings in our new family of 3!   Thank you for following and being patient with my lack of blogging over the past 6 weeks!

Hand on my heart, hand on my belly

With 16 days to go until my due date I have been making it a priority to get out and do anything and everything that may not come as easily to me in the short weeks ahead.  Running errands, going out to dinner, going to the comedy store in La Jolla, getting my nails done, watching movies (and not falling asleep), girls nights etc.

It is hard to believe that soon Ky and I will not be able to pick up and go the way that we are accustomed to.  Although we are missing our families quite a bit these days, we are beyond grateful for the family of friends that have been a tremendous help and support through this amazing journey.  I've learned a lot in these past 9 months, and to each and every kind gesture, open mind and heart, ear to bend and lend I am speechless with all the generosity we have received and I know the best is yet to come.  The miracle of life brings about happiness in others in a way that I have never seen before, and I thank God for the wonder of pregnancy.

Below is a photo that was taken at girls night; this is by far one of my most favorite moments to date, lots of love for a little person we all have yet to meet!!!