I got all emotional like I was the one who was pregnant! Kristen Lewis and I have been bestfriends since middle school. Back when we used to write notes and my name was spelled "Alahundra." Hahaha. Story of my life with my name :) For some reason we both just clicked and -- wait -- for SOME reason? No, let's not play. Let me count the reasons:

-Kristen and I are both loud.
-Obnoxiously loud in high school.
-We liked to laugh. Kristen taught me to laugh at MYSELF.
-This included many accidents (on both sides) where laughter came first, followed by "Are you okay?!"
-We worked at the same restaurant and went to the same high school = ridiculous memories.
-There was typically never something we weren't willing to try. That includes skipping school for lunch to get free, DELICIOUS, fajita nachos from my Aunt's job downtown.
-Putting on the MOST ridiculous performance during our improv class (cheerleaders with asthma) that was applauded by our friends but incredibly scorned by our teacher.
-If we were in trouble individually, that's okay. But in trouble TOGETHER? Forget about it! That would just be more trouble.

When Kristen found out she was pregnant, her and Billy each chose one person to tell. They would tell the rest of their family & friends once they went to the doctor and had everything checked and confirmed. I remember missing her phone call and listening to her voicemail. I thought there was something different in her tone and when I called back the first thing out of my mouth was "You're pregnant?!" She was!!! I was so honored to be that person to receive the call.

It blows my mind that the same girl who drew on the seats of the school bus with me (remember the turtle lady?!), peed between the portables because we could NOT hold it and her car wasn't working (only to later find out she hadn't fully shifted it into park! :), convinced me to audition for Arts Magnet by playing improv games with me, shared the MOST intense secrets that one day on the DART train, snuck out to the roof of my house so we could tan only to be embarrassed to see construction men working two houses down whistling at us -- is now a mother to a boy who will probably do ten times as much ridiculous things in his childhood.

She's a mom. Wow. When I saw the first photo of her holding Kent, I realized I was no longer an onlooker of friends with babies. Today my bestfriend, the face I've been SO familiar with in my childhood, is holding a child of her own.