The Cutest Little Monster

I absolutely LOVE Fall and Halloween. The crisp air, crunchy leaves, pumpkin carving, cool temperatures and decorations are all the best parts.

Every Halloween is always my favorite, but this one definitely was my MOST favorite. I'm sure you can all guess why. Yes, it's because we got to spend Halloween with the cutest little Monster around. I searched and searched for a costume for Ethan and just couldn't find anything I liked. I did happen to find one that was SUPER cute, but it was way too expensive for him to wear for just one night. I ended up finding the one he wore for $13.00 on sale at Toys R Us! Talk about a deal and it was a really well made costume, too! It kept him nice and warm when we went to visit our favorite people from Holmen, Onalaska and La Crescent.

We didn't take him Trick-or-Treating, but we did take him to see Josh's parents, my parents and two kids that I babysit. He seemed to enjoy wearing his costume and didn't fuss once. He's such a content little boy.

Earlier this month we went over to our friends, Katie and Tyler's house to carve pumpkins (we do this every year) and I carved one of Ethan! I think it turned out pretty good. I will definitely be doing that every year for him. I also plan on carving his name into a pumpkin and the year for every Halloween so we can always look back and see how he grew. Ahh, I just love Halloween. I'm already thinking about what he could be for next year since he'll be walking! :)

I hope you all enjoyed your Halloween as much as we did!

Until next time, God Bless.

Bryana

Eight Months!!

Wow! Our little guy is seeming less and less like a baby. He turned eight months old yesterday. I cannot believe how quickly the time just flies by. I'm assuming it's because we're counting months instead of years, but I just wish it would slow down a bit. It makes me sad that he'll be a year very shortly! I guess I am kind-of excited to plan his birthday party though.

We had a really fun day yesterday while Daddy was at work. We read books, played with toys, sang songs and he even got to watch TWO episodes of Dinosaur Train. We also did a cute project where I painted the bottom of his feed and hands and pressed them onto a piece of paper. It was neat to see how big his little feet have gotten since he was born. I also did this same project when he was four months so we were able to look back at that, too, to compare. They have definitely gotten bigger! He was laughing as I painted his little feet because I'm sure it tickled. I'm glad we did this though because I think it will be something so special to look back on later. We are going to do another one when he turns one year.

He has learned SO many new things since my last blog post! Here are some of the fun things Ethan can do:

• Laughs, a lot! He is the HAPPIEST baby I've ever met.
• Claps his hands. He learned this from his Memaw and Papaw.
• Sticks out his tongue. He just started doing this and it's really cute.
• Sits up unassisted. He's been doing this for a while, but we're still so proud.
• Does push-ups. He is starting to push up on his arms, which we all know means he will be crawling very shortly.
• Puts balls in his Dinosaur Popper. He learned this VERY quickly. He is able to pick up the small balls and place them in the Dinosaur. He does this over and over, which is really neat to watch. He definitely understands that he has to do this to make the popper work.
• Stands against furniture. His little legs have come SO far and he is able to put ALL of his weight on them and he stands very well with little help.
• Plays Peek-A-Boo. He loves this game and it usually gets him giggling pretty good.
• TALKS! He is no longer just babbling because he says, "Mama, Dada, Yaya, Rara and Nana." He obviously doesn't correlate these words with anything, but he will and soon! It's so fun talking with him. He really lights up.
• Swings at the park. We just started taking him to the park and he really loves it. He can sit in one of those baby swings and really enjoys himself. It's a fun family activity that we started doing every week.
• He has TWO teeth! How could I have forgotten that he got those TWO cute, adorable and jagged teeth. They are SO incredibly sweet. When he smiles it just melts my heart.

Those are just some of the fun things he has learned and has done lately. I'm sure as the time goes by, quickly I'm sure, I will have more fun things to report. He is just a continued joy in our lives and we are so blessed with how wonderful he truly is. He is a good sleeper and eater and has such a wonderfully calm personality.

We also took him to his appointment for his legs last month and Dr. Wintersteen was VERY pleased with his progress. He has about 5 degrees to go on his "worse" leg and then they will be straight. I'm sure by the time he walks they will be good to go! We're so happy that God has watched over this situation and helped us through it. We've prayed so much for his little legs and we're very thankful that our prayers have been answered. He will be up and running in to time! Yikes. We better get to baby proofing.

Ethan has had lots of play dates lately, too! He has three little friends that are all within three weeks of his age. Amelia, Daven and Henry are his best little friends. It really is fun to have play-dates with these little guys because they are all doing the same things. It's fun to watch them learn and play together. I've also known Amelia and Daven's mommies for a VERY long time. I believe I've known them both since 5th grade. Wow. That's a LONG time ago. He also gets to have play dates with his big cousin, Lyla Jane. She really enjoys when he's over and Ethan loves to try and get her glasses and hair!

Well, I will try not to make the next blog post so far away from this one. I'll be back next week, promise.

Bryana

Mommy Loves Ethan

Oh my goodness. I cannot even begin to explain to people how much I love my little boy. Our lives completely revolve around him and I wouldn't want it any other way.

When I put him to bed at night and give him those three little kisses and whisper, "I love you," in his ear, I honestly look forward to him waking up the next morning so I can sing my good morning song to him and get that big heart-warming smile that makes my entire day. He is just the biggest blessing Josh and I could have ever imagined. I really need to thank God for putting the idea in my mind to have our wedding in May instead of our original date of October, because if we hadn't switched the date we wouldn't have Ethan. I can't imagine where we would be without him; he's our pride and joy and Momma's baby boy.

He recently had his follow-up appointment with Dr. Wintersteen for his knee contractures and it went okay. She was happy with the progress he had made, but realized he still wasn't at full extension. She decided to put little elbow braces on his knees (they are little blue, velco braces) to try and keep him straightened out for a few hours a day. I'm hopeful that these will work, but if not we will see her in another six weeks and he would be fitted for custom braces. I really ask for prayers that Ethan's legs will be where they should be by the time he should be taking his first steps. I'm starting to get worried again that there is an underlying problem that she's not diagnosing until she's exhausted all other options. I'm trying to keep a positive attitude, but it's hard when we've gone to a few follow-up appointments and though we've made progress, we still aren't to where we need to be. It's just stressful and sad for me to see my little boy having these problems, even though they haven't affected him as of yet. In more positive news, he is standing on his own and baring his full weight on his legs. They obviously aren't straight or locked out, but he does it and it's such an awesome accomplishment. I wasn't sure when he would be able to do that! He looks so proud of himself and it just warms my heart. He's so sweet.

I'm getting very sleepy and need to head to bed, but tomorrow I will post about his other accomplishment - Ethan started eating VEGETABLES this month.

Here are just a few pictures from this month...

Crazy Nap Hair!!

My Braces!

At Riverside with Mommy and Steph - First Time Feeling Grass

Just a Cute Little Smile <3

At Daddy's Work Picnic, Cooling Off in the Car

Until Tomorrow, God Bless.

Bryana

"I sing for joy at the works of Your hands." - Psalm 92:4

Five Months! Where Does the Time Go?

Wow. Time is such an interesting phenomenon. Five months can either seem like a really long time or such a quick and rapid time lapse. When I was in college the semester seemed to last forever; less than five months. The days would drag on and I would find myself always saying, "Ugh. It is ONLY Tuesday," or "Ugh. We still have three months left of these semester. Gross." Time seemed to stand still at times, like when I would have to take a test that I had crammed for the night before. The clock stood still as I sat and stared at questions that I was surely guessing the answers to.

Skip ahead almost two years and time has figuratively flown by. It almost makes me sad to think that five months have come and gone so quickly. Poof. My baby was born five months ago. My life changed in the most beautiful way five months ago. My life started five months ago. Our lives were blessed with the greatest gift five months ago. Ethan Thomas Alameida entered the world with two loving people waiting to get their hands all over him to love on him and kiss him until his skin chaffed. Honestly, I'm not so sure he has Eczema, but that he might just have worn out skin from all the smooches he gets from me. Okay, so it's probably Eczema, but there is seriously no shortage of kisses going to that boy. Not in the least.

It is crazy to think that five months can feel like two totally different pieces of time, even though they are exactly the same. He has literally grown up in front of our eyes so quickly, but I've managed to capture and keep every moment because I've got over 2,700 pictures of him. I know, ridiculous, but I love taking photos and when you've got the best possible muse why waste it? He has been the biggest blessing I could ever imagine. He is honestly the most calm, content and happy little boy I've ever encountered. I like to think it is because of all the love he gets, but deep down I know he is the way he is because that is the way God created him. I can only speak for myself when I say this, but I honestly thank God every single night in my prayers for Ethan. He makes me smile from within and I can't imagine how I lived without him or how I ever would. My days revolve around him and his nap and feeding schedule and I wouldn't have it any other way. Things in life have drastically changed and it doesn't bother me in the least.

I am living my dream by taking care of this precious gift and loving on him so he never has to ask what love is. He will grow to understand it fully because he is surrounded by it. Being a mother is the most wonderful thing in the world and I'm very thankful that I have such a wonderful mother that set a loving example for me. I never had to doubt the love from my parents and to this day, I know I say it a lot, but they are my best friends. They also love Ethan to pieces and it must be such a rewarding gift to see your own children have children. It must be so neat to see your child experiencing the love that you've known since the day they were born. I pray for that for Ethan, that he can experience the love Josh and I have for him some day when he has his own children.

Although it is sad how quickly these past five months have gone, they have been the best five months of our lives. I can't say it's been hard because Ethan is such a sweet baby. I can't even remember the sleepless nights in a negative light because if I wasn't sleeping in the middle of the night, I was holding Ethan and how can I not be happy about that?

It's been amazing to watch him grow these past five months. Here is just a small sampling of the sweet little things we got to watch him do:

Smile

Laugh

Coo

Reach for Toys

Babble

Scream with Joy

Roll Over

Smile...Oh, did I mention that? :)

Put Weight on His Legs

Play in His Jumperoo

Pet Nalah and NOT get scratched...she LOVES him. Crazy, we know.

There are so many more things, but those are the very memorable ones as I'm sitting here typing this at 1:30 in the morning in between my two boys.

I have so enjoyed these last five months, but I surely hope that the next five don't seem to go as fast. Although I have to admit that I am surely looking forward to them because I know he will be growing into such a cute little guy and his personality will come out more and more. Priceless.

I realize I've again written a short novel, but I can't help it. I type incredibly fast and honestly about as fast as I can think, I can type. It is a good and bad thing. :)

Happy Five-Month Birthday, Ethan. Daddy and I love you very much. Sweet dreams, Mister Mister. <3

Until next time, God Bless.

Bryana

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." - Hebrews 11:1

Still Sad...

Wanted to just add another quick blog post about Patches because I'm still having a hard time dealing with the fact that she is no longer with us here on Earth. It saddens me to no end. I know this will get easier, but I'm still struggling with the sadness that a companion and friend I had for twenty years is gone.

I keep thinking about all the things I remember and loved about Patches. I loved her cute white tip at the end of her tail. We always called her Target Tail. I loved the fact that I taught her how to give kisses when we first got her and she never forgot how her entire life. It was probably annoying to her to learn how to do this because she relentlessly heard, "Give me a kiss and I'll let you go." I constantly told her that until she actually would lick my face, once she learned it I would ask for a kiss and she would do it. I loved her cute patterns on her fur that reminded us of a little cow. Believe it or not, she used to resemble one. She was fairly plump throughout her life. We loved her the same though, thick or thin. I remember when we used to have a very long hallway in our home and she would run down it so fast it would sound like a galloping horse. We would always just smile and laugh when she would take off out of no where. I loved that she could suck the water and color right out of watermelon. It was her favorite! We would leave it out on the counter and she would lick it until it was white, but she would never eat the actual fruit. She also loved anything made by Chef Boyardee, even though my mom would get mad when I would give her some. She loved milk and ice cream VERY much. My dad and the rest of us would be upstairs and he would pour a glass of milk and even when Patches got hard of hearing in her old age, she some how KNEW he had poured that milk (probably because she smelled it) and she would come racing upstairs hoping to tip that glass over to just get a little lick. Thankfully, my parents knew her time was coming and they were a little more lenient towards the end and would let her have a little ice cream, milk and other goodies here and there. I loved that whenever something was bothering me it seemed as though she knew. If I was outwardly upset she was right by my side. I always found that comforting. She was a wonderful and loyal little girl. I loved that she would demand your attention at times. If she wanted you to pet her she would walk on top of you and nudge her head right into your hand as if to say, "Uh, hello?! Do you NOT realize I want a little head rub." If you tried to ignore the first few times she would eventually climb up towards your face and kind-of smack you. It never hurt, but it was so funny. She had such a funny little personality. We really knew her so well after spending so many years with her. I was telling my mom yesterday that I actually am having a hard time remembering life before her. I can definitely do it, but most of my memories were after we brought her home. I will never forget that day and I will never forget all the wonderful times we had with her. I truly believe she is up in Heaven getting all the head rubs she wants and is looking over us. Lately I've been struggling with the fact that we ultimately ended her life, but my family knows she probably wouldn't have made it through the night and if we had waited she would have left this Earth suffering. My mom has had to constantly remind me that what we did was out of love and was the best thing for her. I think deep down I do know that, but it still hurts. The only thing that makes me feel better about this is the fact that we were by her side until the very end. Until the very last breath. I did that for her out of love because I know she would have done the same for me. If I were on my death bed, she would have been on it right next to me.

I will never forget her and I don't think any other pet we have will ever live up to her. I love Nalah and Calvin, but Patches will always have a huge part of my heart. It will never need to be filled because although she is gone that piece of my heart remains with her. I find that writing this blog is helping me deal with my feelings as silly as some people may think they are. I do not find them funny or odd or over the top at all. These are MY feelings. I understand some people don't love their pets like my family does. I'm happy to admit that we love them like family. We always said she was my sister and there was not ONE holiday, birthday, graduation or other important event that went by where I didn't have a gift or card from the cats. They truly were family. God knows this about me because that is the way He created me. I wouldn't have it any other way. I find comfort in the fact that He knows I am struggling with this and He will help me get through this, along with my family. I know my mom and dad are also sad about this, so I know I can always talk to them when I am feeling down. Each day will get easier, but it will take time. I find it completely normal that this may take a while because it was, in fact, twenty years! That is longer than I have known any of my friends and her love was COMPLETELY unconditional. That is what I love so much about pets. They love you no matter what.

I do have to say that being with Ethan during the day definitely helps me. His little smile just lights up my life. He always enjoyed looking at Patches because of her intense black and white pattern of her fur. I hope he can love Nalah like I love Patches. I think he might, I have a feeling he is going to be a sweet little boy with a big heart for animals...just like his momma.

Here are a few pictures I found on my phone and old computer. I still find it hard to look at her pictures because her death is so fresh in my mind. I hope one day I can look at them and be happy and remember those memories in those pictures.

<3 Bryana

Those of you who read this entire thing, thanks. I know some of you may not understand the love and hurt I feel for her, but just understand that it's who I am. These feelings are real.

Forever Loved, Never Forgotten

Patches Lee Goodman

July 1991 - June 2011

Loved; Forever and Always

Rest in Peace, Princess Patchy

Today was a very sad day for my family; Patches passed away after almost twenty wonderful years. I always knew this day would come, and in the back of my mind, knew that it was getting closer and closer. At the same time, I kind-of thought it might not come because she had been with us for so long. She seems to encompass the ability to live forever. Unfortunately, as stupid as it sounds, I learned the hard way that no one lives forever.

I remember the day we got Patches. We drove to a little house on a farm where she was waiting for us. She was so cute with her little pink nose. I fell in love immediately. We brought her home in a little cardboard box and I will always remember her peeking her little nose out of it the entire drive back to our house. She was so tiny.

If I had to describe her in one word it would be "sweet" because that is exactly what she was. She was such a sweet little girl. She was feisty when she was a kitten, but grew sweeter and sweeter with age. She just had the ability to make you smile and feel loved. I will miss that about her. I will truly miss that.

My parents and I loved her dearly. Below are just a few of the fond memories or quirks I loved about our sweet baby girl...

Patches loved to drink water out of the shower. She would meow loudly until you would turn the water on to a slow drip so she could get a nice, fresh drink of water.

She was definitely known for throwing up, a lot. My family and I always found it so funny because she always seemed to put it in the funniest places. The funniest, on my dad's putting green. He has one set up in the basement of their home and she would always seem to find that and puke on it as if to say, "Hey, quit all this golfing and feed us."

Patches was a little fire cracker in her day and we will never forget the time she beat up our neighbors dog, Crackers. He would run over onto our deck and taunt her because he knew that she couldn't get outside. It seriously drove her nuts, but one day she happened to get out and where did she go? Straight over to our neighbors house and she definitely got Crackers back. She was up on her hind legs slapping Crackers faster than you could even count. I think she was pretty proud of herself when she came back home.

As she grew older she seemed to always be hungry. She never gained any weight, but could eat as if she were a 20 pound cat. The funniest part of this is that she would situate herself in front of my dad so that he would have to look at her with those piercing green eyes of hers. She wouldn't go away until he fed her. I love the fact that my dad had such a soft heart for her. He would always make jokes about how she drove him crazy when she wanted to be fed all the time, but what would he do? He would get up everytime and say, "Okay Little Patchy Cat, I'll feed you ONE more time." This went on until the day she passed. He loved that little cat with his whole heart. I love that about him.

She was a VERY smart cat as well. She could pull open doors with her little paw and outsmart my parents at times. I love the story of when her and Calvin, my parents other cat, would team up together to try and get my parents out of bed around 3:00 in the morning to bed fed. My parents obviously didn't want to get woken up this early so they would try and ignore the fact that they were jumping on the bed, walking over their faces, scratching at the doors and doing anything else in their power to get them up. Well, one morning my mom got so annoyed that she starting tossing pillows from the bed at them to get them to stop scratching at the door. Patches, being the smarty pants that she was, decided that she would then go to the OTHER side of the door to do this. This way, when my mom through pillows, they couldn't hit her. I think my parents eventually got up because she was just too cute.

I could go on forever and ever with memories of this sweet little girl. She will forever and always be my favorite pet. She knew me almost my entire life, up until now, and that definitely counts for something in my book. She was there for me through thick and thin. She always knew when something was bothering me because when I would cry or be upset she was always right by my side. Through every break up, bad day and beyond.

"Patches, today was one of the hardest days of our lives. Watching you slowly drift off was something I never wanted to see but I did it for you. I didn't want you to be alone when you went to Heaven because I knew you deserved so much more. I kissed your until your last breath and mom gave you a little head rub like you always loved. I imagine that was the best way for you to go, you loved your head rubs. We will never forget you, Patches, and I know you will be waiting for us in Heaven when we get there. I love you and I hope this sadness will pass soon so I can just remember the happy times. As these tears roll down my face, realize that you made such an impact on our lives. You are, and always will be, the best little cat in the world."

If anyone is reading this, I just ask for your prayers that this gets easier for me. I know the pain will never fully go away, but I have a very big heart for animals and especially my own. I'm grieving as though I've lost a human family member and this is not easy.

Bryana

We're Still Here...

Wow. It has been over a month since I blogged. I thought I would have more time to devote to this, but having a little one at home leaves me with little time for myself. I am more than okay with that though. Ethan has filled our hearts and lives and we wouldn't have it any other way. We love him more than words can say. He is the best blessing and will always be.

He is now three months old and will be four months on June 24th! I can't believe how quickly this time has flown by. I'm excited to see what the future holds, but at the same time I am a bit sad because he is growing up so fast. Luckily I am a FREAK about taking photographs of him and have over 1100 on my iPhone and about 1000 on my Nikon. I plan on making a printed photo book of his first year. Below on this post you will find a bunch of random pictures of him throughout the past months.

Ethan is doing great. He has hit most of his milestones and we are still waiting for a few. He is great at tummy time and holding his head and chest up on his elbows, he loves to coo and talk with us, he rolls from his tummy to his back, he sits up with the help of us or pillows, he tracks and is VERY observant and we have also heard him belly laugh when he saws himself in a mirror and we are patiently (kind-of) waiting for him to do it again. We are still waiting for him to bat and grab toys, but we think he is on the verge of doing it. I realize he is entering into the age where he will be doing some really neat things soon and it is so fun to see him do something new for the first time and to just watch him enjoy his little life.

Ethan's legs are getting better and better as well. He had to be seen by an Orthopedist because Dr. Naik noticed that his legs just weren't stretching out on their own like they should have been. Dr. Wintersteen x-rayed his legs and said that everything looked normal and that she thought it was just a matter of stretching those tendons and ligaments. I have been stretching Ethan's legs for about six weeks and they have definitely gotten better, but I can tell that they are still fairly tight. He has an appointment next week and if they are not where she would like them, she is going to put his legs in braces to help them along. I am praying that if they do need to be braced that this does not put him behind when it comes to sitting up, crawling or walking. We just ask for prayers for Ethan that his little legs get to where they need to be as quickly as painlessly as possible. I will update next week after his appointment. We are also praying that he may not even need the braces, but we will see. It is all in God's hands and we will roll with the punches.

In sleeping news....Ethan is AMAZING. He is sleeping through the night and he is in his own room in his crib. He has finally gotten into a great routine and it works for both of us so well. He sleeps between 8 and 10 hours at night and has even went over 10 hours a few times. It is great that he finally figured it all out and it just took some patience from us to help him get into it. One other prayer that we are asking for is that if Ethan does have to have his legs braced, we pray that it will not disrupt his new routine too badly. I'm hoping that we are able to take these off when he naps and goes to bed, but we will do what is best for our little boy.

In other great news, Josh got the job he was hoping and praying for. He is now working at Ashley Furniture Industries as a programmer. We are so thankful to God for putting this job in Josh's path and we are so proud that Josh did so well at the interviews and really wowed his panels, yes I said PANELS, of interviewers. We knew he would. So far he really enjoys his job and he said it's pretty intense, but I know he will do great. They will be so happy they hired him. We're hoping that after having him work there for about a year that we can start looking into buying or building a home! Very exciting.

"May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed." - Psalm 20:4

The rest of this post is just pictures of our favorite little man in the whole world! Enjoy.

God Bless -

Bryana, Josh and Ethan

This Will Be...

In the words of Natalie Cole, "This will be an everlasting love."

Happy One-Year Anniversary to my Amazing Husband, Joshua Thomas Alameida. I cannot believe that one year ago today we were standing in the front of that gorgeous church proclaiming our love to each other in front of God and our closest family and friends. I can honestly say this year has been the fastest year of my life. I'm sitting here looking through our wedding photographs wondering how twelve months have just flown by. The year has been busy, exciting and wonderful.

To My Husband -

I love you. You are a wonderful man and I can only continually thank God for putting you in my life. I only wish you would have been put there sooner, but then who knows if we would be where we are today. God had a plan and certainly knew what a perfect match we would be. An everlasting love, indeed.

The following are 50 of the many reasons (serious and goofy) I am in love with this wonderful man I get to call my husband for the rest of my life.

I love you because...

1. You know that God should be put first in everything that you do.

2. You treat me the way that I have always dreamed of being treated.

3. You love me for who I am.

4. You are a wonderful father.

5. You love Nalah as much as I do. Okay, not QUITE as much, but you love her.

6. You make me laugh every single day.

7. You are a kind-hearted man.

8. You never try to be anyone that you aren't.

9. You have a beautiful smile.

10. You understand me.

11. You watch my silly shows with me and often get into them as well.

12. You have opened my eyes to new foods, many of which I don't like, but tried them because I love you.

13. You let me be me.

14. You don't tell me my three BIGGEST pet peeves: Calm down. Relax. Settle down.

15. You don't judge me for being a hypochondriac.

16. You are a hypochondriac.

17. You put other people first.

18. You are a hard worker.

19. You don't give up.

20. You have worked so hard so I could stay home to raise our son.

21. You know I absolutely LOVE John Mayer and you don't mind that I listen to him constantly.

22. You are all that is man. (...said in your very deep voice)

23. You put the toilet seat down.

24. You sleep, year round, with a fan blowing on you. God seriously knew only the two of us could handle this. No one else would have had a chance.

25. You love your parents and have a wonderful relationship with them.

26. You love my parents and have a wonderful relationship with them.

27. You have made changes in your life to better yourself.

28. You sing to songs even though you have NO idea of the true lyrics; you make your own.

29. You like each and every one of my friends.

30. You say good night to your fish.

31. You constantly quote the movie "Predator" and act as though I have seen the movie.

32. You always know when I need a hug.

33. You love to keep our vehicles clean.

34. You are able to do anything you put your mind to.

35. You are a very talented fisherman.

36. You taught me how to be a real fisherman...and were fairly patient.

37. You live for getting "bass thumb" during the summers.

38. You have an innocent laugh.

39. You love your niece, Lyla, to pieces.

40. Your best friend is your brother, Joel.

41. You could eat fast food forever and not gain a pound.

42. You think you could beat GSP in a fight.

43. You watch UFC with me and love it.

44. Your toes are webbed.

45. You think I am pretty and make me feel pretty even when I clearly am not.

46. You always kiss me good night.

47. You understand that I cannot STAND being touched when I am sleeping.

48. You enjoy going to Six Flags with me even though we are SO scared before going down the first drop on the first coaster of the day.

49. You are willing to try new things.

50. You are you and I love that.

I could sit here and list reasons why I love Josh all night long. Instead of making you all read that I will just know in my heart that the reasons are never ending. I can't wait to see what our future has in store and I can't wait to be sitting here many, many years from now still enjoying the man that you are and the woman you make me. I love you. Thank you for being such a rock in my life.

I leave you all with the Bible verse that was read by our dear friend, Kristen Johnson, at our wedding and some pictures from that wonderful day one year ago. We will never forget May 1, 2010.

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." - 1 Corinthians 13

Gorgeous.

Luckiest. Girl. Alive.

Laughter is a big part of our marriage.

I love you, Josh. Happy Anniversary and here is to many, many more to come.

Love,

Your Wife, Bryana.

Better Late than Never...I Think

As I was walking around our place with Ethan today, I realized I still haven't finished writing our thank you cards for our amazing showers that we had for Ethan. Surprising? No. Ridiculous? Absolutely.

I decided that since I can type over 110 words per minute that it would be best if I typed everyone a personalized one-page letter to go inside their card. I'm sure that it's not the "preferred" way of getting a thank you, a non-handwritten letter, but at this point I am so busy taking care of Ethan that it might be the fastest and most personal way to get them finally finished. I'm hoping the recipients understand that enjoy their letters...pictures included, of course!

I'm also look very forward to designing our birth announcements for Ethan. I have designed so many other people's cards/announcements that it will be strange to design something for ourselves. My goal, along with the thank yous, is to get these ordered and sent out by next week. Please, don't hold your breath though.

I'll keep this post short because I need to go and snuggle my boy who still has a fever after his shots. He needs extra loving and who better to give it to him than his momma? I've also included a few pictures of Ethan when he was "younger."

This Outfit Doesn't Fit Anymore.

The Pacifier Looks Huge.

First Car Ride - On Our Way Home from the Hospital.

Since this post was about writing thank yous and being thankful for our family and friends I decided to leave with a verse that reminds us to be thankful in and for everything, good and bad. Everything we are given in life molds us into the people God meant us to be. How can we not be thankful for that?

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Best,

Bryana

A Day at the Doctor's Office

Gundersen Lutheran had three sad patients today: Ethan, Papaw and Mommy. Those darn vaccinations.

Ethan had his two-month check-up today and Josh was unable to go because of school being so close to the end of the semester. We figured he shouldn't take off any more time, so my wonderful dad decided to join us at our appointment today. I knew I needed moral support when they poked my sweet boy with those needles for his vaccinations. Plus, I love spending time with my parents and I knew it would be fun to spend the day with my daddy!

Ethan and his Papaw.

Today we saw our doctor's nurse practitioner and the appointment went well overall. No complaints here and we heard the word "normal" throughout the whole check-up. This made me VERY happy. We also heard the word "perfect" quite a few times. I love hearing these two words because I am a bit of a hypochondriac and an incessant worrier. Seriously though, what mom wouldn't love to hear those two words while her child was being checked over?

Ethan is a very healthy, happy and thriving boy. He was born weighing in at 7 lbs 10.2 oz and was 21 1/2 inches and he now weighs in at 11 lbs 7 oz and is 23 3/4 inches! Our doctor told us that he is actually longer than this, but because of his legs we aren't getting a completely accurate measurement of his length. Either way, we know this boy is long and thin. He just currently outgrew his three-month sleepers and is now wearing six-month ones! They are huge in the body, but he needs them for the length. He sits between the 75th and 80th percentile for height and the 30th percentile for weight. She said he is on the slim side, but is growing steadily so it is of no concern; normal.

Extra Snuggles from Mommy.

The doctor took another look at his legs today and wasn't too concerned. She really cranked on them and was able to flatten them, not to Ethan's liking, but was able to flatten them. She said that this was a great sign because his knees didn't have actual contractures if she was able to do this. She did want us to keep stretching his legs during changes and play and have him start bearing weight (which I've already done) to loosen them up. She said once he starts to play in a bouncer and stand when we're holding him that it may help to get things moving. We will check them again when he is four months old. Thank the Lord that his legs don't lead her to believe anything else is underlying. I'll be happy when I get the "normal" on his legs from her and our doctor.

Holding my Head Up!

The last, and worst, part of the appointment was Ethan's shots. I didn't realize that I had to partake in this horrible event. I assumed that the nurses would take care of everything as I stepped out of the room and came back to save the day when I scooped him off of the table and away from the meanies who poked up. Negative. I had to hold his little arms down as he looked into my eyes and screamed. I held it together and it never felt so good to pick him up and cuddle him. He did great though and was done crying less than a minute after the shots were administered. I fed him and then we headed to Memaw and Papaw's for the rest of the day. He did end up getting a fever, but a little acetaminophen and he has been fine. His legs seems sore, but I'm hoping that will be gone by tomorrow night. He spent a majority of the day sleeping, which normally I would have celebrated by sleeping too, but I was too worried about him so I've been awake all day watching him like a hawk. We'll be heading to bed after this blog post.

Smiling for Mommy after my Shots

In other news...Josh's interview went really well. He said it was pretty intense, but that is kind-of what we were expecting. He had three different panel interviews and he was told that he is "definitely a candidate" and we are praying that he gets this job. It would be wonderful for him and our family. If you're reading, we would appreciate prayers that this job is in God's plan. If not, we know that God has other plans for us that are just as great if not better.

As I sit and ponder all the worrying I've done about Ethan and wanting him to be normal, I need to remember this verse...

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." - Pslam 139: 13-14

Perfection in our Eyes.

God is Good.

Bryana

Here Goes Nothing...

I finally did it! I created a family blog.

I have wanted to start a blog for the longest time, but never really thought I had a reason worthy enough to do so. I suppose no one really needs a great reason to put their life out on the internet for others to read, (look at me going and assuming that someone will read my posts) but now that our family has recently expanded I figured now was as good a time, and reason, as any.

Ethan and his Daddy.

Ethan and his Mommy.

On February 24, 2011 at 9:35 in the morning, God blessed us with the greatest gift of all, our son, Ethan Thomas Alameida. He was, and is, absolutely perfect. Our lives were changed from that day on and we have loved every sleepless minute of it and haven't looked back. He was welcomed with love and we can't wait to nurture, love, guide and watch him grow up into the man that God created him to be.

This blog will have no shortage of photographs, videos and stories about this new little man in our lives. Obviously it will also chronicle stuff about Josh and myself and our day to day lives. Of course, if you know me, you also know that Nalah will make an appearance or two...or three on here.

Let's get started...

Yesterday marked Ethan's two month birthday! We cannot believe that two months have already come and gone. I just smile from the inside out when I think back on those two wonderful months. I never thought I could love someone as much as I do him. I know, I know...you hear mothers say this all the time, but it is totally true. God definitely puts an extra space for love in your heart for your children. They are amazing.

He has his two month appointment tomorrow at Gundersen in Onalaska and I am having mixed feelings about it. I am very excited to get his current weight/height measurements, but I am not excited for him to get his first shots. I am also a little nervous for what they will say about his legs. I think many of you know, but when he was growing inside of me he was presenting as Complete Breech. This means that he was sitting head up/butt down in my belly (the ideal presentation of a baby is head down) and was also sitting on his legs so they never had a chance to stretch out the entire time he was growing. He was ultimately born with minor contractures of his knees and they don't straighten out as far as most baby's legs do. They are definitely getting better because we stretch them at every diaper change, but they aren't quite where they should be. I am praying that with continued stretching and physical therapy, if need be, that they will get where they need to be! If you're reading this, please keep Ethan in your prayers; it's much appreciated.

In other news...

Josh was recently hired at a company called Authenticom and he seems to be liking it. It wasn't the "dream" job he had hoped for, but we're beyond thankful that God provided for us on the job front. He already started working there part-time while he finishes up school and will start full-time after graduation. That is...unless he gets hired at Ashley Furniture. He has had two pretty intense phone interviews (one of them was a four-way call) and has his final, in-person interview today. As a matter of fact, he is there as I am typing this. I am waiting to hear back from him on how it went. We are praying for great things and we have comfort in knowing that God has a plan for him. We are hoping that Ashley is in Josh's plans though because the job has great pay and benefits.

Josh is graduated from Western Technical College on May 13, 2011 and we are so VERY proud of him. He has worked his butt off and I can't say that he had the easiest time of it. We had two very big events happen in our lives during very important and busy times during school. We got married last year the week before finals and had a baby during his last semester of this year. He never let it get to him and is finishing with terrific grades.

I have to say I am so thankful for his work ethic and drive (okay, so we had to push him a few times, but who doesn't need to be pushed when they feel overwhelmed) because by Josh going to school to earn a degree to make a living for our family, it has allowed me to stay home with Ethan. I know I was born to be a mom and it is the best job I have ever had. We owe all thanks to God, but I want to give a heart-felt thank you to Josh for also allowing me to be able to do this. I love you.

I decided I want to end all of my posts with a Bible verse that somewhat relates to my post or just one that I like. Today, I have decided to leave you with the verse that is on Ethan's wall over his crib.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above." - James 1:17

Until next time, God Bless.

Bryana