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