Our little Monkey

Ryan had his first Halloween. I have to say he was super cute! I loved his cozy little costume...makes him even more huggable! 

Jason  very proud of our little Ryan pumpkin...with two little teeth :)

We went to a church carnival...a little overwhelming for our little monkey, but he did great! 

melts my heart!  

Because of Him, 

Alicha :)

Enjoying the life that God has given us! :)

So, as many of you know, I am going to be starting a full time job soon. It's pretty cool because it is a job that I will be able to do at home while caring for my little man. Since we are in a time of our life where God is providing through me working, I really couldn't have asked for a better situation. Of course, I don't want to work...who does?!? :P But, with Jason in law school and not working full time, it means me using the degree that I went to school for 5 years for. :) God pretty much placed this job in my lap. There is no other way that it happened....it was quite unreal. I am going to be working for Rainbow Advanced Institute; a virtual charter school out of Rainbow, Ca. I will be teaching 1-3 grade through an online classroom. Now, I have been a little nervous about how it is going to work out with teaching and taking care of Ryan, but I was able to talk to the other teachers at an inservice that we had and almost all of them have little ones at home, and they said it is manageable. Of course, it won't be as easy as life is now where all my attention is given to Ryan during the day, but at lease I will not have to leave him for hours while I go to work. Praise the Lord that I will continue to be able to nurse him, play with him, and just care for him throughout the day while working. Anyways, since that will be starting up soon, I have been trying to just soak in every free moment I have when I am able to just be with Ryan while Jason is at school or work.

So, today was absolutely beautiful outside. So I grabbed a blanket and some of Ryan's books, and we just enjoyed the beautiful outdoors (we have a fantastic view from our backyard).

 Ryan loves to be outside, it's fun to watch him watch the leaves blow, the birds fly and also the planes!

We read some fun books together...he likes to chew on the books while I read them! :)

And Ryan also sampled dirt for the first time today. I was trying to stop him, but then realized he's a boy, and that God made dirt, dirt don't hurt...so I let him! :)

And of course, Layla was right there with us enjoying the sunshine

Loving the moments of time that God is giving us! Life is good! 

Arizona Trip :)

Last week Ryan and I had the opportunity to go and visit my side of the family in Arizona. We have been able to go about once a year for a few years now, and it is always such a sweet time. Last year Jason and I went when I was 5 months prego for one of my cousin's wedding. I always stay with my Uncle Randy, Aunt Patrice and their kids; Rachel, Hannah and Andrew. I always cherish the time that I have to be involved in their busy and fun lives. I was the flower girl in my Uncle Randy and Aunt Patrice's wedding, and they have always been two of my favorite people in the world. They both love Jesus and display His love through all that they do. I am always so inspired and encouraged by my time with them and love watching them as parents. This year was so fun to be able to introduce Ryan to my family. We were able to have a big family reunion on Sunday where most of my family in Arizona were able to be there. It was great to reconnect and be together. I am so grateful that although I was disconnected for many years, God has allowed me to reconnect and enjoy the gift of family. Here are a few pics from the week:

Ryan had his own high chair that my aunt had borrowed :)

Cousin Rachel lovin on Ryan

Hannah and Aunt Patrice hanging out in the kitchen....where we spent a lot of our time :)

This is their cute dog Fitz...he like veggies...I thought that was pretty funny 

Andrew was great at entertaining Ryan

We were able to watch Andrew's football game for a little bit :) 

This one is at a cute tea place called Gooseberries...it's a special place that my Aunt usually takes me to and we have the same thing every time...I love it!

Cousins! 

My 3 aunts on my mom's side :) 

And...Aunt Patrice letting Ryan slobber all over her remotes...she is so sweet, she let Ryan play with anything and I loved watching her just enjoy Ryan, and of course Ryan loved her too! 

It was a great vacation, we missed Jason though! Hopefully next time he will be able to come too! 

8 life changing months!

Wow! It is so hard to believe that 8 months have already gone by. I was just looking through a photo book that I made of Ryan's first month, and it made me think of all the sweet, precious moments that we have had with him already. I have learned so so so much in these last months and I am amazed at how much things have changed and how I know that I will never be the same (in a good way). Of course, I am still learning every day more and more what it means to be a mom, and how I can serve God and my family and the world in my new role. Going through the experience of being a new mom has been amazing. Of course there have been some hard times....like being ridiculously tired, trying to get my pre-baby body back, and just not knowing what to expect, but the good times that we have had FAR outweigh any of the struggles. I love love love his sweet smiles when I come to get him from his crib, how he laughs at the goofy sounds I make, watching him explore the world and learn new things daily, comforting him when he is upset or teething and just taking joy in the amazing miracle that our God has created.

Some things that I have learned that I want to remember, and although I would say I wished that I had heard before I had him....I don't know if I would've listened :), it takes the experience of having a baby to learn some of these lessons.
      -books are a great resource, but your God-given mother's instinct is best....trusting my intuition has been when I feel the most confident.
      -every baby is different! It's so fun to see what other babies are doing at Ryan's age, but just because he may or may not be doing the same thing doesn't mean anything. Each baby has their own time-table, enjoy the process. :)
      -Yes, life is different. There are some things that will get put on 'hold' for now...but how fun to figure out your new life as a family of three!
       -You will never ever sleep the same again...I'm sure one day I may get to sleep through the night, but not for now....but I get to enjoy the sweet snuggles of my little baby that only last for a short time.
       -I have never understood the love that God has for us more than after I have had Ryan. I love that little boy more than life itself, and I have grown more in love with my husband through having him together, and more in love with the gift of life. God loves us more than any love that we can possess, and it is unconditional...nothing will ever stop Him from loving us, just like nothing will ever stop me from loving Ryan.
        -You need to figure out what works best for your family. It doesn't matter what the books say, or what others do... God will give you the wisdom to do what's best for your situation.

And, now for a time of reminiscing. What a privilege to be Ryan's mom. I cannot be more thankful for such an amazing husband as well to share the joy of parenthood. He has been such a gift of encouragement and love as I am pursuing mommy-hood as my main career right now. I love watching my two boys interact and I know that Jason is the best role-model for Ryan...so excited to watch their relationship grow as time passes. Ok, I'm getting a little off-track....here are some of my favorite pics from these past 8 months:

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months (really...that just sounds crazy!)- He had fun with his oatmeal and prunes :) 

I cannot thank the Lord enough for our little gift. Loving every moment! Definitely good times! 

Because He first loved us, 

Alicha <3