Happy Valentines Day!  

"God is Love"1 JOHN 4:16

Natalia  2yrs 8 months, Josiah 11 months

More pictures from Christmas time...

Celebrating with Grandma & Grandpa L!

Playing while out to dinner, Natalia & Josiah had so much fun!!  

(and I think Grandma & Grandpa had fun as well, hehe)

Hugs for Nana & Papa : )

"Papa, papa!"

Setting up the new train table with Grandpa L & Daddy : )

Thank you for all your hard work!!

Relaxing with Grandma & Grandpa L

We love you & miss you Nana & Papa!!

Happy Birthday Daddy!!  

(Baby Josiah was already in bed by the time we had cake so he's not in the picture.  Also, I think Frank was holding up Natalia's cupcake instead of his, I guess he was trying to be funny, haha)

Fun in the snow in our backyard!

Natalia made her first snowman with daddy!!

 Daddy & Natalia throwing snow balls at the door from outside!  Josiah thought it was so funny as he watching from the warm indoors!!

Weeeeeeeee

Wow, this was like 4 posts in one!  Until next time! See you soon!

       

Happy New Year! 2012

Natalia 2 1/2 years old

Going on 5 *beautiful* years

My nephew Anthony, my sister Danielle, my brother Michael & my sister-in-law Rachel bringing in the new year

Anthony & his mommy (my sister)

My mommy and daddy

Making homemade pizza's on New Years Eve

Cousins

Aunt Rachel with baby Josiah...and Natalia

In this picture you can see our 4 foot Christmas tree on top of our TV!! It was the only way I could do it with Josiah being so little and not having to worry about him getting into it.  So it worked for us ; )

Learn from the best Josiah.  (My brother Michael who has played professional baseball & now coaches at a college).

Anthony, Frank and my dad were outside playing some kind of game where they had to throw the football into the garbage can from really far away (or at least that's what it looked like to me, I never confirmed anything).  But according to this picture, Anthony came in 1st place, Frank in 2nd and my dad in 3rd.

Okay, so Frank had to get out "his" Michigan Varsity jacket of course! It was a little dusty so I made the picture vintage! Haha ~just kidding. But they do look cute.

Since I am never really in any pictures (because I am always the one taking the pictures) here is one with me and my sweet little baby boy.

Josiah, this is the very first time you "walked" holding onto something!! 10 Months old

...and you walked all the way to the kitchen.

...and this is the very first time you colored.  Grandma S beat me to that one sweetheart.  I love you mommy!! :))

Natalia painting with my sister

My mom, Natalia, my dad and Anthony.  My mom had fractured her arm and to this day (almost a month later) Natalia still says at least twice a day at the most random times, "Nana booboo arm".

Painting again : )  

Natalia playing baseball with Grandpa Santoro

...and cousin Anthony (who will soon play college baseball)

Softball glove

My brother & Natalia

What a great time we had celebrating New Years.  I am so happy to be home with my children, I have been enjoying every minute of it since I had a taste of what working mom's go thorugh.  I don't know how they do it, I couldn't.  At least not right now.  But I am so excited to see what God has in store for our family this year.  We are making our goals...family goals, personal goals, spiritual goals, etc.  I am hoping to stick with them and really make this year one of the best years yet.   You know it's gonna be a great year when you know God.  Something I learned from church this past Sunday was that happiness comes from things that "happen" but having joy is a choice regardless of what happens.  Lord, help me to be joyful throughout the year regardless of what happens.  Help me to accomplish my goals if they are your will and help me to be a better me for my family and for your glory.

Jesus > Religion

(Pause music on my blog playlist before listening)

Roses are red violets are blue, I put my career on hold to stay home with you. It took leaving you each day to realize what a precious gift it is for me to stay. With you is were my heart is and where my mind is too. "You're gonna have all of me" Natalia and Josiah because I love you.

This is not to say that a working mom can't give her all to her children, because that is just not true. God will honor both decisions as long as He is with you.

Lord, please bless this time with my children. Make it more than changing diapers, doing laundry and cooking. Make diaper changing an opportunity to talk to my children rather than distract them through it. Help laundry time be a time of prayer. As I fold my child's laundry help me to pray for them. As I wash my husbands work clothes help me to pray for him. As I vacuum the family room floor help me to pray for family time. As I cook, help me to pray for the special time we have together while eating dinner. Lord, help this time at home to be so much more than I ever imagined it could be. Fill our home with joy and laughter and help us not to worry about anything. As you have taught us, not to worry about anything and instead, pray about everything, PHILIPPIANS 4:6. Help bring us closer to you and in the end we will be a closer family as well. And Lord, thank you for letting us come to you in any way, at any time such as in this blog right now! : )

Inspirational song: "Your gonna have all of me" by Matt Hammitt (A song he wrote for his child- I think his child was born ill)
Copy and paste this link to listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50ygAc2qP5A

Working full-time with 2 kids, in a new state, without family is very challenging.

I keep trying to tell myself that it's going really well and I want to be positive but let's take a look at my my first 3 weeks of work:

The first two days of work I had to be at orientation earlier then the daycare opened so my mom drove 5 hrs to stay with us to watch the kids for those days.

Then our daycare only had a spot open for Natalia (but Josiah was still on the wait list) so Frank's parents drove 5 hrs to watch the baby while Natalia started daycare.

Then once Josiah's spot opened up, Natalia got sick. Needless to say, Frank's parents stayed with us a few more days to watch Natalia while she was sick.

Then a week later, Natalia got sick again. (A stomach bug that possibly never really went away). This time I had to take off work for one day and thankfully Franks parents drove here again, another 5 hrs to come and watch Natalia while she was sick for the 2nd time.

A week after that, I get a phone call at work that now Josiah is sick and I have to leave work to pick him up. So now, if I have to take off work again that will be 2 times in less then one month for my children being sick. Not to mention family had to drive 5 hours to come and watch them multiple times in addition to that. Oh- did I mention I haven't even been working for a month yet?

Wait, it get's worse. Now the daycare is closed for 12 days for Christmas vacation yet I have to work all but two.

Needless to say, it is extremely hard to work full-time without family nearby. I realize we are so very blessed to have such wonderful family that is *happy* to drive here and help but still- it is a lot to ask all the time.

I'm also sad that for me to be at work for 8 1/2 hours, the kids have to be at the daycare for 10. Not to mention an hour car ride home in city traffic.

Lord, I love my job, I do. But is working full-time not what you want me to do right now????

Michelle Lodeserto, BA, BS, CCLS

Certified Child Life Specialist

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

Named one of the top 10 pediatric hospitals in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report

That's right! I got the job!! I have been working for two weeks now and I am responsible for my very own floor with 24 beds and one playroom (which is ran by my assistant). Yes, I have my own child life assistant as well!! We also have volunteers that help out each day which is great. Within child life we have play therapy, pet therapy (we get to see cute puppies each day), music therapy, special visitors (such as professional football & hockey teams) special events and more. It is truly amazing what the children's hospital has to offer for the patients and families. Working with sick children really puts things into perspective. I can truly say I *love* what I do. Oh- and did I mention I get to see my husband from time to time since he works at the same hospital. Hehe.

What is a Child Life Specialist?

What I'm Not:

A nurse.

A doctor.

A social worker.

A "Keeper of the Toys"

A magical "make-this-child-not-cry person"
Only someone there to play with the kids.

I'm not superfluous.

What I am:

I am a teacher,

A helping hand,

A support,

An advocate,

An active listener,

A therapeutic touch,

And a child development specialist

Every single day.

I am an OR prep-er,

An IV teacher,

A de-coder of PICC, VCUG, MRI and NG

An alternate focusing provider,

An inpatient support,

And a guide and a voice for siblings

All in the same day.

I am calm despite cancer, CAT scans and catheters.

I am strong in the face of syncope,

sickle cell, and surgery.

Children can't always do these things for themselves.

That's why I'm here.

I am deliberate in all of my actions and words

Because I use the language of children

And it has power.

I am flexible and go where I'm needed

Because children can't always be flexible

About when they're going to break.

I am not here to merely play with children,

give them toys, and distract them

I am a Child Life Specialist.

When children say they can't, I tell them they can.

By: Steve Slowinski, former Child Life Intern at Connecticut Children's Medical Center

I am considered a pediatric healthcare professional trained in child development with a specific focus of the psychosocial and developmental needs of children in a hospital setting. The American Academy of Pediatrics affirms that child life is an "essential component of quality pediatric health care". I pray that God will use me to glorify him in this field as it is a privlege to work with children and their families during some of the hardest times of their lives.

Disney World 2011~

Thank you to the Lodeserto Family for an *amazing* trip to Disney World filled with memories that will last a lifetime!!! We love you so much and we had such a wonderful time! : )

Grandma & Grandpa Lodeserto with Natalia : )

Natalia had such a fun time with Grandma & Grandpa

Mommy & Natalia with Monster's Ink characters

Mommy & Josiah

Natalia was so excited to meet Cinderella

What a *blessing* it was to be here! As I look at these pictures and see the look on Natalia's face I remember how in awe she was when she saw Cinderella. To my sweet Natalia, just know in time your prince will one day come as well. But just know honey that your ultimate prince is Christ and his love does not expire at midnight.

Dancin' in the streets

"Papa & Nana" Hooray!! as Natalia would say : )

Grandma & Grandpa L

Mommy, daddy, Natalia & a sleepy baby Josiah

Frankie & his mommy

Grandpa Lodeserto & Josiah

Meeting Tigger and more...

Sleepy baby

Mommy & Natalia

Daddy & Natalia

First plane ride with the kids...Josiah slept most of the time (which was great since it was a 7:15am flight) and Natalia enjoyed watching Little Einstiens on daddy's laptop

Until next time!