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Happy New Year! 2012

2012-01-27T00:49:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-13T08:12:00.001-05:00

(Pause music on my blog playlist before listening)

2011-12-21T17:29:00.004-05:00

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

2011-12-17T21:44:00.013-05:00

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????

2011-12-10T00:53:00.011-05:00

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.

2011-11-19T16:16:00.030-05:00

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!

2011-11-19T16:03:00.004-05:00

Baby's First Halloween

Trick-or-Treating at the mall with Tigger & Cinderella

By the end of the night the kids were very tired!

Halloween party at the Library

Happy Halloween 20011~ Celebrating Christ's victory over evil

2011-11-03T22:04:00.015-04:00

Family visits

My brother Michael and his wife Rachel

Aunt Rachel & Baby Josiah

We had a great time while they were here! It was still nice outside so we took them to the park and went on walks.

Mommy & Daddy with our little boy and little girl. I love this picture because we don't have many with all four of us in them.

Walking around our town...

Aunt Rachel & Uncle Michael with the kids

My brother and my husband with Natalia.

Side note about the above picture: Before I had children I was not sure how I felt about the child leash (like you see Natalia waring here). However, now I realize how wonderful it is because we know Natalia is safe and can't run off into the street, making our walks relaxing and not stressful. Also, it's great for me when I am by myself with her and the baby (and I can't put the baby down to run after her). I highly recommend it for anyone that has two kids under the age of 2 years old like I did when I bought it. It was a life saver!!!

Aunt Rachel, Natalia, Mommy & Josiah

Before my brother and his wife came to visit, my parents came to visit as well. It's been great to have family over!! Here are some pictures from their visit...

Grandma & Grandpa S

Hugs for Grandma S

I love this picture. Josiah looks so cute here getting his hair cut by Grandma Santoro

Grandpa S and Natalia

Learning to count the blocks...Hooray Grandpa! We did it!

While my parents were here we celebrated mine and my mom's birthdays together. Happy birthday mommy!!

Out to dinner

My mom & dad

Below is just a random picture from the play area in the mall but it was Josiah's first time playing as well so I wanted to take his picture. (Usually he is just in the stroller and I am feeding him while Natalia plays or he is just watching because there are too many big kids running around).

Natalia and mommy on the carousel at the mall.

Look who's standing

2011-10-04T22:08:00.012-04:00

Josiah pulling to a standing position for the 1st time (just before turning 7 months).

Daddy & Josiah watching Michigan football together

I thought this picture was cute.

Brother & Sister

Josiah Luke 7 months

2011-09-19T00:19:00.008-04:00

"A cheerful heart is good medicine" Proverbs 17:22

Mommy & Josiah

"A cheerful heart is good medicine" Proverbs 17:22, is a verse I learned today during the message at church that I wanted to remember. There are so many times when I am at church and the message is so great that it just feeds my "soul" while I am there but then within a week or sometimes maybe even the next day I probably couldn't even tell you what the message was entirely about. But I am not alone because today the Pastor was talking about just that and said something very interesting. He said that he can't remember what he had for dinner last week or sometimes even last night but he knows that he is not hungry and that he is well nourished and well fed and it's the same with our soul.

Michigan football has begun! "Go Blue" is something Natalia now says and Josiah seems to like watching the games as well.

As I was trying to get Josiah out of the highchair, big sister Natalia said, "Mommy I'll do it". Of course I had to help but while he was still strapped in I snapped a couple pictures because it was so cute. She is such a good big sister and trys to help all the time.

P.S. I added a couple new songs to our playlist.

2011-09-11T01:28:00.010-04:00

Remembering September 11th:

As I pray for the families, I am reminded that the Bible tells us it's an eternal house in heaven, built by God, not humans. Scripture confirms heaven is a place that is secure for eternity. It's free from terrorists, it's a place of joy and peace, and there's no heartache or tears there.

"Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands" 2 Corinthians 5:1

www.GodSpeaks.com, Free daily devotional sent to my e-mail

2011-09-10T22:34:00.027-04:00

6 Months Old

At 6 months old you are the most lovable little boy ever and you always return a smile. You are crawling all over the place, clapping your hands and banging toys together. You love rice cereal with fruit and you love to babble. You are often exploring (your toys and Natalia's) and you love to jump in the jumper. Natalia is learning to share her toys with you although mommy has learned in school that it's appropriate for her to say "mine" at 2 years old. At her age, her identity is in her toys. In Natalia's mind, it's equivalent to someone asking me if they can borrow my college degree-- it just doesn't make sense, that's "mine", it's my identity. With that, we encourage her to share with you but at the same time we do not make it a battle. But daddy has found ways around this and says all the toys are God's toys and He is sharing them with both of you and that seems to have worked actually!! Haha! You often laugh with your sister over what seems to be nothing at all but you both think "something" is funny. It must be a brother/ sister thing, it's really cute. We love you both very very much and are so incredibly blessed God choose us to be your parents.

Grandma & Grandpa L visit with "Aunt" Connie & "Uncle" Charlie : )

Connie is Frank's God-Mother and has known him all his life and calls him, "Doctor Baby Frankie" : ) Natalia was so excited to see everyone and had lots of hugs to share. She loved the sunglasses and other goodies she got that day and still wares them all the time.

Hugs for Aunt Connie

Hugs for Grandma L

Natalia was so excited to see that Charlie had sunglasses as well. Haha!

Baby Josiah with Aunt Connie & Grandpa L

Kisses for baby Josiah

Grandma & Grandpa L

Come back and visit again soon, we miss you dearly.

See! : ) Here she is Natalia STILL waring her sunglasses (oh, and her bracelets) in her PJ's needless to say, haha!

Ok, so I thought this picture was adorable. Here is daddy being a good sport while we were out to dinner : )

P.S. Sometimes when I look back at a lot of pictures I hope when you are older you don't look at them and wonder where I was (since I'm not in a lot of the pictures) but that is because I was always the one taking them!! Every single one of them : )) Some may even say that I take too many pictures but I just don't want to forget anything, ever. Oh, and I want to make this Blog into a book one day. Boy, that will be one looonnngggg book. I love you!!! Love, mommy.

2011-08-20T00:54:00.018-04:00

Family Blessings

Aunt Betty (my mom's sister), Uncle Pete and my mom (Grandma Santoro) enjoying time visiting us in Pittsburgh.

My mom was here with cousin Julianna and my sister Aunt Danielle. Here are some pictures of the kids having fun together at the zoo, the museum & home!!

I was so focused on taking pictures of the kids playing and didn't realize until now that the picture I had taken of my sister with them did not come out : ( I'm so sad!! But that only means my sister has to come back very very soon to take some more pictures, haha.

Soon after Frank's parents (Grandma & Grandpa Lodeserto) came to visit us too! Here are some pictures of them enjoying lasting memories with us in Pittsburgh.

We love you all and can't wait to see everyone again soon. These were great memories and they mean so much to us. We had such a wonderful time with everyone. Thank you so *so*much for everything!

Love always,

Frank, Michelle, Baby Natalia & Baby Josiah

2011-08-03T15:41:00.011-04:00

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh my!

Our 1st trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo

Watch out below!

Mommy, Natalia, Josiah and my mom (Grandma Santoro)

Ahhh, the sounds of the 'jungle' put baby Josiah to sleep

Natalia trying to get a good view

Penguins : )

Almost as tall as a baby elephant

Can you spot the tiger in this picture?

What a *great* time we had! It was so much fun : ) Until next time!!

2011-07-28T15:43:00.013-04:00

I can sit up now! Love, Josiah 4 1/2 months old

And I absolutely adore my big sister...

Mommy likes to say "cheese" a lot. I'm not sure why.

Here I am playing with my big sister & my daddy in the baby section of the museum.

There's that "cheese" sound again.

My big sister

My mommy thought this picture was cute with the two of us in the stroller

2011-07-18T00:33:00.019-04:00

New Home, New Memories

Hugs for Josiah

Our backyard

Grilling for the 1st time in the new home (Natalia is in the back : )

Daddy & Natalia

Josiah's 1st time eating rice cereal

Our 1st trip to the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh

(Which we are now members for the year!)

Mommy & Natalia

and there is Josiah too (just hanging out)

This clear glass wall was filled with water and had bubbles going through it

A black board, water and a paint brush.

So simple and yet so genius at the same time.

Josiah's 1st time in the swing at the park

All (((smilies)))

Tunnel at the playground. Also you can see two more swings facing the river in the back.

I couldn't fit the entire park in the picture but there are two different slide areas (here's one of them). This is the same park on the river from our first Pittsburgh post, there is also a running trail around it with picnic tables.
Well we've enjoyed a whole lot of "first's" recently here in Pittsburgh. I can't wait for more memories to come. P.S. Just for a quick job update, I had my 2nd interview for a Child Life Specialist position at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh/ Mercy Hospital's Burn Center and it went really well! : ))

2011-07-09T18:08:00.059-04:00

Birthdays and more! Josiah Luke 3 months (A great picture to take when you can't decide on an outfit! : )

As I write this you are actually now 4 months old and are such a joy to us. At 4 months old you are rolling from your belly to your back and from your back to your belly! You have tried rice cereal and seem to like it so far. You are so friendly and smile all the time. Actually all we have to do is make eye contact with you and you smile every time (it makes our heart melt). You love to babble in the mornings, you love watching your sister play and you are very good at holding your rattles. Also, we put you in the swing at the park for the first time and you loved it! You are an amazing little boy, we love you so much!

And my sweet little Natalia, Happy 2nd Birthday honey! I can't believe you are 2 years old already. At 2 years old your favorite toys to play with are anything that has letters (puzzles, etc.). You love letters and can name almost the entire alphabet. Also, you love to color, throw and catch balls, play outside, read books, try on mommy's shoes and your favorite cartoon is Cinderella. (It's is so cute when you say, "Rella"). Also, your favorite foods seem to be grilled cheese, pears and yogurt. You still take one nap a day and you always sleep with your favorite pink and yellow blanket. You love your little brother and are always wanting to know where he is as soon as soon as you wake up in the morning. You are so sweet Natalia, we love you so much!

Decorating your own birthday cup cakes at Grandma's house : )

On the way to the park with Grandma Santoro

While we were home, family came over to meet Josiah for the 1st time and while everyone was over we decided to also celebrate three June Birthdays! My dad, my sister and sweet Natalia...

Natalia conducted her own Happy Birthday song! It was *so* cute.
Happy 2nd Birthday sweetheart!!! We love you Natalia!

Happy Birthday dad! We love you!

And Happy Birthday to my sister, we love you and miss you!

Cousin Anthony : )

Aunt Zulma : )

More fun times with family, Grandma L, cousins Nicholas and Brandon and Aunt Karen : ))

and Grandpa L too!! We love you guys and miss you all!!!

Cousins Nicholas & Brandon taking Natalia for a ride : ))

Check this out! Cousin Brandon...

Hold on!

Nicholas and Brandon are cousins but really more like *big brothers*. They are so good with Natalia.

Natalia misses your hugs

Natalia had so much fun with you guys! We miss you...

Weeeeeee

Nicholas said, "No hands!"

You can do it!!

Yay! Yay!

My brother Michael and Natalia (Hey Nat- not a bad coach to have considering he played professional baseball!!) We love you Mike!

My brother's wife, Aunt Rachel : )

My sister Danielle

At Kids Village in NJ with cousin Julianna

Play date with a very special friend Maya. She is the daughter of a good friend of mine from High School. At the end of the day the girls left holding hands! It was adorable!!! : )

And Josiah had a great time just hanging out as well...

We'll miss you Maya, but we will see you again soon

~Cousins~

I think Natalia picked up some hair styling tips from my mom while we were home : )

We had a great time seeing everyone in NJ! Can't wait to come home again soon.

2011-07-01T23:26:00.031-04:00

Goodbye NC, Hello PITTSBURGH, PA!
Wow. With the help of friends and family, we are all moved in and absolutely *loving* Pittsburgh. I have to say though it was a true blessing to have family help move us in and we could not have done it without them. It took time sacrificed, time traveled, extra money and time away from home & other family- so to all that helped...thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

The town we are in is *beautiful*. A park on a river less than a mile away, Grandma and Grandpa's sitting on the porch in rocking chairs supervising a daytime high school 'party', children selling lemonade at their home-made lemonade stands, a horse and buggy ride passing by, boats passing by, our new home church down the road, cobblestone streets downtown (again, all right down the street from us), homemade ice cream, mom and pop restaurants, one of a kind shops, the Pittsburgh zoo and children's museum a few minutes away...what are we missing? Oh yeah, snow : ) Soon enough, it will be our very own winter wonderland. Lord, thank you for bringing us to this amazing place. I pray that you guide us the whole time we are here.

All settled in, today was Frank's 1st day of work as an Intensive Care Fellow for BOTH Pediatrics and Adult critical care where he'll be working at both the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC- so he will actually be at a few different adult hospitals as well)- Praise God.

Another praise...I had an interview my first week here with the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. This is an opportunity to work for a children's hospital that was named the top 10 in the country!!! The position:
Child Life Specialist for the BURN Center. A very rare and unique opportunity, with so many children I can help. It's amazing that there is even a position open in my field let alone this one!! I would be the first Child Life Specialist to work there as well. Up until now they have been consulting Child Life but now need someone permanently there. Lord, if it's your will- give me the wisdom to do this!!! I have a second interview very soon and I am very excited and up for the challenge.

Daddy & Natalia (who is now TWO!!- Birthday pictures to come!!)

Grandma & Josiah (who is 4 months old already!!)

Important side note to NC friends:
A bit anxious about not getting it done on time with the new baby around, I worked around the clock and then actually finished packing up our house in NC a few weeks early~but was then stuck inside a packed and empty house with 2 kids. Needless to say I decided to come home to NJ and stay at my parents house and spend time with family (pics to come) while Frank stayed in NC and finished working. With this early decision I did not get a chance to say good-bye to *SO* so many people I would have liked too. Actually the only people I did get a chance to really say good-bye to was our old small group (below) but a few people are missing in the picture because we took it at the end of the night instead of in the begining when everyone was there : ( But I really would have liked to have said good bye to every single one of my friends in NC. So many that really have made such an amazing impact in my life, in fact if you are reading this you are probably one of them and you know who you are!!! I will be calling or writing to many as soon as we are more settled. To all my friends reading this you will definitely be missed and never ever ever forgotten. We will keep in touch as much as we can and may the Lord keep you safe, happy and forever loved.

Everyday fun while getting ready to move

2011-05-24T08:24:00.012-04:00

Just having some fun in between packing and getting ready for our move. I can't believe we will be in Pittsburgh in less than one month! I should really post a picture of our office which is stacked to the ceiling with boxes!! We have most of the house packed with really only toys and some clothes left that we'll need until then. Well, actually some kitchen stuff still needs to be packed, oh and all the bathroom stuff as well. Oh wait, the front coat closet too. Yikes! Okay, so maybe we only have half the house packed so far. It sees the more we pack the more we have. Haha! Well, I guess it's a blessing to have so much to pack, right?

2011-05-13T20:48:00.013-04:00

Grandpa Santoro's Visit

The best part about being far away is when family visits...

Thanks Grandpa for taking me to my favorite restaurant and out for ice cream

Grandpa thought it was funny when I dunked my graham crackers in my milk. I think it reminded him of my mommy who used to dunk everything in milk even meatballs (so they say). Hehe.

Daddy's Girl

Mommy's boy

In line for the nursery at our church

TEAM USA!!

Weeeee.......

We had a great time! See you soon Grandpa, we love you! : ))

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-06T13:47:00.012-04:00

"Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him" PSALM 127: 3

2011-05-06T12:12:00.015-04:00

Growing up too fast...

Josiah holding toys, bringing them to midline & rolling over from belly to back at 8 weeks old.

2011-04-28T21:26:00.030-04:00

Easter Blessings
We miss being with our families during the holidays since we live so far away but we try to make the most out of each holiday we have here with each other. On Easter we went to church and Natalia's toddler room enjoyed their own little Easter hunt while we were in the church service. When we picked her up she was so proud to so me her bag of eggs that she collected, and I was so proud of her as well. After church we came home, had a nice lunch, Natalia napped and then later on that afternoon we took her to a park and Frank & I had our own little egg hunt there with her. We also took a nice relaxing stroll together as well. Here are some pictures of our own little Easter egg hunt at the park:

Speaking of strolls, the picture below was a different day at the park (and a different park all together) but it's a great picture of one of our new double strollers! When Josiah gets older it turns into a regular seat for him in the back as well. We love it so far, it's great.

Josiah Luke Lodeserto ~8 weeks old~
On a blanket made by my great- grandmother

Hanging out with big sis

A good night kiss from mommy

I hope everyone had a great Easter weekend! : )
Did you know...

Sir Lionel Luckhoo was named the WORLDS most successful Lawyer. He has rigorously analyzed the historical facts of Jesus's resurrection from the dead and finally declares, "I say unequivocally that the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming that it compels acceptance by proof which leaves absolutely no room for doubt."

Simon Greenleaf was one of the GREATEST legal minds America has produced. He was the famous Royall Professor of Law at Harvard University. While at Harvard, Greenleaf wrote a volume in which he concludes that the resurection of Christ is one of the BEST-supported events in history according to the laws of legal evidence administered in courts of justice.

Reference: "More than a Carpenter" by Josh D. McDowell

2011-04-22T16:33:00.031-04:00

Brother & Sister

Natalia to Josiah: "You're stilllll here"????

When are you going home?

I guess you're here to stay????

Okay. We'll try to work something out.

You want to see my new toy?

Ok, sure. You can come for a walk too...might as well.

I can't believe Josiah is 7 weeks old already. It is truly amazing and an honor to be the mother of two beautiful children and I have lots to share but first, things have been busy busy and we have good news!!! Our house SOLD!!!! Our realtor (and good friend) Bengi said it best, "It's a God thing" and he is right. Our house has been for sale for over a year now and there are no houses on our block that have sold in over a year. Not to mention they are building new houses just like ours for the same price we were selling our house for. But our prayers were answered and a buyer came along and fell in love with our home. Since then, Frank has been to Pittsburgh to look for a place for us to live. His dad and brother-in-law all took the trip up and found a *beautiful* townhouse in a great area that seems just perfect for us. With downtown shopping and a playground park by the river within a mile away are just two of the many things we are looking forward to. We will for sure miss our friends in Greenville and will take with us a lifetime of memories. In the past 4 years Frank has finished his medical residency and I have finished a second degree in child life and had two children!! Wow. God is at work my friends and I can't wait to see what is to come! In the meantime, I have lots of pictures to share:

The picture below is one of Josiah's 1st smiles.

The first few weeks after Josiah was born Natailia couldn't have been happier. She was so excited to spend time with her grandparents and *SO* excited to see the baby. But now she is starting to get a little jealous and realizing more and more that she does not have my full attention all the time like she used to. But I am doing my best to show her as much love as I can and to include her in everything I do with the baby. She also wants to just be near me more than ever. When I used to cook, she would just play but now she wants to be by my side so I set up a spot on the floor where she can "cook" with bowls and some water right along side me and she seems to LOVE it.

She is also having fun with all of the new baby "equipment" that is in the house. She thinks they are all for her dolls and it's really cute when she plays with everything but it's been a little challenging when the baby actually uses them and not her dolls : / but I just have to be really patient and give her lots of hugs and kisses. Sure enough I set up a bouncy seat for her dolls and we also got her a doll swing so she can have her dolls swing while the baby is in his swing.

She also changes her doll's diaper sometimes when I change Josiah's diaper.

And we've even gone out to dinner a bunch of times when Josiah was first born. The couple that bought our house saw our house 4 times mostly in the evening hours during the first month of Josiah's birth! The first time was when Josiah was only 6 days old (my third day home from the hospital after a c-section). But with God's strengh and the help of a wonderful husband and mother-in-law, we were able to get the house cleaned up and out the door so our house could be shown. And sure enough it was all worth it!

One of the places we went to dinner at when our house was being shown was this steak house in our town where they play country music. Natalia always dances while she eats and wants us to dance as well. It's cute.

My mom was here the first couple of weeks after Josiah was born and I was so sad to see her leave. I have older posts of her visit and even more pictures from when she was here but I am not going to be able to post them until later because they are on my computer and for some reason my computer is not working right now (I am currently on Frank's). But I do have one last picture from before she left of her and Josiah. We had so much fun while she was here, and we miss her everyday!!

The next couple of weeks after that, Frank's parents came to visit and his mom stayed for a few weeks to help out even more which was so wonderful. It was really such a blessing to have my mom and Frank's mom here with us. They were able to spend time with Natalia and give her extra attention while I was busy with the baby. They got up early with Natalia and got her ready for the day, played and played and played some more, changed a million diapers, made lots of yummy meals, cleaned, did laundry, folded clothes, you name it they did it. It was such a blessing, it really was. I couldn't have asked for better help from both.

Natalia had such a great time...

Grandma L

Natalia loved her new basket ball...

Daddy & baby

Out to dinner

I can't believe how BIG Natalia looks in this picture. She is a great big sister and I can't wait to see them grow up together.

2011-03-12T15:53:00.013-05:00

Family of four

(Frank was trying to hide an apple that he had in his hand) Haha

We are so happy you are here Josiah!

Frank and I took Natalia to her friend Gabby Taylor's 1st Birthday party today while my mom watched baby Josiah. I am nursing him but he is getting one bottle of formula a day so I can get a small brake. This is helpful for times like today : ) Natalia had a great time at the party...right now they are both napping (so cute) and daddy is as well. He worked a 30 hr shift overnight & still went to the party when he came home. He works a lot of hours some months but doesn't seem to miss anything. I love you Frank!

Happy 1st Birthday Gabby!!!

Grandma loves her little grand-babies : ))

Daddy & Josiah reading up on the latest in pediatrics

2011-03-10T20:36:00.020-05:00

~1 Week Old~

Josiah is such a sweet and cuddly baby I can't even believe how much I love him. At his 1st doctor's appointment he weighed a healthy 9lbs and 2 ounces so he has lost some weight but is still such a big lovable boy! He already has a great routine going, it's the same as I did for Natalia. As soon as he wakes up I feed him, then I keep him awake until he yawns or looks tired and then I lay him down for a nap. Then he wakes up, I feed him, keep him awake, then lay him down for a nap (and the cycle just repeats all day until bedtime when I feed him and he goes right to sleep). I read this in a book called, "Baby Wise". I love it because I always know what comes "next" and so does Josiah. Plus he doesn't need to eat in order to fall asleep which is nice. He is able to fall asleep on his own and is learning to sooth himself. As for me, I've been feeling pretty good. When I gave birth to Natalia my whole body hurt from such a long labor where as now only my belly hurts BUT I never realized how much you use your stomach muscles throughout the day!! Frank and my mom have been so supportive I couldn't have asked for more and the good thing is I feel better each day. The hardest part is not being able to pick up Natalia. She is so young (not even 2 yet) so I'm not sure she even realizes since I wasn't really picking her up when I was 9 months pregnant either. She'll reach for me to pick her up and I'll take her hand instead and we'll walk together holding hands but I will say that it's so nice to hug her without a big belly in my way! Also she has been great with Josiah and *loves* her little brother. She gets so excited when she sees him saying, "baby, baby" and she "does nice" by petting his head gently, it's really cute. And when she sees me without Josiah she'll often point to the bedroom where he is sleeping and says "baby, baby". I can't wait until they are old enough to play and laugh together. Here are some more pictures from Josiah's first week home

Stories before naptime : ) It's really nice that Natalia still takes a 2 1/2 - 3 hour nap mid day

Boy oh Boy!!

2011-03-06T14:39:00.006-05:00

Grandma & Josiah

Holding hands

High five

Wave hi

Thank you cousin Jackie for beautiful baby blanket you made for Josiah. He loves its!

Thank God for Grandma's! : ) My mom has been such a great help. I love you mommy!!

2011-03-05T10:36:00.010-05:00

He's here!!!

Josiah Luke Lodeserto

10 lbs 3 oz and 20 1/2 inches long!!

Born 3/2/11 with a scheduled C-Section (thank goodness)

Of course the very first outfit was a Michigan one!

1st Day Home

We couldn't be happier right now bringing little Josiah home. It is so amazing to have two beautiful children, a little girl and now a little boy. I feel truly blessed behind I could have ever imagined. I can't wait to see God's plan unfold for our new family.

2011-03-01T08:16:00.004-05:00

39 Weeks!!! We can't wait to meet you Josiah!
Thank goodness my mom is here to help with cooking, cleaning and spending extra time with Natalia.

Looking forward to seeing Grandma & Grandpa Lodeserto soon as well! : ))

2011-02-22T23:22:00.007-05:00

Very soon~to~be BIG sister!

Wearing mommy's shoes...

Daddy's Girl

Where is that toy?

All Clean!

Wait mommy, I found the diapers!

Dolly is hungry

Playdate with baby Gabby Talyor (playing doctor)...

and baby Jasper Dorriety in the swing (so sweet)

With our friends Curt & Gitti

2011-02-02T13:02:00.015-05:00

35 Weeks!

The picture frame above Natalia is from when she was only 6 months old...

and the pictures below are from when she was only 8 weeks old...

Here we are visiting the same spot when she is now 19 months old & I am 35 weeks pregnant! I love you so much Natalia. xoxo Mommy P.S. These pictures were taken at the Triangle Square Mall in Raleigh, NC.

2011-01-18T18:05:00.018-05:00

~19 Months old~
At 19 months old you are *so* sweet. You are very friendly and hand your toys to others to play with. You love to color, look at books, play with your dolls and build with blocks. You can also throw a ball really really well with great aim and you love to dance. Your favorite song to dance to is "Hey Soul Sister" by Train and you always dance to it with daddy. You can say a lot of words too! Your favorite words to say right now are, "Do it!!" It's actually pretty funny because when I went home for the holidays you started to say it all the time and my mom pointed it out but I said, no that's not what she's saying, we don't talk to her like that, no one says, "do it" to her. But then my mom noticed that whenever I'm helping you with something I always say, "Mommy will do it, mommy will do it". Then I realized that I have been saying that to you all the time ever since you were a little baby!! So now, sure enough you tell me to "do it" all the time whenever you need something. In fact, you say "do it" so much that you even said it in your sleep the other day. It's cute but others might think it sounds mean so we have to fix this, haha. You also say, mommy, dada, hi, bye, hey, ball, doggie, dollie, up, down, light, no, "ummmm" when your hungry, nanna for banana, thirsty (although it sounds more like doggie most times) cracker, cookie, cheese, open, kahkah (for socks off), mouth, eyes, and all done. You also say the number two when we count one, two three and right now we're working on saying, "please". You can identify a bunch of body parts: your mouth, eyes, ears, nose, hair, cheeks, chin, neck, shoulders, elbows, hands, knees, feet, ankles and belly which is a lot for your age!! I am so happy too because one time we went to a get together at a friends house and someone asked you were your nose was and you didn't know and I realized I had not been teaching you. So ever since then we review our body parts at least once a day. We do it in a fun way to which is how I think you learned so many at first. We sing, "If your happy and you know it touch your ears" and so on. It worked because you know them all so well now. We love you so much and you have so much love to give. The picture below is from when we were coming home from Raleigh the other day. We went to the mall while daddy was working.

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2011-01-09T19:54:00.003-05:00

Marbles Children's Museum

32 Weeks!!

2011-01-08T02:01:00.013-05:00

Merry Christmas 2010!

The week of Christmas, together with family Christmas Eve
Homemade pizza's!! Christmas Morning

2011-01-08T01:37:00.012-05:00

Disney World!!

The day before we left for Disney we took Natalia to the park with her cousins and Frank's sister

Soon before that, Aunt Betty was here to visit...

Daddy's home : )

2010-11-24T22:44:00.018-05:00

*Happy Thanksgiving* We celebrated the Thursday before my brother's wedding while we were all home together at my parent's house. It was so nice to see everyone and it's always sad when we leave. I'm looking forward to being a little closer to home when we move.

Cousins

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

I am so thankful to know God, I am thankful to be a wife and a mother, to have a godly and loving husband who I love so much, to have a beautiful dauther and a son on the way. I am so so thankful. I am thankful for both our families, for all the love they have for us each and every day, for all the sacrifices made for us growing up, for all the time spent and memories made. I am thankful to be able to stay home with Natalia, to have quality time with her, to see her smile each and every day, to get big hugs and warm laughs, I am thankful for my wisdom and for my heath. I am so so thankful.

2010-11-23T14:03:00.020-05:00

~My Brother's Wedding~

Video's from the wedding should be up and running very soon!!!

What an amazing wedding! It was was so great to see our family and we are all so happy for my brother and Rachel. May your honeymoon last forever and ever and may the Lord keep you safe happy and forever loved!!!

Michelle A. Lodeserto, BA, BS, CCLS

2010-11-15T21:38:00.030-05:00

It seemed like such a long road ahead of me when I realized I was called to pursue child life. Now 2 years later, I am pleased to announce that I have completed this degree and recently PASSED my certification exam making me an official certified child life specialist (CCLS). Not to mention I had a baby within those 2 years as well!! It is an honor to have this title. 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.

What is Child Life?

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

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.

Top 10 reason's to call a Child Life Specialist

10. Child/ Patient needs preparation for an invasive procedure.

9. Child/ Patient is having difficulty coping with a necessary procedure, i.e., crying or fighting.

8. Child/ Patient exhibits oppositional behavior, refusing to cooperate without anger or hostility.

7. Child/ Patient or siblings express specific fears to staff, needing follow up.

6. Child/ Patient is perceived by staff as withdrawn.

5. Child/ Patient is having difficulty taking meds.

4. Child/ Patient admitted having recently experienced traumatic loss or has a chronic illness (developmental delay).

3. Child/ Patient is newly diagnosed with a chronic illness.

2. Child/ Patient is admitted for injuries resulting from a traumatic accident, i.e., MVA, fire, etc.
1. Child/ Patient whose injuries or diagnosis has resulted from suspected child abuse.

www.childlife.org
P.S. Pictures of my brothers wedding to come!!

Happy Halloween! (from Tinkerbell)

2010-10-31T21:05:00.008-04:00

Celebrating Christ's victory over evil! : ) Natalia made a pumpkin at church that said:

Knowing God is like a Jack-O-lantern
First God hand picks you

Then He cleans all the junk out

Then he puts a smile on your face and

His light inside of you so you can shine

Below are some pictures of the Fall Festival we went to today at church. They had hot air balloon rides (that just went up in the air a little bit and then came back down) and bike shows to name a few things. It was fun and Natalia got to see some of her little friends.

Natalia & Noah Strickling : )

~Pumpkin Picking~

2010-10-30T15:34:00.008-04:00

Natalia's 1st time pumpkin picking

Being Silly!

2010-10-30T01:04:00.014-04:00

Being silly is what babies do best. At 16 months old can I still call you a baby?? I can't believe how big my little girl is getting and how big her feet look in this picture!! Her smile makes me melt and she has just so much love to give. She loves to hug her dolls, feed them and give them kisses. She also loves to play in what was an extra little toy box that she started to dump out all the toys and climb into. It was so cute so I think she thinks it's a toy and in her world of play it is.

A day at the park. Since we don't have steps in our house Natalia seems to be fascinated with them and goes up and down and up and down for a l-o-n-g long time and loves it. These steps do make me nervous because she tries to go faster then her sense of balance is ready for so I almost always have to help her down but I was able to get a snap shot while she seemed to be concentrating on her steps. (Something I have been tring to teach her to do, hehe).

Natalia says hi to nearly everyone she sees. She is so friendly and loves to "talk" to other kids.

I had bought paint for Natalia to paint a pumpkin on Halloween and then just before bedtime I thought it would be fun to have her try and paint on paper first. So here is an end of the day picture of a tired little Natalia, but she did enjoy painting for the first time! : )

Uncle Shawn and Grandpa L came to visit for a painting party!! Otherwise known as painting our entire house so that we can sell it!!! We don't know what we would have done without their help. We were so excited to have them over to visit, spend time together as well as have the extra help with the house. While they were here they helped with other odds and ends with the house as well. It was great and we are so extremely thankful.

It's a BOY!!! : )

2010-10-14T23:06:00.017-04:00

We are *so* extremely blessed to be having a boy!! I am so happy that Natalia will have a brother and we will have one of each. I can't wait to watch them grow up together. I hope they are best friends forever and ever and always look out for one another. The baby is due the first week of March but Natalia was 7 days early so I may give birth in February! We'll see. Right now I can't even picture a baby other than Natalia but I am just so excited and I can't wait to see God's plan unfold for our new family.

Playdate : ) Baby Jacob Manning, Natalia and Gabby Taylor

TEAM USA!! A few weeks ago, my nephew came all the way to North Carolina to try out for a national baseball team so him and my dad stayed with us to visit as well. Here's a picture of Natalia with team USA's hat on.

Grandpa S and Natalia Cousins~ Anthony & Natalia

Natalia spending some time with daddy before he leaves to go to work

A few updates & lots of pictures!

2010-09-16T14:35:00.062-04:00

Hi everyone! Well, we have a few updates and a lot of pictures since my last post. For those of you that don't know yet, Natalia is going to be a BIG sister! We are very excited and very blessed. I am due the first week of March so Natalia and her new sister or brother will be exactly one year and nine months apart. We should find out very soon if it's a boy or a girl so we will update as soon as we know. Another exciting update is that I am now officially a Child Life Specialist! I recently finished my second degree in Child Life at East Carolina University and most recently finished my internship in mid August. I interned at the same hospital Frank works at so that was nice. I rotated through the emergency department, sedation, the general pediatric floor, the neonatal intensive care unit, the pediatric intensive care unit, radiology and day surgery. It was an amazing experience, I learned so much and feel like I really made a difference in the lives of many children. I was also able to learn a lot about myself and grow as a professional as well. As far as my job situation, since I am pregnant and we will be moving to Pittsburgh a couple months after the baby is born, I decided to just wait until we move and are settled in before I start looking to work part-time in my field. The University of Pittsburgh's Children's Hospital (just the "children's" hospital) is bigger then all of PCMH- where I did my internship so I am hoping there will be an opportunity when the time is right. I will leave that in God's hands. In the meantime, I am spending lots of quality time with Natalia and getting ready for the new baby as well. I am also studying for the Child Life Certification exam which I am taking in November. As far as ECU is concerned, I have my degree but as far as getting a job in my field I still need to be certified. Busy months coming up. Not only am I taking my exam but my brother is getting married (and Natalia is one of the flower girls) and then some time after that we're going to Disney!! I am very excited and will have lots of fun pictures to post when the time comes. I have a lot of pictures this time around too. Since my internship was full-time with some crazy hours like until 1am while I was in the emergency department, Frank's mom came to stay with us for the duration of my internship to help with Natalia. We were so thankful to have her here, she was such a big help and Natalia and her had a great time together. My mom was able to come down to help out some as well, it was just really nice for both Grandma's to spend time with Natalia. P.S. I added a new song that I heard today to my playlist at # 20. It's called, "The more I seek you" and it's talking about Jesus of course ; ) It's really amazing so I hope you can listen...

Grandma Lodeserto

Grandma & Grandpa Lodeserto

Grandma Santoro

Frank & I went home to NJ for a week back in July. Here are some pictures from our visit:

My sister Danielle and her daugther Julianna

Mommy & Natalia

Grandpa Santoro

Another party!

While we were in NJ, we had a 1st Birthday party for Natalia with our entire family. Daddy, Natalia, Mommy, Brianna, Timothy & Andrew (the triplets), sitting: Brandon, Nicholas, Julianna and Anthony. Natalia has a lot of cousins and 2nd cousins!

All the "Aunt's". My sister, Frank's sister and my brother's soon-to-be wife

All the Grandparents

Grandma's & granddaugthers have a special bond

Natalia looked so cute at her party. I had mentioned to Frank's sister that I really wanted to get a party dress for Natalia for her 1st birthday, the kind of dress that no one can mistake who the birthday girl was. So sure enough, Karen sent the cutest little skirt in the mail for Natalia to ware. It was such a nice surprise and Natalia loved waring it.

Aunt Karen, Grandma L & cousin BrandonThe skirt even looked pretty with her bathing suit.

After the pool, Natalia had fun playing with her cousins

and getting kisses from Grandma

Mommy & the birthday girl

Grandpa Lodeserto

Aunt AnnMarie, Aunt Zulma, my mom & Aunt Carol

Grandma Santoro

Uncle Anthony, Connie (Frank's god-mother) and Grandpa Lodeserto

Mommy & her sweet girl

A Day at the Beach...

While we were home, we stayed at my parents beach house in Long Beach Island, NJ

Anthony, Grandma & Grandpa Santoro

Natalia went on the rides in LBI for the first time

Pete & Aunt Betty

Natalia even played some games!

While we were home we also visited Aunt Karen and the Lodeserto's and natalia got to open up more birthday presents : ) Grandma Lodeserto, Aunt Karen and cousin Nicolas

Cousin Brandon peeking in as well ; )

Julianna & Nicholas rosting marshmellows

Grandma Santoro

The pictures below were from the begining of July when we went to an awards dinner at Frank's work. I am so proud of him. He has accomplished so much during his residency it has really been a blessing. For someone who prayed and prayed for wisdom long ago to become a doctor, God has really shined through his life and is still working in it each day. Frank was humbled to win the following awards:

Resident Teaching Award~ voted by the medical students

Outstanding Resident Award~ voted by his fellow residents and

Excellence in Hospitalist Medicine~ voted by the Attending Doctors and nurses

Here is a picture of one of his awards Natalia was so proud of her daddy as she went up to accept the awards with him.

Happy 1st Birthday Natalia!

2010-06-20T20:24:00.021-04:00

At one years old you are such a joy. You can say mama, dada, and imitate other sounds, you sing "EI, EI" as in "EI, EI O"when you want to hear music, you love to give hugs, you can pick out your favorite books when asked (Spot, Winnie the Pooh and the animal book), you can make a monkey sound and a bunny sniffing sound, you can scribble with crayons, you love your baby doll and snoopy, you always sleep with your pink elephant, you point to your eyes, feet & hair, you give high fives, you can turn the lights on and off, when we say, "How smart is Natalia? Soooo smart" you open your arms really wide for "soooo smart", you wave hi & bye, you can get on and off your little rocking chair all by yourself, you dance to music and clap your hands and you're walking more than you crawl. You are very friendly and love to play with everyone. We love you so much Natalia you are always smiling and have so much love to share. You are also getting to spend a lot of time with both your Grandma's because mommy is doing her child life internship at the hospital (same hospital daddy works at) and it's full-time. Grandma Lodeserto is retired and offered to stay with us for the summer so mommy can do her internship. Grandma Santoro stays too for a few weeks here and there as well. It's so nice to see you hug and kiss them and spend quality time together since we live so far away. Happy 1st Birthday sweetheart. We love you. xoxoxoxo

You had so much fun opening your presents and playing with all your new toys...

Hugs for daddy...

Your bedtime is 7pm but you stayed up a little later on your birthday ; )

Here is a picture of the little rocking chair mommy & daddy got you for your birthday. One day we had lunch at Cracker Barrel and while we were waiting for a table we sat outside on the rocking chairs. It turned out they had smaller ones too and you sat in it and rocked for 20 minutes with a big smile on your face while we waited for a table. Needless to say, mommy & daddy went back to get it for you for your birthday and you loved it ever since.

Only I was so excited to give it to you that I gave it to you the day before your birthday as well. You were able to climb on it and off it by yourself within 10 minutes. You are so strong!

Grandma Santoro

You love your little pool...

Bubbles are a Child Life Specialist's BEST friend. I use them all the time in the hospital as a distraction for a child who is having a procedure and they work wonders. Pretty much everything I learned in child life I practice with Natalia and she loves it.

This picture where you are hugging daddy was from your very 1st time in the pool. Daddy put your bathing suite on backwards and in the front it looked more like a wrestling singlet than a bathing suite! Silly daddy.

You love to color...

My 1st Mother's Day

Dancing

~Cousin Joe~

2010-06-09T23:20:00.011-04:00

Sometimes it's not the duration of someones life but rather the donation made. We love you so much cousin Joe and will miss you dearly. We will always remember you and think of you often. Thank you for being *so special* to all of us and for always making us smile. May the Lord keep your family safe, happy, healthy and forever loved. We love you and will miss you so much.

Like Mommy, like Daddy

2010-05-04T00:02:00.014-04:00

Just waiting for daddy to get home to go out to dinner : )

At 10 1/2 months old I still love my car seat : )

Sleepy baby

Video! Walking holding on & playing catch : )

2010-04-26T17:31:00.007-04:00

~10 Months old~

2010-04-18T19:05:00.016-04:00

All done

Wave hi & bye-bye

Yayaya! Clap, clap

Just cruising along : )

1st time on a slide!

Daddy is always doing something to make you laugh