Where there is love, there is life...

A Few Firsts...

2010-05-02T05:18:00.000-07:00

Hooray! One week and one day down! And I had the whole weekend to enjoy with Lathan! Don't worry, we spent some time with Jim too, but he was working this weekend.

Day care seems to be off to a good start. Last Monday was a very difficult day. Though I think maybe the rest of the week was harder because reality set in. I absolutely adore the women that are caring for him during the day! They are thoughtful and really pour their hearts into taking care of the little ones! Lathan is one of 2-three month old's in the baby room (coincidentally they were born on the same day!). The rest of the infants are walkers and crawlers. We had to take our picture to commemorate his first day!

Mommy and Lathan

The day was made even brighter with an adorable flower arrangement from my family!

Pretty flowers from my family

So now the second week begins and I realize that we are beginning to develop a routine. We are in the early stages, but we are getting there. I am so very thankful for the time I have with Lathan in the morning and the evening, and especially WEEKENDS!

This weekend included some of Lathan's "firsts"! He found his toes on Saturday. He could not stop grabbing them! I have yet to capture this on film. We enjoyed some time trying to score good deals at yard sales with Stacy, Audrey and Amanda! What fun we had! We found a few goodies and then enjoyed the afternoon with the ladies. It was in front of these women (I think Lathan felt he had to impress) that Lathan had his first ROLL!!!!! HOORAY!!! He rolled from front to back! He had quite the reaction from the ladies..obviously!! :)

Lathan after his first ROLL! Can't quite get his hand out from underneath himself!

There we go!! Such a big boy!!

He is growing up too fast! I am so grateful for all of the time that I get to spend with him! I am truly counting down the days until summer! At his appointment today, he weighed in at 14lbs 5oz and 27in long!! You can slow down your growing buddy, Mommy wants to enjoy every little bit!

I've been Flamingoed...

2010-04-21T18:28:00.001-07:00

So it took me awhile, but here are the pictures of our house when it was "flamingoed" for a good cause! Such a cute idea for a fundraiser. After only 9 homes, they had earned $335 towards their mission efforts! God is good!

Shower of Blessings...

2010-04-21T17:10:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, April 18, we had a surprise shower for my sister-in-law, Janice and her fiance, Thad! What a wonderful time we had celebrating their relationship and Jan's love of the BEACH! As you can see we had a beach theme going on! The theme was "Janice and Thad: A perfect pair". We had a great time with friends and family!

Jan's surprise face!

These are the favors I made to hand out to each guest.

The happy couple with the beautiful cake.

Lathan wanted Uncle Thad to have a "man gift" since he was such a sport for sitting in a room full of chatting women!

The ladies who planned the shower: me, Kris (Maid of Honor), Lois (Maaa), Janice, Kerri, Cathy

Thank you to the ladies who put so much hard work and love into such a wonderful afternoon! We are so excited for Jan and Thad's upcoming wedding and cannot wait for them to be Mr. and Mrs. Baker!

To My Baby Boy

2010-04-19T18:01:00.000-07:00

My Darling Lathan,

Today is officially one week until I return to work! Wow! The time with you has flown because we have had so much fun together. Today I introduced you to the wonderful teachers and staff that I work with, as well as, the students that fill my day with joy. You were a trooper today! You even napped in the midst of all the noises of an elementary school!

You have filled my heart with more love than I could have ever imagined knowing. You have taught me so much about who I am, what my strengths and weaknesses are and how to be a good mother to you. I have enjoyed all things that are "Lathan" and look forward to all that is to come. I love that every morning when I wake up to your noises and walk into your room, you stare up at me and greet me with a smile, as if I am exactly who you wanted to see. I love that you will fall asleep in my arms. I enjoy every moment with you! It makes me happy to know that I have learned all of your noises, when you are bored or hungry or tired. Together we have made it through each tiny achievement that has felt like a huge milestone. Today you laughed at me. It made my heart smile. I am so grateful for the time that we have had together to become a family. Your Daddy has learned and loved right along side of me, and for that, I am so thankful!

Everyone keeps asking me if I am ready to go back...I keep saying that I am excited to return. And while I look forward to being there for the students and teachers, truth be told, I'm not ready. I never will be. I imagine that at any age, leaving you will break my heart. I keep thinking that if I have a good attitude about it, it won't be as painful. My mom always said to do everything with a happy on your face. Well, I am...but right now, my happy is forced. I know sitting on this side of it, maybe it feels bigger than it will be after I experience it. But for now, my heart is heavy with the thought of missing out on your day and having to wait for hours before snuggling you close or kissing your cheek. I pray that God will give me the strength to make it through the longest 7 weeks of my life. My goal will be to squeeze all the loving that I am giving you now, into a few less hours! I know I can do it!

So, in this last week I have with you all to myself (until the SUMMER!) I will spoil you by snuggling you more, dancing with you longer, singing just one more song, and letting you fall asleep in my arms and stay...just a few more minutes. And after all of that, knowing that perhaps it wasn't done to spoil you, but rather to spoil me.

Love always,

Mommy

March was truly Madness!

2010-04-06T06:19:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks were a whirlwind for the Natale's! Grandparents have visited us and we traveled to visit my parents and Jim's parents, as well as, friends in New Jersey. With the warmer weather we have filled our days with walks and other exciting baby activities! I have included a few photos of our activities!

Bella being a "watch dog"

Grandma Natale bought me an adorable Yankees onesie!

Go Yankees!

Holding my head up!

Doing chores with mom

Look at that lip!!

We also had some time to make some yummy treats! These treats are a recipe from my friend Shelby. They include puffed wheat, marshmallows, honey, sunflower seeds, dried fruit and white chocolate chips! YUM!

Our First (and last) Photo Session

2010-02-25T11:05:00.000-08:00

Lathan is over one month old! To commemorate this exciting time we decided to take him to get some photos taken . It was quite an experience! We had to keep explaining to the photographer that Lathan was only a month old...no he can't hold his head up, he won't really look at the camera, if he smiles it's just gas (maybe). Needless to say, we had a good number of retakes. However, Jim and I enjoyed the opportunity to take some photos with our little guy! We did decide that while this was an enjoyable time and will make wonderful memories, we will opt for "Grandpa Carmichael's Photography". He has a nice camera and will listen when we tell him that Lathan is not able to smile and say "cheese" quite yet! Enjoy!

Our Family

Look how long I am!

Really...I can't hold my head up yet!

Daddy and Lathan

Mommy and Lathan

Take 2..

Holding Mommy's Hands

We love him to the moon and back!

Our Baby Is Here!

2010-01-27T18:11:00.000-08:00

Welcome Lathan James!

Lathan James Natale was born on January 21, 2010! We are so glad that he has arrived and have spent the last few weeks adjusting to life at home! He is just over three weeks old! I cannot believe how the time has flown! I can only imagine what this means for the rest of his life!

His Arrival:

Jim and I arrived at Carlisle Women's Center at 6:00am on January 21st for our scheduled c-section. This came as a decision made in conjunction with our doctor.

WHOA BABY!

We knew that Lathan was going to be a big baby for me to deliver. The doctor's were estimating somewhere around 9 pounds. After being 4 days past our due date with only a few contractions that did not progress to real contractions nor dialation, we decided this would be the safest option for a healthy baby. We knew that an induction would most likely result in a c-section, so that was not really an option as the doctor told us we would be in labor for 2-3 days and it could compromise Lathan's health. Lathan was born at 8:27am at 10 pounds 5 ounces and 22 1/2 inches long. We are so grateful for a safe delivery and healthy baby! We absolutely loved our experience at Carlisle Women's Center! We felt well taken care of from the moment we walked in the door. The doctors, nurses and pediatricians were stellar. I have been recovering wonderfully from the c-section. I was up walking within 5 hours of my surgery and have healed well so far.

We had many visitors in the first few days of Lathan's life. We are so blessed to have had the love and support of family and friends as we welcomed our son. Thank you so much to all of you for your prayers, congratulations, visits and meals. You have truly helped our adjustment to parenthood. A very BIG thank you to my parents and Jim's parents who stayed as long as they could. Cooking, cleaning, and baby holding sure helped Jim and I acclimate!

Lathan's Grandpa and Grandma Carmichael and Aunt Rach and Uncle Aaron!

Lathan's Grandpa and Grandma Natale!

Be sure to check out www.gallery.me.com/jvnatale for more pictures of Lathan and his friends and family!

Dear Baby Natale...I am ready when you are!

2010-01-12T16:27:00.000-08:00

Well we had our week 39 doctor's appointment with ultrasound! I cannot believe how amazing the pictures are! I know this child will not look exactly like the photos above, but wow!!!! It certainly gives us an idea as to what this little boy or little girl will look like!

The doctor says I am about 1-2cm dilated, but the baby is still "up there". So, I guess we just keep waiting! We would ask for your continued prayers as the time HAS TO be drawing to a close! We look forward to introducing you to Baby Natale soon!!

Baby Update...Week 38

2010-01-05T16:16:00.001-08:00

I know you are all looking forward to Baby Update at WEEK 38!!!!

Well the update is...there really is no update! :) Baby Natale is living the cozy life and enjoying it! So, the wait continues! They still say that Baby is going to be on the "solid" side, so we have an ultrasound scheduled at next week's appointment. We ask for your continued prayers as we anticipate the arrival of this little one!

Nursery and More...

2009-12-29T11:43:00.000-08:00

We are gearing up for Baby Natale's arrival! The nursery is finished! The carpet arrived yesterday! We still have a few pictures to hang in the nursery, as Jim's sister did some drawings for us! But other than that, the drawers are stocked and the crib is made! Jim painted the room and did a fabulous job! So now that the nursery has been set up and our bags are mostly packed, we are just waiting for Baby to decide when to arrive!

Dresser

Changing Table and Shelf

Crib and sign that says "I love you to the moon and back"

Just before Christmas, we had a nice shower thrown by the teachers at my school. We are so thankful for the generosity and love they showed! I am so grateful to work with an amazing group of educators. They are an amazing group of people who truly care about those around them. I took some time over the break to make some thank you cards to show them just how much their thoughtfulness is appreciated (close your eyes if you think you may be receiving one of these! :) ). My Dad has a "cricut" machine and we used it to create these cute little cards! Who knew we could be so crafty! Thanks for your help Dad!

Sweet Child 'O Mine

2009-12-24T01:22:00.000-08:00

Notice I said sweet...not tiny or little! So I guess it's time to formally state that the prediction is...I'm having a big baby. To some of you, this may not come as a surprise because you've watched my belly expand!

Last week they sent me for an ultrasound because I was measuring larger than 35 weeks.

Jim and I went to our ultrasound on Monday. At that ultrasound, the "guesstimate" for our child's weight was 7lbs. + or - 1lb 1oz. We had another appointment yesterday afternoon where they confirmed...yes...big baby. (As much as they can predict without seeing the baby) The midwife's "guesstimate" is now around 8. By the way...did I mention that I'm between 36 and 37 weeks along and my due date isn't until January 17!!! And I know that one can never be sure, but at least we will be prepared for the possibility of Big Baby Natale. The good thing about all of this is that it's not due to gestational diabetes...no...it's genetics. I must give a big shout out to my mother-in-law whom I love dearly and has blessed me with the genetics of carrying this bundle of joy! :) (All of her babies weighed in at 9+ lbs.)

We are just praying for a happy, healthy baby whenever it is ready! I have to say though, it's not looking like it will be before Jan (sorry Jim!). So keep us in your prayers as we near the end of this wonderful adventure and look forward to a new one!

Holiday Preparations!

2009-12-06T15:06:00.000-08:00

Upon a review of this next week's schedule, I realized that I was not going to have much time to complete any of the things that I need to get done! So, Jim and I spent today preparing for the upcoming holiday festivities! Yesterday, he helped to cut down Christmas trees for UAFD and then we brought one home. Today was the day for decorating! These are two ornaments I received from friends and family in honor of my first pregnant Christmas!

Baby Fairy from Aunt Julie

Pregnant Mommy ornament from Mary G. (Gram)

The tree is all decorated!

I also spent some time preparing cookie dough for a cookie exchange and Fire Department Open House at the end of this week, as well as, a treat for a school luncheon on Tuesday. WHEW! Since I had to make two types of cookies, I tried one new recipe, Santa Whiskers, and stuck with an oldie but a goodie for the other , Peanut Butter Blossoms. I'm excited to see how they turn out!

For the school luncheon, I made these chocolate refrigerator treats with marshmallows and rice krispies that Jim requested. Only problem was, we couldn't find the exact recipe. Well we concocted one and based upon Jim eating 3 of them already, make that 5, I think we got it pretty close.

So Sunday evening and I have most of my extra-curricular things complete and I can use the time I do have in the evening this week to do school work. Oh how exciting!

Thankful at Thanksgiving...and always!

2009-12-01T15:58:00.000-08:00

This year, Thanksgiving held even more meaning for our family. We got to spend the week with my grandfather and his wife, Helen. They live in Canada, so we don't often have large family gatherings. My brother and his wife opened up their home for us to use for our Thanksgiving meal (and a few others). My aunt and uncle traveled from North Carolina. My aunt, cousin, and her ten year old son traveled from Michigan!

Many activities occur when the Carmichael's get together. The first of which is leg wrestling. My dad has worked really hard to lose 57 pounds since August 1 and he was determined to beat my brother! Clearly we had many laughs and my dad is still insisting it was a tie!

Dad and Aaron begin the competition

Who won?!

Whenever we are together, we have another tradition...we sing! My uncle brought his guitar and as you can see below, my grandfather enjoyed every minute of it! It's such a fun memory to have of Grandpa singing his heart out...normally it's at the dinner table! :)

On Saturday, we went to Hershey Chocolate World. We enjoyed walking around (or shuffling past the crowds of people) and looking at all of the yummy chocolate. We had a cold ride on the shuttle to get to and from our car, but it was all worth it! We ended the day with shopping at the Hershey Outlets.

I am so thankful for the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving with our family! Thank you to all of you who traveled and Aaron and Rach for opening their home to us!

And the blessings continue...

2009-11-29T18:53:00.000-08:00

A week after my first shower, my dear friend Stacy threw me a shower with a tea party theme! Her wonderful Mom, Mary, also helped to pull off the beautiful shower. They held the tea party at The Bricker House.

Stacy and her mom spent alot of time planning and preparing for the tea party. They had a tea cup with a cupcake at each place setting. As well as, a beautiful arrangement of flowers at each table.

Stacy had some fun games planned for the afternoon. She had asked Jim some questions and had each guest fill out their guesses on Jim's answers. How funny! Though I must say, with the exception of a few answers (sorry Stacy), Jim was so kind and thoughtful! Stacy also had the ladies draw a picture with paper and a marker on their heads!

Knowing that my theme in the baby's room is from the book "Guess How Much I Love You", Stacy asked each guest to finish this statement: I love you as much as...

It was so neat to see how people finished the statement! What a wonderful memory this has created for our family! We have made them into a book that we will keep in the nursery.

Not only did we get a picture with each table, Stacy even took a picture of the entire shower!

We had such a fun time!

Thank you Stacy and Mary for all of the hard work that you put into creating this memory for Jim and I! We are so grateful!

And of course we couldn't have ended the day without a funny picture with Stacy!

Showers of Blessings...

2009-11-29T18:31:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, some dear friends of mine, Monique and Lori, threw my first baby shower. What a wonderful time we had! The ladies had an adorable theme that was inspired by the "This Little Piggy" poem, yet geared for a baby shower! They had a beautiful spread of food! Below begins the pictures of each "station" they had set up that incorporated the "This Little Piggy" poem.

In addition to the beautiful food and decor, Lori and her husband Mike made an adorable diaper cake! I had a hard time taking this apart because it was so beautiful! It included diapers, onesies, bibs, socks, mittens, and an adorable stuffed pig at the top of the cake!

We had a wonderful time of catching up and soaking up all the wisdom of the mommies that were present! Thank you ladies for all of your hard work and effort! I had an amazing time and it is a wonderful memory that I will hold dear! Thank you Monique and Lori!!!

A Fine Fall Weekend...

2009-10-04T11:20:00.000-07:00

Next to beach season, Fall is my favorite! I enjoy the cooler weather, beautiful foliage, and flavors of the season! I can't wait to start cooking everything pumpkin!

I started off this weekend with a trip to the Apple Festival with the Geiger/Salter's. What a wonderful day! Audrey was dressed like a pumpkin and fit right in with the surroundings of the festival! We had some great food (pork bbq and fried apples) and did some shopping. I found a beautiful picture frame for the nursery. This truly was the prayer of our hearts. We are very thankful and know that many people continue to pray longer than we did. I used an ultrasound picture for now! I look forward to having a real photo in this frame!

Today, I decided to do some baking. I love baked oatmeal and was given this recipe from my friend, Jen. I used the blueberries I had picked earlier this summer. What a great way to begin each day this week! Here is a link to Jen's Baked Oatmeal recipe on her blog. http://its-a-wonderfull-life.blogspot.com/2008/09/new-favorite.html (If you love to cook, don't stop there, she has a bunch of wonderful recipes!)

I also thought I should take some time to thank Jim for all of the hard work he has put into getting the nursery ready. In the past few weeks, he has helped me to register for baby items, put together 3 pieces of furniture, painted the nursery, and the list just keeps going. I decided to make some peanut butter cookies for him to enjoy. I cannot tell a lie...I may have snitched a few!

Lastly, I know I have not been good about blogging lately! I did want to share a little bit about our progression with Baby Natale's nursery. While we don't have a theme, we have decided on some colors. We painted the walls with stripes and will be adding chair rail this week. The nutbrown hare shown below is from "Guess How Much I Love You". These are the only bunnies I will have in the room. The bedding, curtains, and rug will all be cream with some accent colors that we picked! I will post the picture of the walls as soon as the chair rail is up! Great job Jim! Thank you for all you have done!

And Baby Makes Three...

2009-08-10T17:09:00.001-07:00

Great Deals

2009-08-10T01:36:00.000-07:00

Last week, Jim and I travelled to BB's Bent and Dent to get some of our groceries for the month. BB's is an Amish owned store that sells everything a grocery store does at a fraction of the cost! Some of their items may have bents or dents, but many of their items are just discounted. I love driving to BB's! It's located in Newburg, PA, just outside of Newville. We spent about an hour walking up and down every aisle. I typically only purchase pantry items here, and I like to make sure I don't buy anything that is out of date. We got so many good deals! I find that I love grocery shopping when I go to BB's! If you ever get to visit, you should!

Summer Recap

2009-08-05T06:15:00.000-07:00

I wanted to take some time to update you on our summer activities! At the end of June, Jim and I ventured to Las Vegas, Nevada with our friend Nick and met Jim's brother and sister-in-law there! We went to see one of Jim's friends get married. It was an amazing time! Our flight landed in Las Vegas, we rented a car, and off we went! We travelled about 4 hours to the Grand Canyon! What an amazing sight! The day was slightly overcast, but the sight was still overwhelming.

A view of the Grand Canyon

Jim and I standing on the edge!

On the way back we took some photos of the Hoover Dam. We didn't stop to walk across, as we had already been sitting in traffic for an hour to get across the dam!

Our drive-by picture of the Hoover dam

The next day we went on a short hike in the Valley of Fire. The pictures do not do the terrain justice. The sand was a burnt orange color and the rocks had varying hues of orange, purple, white, and more! Some rock formations resembled beehives. We saw little lizards, petroglyphs drawn on rocks and petrified wood.

Petroglyphs Beehive Rock

Petrified Wood

That same afternoon, we attempted to go to a little town called Caliente. Well, let's just say 100 miles on a dirt road/ slightly paved road that was eroding on one side, one flat tire, outdoor "bathroom" stops, and many hours later we arrived at Caliente. The following day was our friend Eddie and Yana's wedding at the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel. What a fun 20 minutes! Eddie and Yana rode in on their Harley. To see pictures of the rest of the trip, visit our photo gallery at http://gallery.me.com/jvnatale and click on Las Vegas Trip! We are so grateful for the opportunity to travel with friends and family!

Our New Blog!

2009-08-05T06:03:00.000-07:00

Jim and I recently got rid of our old blog. We didn't use it much, and not many people knew about it! We hope this will be a better way of keeping in touch with people and letting them know what' s going on in our lives!

Keep in mind that my first few posts will be a little rough as I haven't done this before! Though some very consistent bloggers have given me some great websites and advice! My next post will catch you all up on our summer events! We've had a busy, yet fabulous summer!