The Ingraldi Family

Best Pie Ever

2009-07-05T19:13:00.004-05:00

I saw this recipe in my Taste of Home magazine and knew Michael would love it. I made it for him and we had a piece tonight. If there was one thing I was going to blow my diet for, it is this. This pie recipe took second place in the Refrigerator/Freezer category at the Great American Pie Show in Branson, MO. It's pure bliss.

Frosty Coffee Pie

Ingredients:

1/4 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, warmed
1 chocolate crumb crust (9 inches)
3 cups coffee ice cream, softened
1 package (5.9 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 cup cold strong brewed coffee
1/4 cup cold milk
1-3/4 cups whipped topping
1 cup marshmallow creme
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Spread ice cream topping into crust. In a large bowl, beat the ice cream, pudding mix, coffee and milk until blended; spoon into crust.
In another bowl, combine the whipped topping and marshmallow creme; spread over top. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Cover and freeze until firm. Yield: 8 servings.

Weeds

2009-07-02T22:01:00.002-05:00

The other night while pulling weeds from the yard, the task went from being arduous, painful, and annoying to somehow spiritual. That was the last place I suspected I would see a correlation between weeds and how God must see our lives sometimes. In our yard, we tend to get these weeds that go on for feet at a time, sometimes 4 feet long as they snake through the grass and mingle with everything in their path. It didn't matter where I was pulling these weeds from, a rock bed, sand or grass - these weeds were persistent. So as I pulled with all my might on some, even using the claw of a hammer to get one out, and others gently lifted from their roots, I began to think if this is how God sees sin in our lives. A tangled mess. Persistent. Annoying. Downright frustrating. Even when there was a barrier to stop the weeds, i.e. black tarp paper or plastic edging, the weeds found their way into the area. So, this is what I thought about the correlation of sin and weeds: no matter how hard we try to "weed" proof our lives, we much constantly be pulling and pruning the weeds that creep in. I know I am guilty of living the "Christian" way but often times forgetting to edify my relationship with God with time in prayer and scripture. So my lesson from my night of pulling weeds, that I am sharing, is that I am going to dust off my bible and take the time to pray, and try to prune a little more often - both in my life and in my yard.

PS - my legs are killing me from squatting and bending over but in the end, it was worth it to see a clear area that I knew needed a good cleaning, much like my heart.

Preschool Graduation

2009-05-31T15:06:00.001-05:00

Updates

2009-05-31T14:54:00.002-05:00

Since I have been so lacking in posting, I decided to put my facebook updates on here so those of you who don't have facebook can see what you are missing out on:

May 8
Apparently it is really fun to pull my hand mixer all over the kitchen, perhaps I should try it sometime, Ava seems to love it.

May 9
just potted 30 plants then the dog came on the deck bleeding from the mouth, so my deck looks like the Little Shop of Horrors!

watching SNL with my hubby. First time I have spent time with him all weekend. Only 10 more months of school left!

May 10
really needs to clean my house before the appraiser comes on Wednesday afternoon!

May 12
watching Biggest Loser finale. I should be totally inspired but instead I ate a few reese's
pieces/choc. chip cookies I made tonight.

May 13
Not a fan of Kati attempting to sneak everything lately. If I say no, then she says she will just sneak it anyway. ugh!

May 16
to much drama!

in bed, feeling crappy, want to watch a movie on the laptop but it isn't cooperating, maybe I should just sleep.

May 17
prepping for preschool graduation tomorrow. I'm excited for her but also sad. I want to keep her little forever.

May 18
back from preschool graduation, now off to the park to play!

is having a good day off with my girls. Now, I am off to the allergy doctor.

is wondering how to stop the bunnies from eating my impatients that isn't Elmer Fudd style - anyone have any ideas? They only eat the pink & white striped ones and leave the plain pink ones alone.

May 19
Has a sick baby with a temp of 102! Poor baby.

May 20
hanging out with Kati watching Full House.

May 21
working on my self evaluation for work - ugh - I hate this!

May 22
happy to have a new PINK bike! Lord, please protect me as I relearn how to ride a bike again for the first time in a decade!

May 23
is taking Kati to her first Sweet and Sassy birthday party for a friend and then I am planning to use the next 2 1/2 hours for cleaning. I need a house cleaner.

May 24
is excited to find out the bikes we bought 2 days ago went on sale for $40 less per bike. We are on our way to reclaim $80! The Target guy told us to save our receipts and watch the ads for the next 2 weeks to get the price match - glad he did!

May 25
is off to a good start today. Kati let me sleep in a little and the baby is still asleep!

Thanks to all the American Soldiers who serve/have served this great country. God Bless You.

is watching Marley and Me with kati for the 2nd time, hopefully I won't cry like a baby this time.

is thinking I miss my hubby even though he is in the house (studying). The school/work thing accounts for 98% of his day. only 10 more months though. I am really proud of him, I am just having a pity party for myself.

May 26
the baby is biting at the backs of my legs and booty as I try to facebook!!!!

May 27
is excited to watch Wipeout with Michael and Kati tonight and also wonders why my tummy has been hurting so badly lately.

May 28
thinks 5 year olds are very dramatic, at least mine is. :sigh:

is getting ready to watch a movie with my hubby!!! Woohoo for quality time together!

May 29
is putting the pool up for the summer. Let us know when you want to come for a swim!

wonders how long my neighbors feet will be green from mowing in high heeled open toed sandals?? hm... interesting choice of mowing footwear.

May 30
just caught Kati and the dog playing tug of war over a lollipop! She did fess up that she was allowing the dog to have licks to try it.

May 31
is thinking my head really hurts. The light globe from a ceiling fan fell off and my head took a direct hit.

Last Day as a 4 year old.

2009-02-26T21:29:00.004-06:00

I am sad and in denial that my little girl is becoming such a big girl. Kati will be 5 years old tomorrow. I am happy and sad. Five seems like such a huge deal, especially to her. It's hard to believe that years ago tonight I sat in the hospital laboring for 25 hours. She has grown up so much. Luckily, she is my cuddler so even though she doesn't fit in my arms anymore, she still likes to be held by them.

We made cupcakes tonight for her preschool class tomorrow morning. She used three different kinds of sprinkles and had to do a pattern. She is so excited to be turning 5, I am in denial but it will be here no matter how long I want to keep her little.

YAHOO!

2009-02-23T15:48:00.003-06:00

Do you YAHOO!? I do now! I will have to try to stop using Google so much now. As of Friday, my husband is once again gainfully employed! You might wonder what he'll be doing - I wish I really knew (and so does he). He will be titled "Small Business Associate." We don't know what that entails really but we are excited for his first day of work March 9th! (Well, I am excited as I can be.) It will be great to have more income but I will be sad that he isn't home with the girls. He has done an amazing job! Both girls love having their daddy around, but I am sure he will be glad to have a structure to his day that doesn't involve PBS, dirty diapers, or screaming children! He has been a HUGE help to me these past few months. He has completely redesigned our garage (!) and he has done all the laundry, and any other tasks that I have asked of him. When this totally could have shattered a man's ego, he has totally stepped up to the plate and made me proud. It has been a long 5 months of low wage or no wage. We have made it though. We still have another month of scraping to get by, and this one will be the hardest yet.

The amazing thing about the past five months is that I am really incredibly grateful for it. Why you ask:
1. Michael has been able to spend amazing time with his girls.
2. It has really enabled me to focus on my new job and get accustomed to it, without having to worry about what time I had to be at work or leave to pick the girls up.
3. I am grateful to our friends, Bob and Robyn, who gave Michael a job to help us get by for a few months. If you need any garage door business in the Omaha metro area - Bob is your man!
3. This is probably the biggest, it has taught us so much about financial responsibility. It's not that we didn't know much before but I think our eyes were closed to a lot of the extra expenses we wasted.
4. Maybe this is the biggest! God has been SO present. I can look back and see how he had his hand on all of this. The biggest indication of it all is that Aunt Lisa, our beloved aunt and babysitter, has been having some major health problems for almost the past year. Michael lost his job right when she needed the break the most. Now, thankfully, she is getting better after identifying the right diagnosis and is all ready for the girls again! Kati has spent at least 4-5 days a week at her house since she was 6 weeks old. We love Aunt Lisa, affectionately named Sasa by Kati when she was younger, and the name stuck so much that we all call her that.

So we are thankful for MANY things that have happened through this journey. We look forward to what lies ahead, knowing full well that God is in control of it all. Thanks to all who have prayed for us and supported us. Your love, support, and friendship is humbling.

Picture Update: Cute & Silly

2009-01-29T19:46:00.002-06:00

Kati loves to dress herself. Most of the time she does a great job, others - she ends up like this :-)

She is a cute girl and she has a thing for the hat to the side.

This is Ava's new face when I try to take pictures of her. Silly girl.

A rare picture of her not being silly! She is a VERY ornery girl who keeps me very busy.

Blogger Neglect

2008-12-10T12:57:00.002-06:00

It's official folks, I am guilty of blog neglect. I cannot believe it has been 3 months since I last blogged. Life has been busy to say the least. My new job keeps me way busier than I ever thought possible, there is no time to be bored, let along blog! I used to blog during lunch breaks but I don't know what those are anymore. That's not to say I am not enjoying my job because I do. My mom pointed out that in my previous post I say I have a new job but haven't said what it is or what I do. So, in short, I am the lead Medical Staff Specialist for a local hospital in Omaha. I work exclusively for the physicians and whatever they need, but more specifically forthe physician executive board and act a psuedo liason between Administration and Medical Staff. It is a good job. As hard as I work, I do have more flexible hours and see the kids more most evenings than I have in the past. It is a very big job and feels bigger than I can handle at times, but I AM doing it well - one day at a time!

Life has presented some challenges but we are still blessed. We know that God has the bigger picture and keep trusting him for guidance and his providence in our lives! Michael is working for a friend of our who owns his own garage door business. It is hard manly work. Not that he wasn't used to hard work but it is a different level of hard work. We're talking in the cold all the time, either cold temperatures or sub zero freezers. He likes the work and likes his co-workers but it is very hard for him and for the girls and I for him to be away so much. He is still looking for other employment. We are MOST grateful to our friends, Bob and Robyn, for giving him this opportunity when we desperately needed it. We are praying for special guidance right now for Friday morning.

In September, Michael tested for the local law enforcement and was asked to submit his personal history packet to the Bellevue PD. He turned it in and got a letter saying that his application wasn't going forward at this time. He called and asked what the problem was and was told he hadn't submitted copies of his driver's license and other documentation. The Leutienant was very gracious and said he could bring it in this Friday at 10am for a short interview. So... we don't know what will happen next but we pray that God will open the door if it is his plan for our lives. We shall see.

The girls are getting so big. I will post pics later of them.

Please keep us all in your prayers! I know there are plenty of people who are far worse situations, but we would appreciate your prayers.

Changes -

2008-09-16T16:11:00.005-05:00

Change. No this is not a plug for Barack Obama, I wouldn't be caught dead. Anyway, political feelings aside, change has been the theme of the month. My last update was about a month ago, I am sad to say. This summer has been very busy and change has touched almost every aspect of our lives lately. God is up to something, but I have yet to figure it all out yet.

One thing that has changed is our girls are getting so big! Kati started preschool on Aug 11, and even though this deserved a post all of its own, I didn't get there. (Much like the pictures that I have not gotten done of the girls.)

Kati loves preschool! That is an understatement because she LOVES preschool. She is learning to read and doing very well. Recently, we read a book and she read 9 out of 11 words that were on the page. I am proud of her. She loves to learn. I hope that is a quality she will always posess.

Ava is 9 months old now and growing very very quickly. She is wearing 18 month clothing. It's a little much for me. It seems like she was just my little baby who cuddled, but now she wants to be on the floor and crawling around into everything. We vacuum a lot more now! She is eating some jarred foods, but I am giving her more grown up foods. She loved the fruit and veggie puffs too. I think she will be walking soon.

What else has changed, you ask?

I received a job promotion at the hospital I work at. I was the executive secretary to the vice-president/chief operating officer. While this was a fulfilling job, I was starting to get bored. I had always said I didn't want to be a secretary the rest of my life. (I did enjoy the status it brough though.) Well, God must have heard me because the doors started opening. Back in June, my friend announced she was moving back home, and her position would be open. My boss asked me if I would be interested in her position. I thought about it for awhile. I went had a lunch interview with my potential new boss and talked about the position. I knew that taking the job would be that another woman in my office would not get it, and although she had her heart set on it, they weren't going to offer it to her. This was a very troubling time for me. I sought a lot of counsel from people and prayed about it a lot. At times, when it was so stressful, I prayed that God would shut the door but he never did. Even when it appeared that this wasn't meant to be, things changed and the opening just got wider. They were originally going to list the position as a lesser position, with the opportunity for me to move up within a year when I proved myself. I was okay with that at first, until I found out that meant no pay raise at all. So I thought the door was closing. We on vacation at this time and I was glad to get away from all the office drama. When I got back, I found out that they were going to repost the position as the lead position so that I would take it. I wanted a 10% raise. Not to be greedy, but I was advised by my current boss that you should always aim for at least that. So long story short, I have been there two full weeks. I got the raise and looking back I can see that God opened the doors all the way. Even when I wasn't sure it was the right way, He was guiding the whole situation. The great thing is that I am home earlier in the evening and get to spend more time with my family.

Sometimes when God moves he opens one door and closes another. Well that is exactly what happened last Monday. Michael went to work and came home unemployed. In some ways this is a huge relief as he was miserable and in a job that he had really disconnected with long ago. The company was doing things that he felt were unethical and he didn't feel comfortable making the transactions. His boss had never liked him and overall it just wasn't a good fit. So for now, he is being Mr. Mom until he finds something else. He is doing pretty good, although I know it is hard on him to go from employee to full time dad. He loves his girls and is a good daddy but doing it for hours on end it definitely hard on him.

So anyway, that is all about the change going on right now. We are trusting God for the next thing. We have seen his faithfulness many times not to trust that he will provide.

On another note, it always seems that God knows exactly what we need. There have been instances of this lately.
Instance #1. Last Friday night as I drove home from work, I was thinking and telling God that I am really lonely for friends. No one really knows me anymore. Later that night I was on facebook and an IM popped up from one of my oldest, dearest friends, Jenni. Jenni and I grew up together and nearly every childhood memory includes her in one way or another. Jenni is a very busy mom with 3 girls under 2 years old! Being busy moms, we don;'t really have the time to talk but we did that night by IM for almost an hour. It was so good and so cathartic for me to talk to someone who knows me and I could be myself. At the end, I closed Facebook and just cried. I feel like God directed her to me for that exact night when I really needed friendship most.
Instance #2. When I orignally applied for my new job, I said I was X amount of dollars. It was above the 10% increase but I figured why not go higher. So I got a 44 cents less than I orignally asked for and I was still happy with it. THen yesterday, by former boss, who is still in the same office, came into my office and said that I would be getting my performance raise based upon last years review. With that raise, I now make 20 cents more than I originally asked for when I applied for this position. Follow all that? Anyway, it is just cool to me. It came when we needed it most.

So that is the update on all the changes going on with the Ingraldi Family. I will update more often and let readers know how it all turns out.

Finally got a minivan!

2008-08-14T21:13:00.001-05:00

I have wanted a minivan for so long. Both of our cars are both older, 91 and 96. We were attached to Michael's car simply because it was his grandfathers. We bought it after he passed away in 2005. We were finally forced to do something last weekend about our car situation. Everything starts breaking, which is understandable given that our car was old enough to graduate high school. So last Saturday, we found a new to us 2002 Chrysler Town and Country. It has a lot of amenities that we did not expect to find in our price range. It was a blessing. A mechanic checked it out and all is perfectly fine! It was an emotional goodbye to the old Buick. It felt like our last connection to Papa Cox. We both had tears in our eyes as we drove away. We felt like we left our heart on the lot in some ways. We realize that he would want us to have something better but it was hard to part. We are excited to drive our new mini, it feels good to have air conditioning!

So many changes!

2008-07-16T16:25:00.005-05:00

(Written back in July, forgot to post until now)

Our girls are growing so fast. I wish I could slow time just a little but since I can't, I am enjoying all the new things that they do.

Kati continues to amaze with the things she thinks of and her abilities. She is learning sign language at Aunt Lisa's house during the week and has caught on amazingly well. She is starting preschool in less than a month, a day that I am certain I will cry. She is quite excited. She loves to be in the pool with her daddy. That is her special time with him. She seems to have grown up so much lately. The other day she announced that she was going to be a big girl and I did not need to tuck her in anymore.

Ava is now 7 months old and doing new things everyday. This past Sunday, she said mama for the first time, started crawling backwards, and learned to stand holding onto an object - all in ONE day. I was not ready for so many firsts from my baby in one day! In my mind, I still think she is 3 months old. I took her for her 6 month check up a few weeks ago and she is so big. Weighing in at 17.1 pounds, and measuring 27.5 inches in length, she is already ahead of Kati by 2 months compared to where Kati was at this age. Suffice it to say, our seasons are off in the clothing area right now. Hopefully we'll get back on track someday because Kati has a A LOT of clothes.

Michael and I feel so blessed to be the parents of these amazing kids. Each day is an adventure and even on the hairiest of days, it still amazes me that they are ours - precious little miracles.

The dreaded question...a little too early!

2008-06-04T22:30:00.003-05:00

So the other day, I am folding Ava's laundry in her room and Kati is helping me. Out of nowhere, Kati comes at me with a question, I wasn't quite ready to answer for another 4 or so years. She says, Mommy, how did I get in your belly? In my head I'm scrambling and I chuckled a nervous laugh. Once my brain got it together, I told her that when a mommy and daddy love each other God puts the baby in the mommy's tummy. Luckily, this pleased her and we went back to folding clothes. Whew!

Also, in Kati news. I am pleased to report that she sat and watched the weather reporting with me tonight for a long time. I took a meteorology class in college and loved it, so much to the point that I remember more of that than anything else I ever took. She used to be deathly afraid of storms but I think she is doing better this weather season. She was very calm when the tornado sirens sounded this evening. She wanted to know why I was getting blankets and supplies together, I told her and she was okay with it.

She has also started to pick out her own outfits. Some days she does a pretty good job and really surprises me, other days, she cracks me up with her concepts but somehow they work. This one isn't that bad, but the pink heart shirt with brown skirt, and pink blue and white striped socks made me laugh. She is so stinkin' cute.

She sits!

2008-06-04T22:25:00.002-05:00

Ava is trying hard to master the art of sitting. She actually did sit upright for 10 minutes the other day at Aunt Lisa's. She will be 6 months old next week. She is growing and getting so big. I already miss those early baby days, but each new milestone is a source for celebration.

A Pool of Frustration

2008-06-03T16:22:00.003-05:00

Life is still busy and crazy at the Ingraldi House. My friend Amber thoughtfully checked in and saw I hadn't been blogging lately. I have wanted to but time slips away so easily.

There have been so many things going on. Let's see, we attempted to put up the pool this weekend, which has been a disaster of sorts. We got the pool new last year. It is one of the inflatable ring pools that as you fill it with water it rises to a 16ft circle, that is about 3 1/2 feet deep. It was fun entertainment last year but the ground was a little uneven. So, this year with out economic stimulus money, we had a company come out and create a perfectly flat circle in our yard. It took 4 guys to do the work that my poor husband was attempting to do himself.
Anyway, we put up the pool and it had an unforeseen hole in the inflatable ring part, but I found that one. Then as the day progressed, little holes began emmerging all throughout the body of the pool. We patched 8 holes in all, but I am a little disheartened that a pool that is just a year old seems to be falling apart. We called the company but they offered no recourse. It's a shame that there is no ownership anymore when problems arise. We had to get a new pool pump too and that has also been a pain. I am wishing we had no pool and more money.

I am challenged by an old friend, Ryan, who blogs about being more concientious with our money and honoring God with what resources he has given to us. I am beginning to think that this pool just isn't very honorable, it's a pool of frustration.

May Days

2008-05-14T09:42:00.010-05:00

Our girls are growing an getting so big. Kati is full of energy. She goes from sun up to bedtime nonstop. She quit taking naps at Aunt Lisa's house b/c she wouldn't be able to go to sleep at night. She takes a quiettime though - or as quiet as I can imagine her being! :-)

A snippet of Kati's favorite activities.

Note the pink stair Kati drew on. She then sat in the chalk and despite my warning not to sit on anything and to strip her clothes immediately after stepping inside - she sat down on the carpeted stair to remove her shoes! Eeek!

*****************************************

Ava is growing and getting so big - now 5 months old. She is wearing 6-9 month clothes and is quickly burning through those as well. At this point, Kati was just wearing 3-6 month clothing so all those cute little summer dresses won't be seen again. Seeing Ava now, reminds me of Kati when she was a baby. I am told her eyes are turning hazel like Kati's but I am still holding out hope that she'll have baby blues like her mama. I think she is going to get a little red tint to her hair and she already has the most beautiful olive skin (thanks to her dad's side of the family). Kati and I will be jealous of her complexion I am sure as we are the very white girls (thanks to my Irish heritage.)

Ava loves to eat! Notice in the first picture that she is holding my pinky as I feed her. She holds on to my pinky the whole time. The second is after she is finished eating her peas and rice cereal. She is a happy girl.

Kati is keeping busy with swimming lessons, while Ava is busy eating new foods. She has tried every stage 1 veggie there is and loves them all - even green beans and peas! I allowed Kati to make the decision of what fruit to try first, so tonight it will be baby bananas - as Kati calls them.

The week ahead will be busy for the Ingraldi Family. Friday, Grammy and Papa come from Missouri to watch the girls overnight while Michael and I go to a church Leadership retreat. Sunday, we are having Ava's baby dedication at church. Kati has swim lessons in the afternoon and then she is off to Grammy and Papa's for the week. I do not know what I will do without her. She definitely keeps our life busy and challenging. I will miss her but know she will have a great time.

Pictures of the girls on recent walk. I snapped the picture of Kati holding Ava's hand - too sweet!

Who's Got the Beat?

2008-05-14T09:35:00.002-05:00

I guess I do but not the way I wish I did. I can't dance at all. I am wearing a 24 hour halter monitor for my heart to try and figure out why I am having such rapid accelerations that occur out of the blue. They last for 5 to 10 minutes and it feels like my heart is going to beat out of my chest. This started about 6 weeks ago, right after I quit nursing Ava so I attributed it to the re-introduction of caffiene to my body again but not so much anymore. I went to the cardiologist yesterday for a 24 hour monitor to try and see what's up. I am not thrilled with being 27 and wearing one of these. I am really hoping it is just stress or something. I plan on getting my cholesterol checked as well. Given my family's heart health history - I'm not leaving anything to chance. I go back in 2 weeks for the results.

Sunday - not a day of rest

2008-04-21T11:09:00.007-05:00

Yesterday was an incredibly busy busy day. Michael and Kati went to church yesterday morning together and then went out to lunch afterwards. While they were at church, Ava and I went to a wedding shower brunch for his cousin, Rachel. It was a very nice shower and it made me want to get married again so we could get new stuff. Ava tried her best to steal the show with her squeals - she loves to hear herself. After the shower, Ava and I headed home. She must have worn herself out as she slept from 1 til 3:30pm! I got a lot done though, including some really great mom and Kati time.

Kati also started swimming lessons yesterday afternoon. She wanted her dad to take her so I had to settle for pictures. She had a really good time. It was so cute watching her try to reinact what she learned.

Ava had her first veggie this weekend - squash! She loved it as her face proves.

We were able to get outside and get some fresh air for a change and the girls got to wear their first shorts of the season. Typical Midwest weather - last week it was snowing, this week it is 75 and humid, and tomorrow it is supposed to be 60 and rainy. I will have to remind myself of this when it is 95 and sunny in July.

I also found the time to get in the kitchen this weekend. I made homemade cinnamon rolls for work this morning. I LOVE my bread machine. I didn't know it had a dough setting until yesterday. I put all the ingrediants in and 90 minutes later I had perfect dough to roll out, spread with cinnamon mixture, cut, put in the pan, put in the fridge. this morning I took them out, let them raise and bake. They were so very yummy. I am the birthday person at work and our CFO doesn't like cake but requested cinnamon rolls - in case you wondered why I was making rolls on a Monday morning. I am not normally that ambitious.

I heard the best words this morning from Kati - "I'm glad I have a sister." Ava just lights up when she sees Kati. Kati loves it that Ava smiles at her and gets so excited. "Mommy, Ava just gave me a smile" is a commonly heard in our house. I love it. After all the time and heartache it took to get my girls, it is so rewarding to seethem together.

4 month check up

2008-04-15T12:25:00.002-05:00

Ava had her 4 month check up yesterday and all is well. She is 13 pounds, 10 ounces (50th %tile) and 25 inches long (75th %tile). She also had to get her shots, her poor little legs. Kati wanted to go with us and be the big sister. I told her Ava had to get shots and it was going to hurt her and she would cry, but Kati wanted to go anyway. She held Ava's hand and talked to her the whole time and was so very sweet to her. She kept saying "it's okay Ava."

Ava started eating oatmeal and really seemed to like it. We start on a veggie at the end of the week!

Cereal time

2008-04-11T10:21:00.003-05:00

Ava began eating cereal a few weeks ago. She is growing and getting so big. This morning I pulled an outfit from the closet and Michael said it was too big for her. Much to his surprise, it fit. She is growing so quickly. She has such a sweet disposition. Ava has found her voice lately and loves to coo very loudly - it's music to my ears. No matter how bad my day was, it always perks me up. We go to the doctor on Monday for a checkup and shots (yikes!)

Now that she has started rolling over, she doesn't stay on her back for long!

Ava Rolled Over

2008-04-04T10:41:00.007-05:00

Ava rolled over for the first time yesterday afternoon. I missed it since I was at work (yes, I cried that I missed it.) Thankfully, Michael did get to witness it as he had just arrived to pick up the girls. I am very grateful that Aunt Lisa now has a digital camera and high speed internet! So even though I wasn't there in person I did get to see pictures almost immediately after it happened. Ava has been on the brink of rolling for several weeks now and I have had the video camera primed and ready to go hoping to capture it at home but alas I missed it and will have to wait to get it the next time. She just laid flat on her back last night as I tried to coax her with toys to show me her trick. I am sure I will see it many times over. It is the down side of being a working mom though - missing those firsts. Nonetheless, I am a proud momma.

Easter time

2008-03-26T10:08:00.005-05:00

(I totally thought I published this post last week. I couldn't figure out why no one had said anything. I never check my own blog so didn't realize I hadn't posted!)

We had a wonderful Easter weekend with my parents in St. Joe. My brother David and his long time girlfriend, Tammy, came up for a short time on Sunday to visit us too. We hadn't seen them in over a year, it was good to see them. (Far too long!) Kati thoroughly enjoys her time at Grammy and Papa's - Michael and I don't exist in her world when Grammy is around.

Egg hunt on Saturday at Grammy & Papa's

Ava disguises herself as the easter bunny.

Kati on Easter Sunday - after services they had an egg hunt. She got lots of good stuff that she won't eat but Michael and I will!

This is a late evening shot of Ava in her Easter outfit. (Things were so busy, I didn't realize I had forgotten to get a picture of her earlier in the day!) It once was Kati's baby dedication dress. Hard to believe Kati once fit into it and now she is so big.
Taking this picture was special to me, every year growing up, we would take pictures on our front porch before going to Easter services. This year it was important to me to get a picture with my family on the porch.

David & Tammy joined us on the porch.
This is my adorable nephew Aidden. He lives in North Carolina. Even though he wasn't with us on Easter, I have to include this very adorable picture of him. We love and miss you Aidden!

Deep Discounts

2008-03-21T09:24:00.004-05:00

I just got good news and feel like writing about it. We had a lot of medical bills in 2007 with my pregnancy (lots of tests, multiple doctors appts.), Michael's MRI, and the bills for Ava and myself after her birth. Anyway, the hospital system I work for offers charity care for people who cannot pay their bills in full for whatever reason.

So my good news, is that after insurance the discount of 40%, we only owe $285.05 for all of our bills! That is such a huge blessing for us. Our total bill would have been $475.08. So anyway, I am thrilled.

Free rice = increased brain power

2008-03-11T14:17:00.006-05:00

I just learned of a new program called Free Rice. I read about it in the most recent People magazine. Basically, for playing every correct answer in the word game on their website they donate 20 grains of rice to United Nations World Food Program. It is a great program helping those overseas that we wouldn't normally be able to. It gives an update for every day and month so you can see how much rice is being donated. For instance 3,893,361,180 grains of rice were donated in February 08. I placed the link to the right for those of you who want to play/donate.

Kati is 4!

2008-03-06T12:49:00.005-06:00

Kati turned four years old on Feb. 27th. I can't believe my baby girl is already 4. She has grown up so much. Luckily, we have left most of the issues that come with being three behind and she is blossoming into a wonderful little girl. She is on the verge of reading. She is writing quite a few words, like Kati, mom, dad, Ava, cat, dog, etc. The other day she was watching one of her Leapfrog videos, she stopped and ran to the fridge to spell a word she had just seen. I love watching her learn. We were reading the paper the other day and she picked up a grocery ad and said, "this says Hy-Vee." I was impressed. I love that she loves learning and hope it continues for a very long time.

Her birthday party was last Saturday. She received many nice gifts. I love the cute clothes, she loves the toys. She is totally in love with Hannah Montana and really wanted a Hannah cake, so we let her have it. I was a little sad she didn't want another princess party but Hannah stuff is everywhere, and I figure there are much worse people out there she could like.

She entertained us by singing a Hannah song.

Kati loves her cake.

Bryan and Kati enjoying cake.

Do they look alike?

2008-03-06T12:47:00.004-06:00

Here are my girls both at 3 months old? Do you think they look alike?

Grow up!

2008-03-06T11:58:00.002-06:00

I normally try to save my blog for pleasantries but today I just have to let it out. I don't understand why grown women feel the need to act like they are still in junior high. It is so ridiculous. If you are mad then just say so or get over it and move on. I would rather someone tell me they are upset with me than to beat around the bush and make life unpleasant. Case in point: a co-worker is mad at me b/c I will not tell her information provided to me by my boss. It isn't her place to know until he makes it known, if I divulge the information first than I could be in trouble. I have not held anything over her head. She asked if I knew what the meeting was about, when I said yes, she thought I should have told her. This was two weeks ago, the meeting is tomorrow and I cannot wait. Of course, then she will be even more mad and make things more miserable but that's okay, at least it will be out in the open. Today, she called my good friend into her office, shut the door and said "let's see if we can make her nervous." I don't care, it's childish, I just wish people could grow up and act like adults. Enough said.

Kudos

2008-02-29T08:40:00.001-06:00

I'm so proud of my hubby. It is not often that people actually write letters of praise (as I well know from working in hospital administration.) It is so nice to be noticed for a job well done. Michael's job is very stressful at time - people can get pretty nasty when it comes to money, so a little validation goes a long way. Here is an email sent to Michael's boss regarding his excellent performance.

Subject: Mike Ingraldi

I’m sending you a note to tell you how helpful Mike has been in resolving an issue we had here in Minneapolis. There was a dispute over the terms of a promotion, and Mike went well beyond the call of duty to help us achieve a positive result for the client. The client didn’t appreciate it, of course, so Mike had to do even more work on our behalf in an attempt to further placate the client. I’d guess it’s the most work anyone’s done on a $10K account in a long time, but he did it cheerfully and efficiently.

In my opinion, Mike’s a “keeper.”
___

Sidenote: I love how they talk about $10K like it's not that big of a deal! That the stock market world for ya.

Growin' Girls

2008-02-21T16:28:00.001-06:00

My girls are getting so big. Kaitlin turns 4 years old next Wednesday. She is smart as a whip, and I suspect will be reading soon. She is very into learning and schoolwork. She loves to spell words and is starting to do some math. Ava is now 10 weeks old and growing quickly. I just put her in her first 3-6 month outfit last night. She is smiling all the time and is overall a very happy baby.

We celebrated Michael's 27th birthday last week. Kati enjoyed making her daddy a cake - notice all the sprinkles are in the very middle :-)

We went roller skating on Saturday with Sasa, Gruncle, Bryan, Michael's mom and dad who were visiting from CO. This was Kati's first time on skates, unfortunately the pictures didn't come out :-(

As you can see below, skating didn't work out so well for me either. I really did pretty good at remembering how to skate again. The picture doesn't prove it but I did. I had stopped against a wall so as not to fall into the little girl who was about to fall. As I got going again, Sir Newton reached up from the rink floor and pulled me down. So there I sat, like a big blob on the floor trying to maneuver my way back up. My knee still appears battered and bruised. I have been laughed at by my family, friends, and even my boss! Someone asked, why did you go roller skating - my answer "to be the fun mom for Kati." I think I'll wait to lose some weight before going again - less for Sir Newton to grab onto.

Workin' 9 to 5 (and then some)

2008-02-21T16:05:00.000-06:00

Most of you know I am back at work, going on my third week. It was so nice to be off for eight whole weeks. I loved spending such quality time with my girls. Kaitlin has never had me home for long of a period and she loved it. The transition was difficult for the first week and a half but now she is back in the routine. Luckily, we are blessed to have Aunt Lisa (Sasa) care for the girls while we are away at work. She is a godsend - without her I don't know what we do. Everyone should be so blessed. Ava is adjusting okay too. She is very needy of me at night, and that's okay with me. It lets me know she missed me too. I think the tranisition is most difficult on me. It is hard to get my head back in the work game, but it is hard. I miss my girls terribly during the day. I am trying my darndest to keep up with breastfeeding now that I am back but it is proving difficult. I wish I could be home with my girls but it just isn't possible, so I have no choice but to accept the reality of the situation.

I am so lucky that Ava is a good sleeper. We're talking 9pm to sometime between 4-6am! I am so blessed to have a good sleeper. It's a good thing too because my daily routine is pretty exhausting. Wake up at 6:00ish (maybe 6:20, if I hit snooze a few times), feed Ava and pump simultaneously (multi-tasking: the stuff moms are made of!), get Kati up and ready, get myself ready, prepare bottles, get the car loaded up, off to Sasa's, run to work, work, pump, work, pump, rush home to relieve husband, make dinner, clean house/dishes/children, play with Kati, watch a little t.v., get Kati and Ava ready for bed, tuck them in, get self ready for bed, crawl in bed, watch the news for a few, and I am out like a light - until Ava awakes in the early morning hours. (Whew, I am tired just thinking about it!) As tiring as it is, I realize how blessed I am to have such a day. I wouldn't trade my girls for anything and enjoy being their mommy immensely.

Notice my poor husband, got no mention - sorry honey, I'll see you in about 20 years when we have time for a conversation. In case, it's been hard to tell lately, I still love you more than you can ever know.

Ingraldi Look-alike Meter

2008-02-19T15:32:00.001-06:00

I have always been interested in which one of us our girls might look the most like, so here it is according to MyHeritage.com
There it is folks, the truth according to MyHeritage face recognition.

Max - my buddy

2008-01-31T14:10:00.001-06:00

We had the unfortunate experience this past week of deciding to put our first pet, Max, that we got when we married put to sleep. It was a hard decision but an easy decision. He had health problems from the beginning with his bladder. He had to be on a special food (aka expensive) food to keep his pH level at a certain number and he had terrible allergies. He sneezed more than any one human. Anyway, after much heartache we made the decision and Max went to kitty heaven on Monday. He was a sweet kitty. We feel like monsters having to make this decision.

We explained to Kati that he wouldn't be living at our house anymore. We told her that he was going to the vet and they would find him a new home. I wasn't ready to explain death to her any sooner than I have too. All the way to Gram's house, where we left the kids while Michael and I took Max for his final car ride, Kati kept saying to Max, "I'm sorry buddy." It broke my heart as she continued to talk to him. She has asked a few times about him and say that she hopes the vet found him a new home.
Sad, but it's a fact of life I guess.

Six weeks old!

2008-01-26T14:39:00.001-06:00

Hard to believe but my baby is six weeks old this week. She is growing quickly. She is already 10 pounds, sleeping through the night, and smiling! I am grateful to God for this precious gift. Enjoy the pictures we had taken today at Portrait Innovations. If you have never visited one of their studios, you should because they are wonderful. They work so well with the girls and aren't pushy, and the pictures are phenomenal and you walk out with them same day.

The fun of staying at home

2008-01-20T18:31:00.000-06:00

I have discovered that I absolutely love staying at home. I always thought I was more the working mom type than a stay at home mom type but I could definitely get used to this although I won't be. I only have 2 weeks of maternity leave left and I am really dreading the return to work. (eight weeks ago, I didn't dream I would be saying that.) I am sure once I get back to it I will be okay (at least, that's what I am telling myself.) Right now, I can't even leave Ava for a few hours without crying when I return home to her just because the thought of being away for 8+ hours a day is heart-wrenching. To my co-worker(s) who may read this - don't worry I will be back. I don't have a choice financially since Nebraska is such an expensive state to live in. The gas taxes alone in this state are ridiculous. Anyway, back to my point, I am really enjoying my time at home with my girls. Kati keeps me pretty entertained most days. Some days not so entertaining and more work but overall this has been a pretty great last month.

Anyway, the nice part is that I get to snap pictures at the best moments throughout the day. Kati is a funny kid... I bought Kati new headbands and she decided to wear all of them.

Kati is breastfeeding her baby dolls now.
I just about fell over with laughter when I observed this.

I was watching from the window while Kati and daddy decided to play outside in the snow before frostbite set in this past Saturday.

Snowball fight!Ice sliding!
Michael and Kati discovered an ice rink in our front yard under the fresh snow. It had a slight downward grade so they took turns sliding.

Pictures of my girls

2008-01-11T15:35:00.000-06:00

Here are the latest pictures of my girls. I love being able to say that! They are such a blessing and I am so glad I have this time to spend with them. I have really gotten used to staying at home with them and it will be really hard to go back to work in February. I can say I have a new found appreciation for all stay at home moms and for our babysitter, Aunt Lisa.

Ava Noelle

2007-12-31T21:38:00.001-06:00

Ava Noelle Ingraldi

Born December 11, 2007
8 pounds, 20 inches long

Beautiful, healthy baby girl!

Happy New Year!

2007-12-31T21:30:00.000-06:00

I can't believe that it has been 3 weeks since Ava arrived in the world and I have yet to put any pictures up here. The past 3 weeks have been a whirlwind of activity with her birth, Christmas celebrations, and lots of wonderful visitors. It is New Year's Eve and I am having a few minutes to myself to get something posted on here. It is a time of reflection as I think about how blessed we have been this past year. We were able to move into a new neighborhood with great schools and shortly after choosing our new house, found out we were pregnant. Pregnancy was different this time around but definitely worth every worry. Ava was born on December 11th and she is just an absolute joy. She is such a good baby and Kaitlin is doing great and is a wonderful big sister. She has adapted so wonderfully and adores her little sissy. We look forward to 2008 and all that it holds and thank God for all the wonderful blessings bestowed upon us in 2007.

It's official!

2007-11-30T11:40:00.000-06:00

I am on the books to be induced starting at midnight on December 11th. I am so ready to see my baby girl. Feeling her move inside me these past months has been amazing but I need to see her, hold her, and know she is real. After all we have been through past few years, it is hard to believe we are at the end of a very real miracle. We are all so excited to meet her!

I had a wonderful baby shower this week given by the women I work. They were all so very generous. I am really blessed to work where I do and have such a great work family.

Labor is nearing, or at least I feel like it should be! She dropped this week. Tuesday morning I woke up and could hardly walk. Every step made me either laugh or cry from the pain. I am weird person who like my dad laughs when I am in pain. I was forced by the people I work with to go up to the OB floor and get checked. I am still at 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced, I am hoping to go on my own and avoid induction if at all possible.

Pray for a smooth, safe delivery!

What a Dad!

2007-11-19T14:10:00.000-06:00

Saturday morning, we went to gymnastics class as usual. This day was different as it was parent participation day. Her daddy got to go in with her and have fun. They had circle time where they all stretched and then did some fun things, then they were able to do the circuits and show off what they could do. Let me tell you, I have a new appreciation for my husband as a daddy and as a man. Seeing my husband out there with Kati, acting like a turkey and shaking his tail feathers made me love him all the more. It was the cutest thing. To see him put aside all inhibitions and do that was so neat to watch. He just did because that's what he was supposed to do. He is a great daddy.

One more testament to this, Friday night we were playing a rousing game of Candy Land with Kati. She was really struggling with trying win at least one game. She kept getting sent back and was getting a little dismayed. This is my child who it really never bothers her if she loses but since Michael and I had each already won a game, it was getting to her a little. She looked so sad everytime she got sent back near the start and we were nearing candy land. Anyway, my sweet husband picked up on this and found a card that would send him back near the begininning with her. I know we can't always protect our kids from disappointment but in this instance, I fell in love with my husband all over again.

3 1/2 weeks to go...

2007-11-15T14:16:00.000-06:00

We are nearing the end of pregnancy! I am so ready to meet our little girl. I found out last week I will be induced at 39 weeks if I have not had her by then. At this point, if I go into labor, it will not be stopped. So she will be born on either December 11th or 12th, depending on what time they start the induction on the 11th. The high risk specialist has released me to my regular OB. Baby is growing at a great pace and is in the 49th percentile. She is 5lbs. 15ozs - with 3 1/2 weeks left to go! I have hit the 30lb. weight gain mark as of this morning. I knew it was coming but I was hoping I could stay in the 20's. Overall, I am proud of myself. I have eaten very healthy and made pretty smart choices throughout the pregnancy. I was doing pretty good until Halloween, and since then there has been way too much candy and chocolate available!

Keep praying for her health and for mine as we are nearing the end. Here's a snapshot we got of her little face today. Isn't she a beauty!

What a weekend!

2007-10-31T09:31:00.000-05:00

We had such a busy weekend. I am finally recovered from it, so I now have the energy to post about it ;-). We started Friday night at church for the Fall Festival where we painted a pumpkin, played games, and ate cookies. Saturday, we had gymnastics, where she had another party. We surprised her that afternoon with a trip to the pumpkin patch. Saturday night, Michael and I went on our first date in months and enjoyed some adult conversation. Sunday, we had the opportunity to have my former youth pastor's speak at our church. We then went to lunch and had time to reconnect with them. We got home from lunch and had about 30 minutes before we turned around to leave again, this time costume on and headed out for outdoor trick or treating at a local mall. Whew, that made me tired thinking about all the things we did. It was a fun weekend and worth every smile on Kati's face.

I'm officially HUGE!

2007-10-31T09:21:00.000-05:00

33 weeks along, 7 weeks (hopefully like 5 weeks) left! I didn't realize how big I was until I saw this picture. My non-stress tests have been going pretty well. Monday's was a little worrisome but she got her heartrate up finally to where it was supposed to be, it just took her a long time. This is my last week of no doctor's appointments. Right now, I have two non-stress tests (NST) per week and every other week a doctor's appt. Starting next week it will be, Monday - NST, Thursday - doctor appt & NST. This little one is worth all of it and the NST's give me reassurance, I love to hooked up and hear her heartbeat for the 45 minutes it takes. I mostly just can't wait to hold her in my arms.

Kati is getting so excited for her sister to arrive. Hanna, our black lab had to be in the picture too. She is being so attentive to me. Every time I move she is right there with me. If I am resting on the couch or bed, she is right there with me. So it's fitting that she is in this picture too.

Happy Fall!

2007-10-19T10:40:00.000-05:00

Kati is so enjoying the Fall. She is asking lots of questions about the change in the season: why do the leaves change colors? When will the leaves grow back? Why is it so dark in the morning? How does the sun rise? Why is the grass wet every morning?

Before long, I'll be explaining photosynthesis and global warming! She is very inquisitive.

Yesterday, at her Sasa's (that's what she calls her great aunt Lisa who so lovingly watches her everyday) she made Halloween decorations. Enjoy the pictures below!

She is wearing her spider as a hat.

Baby Update

2007-10-19T10:18:00.000-05:00

I went to the perinatalogist yesterday and learned that she is already a whopper at 4 lbs. 7ozs.! That puts her in the 60th percentile for growth. She has gained 1 lb, 4 ozs in the past 2 1/2 weeks. Everything is still looking pretty good with her. I go back to see him in 4 weeks and if everything stays on course with her growth then I won't have to see him again, just my primary OB.

Here are pictures of her room. It is a work in progress. We have company coming next weekend and they will take up residence in her room, so I don't want to finish it up quite yet to allow room for their things. We are hosting Pastor Kent and Leslie, my former youth pastors in St. Joe, MO. They are now missionaries to the Netherlands and will be speaking at our church Sunday. It will so great to see them again and reconnect.

30 weeks

2007-10-10T10:17:00.000-05:00

30 down, 10 to go...

I am getting bigger and bigger, which is to be expected. I have now gained 22 pounds. I am pretty happy with the minimal gain so far. I was so bad when I was pregnant with Kati and was determined not to eat everything in sight this time. I indulge from time to time, like Saturday when I was hunting for chocolate in the kitchen. My husband learned that you don't eat a pregnant woman's chocolate. He went out the next day and brought me back 2 huge chocolate bars, of which I have eaten about 2 inches of one. He is good to me. I have to give him a lot credit. He has been doing a lot of extra things around the house and is doing a great job.

Kati is getting excited about her baby sister. She helped me in the baby's room this past weekend. While I did the drawer liners in the dresser, she played with her baby in the swing and fed her goldfish. She is being a bit ornery, every bit the three year old. She is in a gymnastics class on Saturday mornings and loves it. She loves doing somersaults. I need to get some updated pics of her on here too.

Baby Update

2007-09-30T15:40:00.000-05:00

We were in St. Joe this weekend to visit my mom and dad. While we were there, we had a 3D ultrasound done. One of the ultrasound techs at my mom's office was sweet enough to come in on a Sunday and do us this favor.

She is a beautiful little girl! She already weighs in at 3 pounds, 1 ounce. Just 3 weeks ago, she was 1lb. 15 ozs. She is growing quickly! She was fully cooperative and allowed us to get some wonderful pictures. Enjoy!

She gave us a little smile for this picture. So sweet.

3rd Trimester, here I come...

2007-09-19T15:11:00.000-05:00

Well, according to my pregnancy books I started my last trimester with week 27. Hard to believe that we are already to this point. I have gained about 18 pounds so far, and I am trying to limit the gain as much as possible by making healthy choices. I must admit that sometimes it is more fun to indulge in chocolate and chili cheese fries.

We painted the baby's room this weekend and are trying to get things in place. I am beginnning to feel more prepared in the physical sense of it all. Mentally, I am having a tougher time. I am doing my best not to think about labor. The first time around I just went with it because I didn't really know what to expect. This time I am anxious about it, so I have to keep reminding myself that only minutes after giving birth to Kaitlin, I told the doctor "that wasn't so bad, I'd do that again." I am ready for her to join us, so I can hold her and know she is okay. Giving the movements and the shaky jello like appearance of the tummy at times, she is obviously getting a lot bigger. She still doesn't have a name but we are working on it.

24 weeks!

2007-08-29T08:54:00.000-05:00

Starting my 6th month, hard to believe! This little one is moving all the time and her little movements remind me of what a miracle she is. I can't wait to meet her. We have lots to do to prepare for her arrival and hopefully we will get that started soon. I am hoping that my energy level will increase a bit for me to feel like doing some things. I know that is probably laughable but one can hope. Pregnancy is so much different the second time around for me. I feel so much more exhausted than I remember with Kati but maybe that's because I was able to stop and rest when I felt like it. Now it is the tale of every mom, moving forward even when you don't feel like it. Regardless of what it is, I wouldn't trade any of it for the world.

For those of you wondering, yes, we are working on names but haven't come to a conclusion yet. My wonderful mother-in-law is dying to know her name but we have so many good ones we can't decide.

I see the perinatolgist next week, and I am praying for another good report on growth.

Say String Cheese!

2007-08-20T14:28:00.001-05:00

We had pictures taken this past Saturday at Portrait Innovations. That company is really amazing. They are so children oriented and very professional. They took some great shots of us and captured Kati's personality very well in a few photos. Kati told us on the way there that she would only smile if she could say string cheese, so that's what she said for each and every picture. It was cute and she thought each time was just as funny as the first time. She really enjoyed it. Enjoy the pictures.

Saturday was also Michael and I's 6th wedding Anniversary. We didn't do much, we were just together and that's all that mattered to us. Our lives have changed immensely in 6 years. He compliments me and I am so proud to see the man he has become. He knows me better than probably anyone else and I am proud to call him my husband and the father of my children. His father gave me a great compliment today, saying Michael didn't know how to smile until he met me. That was the sweetest thing I could ever be told.

Past the halfway mark!

2007-08-08T08:41:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe that I passed the halfway mark last week. In some ways it seems that it was just last month that we found out and in others it seems like forever ago. I am finally allowing myself to get excited. Her movements are getting stronger and more frequent, which are very reassuring. She is an active little girl and she is making her mommy's tummy grow and grow. It seems very surreal at times. Here I am at 21 weeks

With temperatures soaring, Michael and Kati have been enjoying our pool a lot lately. Her imagination really comes out in the pool, it is so funny. She pretends so much. It seems like in the last week she has hit this creative burst and wants to do art time all the time, and she loves to do preschool work. Her great grandma bought her a preschool book that she absolutely loves. She is excited about becoming a big sister and tells us she is going to change stinky diapers! Hooray!

It's a Girl!

2007-07-26T13:08:00.000-05:00

We are having a girl! The doctor is about 95% sure. Kati has received her wish. A few days ago she told me, "Mommy, I will only be happy if it's a sister." So it appears that we will be set for just about everything. There are a few things I will want to get new but other than that we are set. Now we just have to come up with a name.

One more day of waiting

2007-07-25T08:27:00.000-05:00

Quick update, I went to the doctor yesterday and since my specialist appointment was moved to this Thursday, she canceled the ultrasound yesterday. She said we will get a much more in depth look with the maternal fetal specialist. The biggest things they are looking at are baby's size and functions of the placenta. With my genetic disorder, they will have to track this very closely to make sure everything is happening the way it should be. I believe in God to do mighty things and believe that everything will be okay, the check ups are just a precaution. My blood pressure was elevated yesterday, higher than it's ever been, but we are just going to watch it. I am also at a higher risk for pre-eclampsia so I am doing what I can to help by cutting salt. This morning when I woke up I had a hard time getting my wedding ring on and my shoes felt tight, so I am going to drink lots of water, which means I may be in the bathroom more than working today!

I'lll update again tomorrow for whoever may be following this....

Anticipation

2007-07-23T07:50:00.001-05:00

The anticipation is growing. In about 24 hours, we will hopefully find out the baby's gender! I will be 19 weeks and to be at this point still surprises me from time to time. I have gained somewhere between 5-10 pounds. It took me forever to get to the 5 pound mark so now I have to watch what I eat. I have been pretty good about not giving into my wants and eating instead what I need. Eating chocolate instead of fruit is a lot more fun though!

I have been feeling baby move around which is a comforting feeling. Baby was pretty quiet yesterday and throughout the night, I felt movement but not the big thumps I was feeling the day before. I love putting my hands on my belly and being able to feel right where the baby is now. Such a cool feeling.

I will update tomorrow for anyone who may be checking this. Anyone have any predictions?

Family Update

2007-07-11T14:02:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since I last posted an update. We have been spending a lot of time with family lately. Michael's sister and her husband came to visit us with their 4 month old. He is just simply adorable. The day after they left, my in-laws came to visit for a few days. We had a really good time visiting with all of them. Kati is a little shy with her Uncle Chris and with her Papa at times but she seems to be that way with most men, which I think will suit her dad just fine in about 10-15 years.

I have no baby update yet. I am 17 weeks now and things are going okay. I go up to the OB floor here at the hospital just to hear the baby's heartbeat. It is a nice thing to do to put my mind at ease in between doctor appointments. I go see my OB on the 24th and if the baby cooperates, we will find out if we need to unpack the pink or buy some blue!

Here are pictures of the past few weeks...

Aidden looking adorable and happy!

Great Grandma "Gram" with her youngest grandson & great-grandchildren.

Aidden relaxing in the pool.
Aunt Leigh Leigh loves her some Aidden cheeks to kiss on.

It's a...

2007-06-25T12:00:00.000-05:00

Secret!

We had an ultrasound done last Friday at my mom's office but the baby refused to let us peek. The cord was between the legs, so it will remain a secret for a few more weeks, which is okay with me. My guess is a boy but our mom's think it is a girl. We'll see whose mother's intuition is correct in due time.

Enjoy the pictures the baby did let us get.

Growing and growing it appears

2007-06-14T20:18:00.000-05:00

So here I am 13 weeks, 2 days pregnant with baby #2. I didn't think that at this point, I would be this big but it sure hasn't taken long to "pooch" out there.

In my defense, these pictures were taken at the end of a 10 hour work day.

All about Kati

2007-06-13T09:13:00.000-05:00

What a busy week it has been! We have been occupied with trying to get our pool up and going, but it is taking a lot longer than we originally thought it would. We bought a 16 ft. Easy set pool at good old Walmart and it hasn't been as easy as we thought it would be, or the box make it appear. We all love our new yard. We are going to get her a swing set, because as you can tell, she has definitely outgrown the little slide and swing she's had for 2 years.

Look at those long legs! Thank God she will have her Daddy's gift of height!

She loves to lay in the grass and look up at the clouds.
She is really enjoying the new nearby park that is 2 blks. from our house. She asks to go every night.

And now my new favorite picture of her, I am a proud mommy of my beautiful girl.

Time to Catch Up!

2007-05-23T16:52:00.000-05:00

It has been so long since I last blogged. So I'll take this moment to catch everyone who might read this up on life at the Ingraldi's house.

In mid-May we closed and moved into our new house. We are slowly settling into our new home. We are working hard to make it into our home. We have been blessed with lots of help. I am very pleased with the amount of room we have, more than I remembered. We now live on a very quiet street and I am so happy we are in this house. The only sad part about leaving the old house was saying goodbye to Kaitlin's room. It was so cute and there were so many memories in that room. We are anxious to make new memories in our new house as well.

Even bigger news than all the moving is that after a long awaited time, we learned Easter weekend that we are expecting again! For those who know my OB history over the past few years it has been a rocky road. I am now 11 1/2 weeks along and I have had blood tests after blood tests, progesterone, and 4 ultrasounds, and everything looks great. My doctor feels very comfortable now with the pregnancy and I do too. This baby is an answer to prayer and I thank God for making this a healthy pregnancy. There is a risk that I will be high risk given my genetic disorder but the doctors say that with the regimine of pills that I am on that I am doing everything I can. I will see a specialist in 5 weeks.

Last week we heard the baby's heartbeat! I had seen it at my ultrasound at 6 weeks and then at my 8 weeks appointment but to hear it is the most wonderful sound. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Today, I had another ultrasound and the baby is doign awesome. Arms and legs were very active, I am sure I;ll be feeling lots of movement in a about a month or so. I can't wait. Baby is measuring a full week ahead and they tell me by baby measurement, I am due December 11th.

Kaitlin is very excited to be a big sister. Although, she doesn't quite get it yet, she wanted to know if we could take the baby and play with him. We don't know what the baby is yet but we all have a feeling it's a boy. Kaitlin has been less than thrilled that she no longer a dedicated room for her toys but she'll get over it.

Michael and I feel so blessed to see God's plan taking shape before us. For about year it really felt like we were in a rut. It seemed that every time we tried to get up, we slipped back down the mountain a little further. This Spring was the turn of a new day. We put our house up for sale and it sold in 5 days! We felt God's direction in choosing our new house. We had about 15 houses on the list and the day before we went to look at houses, 7 of them had contracts. On April 6th, Michael found out he got a big promotion at work. This had been a huge plight of his to move on after 2 years in the same job. He kept getting passed over for what seemed like many positions. We have definitly been shown that it all happens in God's timing and not our own. Conicindentally, we found out of the same day of the promotion that I was pregnant. The news came as excitement and trepidation. Having been down this road unsuccessfully twice after Kaitlin, it was scary. I have felt God's peace every step of the way.

So, I will update as often as I can now, now that there is news to share!

Happy Birthday Kaitlin!

2007-02-27T10:44:00.000-06:00

Kati is officially 3 years old today! Hard to believe but she is. We had her birthday party on Sunday and she had a great time. She was dressed like a princess and she received a lot of nice presents and loved her castle cake. She was spoiled just a little bit. I have to post a picture of the tent that my mom got her. Mom thought that it would be a small tent and as you can see, it took up the entire living room practically. It was fun though and it is now in Kait's play room with her doll house, dress up trunk, baby swing, rocking chair inside of it and there is still room to play in there. It is massive but lots of fun.

This year is sure to have lots of challenges but I am just so grateful to have a happy healthy little girl with so much love to give. We took her to the doctor yesterday for her 3 year check up and she is perfectly healthy. She is 3 feet tall and is in the 50th & 75th percentiles for height and weight, respectively. She is advanced for her age in language skills and he thought she was just perfect.

Here's some pictures...

Cousin Bryan and Princess Kati

She has already mastered her new bike.
Her Daddy taught her how to ride it yesterday.

World War of the Three's

2007-02-21T15:37:00.000-06:00

Oh my goodness! I don't even know my child anymore. Less than a week from turning three and she has reached the point that everyone warned me about and I hoped would never come. There are no cute pictures to post this blog time because things have not been cute at the Ingraldi house. It has been a house of chaos lately. This stage is so hard and I know I just have to brace myself for what is to come because I know that this Battle of the Wills will not end overnight. It makes me so sad when she is like that because I know she knows right from wrong. She tells me later, I'm sorry Mommy, I will be good now. Or, I'm sorry Mom, it was an accident. She is so darn cute, and she knows it.

For those that may think that we just don't discipline, we do, trust me. We aren't opposed to spankings, time outs, or telling her no. She is a very strong willed.

It breaks my heart, because as a working mom, I just want to have a good time with her when I get home at night, but lately it has been anything but fun.

Then, I feel so bad because I leave her with our wonderful babysitter who unfortunately bears the brunt of Kait's actions during the day. I call with dread, to hear what she has done so far in the day. Today at 11, she had already had 3 time outs. I don't know what we would do without Aunt Lisa, but I do know that we can never pay her enough for all the things she does for us.

I know this is a post full of venting but I really needed to tell someone else my frustrations. She really is a sweet little girl and I guess that's what makes this so hard is that I just want that little girl, the one I know is there, to just be good.

Say a prayer for me as I try to navigate through this unchartered territory.

It's been a busy month!

2007-02-13T20:16:00.000-06:00

Well, so far I haven't done a great job of keeping up but I will attempt to update y'all on what's been going on. The past few weeks have been plenty busy. I have recently taken on the role of events coordinator at church, so that has kept me busy. My job has been crazy lately. There is never a dull moment, which is good, but it is tiring. Michael has been working a lot of overtime, which is a financial blessing, but not seeing him as much really affects family dynamics. Kaitlin seems to act worse when he isn't around as much as normal. It is hard being a working mom but truthfully I can't see it any other way. I love being with Kaitlin but I get a real sense of accomplishment seeing things that I have worked so hard on get recognition. So between juggling working schedules, and handling all the day to day activities, this blog hasn't yet been used to its full potential.

Here is a brief update through pictures.

I love Clifford the Big Red Dog!
In late January, we took Kaitlin to see Clifford the Big Red Dog LIVE! She was so excited. We kept it a secret up until we saw they stage. It was very cute and she loved it. It is so much fun to do big girl things now.

Happy Birthday Michael!
We celebrated Michael's 26th birthday today. We took him to Outback, thanks to a gift card left from Christmas. We only spent $13 at Outback, nice tip included. Thanks to my boss for the gift card. Kaitlin has said for weeks that she wanted to make her daddy a blue birthday cake. Lucky for me and the food coloring, I found blue sprinkles.

Here's to a blessed year for Michael!

Kaitlin also said she wanted to make him a blue present, so this picture frame was painted by Kati. If you ask her, she painted it blue, and green, and orange, and yellow, and red!

Also her favorite joke right now is "Knock knock?" who's there? "Cargo?" Cargo who? "Car go beep-beep!" she loves to tell it and we laugh hard every time. Her laugh is infectious, she can't get through the joke without laughing.

Hard to believe she will be 3 two weeks from now. She is getting so big and is so much fun (most of the time when her strong will doesn't get in the way!)

Baby Aidden is here!

2007-02-01T10:19:00.000-06:00

Yeah! I am finally an aunt. My new adorable nephew was born yesterday to Michael's sister, Melissa and her husband, Chris.

Aidden Cole Wilkerson made his entrance at 3:09pm yesterday in Fort Polk, Louisiana. He weighed in at 7 lbs. 11oz. and was 19 inches long. He has a full head of black hair. Mom and baby are doing great.

Kati is very excited to have a new cousin. She heard him crying on the phone and thought that maybe he just needed some milk.

Michael and I are excited to be aunt and uncle. Kati calls Melissa her Aunt Mel, and I anticipate that I will be Aunt Lee Lee or something like that. At least that is what the people I have told already are calling me.

We can't wait to meet him!

Here goes...

2007-01-31T11:16:00.000-06:00

Well, I finally have set up my blog. I will post new pictures and family updates when I get them. Hopefully I can keep this updated better than I do my scrapbook!