The Kratzer Family

Happy 4th of July and a BIG Announcement!

2011-07-05T09:28:00.001-04:00

We have had a great weekend with our family and celebrating our freedom in America. Sunday we spent the day with my family. Sadie enjoyed playing in her pool and sliding down her slide into the pool. She is BIG daredevil! After swimming we had a great cookout and we wrapped up the night with fireworks.

Monday evening we went to visit Daustin’s family in Frankfort. We all enjoyed some more great food and Sadie loved playing in the campground playground. We wrapped up the evening with some yummy s’mores. Again Sadie was not scared of the fire…

On Friday Daustin and I got some great news…We are very excited to announce are expecting a baby again! Our new baby will be due in early March (I think). I will give more updates as we have them.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-25T10:48:00.001-04:00

Yesterday we had the privilege of celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. We had an awesome time worshiping and listening to God’s word preached at Ninth and O yesterday. Then we spent the afternoon with family celebrating the day and reflecting on what Christ did for us on the cross over 2000 years ago. Here are some pictures from the day as we spent time with our family!

2nd Annual Easter Party

2011-04-25T10:30:00.001-04:00

This year our group of friends gathered for our second annual Easter party. We had such a great time. We had some friends who were new to the party this year, so glad Leah, Erica, and Meghan where able to join us with their kiddos. There were 2 friends who were not able to come though because they have moved since last year, we missed you Emily and Rachel!! We had our traditional pot luck lunch and Easter egg hunt. However, Louisville has been in a bit of a rainy season lately (to put it lightly!) so we had the egg hunt inside. It was crazy as usual with all of our kids but we had a blast. The conversation with the mommies is by far one of the highlights of the event

Miss Independent

2011-04-10T15:24:00.001-04:00

Sadie has become increasingly independent, which makes me both happy and sad. This means that is she is able to feed herself a meal she wants to. This past week for lunch I made her some pasta and bananas for lunch, which for a toddler learning to feed herself means no clothes on during the meal (and I know those foods do not sound great together but they are two of her favorite foods!) Below are some pictures from that day, note the sauce on her face and hands

This last picture is her “why do you keep taking my picture when I'm eating?” face.

Enjoying the Weather

2011-04-10T15:14:00.001-04:00

We have been blessed this past week to enjoy some unseasonably warm weather for April. In fact the temperature in Louisville today is forecasted to read 88! This past week Sadie and I have been out on several days enjoying this great weather. Sadie has also enjoyed playing with her new outside toys from Grandma Kratzer! She says a big thank you to Grandma

Sadie Sitting on “The Pot”

2011-04-10T15:05:00.001-04:00

No Sadie isn’t ready just yet for potty training. That is I time I dread and long for all at the same time. In he meantime though Sadie has started “practicing” I guess you could say… She has one my pots that she plays with that she has decided isn’t just for cooking with. Right now she tries to sit on virtually anything she can (not sure why that is…) and this pot is no exception, enjoy

“First” Zoo Trip

2011-03-28T09:23:00.001-04:00

Sadie has been to the zoo before last summer so our trip last week wasn’t her technical first trip to the zoo. However, she wasn’t old enough to notice the animals or really know where she was last summer. For Christmas Daustin got us a pass for this year so that we could visit the zoo whenever we wanted. Last Monday was our first trip of the year and Sadie’s “first” time going and actually looking at the animals. We were a little nervous because she tends to be afraid of animals she sees outside her windows at home (like squirrels and dogs even though she has a dog). To our surprise she did pretty well. She clung to her Daddy for safety for most of the trip. She did enjoy looking at the zebras and the under water tank viewing area of the sea lions. Her favorite part of he day though was the swings at the playground

A Girl After Mommy’s Own Heart

2011-03-17T14:23:00.001-04:00

Anyone who is pretty close to me knows that I have an extreme love of ranch dressing! I always have, even from the time I was a small child. When I was little the only way I would eat mashed potatoes was with ranch dressing and to this day I still enjoy ranch on my mash potatoes

Needless to say with my ranch addiction still going to this day Sadie has seen me eat ranch on many items including chicken nuggets, fries, etc. So this caused her to have a desire to do what mommy does and she had to have her chicken and other foods dipped in ranch. From the first time she tried ranch she has loved it! Which, makes my heart happy to see her sharing in the yummy joy of ranch.

From that moment I have been dipping foods such as chicken nuggets, fries, turkey slices, and chicken breast. And yes I even put it in her mashed potatoes. Today I decided it was time for Sadie to learn to dip her own foods. So I stripped her down to her diaper, gave her some chicken nugget pieces, and a small squirt of ranch on her tray. I demonstrated several times how to dip the food and place it in her mouth. When it was her turn she stuck her hand in the ranch, licked it off, and then stuck a piece of un-dipped chicken in her mouth. I can tell this may take a few attempts before she learns. I decided to call today the “exploration” period. She had lots of fun at lunch and who knows maybe tomorrow she will actually dip her food into the ranch before rubbing it all over her face

1 Year Photos & Update

2011-03-17T13:54:00.001-04:00

So I know this post is a little behind as Sadie is almost 14 months old, but we just got the CD with her 1 year photos on it so I thought now would be a good time to give her 1 year update. At 12 months Sadie weighed 24 lbs. 8 oz. and was 30 inches tall. She started walking 2 days before her birthday and now she is practically running everywhere! And she is into absolutely EVERYTHING If it isn’t tied down or locked up she thinks its is hers.

She is so full of life and has a BIG personality that i love! She loves to clap and dance to music. She likes to “talk” and if everyone is laughing she does to no matter what we are laughing at. She really enjoys playing outside and play dates with her friends. Sadie is learning some words, some she is pretty good at are momma, dada, nana, poppi (which she pronounces as bopi), dog, “all done,” and “ya”

We are blessed by her everyday and so grateful that God has given her to us! I am so excited about the years to come! Bellow are the pictures from her 1year photo session, hope you enjoy!

Out for a stroll…

2011-03-04T15:00:00.001-05:00

The weather in February started out COLD! However, the last few week of the month provided some much needed relief with temperatures in the 50’s and 60’s. Daustin, Sadie, and I took advantage of that time to use Sadie’s wagon she got for Christmas from Grandma and Grandpa Kratzer and just enjoy being outside!

Tympanostomy

2011-02-03T21:09:00.000-05:00

AKA: Ear tubes surgery. Yesterday Sadie underwent this fairly common procedure for kiddos her age. We had to arrive bright and early at the Surgery center by 6:10 am. Considering that we had to get her out of bed at 5:30 am (2 hours before her normal wake up time!) she was in a very sweet energetic mood. She enjoyed looking at the fish in the waiting room and playing in surgery prep area. She was so cute in her little hospital gown! When the nurse came and got her she was still happy, even though I was so anxious! After what felt like hours, even though it was only 15 minutes, the doctor came out and told us everything went well! Sadie had the typical reaction to anesthesia that most small children have which is inconsolable crying for about 45 minutes. After she stopped crying and slept for about an hour and half she was in a great mood and did very well for the rest of the day considering she had surgery and her whole schedule was off. We are so grateful for all of you who were praying for Sadie! The Lord answered all of our prayers and Sadie is doing great! Here are a couple pictures I snapped of her in her cute little gown :)

1st Birthday Blast!

2011-01-28T22:14:00.001-05:00

Tonight we had the privilege of hosting a birthday party for our sweet little girl and all of her wonderful little friends! We had 11 children 4 and under in our home this evening and it was an absolute blast! We had Chick-Fil-A nuggets (of course), cupcakes, cookies, M&M's, and other goodies. Sadie loved everyone singing her happy birthday, but she was not such a big fan of her cake (she doesn't like the icing on her hands, that's my girl :) )I know Sadie enjoyed all of the time with her friends, and Daustin and I enjoyed the time with their parents! Here are a few highlights from the party!

We also want to say HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY to Sadie's sweet friend Brady Clark today! Thanks for coming to see Sadie on your special day!

Sadie's First Birthday

2011-01-26T21:11:00.000-05:00

Today Sadie officially turns 1 at 10 pm. It was a long 26 hours of labor a year ago but this past year has been worth every moment of it! Sadie has been such a blessing and I look forward to seeing what God has in store for the rest of her life. She is an amazing little girl! As of Monday evening she has been taking several steps (10 or more at a time)! She had a big day today and enjoyed every minute! Here are some highlights from the day!

This morning Grandma and Grandpa Kratzer brought Sadie doughnut holes for her birthday breakfast, she loved them!

For lunch Sadie and Mommy went with Grandma and Grandpa to Red Robin. Sadie enjoyed chicken fingers, fries, and orange slices for lunch. She even got some ice cream for her birthday!

For dinner Sadie, Daustin and I along with both sets of grandparents and one set of great grandparents gathered at Nana and Poppi's house for a party! Sadie had Spaghetti for dinner, which is her FAVORITE food! Then after the birthday song she had a cupcake and ice cream followed by presents. It was a great day!

I cant wait to see what her next year holds! Happy birthday Sadie, Mommy and Daddy love you!

Christmas 2010--Sadie's First Christmas!

2011-01-05T12:20:00.001-05:00

It was quite the joyous first Christmas for our little girl! Sadie's grandma and grandpa Kratzer who are currently living in Alabama were able to travel to Louisville the weekend prior to Christmas and stay through the Monday after Christmas. This gave Sadie and them as well as her Uncle Dallas plenty of time to catch up on some much-needed time the week prior to Christmas. On Christmas Eve our entire family (Daustin, Sadie, Nana and Poppi, Grandma and Grandpa, and Uncle Dallas) were able to attend the Christmas Eve candle light service at Ninth and O. While Sadie didn't make it through the entire service (she is at the age of not wanting to sit still very long :) ) I heard from my family that it was an amazing time of worship. It was great to take time to be reminded of the sinners we are, praise God for sending His son to be our Sacrifice, and thanking Christ for His birth, life, death, and resurrection so that we may be saved and have a personal relationship with Him. After the Christmas Eve service, Daustin and I hosted everyone over at our place for pizza.
On Christmas day, it is always important to Daustin and I to spend out day with family, which often times we only see a few times a year because of the distance the live from us. However, we did want to start our own family traditions. So that morning Daustin, Sadie and I spent our morning together before heading over to Nana and Poppi's to spend Christmas morning with them. Sadie loved opening her gifts from them and she learned very quickly how to unwrap gifts! Thank you Nana and Poppi for you wonderful gifts! After that, we were able to join my grandfather and the rest of my family on my Dad's side for Christmas brunch and a time of opening gifts together. After Sadie's afternoon nap, Grandma and Grandpa Kratzer and Uncle Dallas joined us at our house for gift exchange. Again, Sadie was able to quickly open her gifts from them, and thank you all for your wonderful gifts! Then we all joined together again at my parents house for a Christmas dinner. This was one of the sweetest times of the day. Seeing both sets of Sadie's grandparents and her uncle joining us around one table talking together and celebrating the birth of Christ was great. It made for a glorious time of fellowship for our families! The night ended for us with Daustin sharing the story of Christ birth and the story of the three wise men who journeyed to worship Christ after his birth from the Jesus Storybook Bible. It was a great way to end the day to be reminded of what the true purpose of Christmas is which is celebrating the birth of Christ.
It was a great day. I look forward to the Christmases to come for Sadie and our other Children. I look forward to the traditions we will make as a family, to the time spent with family, to the giving of gifts. But most of all I look forward to teaching our Children, along with Daustin, the importance of the day. That Christmas is more than giving and receiving gifts. It is more than meals with family. Christmas is the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord and what that meant for each and everyone one of us.

Here are some pictures from the day, hope you enjoy!

Christmas Eve

Opening gifts with Nana and Poppi

Opening gifts with the Kratzers

The Kratzer Family

Thankful for a wonderful year!

2010-12-28T14:27:00.001-05:00

As we celebrated Thanksgiving this year I was overwhelmed by the blessings from God this year. The first and biggest blessing came in January with the arrival of our sweet baby girl, Sadie! It has been amazing to watch her grow and change everyday! Daustin and I feel so blessed that God choose us to be her parents and has trusted us to raise her in His will. We look forward to the journey ahead! We have also been so blessed at the opportunity we have had to serve our local body in the college ministry this year. Daustin took the wheel from his good friend Blake and has enjoyed serving and ministering to the college age singles at our church. We are blessed by the students as well as the other couples that serve along with us! Another amazing blessing this year came when I was able to stop teaching and become a full time stay at home mom. This can be difficult at times but the Lord continues to teach us to trust Him that He will take care of our family, and the blessing of being able to raise my daughter full time is worth more then any paycheck!These are just a few of the many blessing of the year. We praise God for His blessings and know none of it would be possible without Him! Thank you Lord! We had the opportunity the travel to see Daustin's family in Ohio Thanksgiving week. Here are a few pictures from our trip and a picture of Sadie's first Thanksgiving meal!

Sadie is 9 Months Old!

2010-10-26T14:49:00.000-04:00

My little baby is not so little anymore! Sadie turns 9 months old today and the last few months have brought many changes in her life! Today she weighed in at 20 lbs 13 oz, which puts her between 75% and 90% in weight, and was 28 inches long putting her right about 75% in height. She is a girl on the move now a days! She is crawling very well now on her hands and knees, and if she wants something, she can move FAST! Which usually means it is something she is not supposed to have :) She is starting to follow us when we leave the room and wants to be wherever we are! She is also pulling up on furniture and other objects and can even walk along furniture! It won't e long before she takes those first steps...We have had to lower her mattress because when she wakes up from sleeping she will stand up in her bed calling MaMaMaMa DaDaDaDa! Over and over until we get her up. She is talking up a storm and can really "express" herself :) With the addition of her two top teeth that recently made an appearance, adding onto the three bottom teeth she already had, she is moving on to more "real" food like apple and pear and banana pieces, and some veggies and meat pieces. She sleeps well though the night and is such an all around happy baby! It seems like every day she learns something new! i can't wait to see what she does next. I love my baby girl!

Fall Fun

2010-10-26T14:34:00.001-04:00

The weather here was absolutely gorgeous last week so Daustin and I thought we would take Sadie out to partake in some fun fall traditions! On Thursday we visited a local park as a family. Sadie LOVED to swing in the baby swing at the park! She also enjoyed some slide time with dad. On Friday we visited the Louisville Zoo for the World's Largest Halloween Party with our wonderful friends the Ring family. We are so thankful to have such wonderful friends! The weather was perfect and we all had a blast! Sadie loved to look at the people in costume and enjoyed her first Air Head candy :) I think her favorite part was the ride on the carousel! We rounded off the week by visiting Huber's Family Farm in Starlight Indiana. We visited the pumpkin patch and Sadie "picked" her first pumpkin, had her first tractor ride, looked at the animals, and even had some Oreo ice cream! It was a great weekend!

Pictures In the Park

Louisville Zoo Pictures

Hubers Farm

Fall Wardrobe

2010-09-13T22:02:00.000-04:00

Dear Nana and Poppi,

Thanks for the fabulous new clothes for the fall and winter! I am going to look so cute in all of them :) I love you!

Love,
Saide

Sadie is on the move!

2010-09-11T15:25:00.000-04:00

After several weeks of trying Sadie can finally "crawl." it is not your traditional crawl. It is more of an army style crawl that involves rocking from side to side but she can definitely get to where she wants! Here are a couple videos we have of her "crawling" :)

CrossGendered

2010-09-05T16:13:00.001-04:00

Daustin is the College Minister at our church NAOBC and he has recently begun a new series entitled CrossGendered where he and the other teacher are "reassessing gender amid cultural chaos." The college group meets Sundays at 10:30 for a time of worship and teaching. Here is a promo video I put together for the new series.

Sadie is 7 Months!

2010-09-01T14:04:00.000-04:00

Wow time is flying by! I cannot believe my little baby is already 7 months old. She is definitely growing up WAY to fast! She weighs about 19 1/2 pounds now and is growing every day. She is sitting up well and can go from sitting to her tummy well. She is working hard on sitting back up. She is also working hard on crawling. She can stretch and pull herself forward but hasn't mastered coordinating the movements of her feet and arms. So for now when she wants something she just rolls with purpose from place to place. She is also working on self-feeding and eating more solid foods. While nothing has happened new in the teeth department I am sure that her top teeth will soon make an appearance judging by her chewing and drooling. She is a social butterfly and loves having play dates with her friends and playing outside! I look forward to seeing what this next month holds!

Couponing

2010-09-01T13:48:00.000-04:00

Couponing and meal planning is something I used to do when we first got married but with the business of work and school I let it fall to the wayside. However, now that I am not working and we added another person to our household it has become even more important to try to be good stewards of our money. So in order to help reduce our grocery spending throughout the year I have taken up couponing again. Twice a month I plan our meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) for about 2 1/2 weeks worth then I use the meal plans to create our grocery list for food. I ten cut coupons and create a plan based off local sales papers and coupons on where to purchase our food needs for the meal plan. Using a meal plan has greatly cut down on our grocery spending and I find when I have things planed for meals we are less likely to go out.

With the remainder of our grocery budget, I look though the sales papers and coupons to create a plan to purchase our health and beauty items as well as our household cleaning items and paper products. If there is something we are out of I will buy that but beyond that I only purchase items that are on sale and I have coupon for. This allows us to “stock pile" on items like toilet paper, paper towels, and laundry detergent to name just a few so that we do not run out and I am able to purchase items at their lowest out of pockets cost. I know it seems time consuming but with a little patience to look though the ads, cut coupons, and meal plan along with help from great FREE websites like Money Saving Mom and Southern Savers I have had great success reducing our grocery spending.

Using this method, I have been able to save tremendous amounts of money on products we use a lot! I have a fabulous example from this week’s endeavor. At CVS this week I purchased the following items:

Tide Detergent, Dishwashing Tabs, Diapers, Face Wash, and aMulti Pack of Water(not pictured)

The total out of pockets cost before sales, coupons, and extra care bucks would have been $39.99.After the sale, my coupons, and using extra care bucks I only spent $4.88 out of pocket. That’s a savings of $35.09! Plus, I earned another extra care buck to spend on my next purchase!

I hope this has inspired you to consider couponing if you haven't already. I certainly believe it is worth the effort!

Sadie is 6 Months

2010-08-07T19:25:00.000-04:00

Last week Sadie turned 6 monhs old! She has grown and changed VERY much in the last month! I took her in for her 6 month well visit and she weighed in at 18 lbs 3 oz which puts her in the 90% for weight (her doctor likes to refer to her as being very "healthy" :D ) She was 26 1/4 inches long which put her at about 80% for height. She has learned many new things in the past month! She can now sit up on her own for longer stretches of time (but we still keep a pillow behind her for when she does lose her balance!) She can roll very well and often she will roll from one side of the room to the other to get to a toy or Sophi. It will not be long until she is crawling! Speaking of Sophi, she absolutely loves her puppy and Sophi loves her. It is great to watch Sophi lick Sadie and hear the sweet laughs that come from my baby girl. Sadie enjoys playing in her jumpy play gym and watching Mickey Mouse Club House or Agent Oso. At 6 months Sadie has her two middle teeth on the bottom. She is enjoying using her new teeth and eating skills that come along with them to try new foods including carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, peas, green beans, apples, and bananas. Now she is also learning how to feed herself little puff cereal pieces for babies and drink water from a cup. Sadie has also become more social and loves to watch and play with other babies and kids. She absolutely loves when we get to my sweet friend Lydia's house! Lydia has 3 wonderful kids and her youngest is a baby girl named Emery who is only 4 months older then Sadie (and despite their age difference they are about the same size!). The two of them already love to play together and Sadie also enjoys watching the older 2 kids as well! I cannot wait to see all this next month holds for Sadie!

Emery and Sadie

Home Made Veggies

2010-07-21T14:54:00.000-04:00

As I told you in my last post Sadie is know eating "solid" food. In order to be sure she isn't allergic to any foods I introduce her to 1 new food every 4-5 days.Sadie is moving her way through the baby veggies. I have been making her baby food and so far it has gone very well and is a lot easier then I expected, but at times it can be a bit more time consuming! It is worth it though because I feel so much better knowing exactly what is in her food! She has tried carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes from the "yellow family" of vegetables, and she has liked them all but I think squash is by far her favorite! Now we are moving onto the "green family." Last night I finished her first batch of peas, and today she seemed to really enjoy them. Maybe it had something to do with the fact I choose to cook sugar snap peas :) All that matters is that she liked them, and I think she is well on her way to eating a whole rainbow of foods (more then I can say for her daddy!) She is continuing to grow and everyday she seems different. We also had the arrival of her second tooth last week! It is located in the lower center right next to her first tooth. I am looking forward to seeing how mush she has grown at her 6 month well visit next week! I will update you after it... Before that here are some pictures from her first day of eating peas and a few more "random" pictures, enjoy!

What a week...

2010-07-08T14:17:00.000-04:00

This week Sadie has had two big first, her first "real" food and her first tooth! On Tuesday I introduced her to her first food, carrots. The reaction wasn't super pleasant but over the last few days the new taste and texture seem to be growing on her :) Also, today while she was chewing on my hand (a regular occurrence) I felt something a little sharp. So I looked and ran my finger over her gums again and there it was a tiny little tooth on her bottom gums! I tried to get a picture but it isn't exactly easy to hold a baby's mouth open and get a picture of a tiny little tooth :) So you will just have to trust me that it is there! I do have some pics of the first day of carrots, enjoy!

God gave me you...

2010-07-01T17:05:00.000-04:00

As I was driving home today I heard the song God Gave Me You by Eric Barnes on the radio that I have heard several times and before I had always thought it was a generally "corny" song. However, today I was overwhelmed by the lyrics and the true blessing my husband is to me! God truly chose this amazing man to be my husband and I cannot imagine my life without him. Beside the fact that he does so much around the house that I have no idea how to do, like mow the grass and build a fence, he also is the most sweet, compassionate, selfless man I know. He is so willing to serve me in so many ways from the glass of water he gets me every night before I go to bed to going to work each day so I can stay home. He is an amazing father from the countless diapers he changes so willingly to the way he plays so gently with our infant daughter. He is a Godly man from the way he looks for opportunities to serve and share with the lost to the way he is always seeking God's direction for our family. Daustin is also an amazing husband and partner who is patient and kind no matter the "mood" I am in or the mess I have made. I just want to take the time to thank him for the man he is and thank God for giving him to me...

Ive been a walking heartache

Ive made a mess of me

The person that Ive been lately

Aint who I wanna be

But you stay here right beside me

Watch as the storm goes through

And I need you

God gave me you for the ups and downs

God gave me you for the days of doubt

For when I think Ive lost my way

There are no words here left to say, its true

God gave me you

Theres more here than what were seeing

A divine conspiracy

That you, an angel lovely

Could somehow fall for me

Youll always be loves great martyr

Ill be the flattered fool

& I need you

God gave me you for the ups and downs

God gave me you for the days of doubt

For when I think Ive lost my way

There are no words here left to say, its true

God gave me you

On my own Im only

Half of what I could be

I cant do without you

We are stitched together

And what love has tethered

I could baby, never undo

God gave me you for the ups and downs

God gave me you for the days of doubt

For when I think Ive lost my way

There are no words here left to say, its true

God gave me you, gave me you,

Gave me you

Sadie is 5 Months!

2010-07-01T16:12:00.000-04:00

While most babies don't visit the doctor for a "5 month checkup" we had to take Sadie in on her 5 month birthday for a cough. Our poor baby had bronchitis but with an antibiotic treatment she is feeling much better. At her visit Sadie weighed in at 16 lbs 9 oz and was 26 1/4 inches long. She can now pull up from a sitting position by pulling up on our hands, she sits with support and almost is sitting up alone. She is VERY talkative and enjoys making her "eagle screech" when she is excited, upset, or just whenever :) She is rolling from her back to front and front to back very well. She smiles so much and is very social when others talk to her. She also has her dramatic streak, but what girl doesn't :) Our baby girl is growing up so fast!

First Family Vacation

2010-07-01T15:58:00.000-04:00

Our first family vacation as a family of three was at Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. On Friday we flew into Savannah, GA and spent the night in it's beautiful historic district. On Saturday we met up with Daustin's parents and had lunch at Paula Dean's famous restaurant in Savannah before heading the Hilton Head. We spent 7 days on the island and enjoyed HOT sunny days at the beach and pool and fun evenings with the family! Daustin also was able to celebrate his first fathers day during the week by eating out at Fudruckers and playing miniature golf. He is such an AMAZING dad, I am so privileged to have him as the father of my children. It was a great week!

Sadie's first airplane ride, luckily she slept :)

Inside Paula Dean's retraunt, it was hot we had to hold Sadie under the fan.

Sadie's first time at the beach and ocean

Sadie and Daddy played putt putt on Daustin's first Father's Day

The whole family

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for a great first family vacation!
-Love, Sadie

4 months

2010-06-21T11:55:00.000-04:00

At Sadie's 4 month check up she weighed a whopping 15 lbs 9 ounces putting her in the 90% for weight and she was 25 1/4 inches long, putting her in the 95% for height! She is going to be a big girl :) At 4 months Sadie can roll from her back to her belly and scoot around on her back using her feet. When on her tummy she can hold her head up and look around. She is sleeping about 10 hours at night and eating every four hours during the day. We have recently started ceral which Sadie enjoys (no big surprise there with the way she likes to eat!) Here are some pictures of our beautiful baby!

Sadie

2010-05-22T14:01:00.001-04:00

Here are some pictures and a video of Sadie from the month of April

Parent Dedication

2010-05-22T13:52:00.000-04:00

Instead of a typical baby dedication at most churches Ninth and O chooses to do things a little different, we have "Parent Dedication." It is our chance as parents to dedicate ourselves to raising our children the way God would desire and to promise to be the most Godly parents we can be. It was a special night. Daustin and I look forward to seeing what God has planned for our beautiful baby and it is our prayer that we will show her through our words and actions the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Mothers Day

2010-05-22T13:41:00.000-04:00

My first Mothers Day was more than wonderful. On Saturday my wonderful husband took me for breakfast then off for some shopping. On mothers Day morning I got my first Mothers Day Card from my precious baby girl, she even helped Daddy make it :) That afternoon we went with my parents to Hubers Family Farm and restaurant. Sadie loved her first trip to a farm!

First Easter

2010-05-22T13:28:00.000-04:00

Sadie's first Easter was a great one! We celebrated a few days early with some friends at an easter egg hunt at my house. Then on Easter Sunday we were able to spend time with friends and family at our church, Ninth and O Baptist. That afternoon Sadie took her first car trip to Ripley Ohio to visit Daustin's family. It weas a very busy day :)

Beautiful Baby in her easter dressOur Family

Sadie and her new BFF EmeryGreat Grandpa Kratzer

Sadie Grace

2010-01-28T11:32:00.000-05:00

I know this is a blog post a long time coming but here is the story of Sadie Grace. On Monday January 25th my doctor decided to go ahead and induce me because of my blood pressure. Monday evening Daustin and I went to the hospital and I was started on a cervix-ripening drug at 10 p.m. At 10 a.m. the next morning I had made very little progress. I was started on Pitocin and 9 hours later after laboring on Pitocin with no meds I still had made no progress. So Daustin and I made the decision to go ahead and go with a C-Section. So at 9:30 p.m. I was wheeled back to surgery and at 10:03 p.m. on Tuesday January 26th Sadie Grace Kratzer entered our world. She weighed 7 lbs 6 oz and was 20 inches long. After Daustin got to hold her for a few minutes they took Sadie to the nursery because she was having some breathing problems. The first time I got to hold my baby girl was 4 a.m. Wednesday morning. She absolutely melted my heart. I cannot believe how beautiful she is. We left the hospital on the following Saturday. The last 9 weeks of her life have been amazing. Sadie now weighs 11 lbs 1oz and 23 ½ inches long. She seems to grow and change daily and with that my love grows with it. She is a great baby. She eats great (usually 6 oz at a time!) and sleeps very well (only getting up once in the middle of the night!) She can smile now and coos a lot. She enjoys looking at your face and "talking" to you. She has even rolled to her side a few times. Not everything has been roses. For a while she fussed after every feeding but eventually the doctor started her on acid reflux medication and since then she has been even happier. I look forward to watching her grow and develop, but I must say I will miss these days when they are gone... I cannot put into words how much I love her. It breaks my heart to hear her cry and it takes everything in me not to just hold her all of the time! Daustin and I are so blessed to have this wonderful gift from God and we thank Him every day. It is my prayer that I can be the best possible mom to her and I look forward to continuing to watch her as she grows. I am making a promise to myself, Sadie, and everyone out there to update this blog more so we can have a record of our family memories! I look forward to posting soon :)

2 weeks old

Nursery Progress

2009-12-22T13:43:00.000-05:00

The nursery is almost ready for Sadie Grace. We have all of the bedding and window treatments put up and her clothes have been washed and put away. All we have left is to hang things on the walls and wait for Sadie!

Baby Shower for Sadie Grace

2009-12-22T13:25:00.000-05:00

I am so blessed to have such a wonderful group of friends! On December 6th they all worked together to throw me an amazing shower. The theme was pink and red (pink for a girl and red for Christmas). They used Christmas tress and ornaments to decorate the room. It was an amazing day and I cannot thank them enough for all of the effort they put into it. Also, I was overwhelmed by the number of people who came and brought gifts for Saide. We feel truly loved!

Update-28 Weeks

2009-11-20T14:40:00.001-05:00

This week was an eventful one, as has been this month. Earlier this month I had a flu like virus and was out of work for a week. Everything seems to okay with Sadie, and I was able to get the H1N1 vaccine to hopefully prevent any other illness. Two weeks ago I found out I failed my 1hour glucose test. So this past Monday i went in a three hour test. The test involves fasting from midnight on. When you get to the doctor at 8:30, you have to drink a 100 bottle of glucose solution. Then every hour on the hour for three hours they draw blood to test. Well an hour and a half into Monday’s test I could not keep the solution down. Therefore, I had to go back today to try again (yuck!) This time I made it though! Halleluiah! I get the results Monday or Tuesday of next week and I am praying I pass! The doctors have also discovered my iron levels are a bit low do I am taking an extra iron supplement along with my prenatal vitamin. I go in for my next doctor’s visit Tuesday. Sadie seems to be on track and growing every day. She is VERY active now! I cannot wait to meet her, only 12 more weeks!

Mariage Enrichment

2009-11-20T14:33:00.001-05:00

The semester Daustin and I have had the privilege of taking a marriage enrichment class at Southern. It has been great because we have learned a lot, it carved out time each week for us to spend together, and Daustin got three hours of credit for it! We really enjoyed spending Monday nights together! This past Monday was the final" exam. All of the couples got dressed up for a banquet. We had great food and at the end of the evening we had a re-commitment ceremony. It was a great evening and an encouragement for Daustin and me after a long semester. And of course me being 27 weeks pregnant I cried during the ceremony :)

Crusing @ 24 Weeks

2009-11-20T14:04:00.000-05:00

My wonderful husband took me on the babymoon of a lifetime! It was our first time sailing on Holland America and our first room with a balcony! The ship was only a year old and absolutely beautiful! The crowd was considerably older then us, which meant a nice quiet, cruise, just the way we like it! It was eight wonderful days of bliss. We left Saturday October 17 and did not return until the next Saturday. Our cruise left out of Ft. Lauderdale Florida and after a day at sea sailed to the beautiful Grand Turk in the Caribbean Sea. This was our favorite stop! We just love the beach there. We spent a relaxing day floating in the warm ocean and lounging on the beach. The following day we spent in Puerto Rico, what a fun and eventful day full of sightseeing and shopping. The following day we arrived in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. We visited one of the most beautiful beaches where the fish would swim right up to you and eat out of your hand! After another day at sea we spent a day on their private island. It was sad to return to the real world. It was nice to have eight uninterrupted days with just my hubby! I think it will be a while before that happens again :) Thanks so much my love, I love you!

Sadie Grace

2009-09-17T19:23:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I finally hit 19 weeks, almost half way there! Today I had my ultrasound and we found out that we are expecting a little girl!! I secretly had a feeling it was a girl but didn't want to get my hopes up :) So many of my good friends and family had guessed it would be a boy, but I guess God had other plans in store for our family. Her name will be Sadie Grace. Sadie has been a name that Daustin and I feel in love with shortly after being married (it means princess) and Grace is for my wonderful best friend who is expecting her second daughter in October! I am so excited that our two little girls will grow to be best friends just like their moms! Because the ultra sound was at 11:00 am today I had to take the whole day off work, so my Mom and I got to spend some much needed girl time shopping for baby clothes (and some clothes for mommy too!) Below are some pictures of our beautiful baby girl, me, and some of the clothes we picked up today!

Finally a Fence

2009-09-01T20:00:00.001-04:00

After three month of living in our new home I finally convinced my husband to begin working on fencing in our backyard so our cute puppy can have a place to run and play. After several weeks of hard work , and lots of help from my wonderful daddy, it is almost complete! All that is left is putting the finishing touches on the storage shed and the few feet of fence that connect it to out home. The have done an amazing job and I am so gratefully for the time and energy my wonderful husband has put into this project! I love you babe!

Nursery

2009-09-01T19:56:00.000-04:00

While there is so much we don't yet know about our little one, including the sex of the baby, we are beginning the process of getting the room ready! Thanks to my wonderful parents and inlaws we have beautiful new furniture to welcome home baby! My cute Mommy wanted to be the first to buy the baby something so she has purchased a few gender neutral items. She and my dad are going to great at being Nanna and Poppy! I can't wait until we begin decorating the room for the little baby and begin buying clothes for either a boy or girl. It seems like forever until we will get to meet our precious one, but he or she is worth the wait!

17 Weeks

2009-09-01T19:51:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I had my third check up appointment at the doctor. It was so amazing to hear the heart beat! It sounded very strong. I can't wait until September 17th when we get to find out the sex of the baby! In the past few weeks my belly has begun to grow and I have begun to feel small movement the baby is making and it is such an amazing experience! As of right now my back is my major complaint. The baby still seems to be sitting on my Sciatic nerve. It doesn't help either that I am back to teacher 8 hours a day :) It is so great though that the morning sickness and extreme tiredness is a thing of the pass. This trimester is turning out to be much better then the first! Keep praying for the health my baby and mommy. Only 23 more weeks to go :)

Update

2009-07-07T14:18:00.000-04:00

So... Long time no post... I apologize for the long delay in postings! A lot has happened in our lives over the past few months. To start Daustin and I have purchased a new home. It is a 3-bedroom two-bath ranch style home with a full basement. The lord provided a wonderful home for us that is in great condition. With new flooring and paint throughout the house was move in ready. It has been great settling in and making this new house our home!

In May, Daustin and I also celebrated our two-year anniversary! It was a wonderful evening for the two of us. Daustin surprised me by taking me to Morton's of Chicago. It is a wonderful steak house that has amazing food! We were greeted with menus that were created especially for us with our names and anniversary. The server provided an oral and visual menu presentation. We loved our steak and shrimp! It was a wonderful experience. My wonderful husband then surprised me with dance lessons as a gift. We have been enjoying learning the Salsa, Cha Cha, Swing, and Rumba.

In May, we also had another wonderful surprise! Daustin and I found out we are expecting a beautiful baby. Currently I am 9 weeks pregnant with a due date of 2-10-2010. At my doctors appointment the doctor said everything looks great and the baby appears to be healthy. Outside of some morning sickness and incredible back cramping Mom and baby are doing great! I promise to continue with updates and pictures as Mommy and baby grow over the next 7 months!

In June, Daustin and I had the opportunity to visit the country of Ecuador on a mission trip. We went with a group of high school students and college-age singles from our church. We went for the purpose of going into local schools with the intent of ministering and evangelizing to the children and teachers of the local communities. The Lord really grew Daustin and me and opened our eyes even more to the vast need for the gospel to be shared with the nations.

Finally an update as to where I will be teaching next year. After many long weeks of prayer and tears, the Lord finally answered my and my family's prayers. I will be returning to Camden, the school I taught at Last year, as a LBD resource teacher. I am very excited and thankful for this opportunity and I am excited to see how god will use me at school this year! Again, I promise to try harder at updating the blog on a regular basis! As baby Kratzer continues to grow and more life changes happen I hope to have more motivation to share our family's joys with you! Fingers crossed! :)

A home is where the heart is...

2009-04-02T17:02:00.001-04:00

Sorry it has been a while since I updated the blog... To catch you up to speed Daustin and I have recently started the process of looking for a house to make our home. I must say the whole process is so exciting and overwhelming at the same time. I am so glad to be making the move from renters to homeowners but the responsibility seems tremendous. I want to find a home the meets all of our needs, but now only that a place where we can see ourselves raising a family. I just pray we make the right choice! Today I went out all day with looking at houses with our realtor today, who I love by the way because she is super helpful and knowledgeable! If you ever need a realtor let me know and I can get you her info!) By the end of the day everything was starting to run together, but I think I found a few houses I am really interested in! Please be in prayer for us as we continue the process of purchasing a new home and that we are able to trust God's guidance and follow His will for our lives! I will update you when we find the ONE!

Perry's Party

2009-02-11T19:23:00.000-05:00

My good friend Emily McBride is expecting her first child, a sweet baby boy named Parry. Baby Perry is due in about a month and on Saturday I had the honor to help throw Emily and Perry a shower. Over the past three years Emily has become such a dear Friend of mine. This summer after Perry's arrival The McBrides will be moving to Tennessee. This made the shower such a sweet time. It was great to be able to spend this time with Emily before their big move! I will miss you Emily- a.k.a.Buss Buddy :)

A New Sound

2009-02-11T18:46:00.000-05:00

This past week I had the opportunity to enjoy a concert by amazing singer songwriters Keith and Kristyn Getty and their band. The Getty's preformed lead a packed house at the Seminary in an hour and half of worship. It was such an amazing and intimate time of worship. What makes the Getty's such unique group compared to so many of the current praise and worship groups is the style of songs they write. The Getty's are on a mission to revive the art of hymns for a new generation. What I find so amazing about their songs is the unique way each song teaches the truths of the Bible. One of my favorite songs from the Getty's is "In Christ Alone." I always find myself lost in the powerful lyrics of this song and am so convicted by Christ unconditional love for a sinner like me. I would suggest these modern day hymns to anyone who is looking for a powerful worship experience...

Lyrics for "In Christ Alone"

In Christ alone my hope is found;

He is my light, my strength, my song;

This cornerstone, this solid ground,

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace,

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!

My comforter, my all in all—

Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,

Fullness of God in helpless babe!

This gift of love and righteousness,

Scorned by the ones He came to save.

Till on that cross as Jesus died,

The wrath of God was satisfied;

For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—

Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,

Light of the world by darkness slain;

Then bursting forth in glorious day,

Up from the grave He rose again!

And as He stands in victory,

Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;

For I am His and He is mine—

Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—

This is the pow'r of Christ in me;

From life's first cry to final breath,

Jesus commands my destiny.

No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,

Can ever pluck me from His hand;

Till He returns or calls me home—

Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

The Getty's

My Wife

2009-02-04T22:17:00.000-05:00

So I have hijacked the blog tonight while Jessica is getting ready to suprise her with a blog entry.

SURPRISE!

I love you :)

Fondue For Two

2009-01-31T09:31:00.000-05:00

Friday night Daustin and I were searching for something fun to do. We had eaten a light dinner earlier and were a little hungry when we came across a fun place named the Melting Pot. We had tries this fun restaurant before but it had been a while so we decided to be adventurous. Once inside they took us to our table a cute little corner booth for two, very romantic :) We started out with a yummy cheddar fondue that came with veggies and bread. For dessert, we decided on a white chocolate Amaretto fondue that came with an assortment of yummy treats like strawberries, marshmallows, and Rice Krispies treats. We would recommend it for anyone looking for a special date night!

The Cheddar Fondue

It was so yummy, we ate it all!

Trapped!

2009-01-28T17:22:00.000-05:00

For the past three days school has been cancelled in Oldham County due to the Winter Storm that hit Louisville. The storm left behind 8 inches of snow and a few inches of ice... My apartment has felt more like a "trap" these past few days instead of a home because I have been unable to "dig out." School is cancelled again tomorrow, but hopefully I will be able to get out of my home! There are a few advantages though of being "trapped." Including catching up on sleep, being able to clean the WHOLE apartment, and creating this blog! :) I am out of things to do now...

The view from our apartment

Even our puppy Sophi was going crazy being coupped up!

All of a sudden...

2009-01-28T16:01:00.000-05:00

In 2004 the term “blog” was announced as the word of the year. In 2009 the Kratzer family has now decided to become a part of the "in" crowd. We are taking that literal “hop” onto the bandwagon and joining in with others to electronically share our lives with millions of other peoples that have done the same. I may need help from my more experienced blogging friends, but I promise to try my hardest to keep it up to date! I am excited and look forward to sharing with you how God blesses our family!

The Kratzer Family

Happy 4th of July and a BIG Announcement!

Happy Easter!

2nd Annual Easter Party

Miss Independent

Enjoying the Weather

Sadie Sitting on “The Pot”

“First” Zoo Trip

A Girl After Mommy’s Own Heart

1 Year Photos & Update

Out for a stroll…

Tympanostomy

1st Birthday Blast!

Sadie's First Birthday

Christmas 2010--Sadie's First Christmas!

Thankful for a wonderful year!

Sadie is 9 Months Old!

Fall Fun

Fall Wardrobe

Sadie is on the move!

CrossGendered

Sadie is 7 Months!

Couponing

Sadie is 6 Months

Home Made Veggies

What a week...

God gave me you...

Sadie is 5 Months!

First Family Vacation

4 months

Sadie

Parent Dedication

Mothers Day

First Easter

Sadie Grace

Nursery Progress

Baby Shower for Sadie Grace

Update-28 Weeks

Mariage Enrichment

Crusing @ 24 Weeks

Sadie Grace

Finally a Fence

Nursery

17 Weeks

**Update**

A home is where the heart is...

Perry's Party

A New Sound

My Wife

Fondue For Two

Trapped!

All of a sudden...

Update