G & N Scattolon Family Blog

Sara lost her first tooth today!

2010-07-12T09:34:00.000-07:00

A little excited. :)

Moving???

2010-06-25T22:41:00.000-07:00

If all goes well, then Giampiero will be returning from deployment in Septemberish. We are already starting the paperwork to get me and the kiddos there as soon as we can. That won't be until after he gets back. He needs to be in Germany to get the housing for us established first. I am excited, and nervous. If I seem a little emotional, I think you can understand.

The kids are in swim classes again. They are having so much fun! We are keeping super busy and trying to get things ready for the move.

I am done painting for awhile. I am back into charcoals and pastels. Now if only I can find the time before I am totally exausted to work on my art!

America is waving and saying BaBa for bye bye. She also starts waving when she sees pictures or videos of her daddy. She says PaPa when she sees him. It is nice that she now knows who he is.

Piero and Sara miss thier daddy a ton! Piero seems to be the one suffering the most. He talks about daddy all through the day. But he always says, "I'm so glad that Daddy was able to come home for a visit." Of course, I miss him too. The two weeks R&R was wonderful. I am so grateful for the time we had together. I think all relationships would improve if you act as if each moment together could be your last. You don't need to be a soldier to have your life cut short. Next time you start arguing over something silly, think about that.

2010-05-20T20:17:00.000-07:00

2010-05-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

Some random videos

2010-05-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

I know I have been bad about updating the blog. I especially feel guilty because I have promised these videos to my honey for so long. I will make no promises, but try to do better.

2010-04-08T13:53:00.000-07:00

The reason behind the madness

2010-04-02T20:41:00.000-07:00

I know these are a bunch of videos and not all of them are GREAT or HILARIOUS, but I am posting them for Giampiero. He doesn't get to see the every day things that go on, so I am showing some of the things that I get to see everyday. Don't worry, I will not film the daiper changes. America is not 7 months old and sitting up on her own. She is really into solid foods and her brother and sister help feed her sometimes. Sara and Piero are now fixated on Scooby-Doo. At least they are both totally into it. Sara had already passed her facination with Peter Pan and Piero was still stuck on it, so we always had arguments about what to watch... not any more. Now it is unanimously shouted, "Scooby Dooby Doo"!

Making shopping interesting

2010-04-02T20:36:00.000-07:00

Ok, just so you know, this lasted about as long as the video. I was not about to really drag him around the store like that...

even if he was begging.

Sara really loves her sister

2010-04-02T18:40:00.000-07:00

Sara gave her very first baby doll to America...

See how America likes to play with Lili?

Too much Scooby-Doo

2010-04-02T18:31:00.000-07:00

Piero explaining about birds

2010-04-02T18:13:00.000-07:00

when we were driving we say a raven with twigs in it's beak flying. This sparked conversation...

Not for the faint of heart

2010-04-02T17:46:00.000-07:00

America chowing down. Just because my sweet hubby hasn't had the chance to see this. Sorry you all get to suffer along. She really likes to eat, but this was her first week tryig solids. I think she is picking up on the idea. See her lunge for the spoon!

Piero & buddy playing Wii... too cute.

2010-04-02T17:06:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist filming these two. They had so much fun. Piero was the master swordsman, while Kolby kicked butt boxing... he takes after his mom. ;)

Saturday

2010-03-27T15:02:00.001-07:00

It is almost time for dinner. I am so tired, but really happy. Today we had a friend of the kids come and visit. They had a blast. I have a lot of aftermath to clean up, so I think it will be a TV dinner night. I don't know how some moms are able to survive three vampire cowboy/girl bank robber prince/princess and a baby and still have time to make dinner. I am ready for a nap any time now! :) This has really been a great day.

Sara showing her paintings to her daddy

2010-03-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Crab (Chocolate Crab Spider)

2010-03-27T08:10:00.000-07:00

A windy day at the park

2010-03-25T09:53:00.000-07:00

CORRECTION

2010-03-24T08:06:00.000-07:00

It's not PVT3 it's PFC (Private First Class) Duh for me.

Happy b-day Gio

2010-03-23T20:12:00.000-07:00

Sara was a little confused because she didn't know if she should say Gio or Gioconda. Really, she didn't forget who she was singing to... Piero? He might have forgotten. lol. I love you!

Oh my blog! I have been neglectful...

2010-03-23T10:56:00.000-07:00

I know it has been awhile. I will try to give a rundown and hope I don't forget anything. Starting with the youngest:

America is now 6 and a half months old. She is sitting up (not for long) by herself, now eats solid foods (PU), and likes to gibber gabber a ton. She scoots herself backward but not forward yet. I guess I will have to find some child gates soon! When she says mamamamama Piero thinks she is talking to me! haha. She loves to laugh at her big brother and sister. She is still a tiny one. Finally wearing 3-6 month clothes. She got her first haircut this last week. :)

Piero is excited to start preschool. I just have to find the right one. His alopecia areata came back big time. Now we know more about what it is though! It's an autoimmune disorder where his immune system is attacking his hair follicles causeing spots of baldness. in about 80% of the cases the hair grows back on it's own. Otherwise we can treat it with steroid injections and menoxidil. I vote for waiting to see if it will grow back. Until then, I am keeping his hair VERY short. I have had enough jokes by friends and strangers about my hair cutting abilities because they think I made the bald spots. Grrrrr.... nice sensitivity. Piero is still a talking machine. His favorite things to say right now are "actually", "busted", "My bad", and "What the heck". He is the king of excuses. Usually it's "I'm too tired." or "I have a headache." but one time I asked him to pick something up and he balled his hands into fists and said, "I can't. I don't have any hands."

Sara is doing wonderfully! We had been concerned about some of her behaviour. She seemed to be getting very frustrated, overly emotional, clutsy, absent minded, impulsive, her performance in school was not showing her knowledge and abilities... I really knew we had to do something when she started coming home telling me that nobody liked her and that she hated herself. We got her tested and found that she has ADHD. There are things to do to help (diet, way of teaching, taking away distractions...) but right now, the thing that is making the world of difference is the medication she started to take. I hate medicines being used if we don't have to, but I have seen a HUGE difference in my daughter since she started taking metadate (very low dose of ritalin) We have not seen any negative side effects. She does not become lethargic at all. What has happened is that she is able to concentrate more. She can control herself better. She is not contrantly inturrupting. The medication doesn't last all day, but for the most important part when she needs to focus, at school! (and church. That's hard enough for a regular kid to focus during 3 hours). She is improving so much at school and feeling much better about herself. I am so happy that she has the teacher she has. Next year she will start 1st grade at a charter school that uses the Montessori method (google it to find out more). I really think it will help her. Sara is bubbly and helpful. Last Sunday she changed America's diaper, got herself & sister dressed for church, and cleaned her own bedroom without being asked! I am very blessed.

I am doing well. I feel very happy. If you don't know I found a townhouse in Cedar City for me and the kiddos (well, and G when he comes home). I love being able to have a little more control over my surroundings. I am so grateful for the time I was able to live with my family. Thier help was invaluable to me. I am glad that now they can go back to spoiling my kids instead of co-parenting. I was able to get myself a tax return present, the Nintendo Wii. *sigh* I love it. Sara is crazy about it. She's really good to! She kicks my butt in boxing! I think that ADHD helps with that one. Hahahaha. I am planning on going back to school as soon as I get my house in order from the move. I will be working toward a degree in graphic design! I can beat myself up thinking that it's taken me this long to end up with the same major I decided on when I graduated high school. Se la vie. I also am attempting something new. I am submitting some of my paintings to be displayed in a gallery. I will know in about a week if any of my pieces will be excepted. (fingers crossed). I know I'm no great artist, but I love it!

Giampiero is currently in the FOB Baylough which is deep into Afghanistan. He is now Private First Class. We don't know when he will be able to take leave. It is too remote to easily send people to and from. They expect that his tour in Afghanistan will be over in 6-8 months. He is being kept very busy. Most of the time that I talk to him, he is exausted. I do get to talk to him quite often. I think it's good for us, although I can see that if you have problems at home, it would be really hard for the soldiers to have that distraction. He is doing well, but I have to say, I don't get a lot of details. Letters and packages are welcome and appreciated, but PLEASE, keep them positive. The last thing he needs is to do is worry about are things he has no control over, or to get lectured, etc. He is on Facebook pretty frequently, so you are welcome to send him messages there. If you choose to send a package, you can call or e-mail me to know what he needs. He can always use little treats for the kids in Afghanistan. Something small he can carry in his pockets. Ball point pens are pretty popular. Last time I sent blue black and red... the red was well sought after.

That is all for now. I will honestly try to update more frequently.... and add pictures.

PV3 Giampiero M. Scattolon
ACO. 1-4 INF.
"Red Tank"
FOB Baylough
APO, AE 09355

May God bless my soldier.

A good lesson

2009-12-30T17:17:00.000-08:00

We had a really good Family Home Evening. Sara helped me prepare the lesson. It took two days. Firstly, we used the President's message from the January Friend.

( http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=d5faaf79ec2b5210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=21bc9fbee98db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD )

It is about being thankful. We created "Gratitude" books for each member of the family. The assignment was for everyone to observe through the day and write (or draw) things they were grateful for in each category (see, hear, smell, taste, and touch). The next day when we all met together I read the story from The Friend to everyone, then we shared our books with eachother. Our challenge to everyone is, when we say our prayers, the first thing we do is to give thanks and not just "We thank thee for this day", but do be more detailed in what we are thankful for. To conciously thinks of things to be thankful for through out the day.

Here is Sara's Gratitude book:

She is thankful to see...

Out the windows, and to see our house.

She is grateful to hear...

Her baby sister.

She is grateful to smell...

flowers.

She is grateful to taste...

pizza (and something she can't remember).

She is grateful to touch...

her toys (this is a train).

Oh my, it's been awhile...

2009-12-30T16:35:00.000-08:00

Ok. I am finally getting it together and updating my blog. I am not on my computer so pictures will have to wait. Here's the low down...

Giampiero: Arrived in Afghanistan Dec. 26th. He called me this morning :) but could not give a lot of info. The airwaves are not safe communication. It is expensive to use the internet, so we are not going to do many Skype calls. He is going to have a calling card & snail mail mostly. I don't have his address with me, so I will post it later. I think letters and packages would be appreciated. It will keep his spirits lifted. (Hint: he likes chocolate) He will be there for anywhere from 6 mos. to a year... of course that is subject to change since it is the Army. :)

Noelle: I am doing well. I am looking at the eternal perspective and know that whatever happens, I have made eternal covenants. I have a wonderful support group of family, friends, community, and church. I am quite spoiled, I think. I have been going to physical therapy for a "pinched nerve". The siatic nerve to be more specific. It has been improving a lot. It's still not perfect, but much better. I have been feeling very inspired lately in my artwork... just need to find the time for it! I have a new calling. I am now in charge of the ward bulletin and website.

Sara: She's doing well in school. She was the first in her class to learn to spell both first & last name. She still likes doing homework and often I have to create more work for her. She likes to be a helper and thrives on approval. I am hoping to find some gymnastics classes for her. She is more interested in that than dancing right now. She blossoming in her creativity. One of her favorite things to do is drawing or crafts. She has something wierd going on with her foot. She has a red puffy spot that the doctor said could be a bite or infection. She's on antibiotics and we will have to see if it improves. Sara doesn't like to talk about her daddy being gone. It makes her sad.

Piero: My little Santa, cowboy, pirate, soldier, muskateer. He makes sleighs out of anything he can. He has an extensive collection of Christmas things. He told me he wants to be Santa when he grows up... as well as a missionary and a soldier. He often asks for his daddy and wants to call him. He has asked me if we can go to the airport to pick up daddy. When Giampiero was in Germany waiting for his plane to Afghanistan, Piero asked if he was coming home, G said no, he had to go with the other soldiers, so Piero said, he should get on the other plane to come home.

America: Now 4 months and getting bigger! She loves to smile, laugh, and spit. She has been trying to grab things and pull them to her mouth. She is starting to discover her feet as play things. Although the majority of the time she is good tempered, when she is unhappy she is LOUD. America (aka Ricky) likes to fight sleep already. She likes to listen to her daddy's voice. When he called today she was playing and gibberjabbering until I put him on speakerphone. As soon as she heard his voice she stopped to listen. :)

That is a quick summary of what is going on. I will try to update at least once a month.

Oh.... Chucky: almost out of Fort Knox & going home. Almost ready to conquer the world, right Brain? ;)~

In the news...

2009-09-26T14:04:00.000-07:00

In the Iron County newspaper "Today"

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2009-09-22T18:49:00.000-07:00

Graduation fom AIT (Advanced Individualized Training) 09/11/09

2009-09-12T14:55:00.000-07:00

Giampiero in his Class A uniform. Hoorah!

Now finished with his training for the Humvee/Hummer ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypmxStcWYj8 ) and the Abram/tank (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFGdFve3RM8 )

Giampiero has a couple days leave and then back for some specialized training on the stryker ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41CpIA1Jytk ). He will be returning home either on the 2nd or 3rd of October and staying for leave until he flies off to Vilseck, Germany (Rose Barracks) on the 15th. I am so proud of my husband. He is a wonderful father, friend, and husband.

America Lee is finally here!

2009-09-10T16:41:00.000-07:00

*wink wink*

At 2:08 am, September 8th, 2009 America Lee Scattolon flew into this world. I mean it.

The rest of the stoy is more detailed. I don't think I put anything gross, but if you are SUPER sensitive, skip to the end...

She flew. I had been having contractions all through Labor Day (appropriately named, don't you think) and went into Labor & Delivery at 11 pm only to find that I was not dilated enough and the contractions were too far apart that they decided to send me home. At 1:30 am I stated having contractions one on top of the other and most I could not stand during. I was able to get to my mom and wake her. My team got up and out asap. Noellezinha slept with the kiddos while my mom & Sara Cristina took me to the hospital. We called and let them know I was on my way back and this was the real deal. As I walked into L&D this time, I began a contraction that brought me to my hands and knees. I felt the baby pushing out! I yelled "She's coming out." and I think they realized it was too true. The nurses picked me up and carried me to the delivery bed in seconds (they must have super human strength). In a minute or less, bottoms off, some tarp thingy placed under me and the water broke. I was completely dilated and the baby was trying to come out. They encouraged me to breath and not push. I didn't push, but my body was not on the same understanding. This baby was coming no matter what! As the doctor came in and gloved up, she was crowning. He sat down and her head was out. They said, "ok now you can push." So I did, and she flew (seriously!) everybody took a breath because we thought she was going to fly off the table... Thank goodness my doctor is a good catch. " :)

...so both mom and baby are doing well. The siblings are still adoring her. Piero is being a bit over protective though. He has been instructing everyone on how and when to carry the baby. Sara rushes for a chupeta (pacifier) if the baby cries. They are very happy to have their little America.

My favorite Soldiers

2009-08-02T12:02:00.001-07:00

Giampiero and his two best soldier buddies, Charles Ackermann, and Erik Tyson.

Don't they look handsome? Especially the one on the left.... hee hee hee hee.

Gardening is good for the soul

2009-07-25T12:10:00.000-07:00

Sara & Piero hae a little garden of their own. We have been enjoying lettuce that they pick for us from their garden. There are also carrots (too tiny right now) and broccoli and some other yummy stuff.

My little swimmer

2009-07-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

Sara has been taking more swim classes and doing very well. Here are some of the latest videos. Since these were taken, she has also learned to put her hear in the water as she swims and she jumped off the diving board without any help! Well, her teacher was in the water to catch her, but she jumped by herself.

Graduation from Basic Training!

2009-07-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

Giampiero graduated from Basic Training! He has 7 more weeks (maybe more) of Advanced Training. Tentatively the next graduation is set for September 11th. This means he is now officially a soldier. With graduation from Basic, he gets "Family Day" which is really Fri., Sat., Sun. (reporting back Sunday afternoon). But unfortunately no family was able to go out there. I am too far along in pregnancy to fly. To celebrate, we got him a motel room for the weekend and he is happy to be able to get rest, watch TV, swim, and walk 5 miles to Walmart. :) It's not what I wanted to give him, but at least he isn't getting barked at by drill sargents!

His friend Pvt. Tyson was able to have photos taken by his wife and she e-mailed them to me. :)

Newest Family Update...

2009-07-18T16:52:00.000-07:00

Giampiero is back to training. He's with the Delta Company which is supposed to graduate 9/11 then there is a possibility he will need an additional 2 weeks training for the strycker. They are rumored to be stationed at Fort Bliss, TX. (Next to El Paso) He's much happier being in training again! His friend, Pvt. Ackermann, misses him but at least they get to see eachother at church!

You can write to him at the address below: (Remember, standard sized envelopes only.)

PVT. Scattolon, Giampiero M.
Delta Co. 2-81 AR
2nd PLT (Savages)
3576 Wilson Rd.
Fort Knox, KY 40121-5728

I am still pregnant. *sigh* but the count down has started. I am now on Dr. appts. every 2 weeks & I have to count kicks every day. Everything is looking good. I am just tired alot, I still have wierd pains, but all the tests are showing up normal. I guess that means I will just have to put up with it until I have the baby. Oh well, there are worse things in life. :) I am starting to get a little anxious that I won't have everything ready. I am trying to organize what I have and I wrote a list of what I still need. I thought I was pretty well prepared until I started making that stupid list. I forgot how much stuff newborns need.

Sara Gianelle is still taking her swim classes and she's doing REALLY well. I wasn't going to sign her up again, but her progress is so good and she likes it so much, I can't help myself. She is getting ready to start kindergarten (yes again) here in Enoch. We didn't continue with Kindergarten when we got here since she wouldn't have started here until this year anyway. She's excited. She is even more anxious to have her little sister arrive. She had a dream about her and told me what she looked like in the dream. She was a little light and a little brown like Daddy, she had eyes that were a little chinese like her Daddy and she had brown hair like her Daddy. But she was blonde. :) So she basically doesn''t look a thing like e according to Sara. I think Sara is just Daddy's girl. Ít's ok. He deserves to be her hero.

Piero is not taking swim classes anymore because he kept fighting with me about getting in the water the last 3 days he was signed up. Now he cries that he wants to be in the water. There is no winning. Either way he's complaining. I just think he's not mature enough for the swim class right now. He will do better in a year. He is talking up a storm and quoting movies all the time. He is excited for his baby sister to come. He talks to her via my belly button and asks when she's going to come out to play with him.

My parent's, sister, niece, and brother that live with us are all well. They keep pretty busy. My mom is busier now than before she retired!

Cedar Breaks

2009-07-06T09:58:00.000-07:00

Independence Day fun

2009-07-05T00:49:00.000-07:00

What could get better than a parade, a mud pit, and fireworks? Well, we also got to talk to Pvt. Daddy on the phone. The kids and adults loved the parade, but for different reasons. The kids got candy, water, and otterpops thrown to them, so they were thrilled. We were amazed at the difference between the parades here and what we would get back in So. Cal. People would never be allowed to throuw candy and stuff or squirt water guns and throw water balloons and the spectators. They would be afraid of law suits. But here, we had some spectators prepared to fight back. They had brought super soakers and buckets of water to reload to attack the would be attackers. (We want to do that next year). It was a blast.

Swim lessons

2009-07-04T00:08:00.000-07:00

We started swim lessons this week. Sara is doing really well. She is excited because she found out her teacher used to be a soldier. Piero hasn't quite started as well. I had to go in the water with him the first day, but he's done better every day since. He is learning how to listen & follow instruction.

The new do

2009-06-23T09:25:00.001-07:00

It's CoOl...

It's cool...

and it doesn't touch the staple. :)~

My adopted son

2009-06-22T16:02:00.000-07:00

This is Private Charles Ackermann. He is in the Vampire unit with Giampiero because of a dislocated shoulder. Giampiero has nothing but good things to say about this kid, and I think he's a pretty good guy. So, now you all know my adopted son ;)

Attack of the cute squirrel

2009-06-22T15:19:00.000-07:00

Seriously, it's cute, but not when it chases you down!

Bryce Canyon Pics

2009-06-22T15:14:00.000-07:00

For more pictures see the Slide show above.

Bryce Canyon

2009-06-20T10:48:00.001-07:00

We took a trip up to Bryce Canyon. This is the Inn just before you enter the national park. We are going to go camping there as a family after Sara gets her cast off. You can rent a Teepee to stay in! It is super cool & the kids loved it.

There was some sort of chipmunk like animal that we saw that scared the heck out of us. It seems that it's used to people feeding it (which is a BIG no no for national parks, by the way) so it started to chase us down expecting a handout.

I haven't downloaded the pictures from my camera yet. This is from my friend's camera, so I will post more pictures soon.

ER pics

2009-06-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

Mid-June update

2009-06-18T20:18:00.000-07:00

Giampiero is off "profile" so he is now waiting for the paperwork to get processed to send him back into a training unit. We don't know when he'll graduate until he gets placed into training. He could be graduating at the end of August or mid-September. So there's a chance he may be back for the baby's birth or just after.

Sara is getting her cast off in a week, then she will start swim lessons. She is very excited.

Piero took a tumble and cut the back of his head open an inch. We made a trip to the ER and got it cleaned and stapled. Now he's back to reaping havoc wherever he goes.

I made my own trip to the hospital this week. I was having some sharp pains in my belly. They checked things out but didn't find the cause of this pain. They are going to do ultrasounds and tests on Monday. They don't seem to be too concerned because the baby appears very healthy and active.

Life is good. I look forward to seeing my husband again. I am very proud of him. I am very appy with my children and how they are growing.

The usual suspects

2009-06-02T15:30:00.001-07:00

From left to right:

Loira, Zorro Blue, Fluffy, and the late Chewy. Chewy expired after the first day.

My sister picked up these ducklings a few days ago. The kids love them! I'm just happy our dog hasn't tried to eat them.

Phone call from my vampire husband

2009-05-26T10:58:00.000-07:00

No, he's not Edward, but he's my sweety. Giampiero called last night. He is in the unit called the "vampires" right now. They are the people coming back from recovery, or waiting to be sent home. Luckily most of the guys he's with right now are pretty good peeps. They are not the deviants that are getting kicked out. If they are going home, it's for medical reasons. He's on "profile" which means he can't REALLY train because of medical restrictions. The drill sergeant said he needed to get the doctors to "fix" his profile so he can start training or he will have to wait until the next group. That would mean he would graduate in September instead of August. Well, luckily he's not going to risk his health. We'll see if the threat is real after he is done being on profile.

He's doing well otherwise. Doing light exercises, studying, and keeping busy. We are able to send and receive an e-mail once a week from a member of the church in his ward. Otherwise he said to send snail mail to his old address:

PVT. Scattolon, Giampiero M.

4th PLT

Bco 2-81 AR

3576 Wilson Road

Fort Knox, KY 40121-5728

or send an e-mail to me and I will mail it to him. (noelle@scattolon.com)

Thank you for all your prayers and support. I feel very fortunate and blessed.

My poor baby...

2009-05-20T13:34:00.000-07:00

Sara fell down the stairs last night. We are so glad that nothing major happened. She fell from almost the top, so you can imagine the danger that poses. Luckily, all she got was a broken arm. She did really well. Everybody stayed really calm around her, so she was able to stay pretty calm for being in so much pain. Sorry if you are squeamish, but here are the photos.

We were able to see immediately that the arm was broken, so we rushed to the hospital, which is only 10 minutes drive.

My Dad happened to be in the hospital having just given a blessing to a man in our ward, so he and the other brother who was with him for the blessing, headed to Emergency and gave Sara a blessing before she went in.

She was admitted quickly. The wonderful staff of the ER made her very comfortable. She had an ice pack for her arm, TV, a packet of goodies (including play dough, lip gloss, stickers, books, and more) for her to keep. The only time she cried after we got to the hospital was when they put in the IV. The nurse was so good to her. He sang songs with us to help distract her. It was a long wait because we needed to wait for the X-rays, have the MD look at it and call in the Orthopedic Surgeon. She waited patiently and finally fell asleep about 20 minutes before wheeling her out to the bigger room for setting the bone.

She cried again a little when she found out that I wasn't going to be in the room while she they were fixing her bone, but once again Mr. Super Nurse (RN Nate) helped keep her calm by singing songs to her until she fell asleep. They sedated her so she could sleep while they set the bone. They used radiology to see the bone as they are setting it so they don't have to do surgery or "guess" if it is set right. Of course I wasn't allowed in there while setting the bone, but it took less than 15 minutes. All the medical staff was wonderful.

Catching up...

2009-05-20T13:27:00.000-07:00

I have been a little behind on my blogging. I have enjoyed almost 4 weeks with Giampiero being home for his recovery so here are some of the pictures from that time. He should be graduating August 29th. We'll see if li'l America waits for her daddy.

Kicking Mommy never looked so cute.

2009-04-17T17:47:00.000-07:00

I can't believe they were able to make a CD for me at the hospital with the regular utrasound, 3D ultrasound, and video clips! We got to hear the heart beat when we were watching, but the sound is not recorded on the disk.

"Strawberry"

2009-04-17T17:44:00.001-07:00

During the old fasioned ultrasound you see here, I could feel the baby kicking me!

Here she is! America Lee Scattolon. Sara wanted to name the baby strawberry if it's a girl and Pineapple if it's a boy.

Dancing in my belly 04-16-09

2009-04-17T17:37:00.000-07:00

This is your movie trailer for the upcoming debut of America Lee Scattolon. The radiologist can't give 100% gaurantee, but she said if it was her, she woud be planning for a girl.
Sara Gianelle got to come in with me and my mom to watch. She had a lot of fun. She chatted up the radiologist, telling her our whole family history. I need to find the pause button on these kids!

Woohoo! A phone call.

2009-04-08T21:46:00.000-07:00

I got a nice long 10-15 minute phone call from Giampiero today! What a nice surprise. He thinks there is a good chance that he is coming home for 4 weeks after the surgery! I am now happy knowing that when he is done with his recovery he will be placed with a unit so he can continue his training instead of starting over.

He said that 17 people have already been relieved of duty either by injury or because they did something STUPID. Because the paperwork takes longer than to graduate, these people are put in special units to kill time until they leave. They are called vampires because "they suck".

Giampiero is feeling much more optimistic. I am so happy, because he was getting really down.

Thanks again for all your support!

Another letter and GOOD NEWS.

2009-04-08T11:17:00.000-07:00

I just got a letter today and am so happy to hear he is doing well. He is scheduled for surgery on April 15th. IF he has to come home for recovery, he will not have to start bootcamp over again! The only down side would be having to pay for the flight, but it's worth it. Now I WANT him to come home for a month!

Now that they are further along in the training, they are getting a few more privleges. He is thrilled that he gets a little more fruits and vegetables at meal time. Jajaja. Food is always thrilling to my hubby.

Please write to him and let him know how you are doing. He said that letters really do help keep his spirits up.

My wounded soldier

2009-04-07T23:41:00.000-07:00

Don’t worry. It’s not too bad. Giampiero has a hernia and needs surgery. Good news is, it’s usually a minor surgery. We are hoping to have him ready to be back to training within 2 weeks. This would only delay his graduation a bit. The worst case scenario would be that he needs more recovery time t and would be sent home for a month. This would mean that he would need to start basic training all over again. I pray for option #1.

I don't know any details. I will only find out when I get another phone call or letter. Last week he called, but I haven't heard from him since. I am hoping for a letter soon. I don't even know WHEN the surgery is to take place. I know the Army will take care of him and do what is best for him to be healthy and back in action.

The newest obsession for the kids

2009-03-23T20:10:00.000-07:00

My parents bought the classic ZORRO movie. I don't know where they found it (at a library sale, yard sale, dunno). My dad watched it with the kids and now they run to him and ask if he'll watch Zero with them. They love to watch Zero, but only with Vovô Lee. I tried to correct them a few times, but Zorro doesn't catch as easily as Zero.

The best Ford I've ever seen.

2009-03-20T22:35:00.000-07:00

Li'l Edward Cullen

2009-03-20T22:33:00.000-07:00

This is to all my Twilight maniacs.

Letter #4 from Pt. Scattolon

2009-03-20T22:25:00.000-07:00

It's definately getting tougher. I can tell from the general tone of the letter that it is emotionally straining. He says that many soldiers cry themselves to sleep. Some are trying to thing of ways to escape or get discharged. Giampiero is being strong. He knows why he is there, and that it won't last forever.

He is losing weight and getting stronger. They excersize, walk, stand, etc., for hours a day. He gets on average 4 1/2 hours sleep a night. (He's dying for a monster drink.) Giampiero was very excited to get treats at church. It was the first sweet thing he's had in weeks. You know he's a choc-o-holic.

Baby belly 14.5 weeks

2009-03-20T22:18:00.000-07:00

I finally went to the doctor. It was a relief to hear the baby's heartbeat. Crazy as it may seem, before you feel the baby move, see an ultrasound, or hear the heartbeat, a woman wonders if the baby is really even there. We just feel fat, tired and sick. Now I am happy to feel like all this chub is going to a good cause.

I will have my ultrasound April 16th. I hope to find out if we are having a boy or a girl!

FINALLY! An address for Pvt. Scattolon

2009-03-16T16:32:00.000-07:00

Pvt. Scattolon, Giampiero M.
4th PLT
B co 2-81 AR
3576 Wilson Road
Fort Knox, KY 40121-5728

Today I received letter #3 from Giampiero. He said Drill Sergeants are much like they are depicted in the movies, only worse in some cases. They are very demanding. "Three guys have already tried to escape to go home, but it's called a FORT for a reason. They all were arrested. They are to be issued rifles the following day. They will be required to carry them at all times even when they eat (which he can do in less than a minute, thanks to the Drill Sergeants) and sleep. Two guys were arrested because they were joking around that they would shoot the Drill Sergeants when they got their weapons. The Army does not joke around like that!

Things are not easy, but he is confident he will make it through. Please write often. Write encouraging and optimistic things. Please don't write things that will bring him down (no complaining). He needs all the uplifting, loving, and encouraging words possible. Remember, no packages, just standard sized letters.

Thank you!

Letter from Robert C. Oaks

2009-03-16T16:22:00.000-07:00

I received a letter from Robert C. Oaks (in presidency of the quorum of the 70 and retired airforce general).

"We recently learned that Giampiero has joined the military and is attending basic training at Fort Knox, KY. We are pleased to inform you that he has been attending the Church services on base and are grateful for the spirit he brings to the meetings. Brother Byrnes is the Church leader at Fort Knox and will do all he can to help strengthen Giampiero's faith and testimony. We appreciate your support and know you join us in asking that the Lord will guide and protect him during this time of uncertainty and turmoil in the world."

There was more in the letter that was directed more specifically toward me and also informing me of the Military Relations Division of the Church that will be helpful as we travel to various locations to follow Giampiero.

I am so grateful for all our faithful brothers and sisters who pray for our soldiers.

Letter #2 from Pvt. Scattolon

2009-03-16T16:09:00.000-07:00

Giampiero was still in "reception" when he wrote this letter. That's where they give them haircuts, issue uniforms, finish processing, do more tests, etc. The highlights of the letter were the BCG's or Birth Control Glasses that the soldiers are issued. They are huge and have hideously thick frames. They are already running drills. They are rushed to eat. They were told that the only way out is to graduate because the paperwork to get kicked out takes 6 months to process. All communication will be standard sized letters and once in a while he will be able to call home. I look forward to those calls! There is no set date for graduation because if he gets sick or injured, or if the unit does not keep up with schedule, there could be delays.

I think he is doing well. I am so proud of my soldier.

It's Private

2009-03-05T19:43:00.000-08:00

Giampiero left on the 24th for Fort Knox, Kentucky. He is going through "reception" so he hasn't been assigned a unit. That means we don't have an address to mail anything yet. Communication is restricted. There is no e-mail during Basic Training and timed phone calls are given as a reward. It looks like snail mail will have to do! I will let you all know as soon as we have a mailing address for him.

I got my first letter from Private Giampiero Scattolon today. He said that when they reach for soda or sweats, they get screamed at. He was happy to go to Church and have a place where there was no screaming.

Keep up the prayers. They are appreciated. I know I feel the Lord's comfort and guidance. I see the children being blessed to understand to the best of their ability where their daddy is. Sara says she isn't strong, she's "Army Strong"

It's good to be home!

2009-02-23T11:57:00.000-08:00

We were very glad to take a trip to California to visit family. We especially wanted to see Nona (G's grandma) before he leaves for bootcamp. We are not sure if she will still be around when he returns.

We got to see our siblings and some of our closest friends. There just wasn't enough time with everyone. We were so lucky to have enjoyed so much with so many. We got to take the kids to the La Habra Children's Museum, have a family movie night at Kandi's parents', have a delicious family dinner, spend a few hours at Disneyland, and we got to have dinner and a movie. The kids loved being able to wear their shorts and play at the park.

Thanks so much to Norma, Gloria, Giovanni, Kandi, the Conners, Neil and Kathy. You all helped things to be very pleasant and enjoyable.

*Kathy, was a real trooper. She was sick so she stayed away even though little kids are her greatest pleasure. I think she likes them better than her elliptical.*

In case we forgot to tell anyone...

2009-02-23T11:43:00.000-08:00

Giampiero enlisted with the US Army. He has been assigned to be a "tanker", which means he will learn to operate, maintain and repair the army tanks (Abrams). He will be going into bootcamp in Fort Knox, Kentucky on February 24th. There will be 9 weeks of basic training and then he will stay for an additional 5 weeks of tank training. After that we hope he can take some vacation time to spend at home (and a trip to California) then off to his first assignment. Chances are he won't be home for the baby's birth, but we are okay. I have my mother and sister here with me and I will stay living with them until we are able to join Giampiero on base.

We are all very proud of Giampiero for serving our country, providing for our family, and fulfilling one of his dreams.

Silly me

2009-01-16T23:08:00.000-08:00

I added more pictures to Flickr so go ahead and check out the slide show and you will see the new pics. I added them and accidentally set them as private so nobody else could see them. Hee hee!

Big brother in training

2009-01-16T22:20:00.000-08:00

Piero is now seriously starting potty training. As a reward for going xixi (peepee) in the potty today, his Vovô Lee treated him to McDonald's, or as Piero calls it, BigDonald's. I think that really motivated him. Later today he sat all by himself (without prompting) on his little potty and made more xixi. Sara then helped him wipe, poored the xixi in the toilet, rinsed it and sprayed Lysol. I am proud of them both.

The newest news

2009-01-16T22:13:00.000-08:00

There isn't a lot of change here. It's still colder than California. We are looking forward to more snow soon. :) Oh yeah, and we are expecting a new baby sometime in September. Yep! I (Noelle) am pregnant for the 3rd time. Woohoo. Piero doesn't really understand. Sara is REALLY excited though. She kisses my belly all the time. She is also the biggest informant. She tells anybody she talks to. She is so happy she said she doesn't even care if it is a boy or a girl (although a sister is prefered). She is looking forward to going with me to our cousins' house next month for the homebirth of their child. Sara is only dissappointed that she will not be able to be in the hospital for our baby's birth. Because I had a cesaerean I don't have the choice on home vs. hospital anyway. We are all happy and will let you know how things are going along the way. (Whether you like it or not. Ha ha ha.)

Love ya'll

Sara monkeying around

2009-01-16T22:07:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately she really likes that Hannah Montana t-shirt. :)~

Piero shoveling snow

2009-01-16T22:05:00.000-08:00

I hope he still likes this when he's older!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

2008-12-28T18:14:00.000-08:00

This is our first Christmas away from California. It was definately different. We did miss our friends and those of our family who is not with us, but we had many blessings. We were blessed to find some friends here. We have a wonderful ward that has been very kind and very helpful. Some things are just a little too private to mention on a blog, but know that we are being well cared for and well loved.

Sara has two wonderful teachers in primary. They love her and she LOVES going to church. She has some good friends up the street. Her two best friends here (so far) are Kyle and Levi. They are older than her, but they are very nice kids and love to play in the snow with her. Sara still talks about her two best friends from California (Ashley & Caden) and hopes to visit them in the spring or summer. Santa gave her a beautiful long dress. She looks like a princess!

Piero is a talker. He surprises us all the time with all the new words and phrases he comes up with. It makes us all careful how we talk. Sometimes he gets it a little off though. Waterpops (Otterpops), Washmellows (marshmellows) & Watermins (Vitamins). We don't have a boosterseat for him to eat at the table, so we use a very large dictionary instead. He saw it on the coffee table the other day and was trying to move it to the chair. It dropped to the floor and he started to cry, "I dropped my booster seat."

Giampiero is still searching for a job that will stick. He has been fortunate to get temporary work to sustain us. He is doing well, but it's very frustrating for him not to be working regularly.

I am enjoying cooking, cleaning and caring for the family. Right now we are lucky enough to have my neice, Evy, visiting. I am excited to have my brother and his wife come to visit in a few days. I had my 30th birthday last Thursday! It seems like I am supposed to be upset about being 30, but I just don't feel like it's a big thing. I do think it's pretty funny that we had a blackout (due to bad weather) on my birthday. What a way to end Christmas! We played "Apples 2 Apples" by candle/flashlight.

Love ya'll.

Not the greatest news

2008-12-16T11:03:00.000-08:00

December 10th Giampiero's grandfather, Nestor (Teto) passed away. Cause of death was kidney failure. They discovered as well that his spinal tumor had returned and started to attack the surrounding organs. We are glad that he is now able to be released from the body that has been holding him back for so long. The family seems to be taking it all pretty well.

We have also found that Giampiero's grandmother (Nona) does not have very long. She has been diagnosed with Lymphoma. We don't know what stage. The doctor has estimated 2 weeks to 6 months.

We will miss them very much, but are happy that they will be living in a better place.

Our first BIG snow.

2008-12-16T10:58:00.000-08:00

WOOHOO

2008-11-28T20:20:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that earlier today I wrote that Giampiero still was job searching. Just today two job openings came practically at our door. In fact, one of the counelors in our bishopric came by to see if any of us would be able to start as a cook part time at the assisted living center where his daughter works. Giampiero has talked to the lady and has an interview on Monday. Then we got a call from the hog farm for an interview tomorrow. This is GREAT!

Happy Thanks Giving

2008-11-28T12:34:00.000-08:00

I cannot express how thankful I am to be where I am. My family is happier than ever.

The children are growing more than just physically! Sara is going to primary without a fight. She LOVES her teacher (who also lives across the street from us). Piero and Sara both run outside as often as they can. They are climbing up the ladder to the playhouse in the back or running around the big yard. They dig in the dirt and act like monkeys in our cherry tree. This is how I remember growing up. I am so glad to see my kids able to act like KIDS.

Giampiero is still looking for work, but he was able to pick up two days of temporary work and every little bit helps.

I made my first Thanksgiving Day meal. I didn't do the entire meal, but about 90%. The turkey is my biggest accomplishment. I HATE touching raw poultry, but I did it and the turkey was great. The pumpkin pies, however, are another story. We got to throw away pumpkin mush in pie tins. Oh well, if as first you don't succeed, try try again.

Don't play with your food!

2008-11-10T17:18:00.000-08:00

We were eating lunch the other day when Piero started crying "It's stuck." When I looked he had stuck a raisin in his nose. I pulled it out and he asked in a sweet voice, "Can I eat it?" He seemed wholeheartedly dismayed when I refused.

Cold but happy...

2008-11-10T17:14:00.000-08:00

Giampiero is still in So. Cal for a little while, but should be joining us soon. It is beautiful here in Utah. We are expecting snow today, but so far nada. The moving truck should get here Friday so we can finally stop living out of suitcases, bags, and boxes.

I am not homesick, but I do miss some of my friends and especially my husband. I don't have my phone right now, it stayed with my hubby, so if you want to contact me, E-MAIL.

Love you all,

Noelle

Ready for a costume party!

2008-10-28T13:48:00.000-07:00

2008-10-09T22:01:00.000-07:00

The other morning Piero woke up really angry with me. He said "Why you take my choc-o-late? Where my choc-o-late?" It took me awhile to realize he must have dreamed that I took his chocolate away from him and when he woke up he was still thinking about it. Cute little turkey.

2008-10-09T21:57:00.000-07:00

Hmmmm.... do you know this guy?

2008-10-09T21:55:00.000-07:00

Have fun at yearbookyourself.com

Packing is so tedious

2008-09-30T14:17:00.000-07:00

We are almost done! It's starting to feel more real.
FYI: I will be leaving with the kids by November 1st (maybe a little before). So there isn't much more time. Eeeeeek!

The best ride at Disneyland...

2008-09-21T00:48:00.000-07:00

...the Tram!

G & N Scattolon Family Blog

2008-09-21T00:11:00.001-07:00

Inspiration

2008-09-20T22:48:00.000-07:00

One of my best friends did something daring by starting to venture beyond her comfort zone. She created a family blog. What a concept! I love technology, yet I never thought of having my own blog, then I realized, I didn't know how to create a blog! Wow, something new, an adventure. Now that is something I like. Not to mention, this is a GREAT way to keep people informed on what is going on with us. So, welcome to the new G & N Scattolon Family Blog.