Oh my blog! I have been neglectful...

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

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...

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...

In the Iron County newspaper "Today"

Happy Birthday Daddy!

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

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!

*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.