Finally...

Joe is sort of low on red blood counts (thus why he is so pale) but he looks so relaxed I had to show him.

Gus loves to sleep on his stomach.

Joe and Sophie never liked to sleep on theirs so I had to take a bunch of pictures.

So I finished the Twilight series today. I feel free from the book now. I don't know what it was but I had to finish, like it held some stupid power over me. I enjoyed the book and I now plan to finish reading Believing Christ. I am hoping to get really into it this time. I have valued what I have read of it so far, but I have a hard time reading things without a definite story line. Anyways.
So a few blogs back I wrote about how Joey seems to always get the better chore when two things need done at once, well as luck would have it I won this time. The options were a blow out or unclogging the toilet. I washed the baby with the blow out and Joey unclogged a very stubborn toilet. I feel pretty lucky about my choice tonight.

To funny...I posted twice tonight

A French doctor says 'Medicine in my country is so advanced that we can
take a kidney out of one man, put it in another, and have him looking for
work in six weeks.'

A German doctor says 'That is nothing; we can take a lung out of one
person, put it in another, and have him looking for work in four weeks.

The Russian doctor says 'In my country, medicine is so advanced that we
can take half a heart out of one person, put it in another, and have them
both looking for work in two weeks.'

An American doctor, not to be outdone, says 'You guys are way behind. We
recently took a man with no brains out of Illinois , put him in the White
House, and now half the country is looking for work.'

Conference

These are Gus's 1 month old pictures. I think he is so cute. The outfit is 3 to 6 months and he already fits. My how he has grown.










I loved Conference, at least what I could hear and pay attention to. I am telling you I don't know how single parents get anything done. Joey works through Saturday Conference and this is no different than any other time, except for the fact that I have 3 kids now. Joe sat on the couch and was pretty good until he decided that he needed to be held like Gus. Gus decided to wake up to the world today and Sophie well, she is Sophie and decided that all the toys were to be thrown on the floor in front of the television. She is so funny. I was embarrassed after the fact, but Joe's feeding supplies came from the home health and the delivery guy was nice and didn't look to disgusted when he dropped off the stuff. I realized right after he left that Tornado Sophie had ripped through the room.
I am excited for the Ensign to come out so that I can catch up on everything I missed. I think the Lord understands parents of young children and gives us a little bit of a break as long as we are just trying.
Have a great rest of the week end.

Scrooge???

I am a total Scrooge when it comes to the unessential holidays. I don't like how people pinched in school for St Patrick's day, or the tricks on April Fool's. So my poor husband doesn't get to have a wife who tricks or pinches. Anyways.
Sophie did the cutest thing. While I was showering I heard the diaper garbage lids close and wondered what she threw away then she lifts the toilet lid and I peek out and see her dump her potty into the toilet. I was so proud. She went without being told and was so cute about her accomplishment, she pulled the shower curtain open and started clapping and cheering. I am so tickled.

Twilight Fever

I am a goof. I seem to be being taught a bunch of lesson on understanding lately. It seems like when I criticize or don't understand something that people do, I end up doing it.
I have neglected house and home since Thursday when I discovered that Twilight and the series is pretty addictive. I just finished the second book. And would be reading the third if I had it. I really have enjoyed it. I figured I needed something better to do than watch so much TV while nursing Gus. He seems to think he needs to eat every two hours, which is so different than Joe and Sophie who ate every 4 hours. So I get into a chapter and can't put it down and before I know it, it is time to feed Gus again. OH WELL.

Which do you want to do?

My big question to Joey with the kids is "Which do you want to do?" This typically ends up with me doing the yucky job. Not because Joey is mean because he isn't, he is just to lucky. A couple years ago is when it started. About the time Sophie was born and I realized that I can only take care of one child's situation at a time. The first time should have taught me a lesson but no. Joey chose to bath clean up Sophie after a meal and I got Joe duty. Duty only because he ended up with a huge dootie all over the high chair.
Anyways, last night Gus was fussy, again, so I poked at Joey and said do you want to get up now with Gus and sleep in and I won't bother you or do you want to get up with Joe in the morning. He chose Gus. I then dutifully got up with Joe earlier than he has gotten up in weeks and got ready for the day. Well, after all three kids are awake and Joey is keeping me to me promise, I get the kids ready, Joe has a blood draw and then the lesson to be learned. Joe throws up on the floor. I therefore must clean up the mess because I got to sleep for 3 very wonderful straight hours. I think from now on I will tell Joey which option to pick, but I would probably end up with a worse outcome, due to be selfish. I think Joey has the best of luck to get out of so many of the things you would hate doing if you weren't the parent. As the parent you don't care how much poop or vomit you clean up. You feel worse for the child and that they don't feel good. I am grateful to be a mommy.

Pasta Sauce

Since becoming an Italian (big laugh)I have decided I need to learn how to cook homemade marina sauce. I never go from a recipe book due to the fact that I am overwhelmed when I look at a huge list of ingredients. So I have made it a point to watch cooking shows and try to remember the basics cooking. Joey is so sweet, he never says anything bad about my cooking, but I know that sometimes it is yucky. So I am attempting pasta right now and I am just waiting for the sauce to thicken up, and my noodles to cook. If someone has a great recipe that doesn't call for a huge list let me know. Anyways, thanks for reading and have a fabulous Sunday.
I should mention that Sophie is a very picky eater but she loves the spaghetti. The pictures above are of her mischievous the other night. The chocolate is from eating cookies that my friend brought over after Gus was born. The other is from Sophie deciding she wanted to glue the dogs to her. She poured a whole container of glue on the kitchen floor, herself, and Mardy the dog. She should have been punished but it was so cute we laughed and took a picture.

Life is Great.

These pictures are just cute they have nothing to do with my post.




I have loved this beautiful weather. For the last two days the kids and I have gone outside and played on the playground that Make-a-Wish donated to us. We had wanted to get a playground and probably would have had to wait until next year to get one. But last Thanksgiving we were blessed to get a playground. Joe giggles and giggles and Sophie begs for the wee. I plan to plant grass under it this summer. Then the kids can play and I can garden.
While I am thinking about it. I wanted to say this. I try to find good in all people. Somewhere in every person is good, we are all children of a very loving Heavenly Father and so therefore, there is good in all. We are here on this Earth after all. Last night President Obama (whom I have heard a lot of negative and not as much positive) was on Jay Leno, I enjoyed listening to him. I think he has a lot to offer. I found his personality on the show to be delightful. I am going to try to find it on youtube so I can hear it when I am not so tired. Then on the news tonight it was saying how Michelle Obama is going to plant a garden. Eleanor Roosevelt was the last to have a garden at the White house. I love to garden although I have a hard time getting around to it, but I really admire people who get out there and get dirty outside. I guess that is from having parents who always worked so hard outside. I also really admire this in my mother-in-law. She has a beautiful yard and in the summer you will almost always find her outside in the evenings working in the yard.

Goats

We tried to get rid of our goats for a year. No luck. Then we tried to breed them. No luck. So what happens we have a baby and the goats decide that now is the time. We came home from my mom's house to find a goat kid.
How lucky.

So I promised pictures in my last blog about our celebration disaster day. Here they are:

All I can say is YUCK!!!

Yesterday Joey decided he was taking us out for a celebration of good weather. We were going to have a fun day with new places to see. We quit after only two places due to the fact that at lunch we tried a new place to us and a very old place to others. We tried Tangie's on Main Street in American Fork. Yucky, what else should I say. Our food was cold, greasy as anything, and I saw my very first cockroach. I swear I didn't even know they could survive in Utah. Apparently, they can survive if it is at Tangie's. I usually do not put down places and recommend that people don't go there but I feel obligated to tell on this place. Really a cockroach.
Then we went to Liberty Land. It is fun, for kids. I was surprised they let Sophie on any ride for free with an adult. She rode the planes and roller coaster, they were fun for her. She then went inside to the maze thing like McDonald's play place, do these things ever get cleaned? I am discovering that I am a germaphobe. I turn off good feelings towards a place if I feel like it is going to send Joe to the hospital. I know I am unfair, Liberty Land was good for what it is. So we came home and had fun setting up stuff in the yard.
Once again I will say, there is no place like home.
I will post pictures next time.

Here we go...

So I need advice once again from you more experienced mothers. Until this point I have never had a mixed up baby. You know when night is awake time and day is sleepy time. I like it during the day because I can play with Joe and Sophie but I dislike it during the night when I try and try to get any sleep. Maybe I should look at it as a blessing that not much as changed, and the adjustment is easier. But right now I am only feeling tired. Please Help.

Home...

There really is no place like home. I always got homesick for my mother growing up. One night away was like an eternity for me. I would cry for her at sleep overs. I thought I would never be able to be married because I would get so home sick. I must admit I talk to my mom frequently on the telephone and go to her house probably once a week. But when all is said and done, there is no place I would rather hang out than at home with Joey and the kids. We came home today and I have been so pleased to be here. Home I think is the only place we have our independence. My parents have been great letting us stay at there house while recovering, they were so wonderful and supportive. My mom now believes me that I would be okay going right home from the hospital. It is amazing so far how much easier of an adjustment 3 is over 2.
Gus is such an awesome baby. I wish that I knew how to post pictures but I have no idea how.

Baby Gus

Just have a minute now to post because Sophie is downstairs with me but I thought I would share a picture of Gus or two to tide you over while waiting for Joey and Michelle to put theirs up. I have a bunch on my blog also if you want to see more. http://zrfitz.blogspot.com/ There will be some duplicates and some the same.

Gus about 8 hours old!

Mommy helping Joe hold Gus for the first time.

Daddy introducing Sophie to her baby brother Gus.

Gus 3 days old!

Sophie welcoming Joe home to Grandpa's and Grandma's house.

Sophie and Gus

Daddy, Joe and Gus


PS---So far Mommy and Gus are doing very well! Sophie and Joe are also doing better having their whole family back together. And to answer a few questions...March 3rd about 7:15 am, 19 1/2 inches long and 7 lbs 15 oz, and the name Agostino Anthony Di Regolo ...Rycer got changed last minute because Aunt Nannie is getting anoth nepher named Rycer in July ( And by the way I am not sure about any of the name's spellings but I know that Agostino starts Ago so Gus isn't even really in his name but we've been calling him it so it will remane his nickname!)
---Aunt Nannie

Baby Gus Has Arrived!

I hope Chel and Joey don't mind but I know a lot of people are anxious to hear that baby Gus is here! He came by C-Section at 7:15 this morning. I have only talked briefly with Mom, but she said that Chel and the baby were doing good. She hasn't seen him except through glass yet and I know Chel and Joey will want to be the first to share more but I wanted everyone to know that they are okay!

---Aunt Nannie

Dog Lover, or Maybe Just TROUBLE

What to call my little girl. As I am preparing dinner, yes at 8 o'clock, Sophie is running back and forth with one cracker at a time feeding them to the dogs. The crackers were disgusting so no wonder she gave them up so quickly, but I should stop her but it is so endearing. My mother-in-law says that her first word was dog, and she is one of the biggest dog lovers I have ever met. I secretly admire it in her, because she shows the dogs she has so much love, and I just can't quite get attached to animals. (We did lose 3 animals in 2008. Thus for another blog.) I love to hear Sophie run across the kitchen floor. The little feet scampering is such a delightful sound.
As for the name of trouble. Joey was is so good to me and knows how I cring at spending money on things that will be gone only tomorrow, like a bouquet of flowers or a trip to the massage salon. So for Valentine's Day he has his work cut out for him due to the fact that I am possibly the fussiest candy eater alive. I don't care for most chocolate, or any sweet that is store bought, so he has to look pretty hard. He knows I will be thrilled just by the thought, or maybe he doesn't I should reassure him, anyways. He went with Sophie shopping and got me a mini potted rose plant (which is perfect), a box of chocolates that had a stuffed dog on top with a cute pair of socks. Sophie picked out a huge monster balloon that is adorable. Not to brag but I feel pretty spoiled. So back to TROUBLE, she couldn't wait any longer for me to open my chocolates, which honestly if she hadn't just taken it upon herself to open and enjoy them they probably would be around next Valentine's Day. So there you have it she knows that a heart shaped container is a box of chocolates and she is a girl after her daddy's heart, she loves chocolate, video games, dancing, singing, playing hard, getting dirty, and making people laugh. I think she is the girl version of the man I love. How can I possibly resist her cuteness?

School

I haven't been to school for over 5 years now and won't be back for another 5 until the baby is in kindergarten, but all I can say is I am so grateful for it. Joe has the best home hospital teachers who come over and play and work with him to help him with so many things. They get him to go things that I can't, due to the fact that I am learning about what an enabler I have become. I think that it is my way of controlling. I dislike when people are controlling but I have found that I have some very controlling tendencies. My biggest would be the enabling. I do it thinking that I am making life easier for my husband and children, yet I do not believe that it makes life better for them because I end up getting frustrated by doing somethings by myself.
Back to the school thing. Joe is having a lesson as I am writing this and the teacher is just so great with him. I try to stay out of the way because otherwise I end up talking the teachers ear off.
Joe has been feeling really good so far this week. He has decided to try to eat again and even is tolerating all his feeds through the g-tube. I am so grateful that this week is so much better than last. Tootles.

HMMM...

I do not remember the last month of pregnancy. I am having a heck of a time with the stretching and changes that my body thinks it needs to make. But enough about me.
Our house is pretty dull when it comes to doing adventurous things. We simple live like recluses and do chores everyday. I hope my kids turn out socially happy. Just kidding Sophie is the most social baby girl I have ever seen. I think we just have the winter camped in feeling.
Last week we had a scare. Joe was in the hospital all week with a fever that just wouldn't go away. But the last spike was on Thursday so we were able to come home and be a family together again on Saturday night. I always thought I could be a military wife but this last week has proved me wrong. I missed Joey so much. I think that it is good to realize that I need him. I get so strong willed and hard headed sometimes that I think I don't care if he is gone to work for hours on end. But just about right now it is like I want him to hang out with me and the kids all day.
It is true what they say, Trials truely make you stronger.

Help! Please.

So I think Sophie is ready to potty train but with just weeks until the baby is born I don't want to make the effort and have to do it twice. As I am typing this she is running around the house without any pants on this includes a lack of diaper. She will go in the diaper and then take off her pants and diaper and bring me the diaper then want to sit on the toilet and flush it for fun. I would love for her to potty train but is she ready? Please all you parents who ready this and have potty trained give me some advice on how to get her to take off the diaper first then go in the potty. She has done it before but then went on the carpet and got scarred into not doing that again.
I have decided to not write strictly about the cancers effects on Joe. So I write about Sophie more because she is so full of mischief. I love have to very different children. They keep me going and if this baby is anything like while in the womb. I am going to have a handful. Anyway, I feel I never make sense but, oh well.

Bugs and Keys

Sophie is completely fearless. While at the zoo on Friday we encountered a stink bug on her stroller seatbelt when getting off of the carousel. I reached in to get it out but just couldn't for some reason stand the thought of touching it, so Sophie being the studious student that she is at 1 year old, reached into the stroller grabbed the bug, without any fear, and threw it to the ground. I guess you could say she has now killed her first bug, yet she had no idea that she had hurt it. I believe she would have felt bad.
Today we came home from chemo and I got the kids out of the car and Sophie was walking to the door and decides that she needs to unlock the door and so she finds the hidden key outside, which now needs a new home, and tries to unlock the door. I was laughing because what 1 year old knows where a hidden key is and what it is for? I am afraid, yet tickled, that I have a very smart child on my hands. I hope I can keep up with her.

Hanging out at chemo!

Yesterday, Joe and Michelle went to the hospital for another round of Joe's chemo. This one is a different one than the previous drugs used and he's not having an easy time at it. He is such a trooper and so is the rest of his family since it causes them each stress and pain in different ways. Hopefully, Joe and Michelle will get to come home tomorrow, it's really hard on them being cooped up in a hospital room. Please keep them all in your prayers. Sophie has been in really good spirits this time around with us which has made it a blast to have her...she keeps Mom and I laughing constantly. Today, we took Sophie up to see her Mommy and brother and then while Grandma sat with Joe, I took Michelle and Sophie to the zoo to get them out of the hospital for awhile. Michelle said it was nice to stretch her legs and Sophie loved the animals which according to her either growl or moo. If you want to hear more about our trip to the zoo visit my blog at http://zrfitz.blogspot.com/ there is a link on Michelle's to get there under Z and R Fitz. But in case you don't want to visit my blog, here are a few of the pics from the hospital and zoo.

At the Hospital!





At the Zoo!

So Scarry

A week ago Sunday I got a call from the bishopric to give a talk in church. I accepted and Joey was furious, due to me being only 6 weeks away from delivery. Anyway, Joe's blood counts were up and Joey wanted to hear me speak in church so our whole family got ready and headed to church. We haven't gone to our ward as a family since August due to isolation with the cancer. So again anyways, all week I had prepared my talk which is unusual for me a procrastinator. I really enjoyed all the learning and insights the Lord was giving me on how I can improve. I even wrote my talk so that if I got nervous I could read it word for word. Well, as we pulled into the parking lot and parked, Joey openned my door then went around to get Joe out of the carseat. As I finished getting Sophie out I hear Joey say, "Oh no!" I looked over and Joe's GT Button was hanging out of his stomach. I was in shock, I have almosted pulled that thing out so many times on accident and the thing seemed in so tight. So just this last Thursday I had taken the hospital bag out of the van because we hadn't needed it for a while. (Always be prepared should be a motto I live by, but I seem to never quite pack a diaper bag right.) So Joey had to run home to try to save the hole before it closed up to tight. When he didn't come back by the sacrament song I kept hearing the promptings to go now so I got up and left the stage without any notice. I get tired of feeling like when we have something go wrong it is all in the public eye, but I guess here I am posting it for the whole world to see. So I never gave my talk and the ER was a bunch of fun at PCMC. Everything is okay, GT buttons need to be immediately put back in but it is by no means life threatening to Joe, just a lot a pain, the cute little guy is a champ and one of my heros. So for the scare, but all is good.

Yellow

Joe just finished his blind therapy for the week and today he learned the color yellow. She is an excellent therapist and no complaints by me on how great she is with helping Joe overcome his vision impairment. She started by having him play with different yellow colored toys. Then she introduced red toys. After both had been played with she brought one of each infront of him and asked him to touch the yellow toy. He did so 9 times out of 10 and the 10th time he was kicking the yellow toy but she said that feet didn't count. I am so proud.
Sophie today has been so cute, yet something scary happened. I put on ELMO so I could shower in peace for 5 minutes when I heard a scream. Sophie came running in crying so hard because she had taken her baby dolls pacifer and put it in her mouth and it had gotten stuck. Luckily she is unharmed but the pacifer is now on a trip to the dump in the garabage can.
Joey is helping out up at the auto show and if anyone wants to go we may or may not be able to get discounted tickets. Let us know.
As for me I am busy as ever and still hoping that I will continue to find projects to fill my time. Right before Christmas I rearranged the family room, last week I did Sophie room and this weeks goal is to get Joe and babies room all ready for the big day. Say I am crazy but if I ever paid and interior decorator it would be a wasted because within six months I would rearrange everything again. I love to rearrange is anyone else like that or is it something I only do?

Very Interesting

So yesterday my sister posted a very interesting and could be controversial blog on her blogspot. zrfitz.blogspot.com (pet peeves). I loved it. I think she makes very valid points and it made me stop and think if I am doing everything that I can do to be the best wife to Joey and best mother to my very beloved children. I think everyone has room to improve but I think if you go and read it (which is highly suggested, even if you just want to have your husbands read it to see if they agree, mine did) you will enjoy. We all have room to improve and sometimes we take offense to quickly when we should look at things in the light of what can I take from this to improve myself.

Blood

Yesterday we had our home health nurse over to do a blood draw and I was telling her how lucky I felt that Joe hasn't needed blood this round. Well, two hours later the doctors office called and gave us an appointment for today to go and get blood. Getting blood is a whole day experience. I left the house with Joe at 9 o'clock and we got home just before 6 o'clock.
Luckily for us Joey had a day off today and he and Sophie spent a lovely day together (Joey even did Sophie's hair very cute). While Joe and I just sat and snuggled in the doctors office. I can only speak for me, but I had a great time bonding with Joe one on one.
I want to remind everyone that God only closes a door when another one has been openned. So always look for where that new door is.

Holiday Vacation

Our family had such a wonderful Christmas and New Years.
Joe has done so great this round of chemo. He is still eating (but only like a bird). His hair is coming back but his eyelashes and eyebrows just can't quite stay in place. He is feeling good enough to even tolerate 10 or so minutes in the gait trainer. This is a walking device we got for Joe two weeks before the cancer was found. Sophie loves to push him around and play with him when he is in the walker. I think she likes the fact that at those moments he can get around like her.
Sophie is quite the little princess. She has found her first love. ELMO. If we want her to do something and it doesn't work to bribe her with visits to her beloved Aunt Nannie then Elmo is the best bribe. We are trying to get her to go potty again. She does most of the things she needs to, to be potty trained, except go on the potty again. She did great for about a week of mornings but lost interest. I am hoping for June.
Our family found out the gender of the baby. We are still trying to decide if we should tell. Just Kidding, He is a boy. Joey is about as excited as he was with each of the other kids. He was glowing when he found out. As for me I just hope that he is healthy and happy. I could really use a good baby again this time. He kicks all the time especially around 10:30 at night, hopefully we don't have another night owl on our hands. Joe is a night owl for those of you who don't know, he could go to sleep at 10 or 11 and still wake up happy at 7:30 in the morning. Needless to say we have crazy hours at our house.
Until next time thanks to everyone for your love and support.
Di Regolo Family