Not sure they will appreciate

I am not so sure that anyone will appreciate the new header picture but I love this picture and just found the cd from our wedding and am so excited. I wanted to show some off. Any ways there is another of this same way but oh well. Today is Joey and my 7th anniversary of our 1st official date.
Joey took me to a dance recital I had to attend that I found out about that day and he was a great sport. We then went to dinner at Carraba's Italian Restaurant and loved it. First time for both of us (we use to go there every year until the year Joe threw up there all over Joey). Then we went to the UVSC Institute dance and I got to see Joey's awesome dance moves. I tell you I fell in love right there. There has never been anyone who could make me laugh or smile as much as Joey. I love him and am glad that he dated me long enough to know my quirks and love me despite them.
LOVE YOU, Joey, thanks for being my man, bestfriend, husband, father to our children and the honest man you are.

Follow me MPPH Syndrome.

So I've just decided that if someone from Italy who I have no idea who it is wants to follow my boring blog shouldn't I try to get more followers. I figure that the Italian probably googled the last name and ours came up.
So as part of the title I am putting the name of Joe's syndrome so maybe someone will google it and this blog will come up and maybe then we can find someone else with a family member with it. If you have a family member with this syndrome please contact us. Thanks.

Making cake and Having Kids

This is a picture of Harriette the white baby and Nellie the mommy. They were born yesterday February 18th around 1:30. I was surprised and VERY excited.

This is a picture of either Nels or Austin "danger" Powers. Please vote on which name you like better or put in suggestions. I saw him first and didn't see Harriette until after I went to see him.

So on Valentine's Day I was trying to be festive so I made this Lemon cake with a fluffy white icing. This was surprisingly easy and quite beautiful.



I am going to attempt to do another cake for Gus's birthday.

11 months already

My sweet Gus is 11 whole months old TODAY! Can you believe it. He is getting so big and very clever. Gus can now: hold his head up, roll in all directions, sit, four point, crawl, walk, say "dada" and "mama" smile, laugh, has 7 teeth, I think he needs a hair cut but Joey refuses them those until at least 1 year old, and just today learned how to make a whistle make sounds. Gus amazes me and makes me laugh and feel so happy that Heavenly Father sent him to us. I forgot, Gus can climb, why oh why do babies love to climb?
I remember loving to climb the trees in my front yard as a kid. Me and my friends would be up and down the trees and would drag our dolls up there because we pretended the trees were our houses and our babies needed to be in the house. (anyways there is a side note about me) Oh yeah. One thing that I wish I had in my yard was some big climbing trees how I miss climbing trees. I think that in some ways that might be why I enjoy the first half of the Twilight movie. I wish that I could climb a tree that big. There is nothing quite like looking through the leaves to the world below. (Nice tangent aye?)
So next month obivously will be the big birthday party. So mark those calendars. It will be on Wednesday because that is Gus's birthday and that is what works best for Joey and our family. Let me know if you want to celebrate with us.

Inspiring

I should have grabbed tissues.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=9xwCG0Ey2Mg

Joey and I agree that the father's love was every bit as inspiring as the boy.

Honestly

So not to be a downer but to be an informer. So to those of you who have never had a disabled family member let me point out some things that are annoying to those of us who do.
1. Don't diagnose our kids. And with that do not just assume that syndrome means genetic.
2. PLEASE do ask questions instead of staring. I myself have had to learn this since my dear Joe was born. I now can ignore most stares but I do get a kick out of how so many kids are staring while their parents who are just as bad act as though you do not exist. I am not an attention seeker but I also do not care to be looked right through.
3. I admire people who can get over their feelings of awkwardness and approach us (as long as they don't diagnose Joe). I actually feel bad saying this but I liked the excuse of saying, "He has cancer". verses the, "He has a syndrome." With cancer people let it go and with the syndrome they start playing doctor.
4. Please do not say you are sorry for us. Why would someone say that when there is nothing to be sorry about. Joey and I are grateful for Joe and wouldn't give him up for anything. Sorry can be translated as to you saying you are glad that you don't have a child like ours.

As a disclourse I should say that I am not saying this out of bitterness only to be an informer. I love getting to know people and hope that people will not be offended by my comments. I actually laugh about these things.

I realize that I am not the best at any of these things when it comes to others, although I don't stare and I don't ignore I smile if we catch each others eyes. I've been know to approach and talk and ask questions, and I rarely assume that I know more than they do. I am a person to give advice, but typically it is to new moms and my biggest advice is to do TONS of tummy time. I am no physical therapist but I have had two of my kids sit, crawl and walk early. Now if only I was better at teaching speech.

One of the best examples to me of how to act when you are around someone who has a family member with obvious disablities was one night Joey and I took the kids to Los Hermanos and the lady at the booth next to us never stared or ignored but minded her business and then when we were both done with our dinners she turned around and said how sweet of a spirit Joe has and then shared her story of having a brother with downs syndrome and how it affected her life. I then was able to ask her questions about how she felt because I was having a hard time with guilt for having had Sophie and not being able to give her all the attention I felt she deserved. That night changed my life for ever. I will probably never see her again but I know she was sent there for me. And we never go there and she said she never goes there too. We both went really late and I know that she was sent from Heavenly Father to help me to heal me of my guilt for having and wanting more children. One ironic thing about her situation and ours was that her brother had cancer too and she and her brother were the same age diffence as Joe and Sophie. She said that having a brother with disabilties made her a more loving and compassionate person and that is how I want Sophie to be.

I will not disgrace myself...

Let's just say that you know you say a word to much when your child starts incorporating it into their speech. Whether it is a polite word or a curse word you know you are a broken record when this happens. Sophie often reminds me of what I must talk about the same thing all the time, what a bore I am. Anyways, she just reminded me of a word I shouldn't use but lately have been and since I was on the computer for the first time in months I thought I would post. Thank Zak and Rachael for the loaner computer!!!

From Aunt Nannie...

I know that many of you have been wondering where Michelle and Joey have been lately with no blog posts. I keep failing to remember to do something she asked me to do...she wanted me to tell you that once again the computer has died. And I mean REALLY dead so it may be awhile since when she is at our house where she can use a computer she usually has too limited of time to post. In the mean time, I post regularly about Michelle's family on my blog...okay usually it is pretty Sophie oriented, but you can still get some updates there. The Joey and Michelle Di Regolo family and I would like to wish you all a "Merry Christmas!" Hopefully soon Michelle will be able to do that herself.

FYI: Trunk or Treat coming.

So Joey works for Doug Smith Autoplex in American Fork across from Target. I am only telling everyone this because, on Friday October 30, 2009 from 3:30 to 6:00 there is a free trunk or treat for anyone and everyone who wants to attend.
Last year it was a lot of fun and FYI Joey is helping put it all together so if you own a business/office or want to ask your boss to be in the trunk or treat call Doug Smith Autoplex @ 801 492 0111 and ask for Joey, it is also free for the business and a great way to advertise. Last year everyone passed out business cards and enjoyed themselves.
Oh and I know that several family members own their business or offices and are more than welcome and wanted to be part of the trunk or treat. You know who you are.

Golf

So with less hours spent at church on Sunday and more hours in front of the tube. I have discovered a sport that I enjoy watching. Yes you guessed it GOLF. I know it sounds ridiculous but I love watching the scenery and the excitement of if the golfer will get a eagle, birdie or par and disappointment I feel for the golfer for getting a boggie. This is kind of ironic that I now want to take golf lessons and spend my retirement on the green with Joey golfing the days away. I believe Joe will even enjoy our golf outings someday. The reason for the irony is that in high school I took a sports class that taught a different sport every two weeks so we learned like 8 sports. Golf was on of them. I had the whole semester to go play 9 holes and I never did it because I thought golf was lame. If I had only caught this fire 8 years ago my gpa would have been a little bit better from playing those 9 holes. I must add this as well, Joey loves to golf, and until this new phenomenon I would watch at the driving range, now that I have a desire, I think he will enjoy me around during the golf time more.
Just some thoughts.
There are a few good things that our children can learn from golf: honesty, a love of nature, good sportsmanship, geometry, meteorology (due to the fact that knowing how the wind speed effects the ball), how to dress nice and neat. Wow, I am changing so much, what would my teenage self think of me?

Saw this on Facebook and here are the words.

Hey there Delilah (I’m at the MTC)
by Jason Edward Cassel
3:33
Hey there Delilah, what’s it like at BYU?
I’m just a quarter mile away, but feel so far away from you,
But that will do,
Cuz two years from now I’ll be with you,
I know that’s true.

Hey there Delilah, don’t you worry about the distance,
Few more months and I can call you both on Mother’s D ay and Christmas.
Close your eyes,
Then just think of suits and ties,
But not other guys.

Cuz, you said you’d wait for me,
O, you said you’d wait for me,
O, I’m at the MTC,
O, I’m at the MTC, at the MTC.

Now have some patience and don’t think of dating Conner,
Cuz two more years you may be done with school,
But I’ll return with honor.
I can’t wait,
Just two more years till our next date,
It will be great.

O when you told me I was the love of your life,
And I just held you close and kissed you just like I’ll kiss my wife.
We can goodbye,
And I gave you my favorite tie,
There’s no need to cry.

Cuz, you said you’d wait for me,
O, you said you’d wait for me,
O, I’m at the MTC,
O, I’m at the MTC, at the MTC.

There were RMs who made fun of me and said you’ll never wait for me,
To them I say ‘oh ye, of little faith.’
Cuz we’ve been dating for two months and I think that that’s long enough,
To know someone enough to feel this way.
I carry your picture with me and talk about you constantly,
I’m driving my companion insane,
And you’re to blame.

Woke up this morning, checked the mail right at dawn,
And just believe me girl how shocked I was to read those words,
“Dear John, I think we’re through,
I meet a guy better than you,
Go ahead and cry if you want to,
Sincerely Delilah, missing you,
P.S. we’re through.”

O, you didn’t wait for me,
O, you didn’t wait for me,
O, you didn’t wait for me,
O, and I’m only at the MTC, at the MTC…

~Jason Cassel

So cute

So I wish I had taken a video, but I would be able to figure out which one it was anyways.
Last night we had Leno on and the music from "The Primetime Band" made Joe dance. It was so darn cute. His head was going up and down right with the beat and when Joey and I commented on it together Joe got a huge smile on his face. It was so nice to see the old Joe coming back!!!

Crazy Days

Sorry no post for a while. Our life has been crazy. Joe is in the middle of being sick with an unexplainable ailment. His stomach hurts when you touch it and to keep him happy I am giving him oxycodone, I must mention that I am afraid of such drugs and therefore do not give it as much as it is prescribed. Yesterday we spent the day at primary children's running tests trying to figure out the problem. The conclusion was that he has something but what that is they don't know. Thank goodness our insurance is so great and we no longer need to pay copays because this week we would have gone broke with all the phone consultations and the visit yesterday.
Since Grandpa died I have had no real time to think about him and be sad, yet I don't know if I will ever cry myself to sleep, I am just not that kind of person, sometimes I wish I were.
Anyways, useless rambling.
Sophie as of late loves to sing the ABC's song and everyday gets more and more of the letters right. She is so much fun and quite the spit fire. She is constantly saying, "GGGGUUUSSSS." Like he is so naughty. They are starting to play together which of course warms my heart.
Gus is now a crawler and so darling. Today we went to the post box and while I was taking Joe and Sophie outside I said to Gus, "Come on Gus". So when I came back he was crawling around the bar in the kitchen. I just giggled, he is just SO FUN!!!

Grandpa "Bruce" Nelson

My grandpa died this afternoon 3:08. He is my first grandparent to pass away. I got to the hospital this morning about 9:45am and stayed until 1:25. I was sure that once I left he would pass over and I would miss the event in life that only happens once and is I'm told quite peaceful. So sure I am feeling sorry for myself, I was there while hospice did all the paperwork, when grandpa took off the oxygen tubing and refused to use it, why the doctors came and grandma explained herself to them over and over again feeling guilt for something that she need not fell guilt about, I was able to spend a little one on one when no one was in the room. The most special thing for me was seeing my grandma show all the love and compassion that one hopes they will possess for their spouse after 62 years. Grandpa to showed all the love he could, his countenance would brighten whenever grandma spoke and he would look over to his left to see if she was their. I think that he was glad everyone cares but the he wanted grandma more than anyone.
I knew he was ready and grandma and I prayed at his bedside that he would feel the love we had for him and that the Lord's will would be done and that we hoped that he wouldn't have to suffer too much longer. So I am glad that I got a good couple hours alone with grandma, mom and aunt Sherrie. I am not a big crier when it comes to death, maybe it is all the close calls over the last year, so needless to say I wasn't needing tissues so maybe that is why grandpa waited until I left to leave as well. When I said good-bye I told him that I loved him and that it was alright if he wanted to go home.
I got back about 4:45pm and I got to visit with uncle Lyle and aunt Sherrie, uncle Tom, mom and dad, grandma, Kelly and Alyssa, and all my kids. I stayed until around 6:30 when the mortuary guys came to get grandpa's body. Sophie rode on the gurny and she enjoyed that. The boys were angels like normal and I got to thinking that I don't know what I would do if Joey were to pass away. I love him and it is times like these when I realise how much I take his love for me for granted.
How many of us take those we love for granted and forget how lucky we are? Do we show those we love how much we love them and enjoy every moment we have with them? I don't. I wish I did.

A few saddnesses

As I was pulling into Primary's parking garage my sister called to tell me that my mom's dad, grandpa Nelson was having a brain bleed and that they couldn't help me because (for obvious reasons) they needed to be there for him and grandma. I love my grandpa but I haven't seen him as much this year because of the low counts and catching him and Joey available at the same time.
The family chose to do an operation to help with the brain bleeding but grandpa they now know is full of cancer and has congenital heart failure so if one thing doesn't take him the other will. I would like to say I do well with the thought of death, but then I realize that I am like a camel. I can hold on so long and then the dumbest thing breaks me.
Joe is done now with the inpatient aspect of chemotherapy but Wednesday we are totally finished!!!
Another good thing, Gus is starting to crawl, he does this amazing push up that any adult male would be totally thrilled about if they could do it. And he takes a few crawls, I think he will be totally proficient just in time for our family to start going back to church, yeah I will be back but probably in the hall, well except for the fact that Gus is one of the best babies I have ever known.
The thing that broke my camel back, was that today Joey got me tickets to a premiere showing of the movie, 'Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs.' I don't know if it was good or not because Joe had a HUGE blowout and I had to go to the van to change his diaper and clothes and got locked out of the movie theater. Now if Joe and I were the only ones I would have just left but Sophie, Gus and my parents were inside. I had told the security guard that I had to go outside and he said he would let me back in. Well, miscommunication later and I missed the first 50-55 minutes of the show due to the lock out. I cried when I finally got inside the movie. I felt like leaving but I stayed and what I saw was delightful. Anyways, Joey called to complain for me and the theater said they do nothing if it was a private showing, hmmmm. I understand but shouldn't they check the doors?

Hip, hip, hurray...

Today we start our last round of chemotherapy. Wow!!! I am not excited for Joe to be sick again, but I am excited that after this when he starts feeling better we don't have to push him back down. My children are all very happy people. I am blessed. Joey (my husband, people seem to mix up the two names) is Mr. Optimism himself, and our children inherited his outlook on life. Joe has always just grinned and bore all the trials that have been placed in front of him. I believe that children teach their parents how to be the best people they can be, now whether this continues into teenagehood or if that is where parents have to step up and start being a better example to their children than their children are to them, who knows but I am grateful to be able to learn from the babes.
On a side note, Sophie is doing much better. After further investigation she has a nice little blood shot eye, and a goose egg. Finally last night she stayed in her bed. Yeah!!!
Another side note, if you are a soda drinker, please save the can popper toppers, they can be donated to Primary Children's Medical Center as a donation for the Ronald McDonald house. Each one is worth 5 cents so they add up quickly. I can take them up for you if you want to drop them by my house.

Did this really happen?

Yesterday, I didn't feel like taking Sophie to church. She wanted to wear her swim suit cover up and I wouldn't let her. So she picked a little sting tank top with tights and her boots. I felt like it wasn't very appropriate for church and should have left her home, but I want her to make friends with the children in the ward and she loves the singing and learning about Jesus. So I took her and she was excited to attend nursery. When I picked her up she was not the little girl I left. When I left her she was happy, outgoing and confident. When I picked her up she was bashful, tired and snugly. The nursery leader said that the children had been playing ring around the rosys and they all fell on top of Sophie. She instantly acted tired and snugly, they figured it was nap time. I was worried about a concussion so I took her to the nurse across the street, no concussion.
Today I am taking her to the doctor, in the night she spike a fever of 102* and wanted held the whole time. The nurse said Sophie was probably traumatised, hmmmm. I will try to post what it is, but if anyone knows a chiropractor who is open today, let me know. I can't imagine that she isn't misaligned after such a fun event.
The stinky thing in all of this is that Sophie is two years old and has never even needed a bandaid, she has never had a boo boo, so she has know idea if she is in pain or that pain is what is is called. I think maybe I protect my kids too much, Joe never had a scrape of a sore until he was three and within a couple of months he had probably the biggest boo boo he will ever have. I don't wish pain on Gus but maybe I will try to protect without over protecting him. I don't want my kids to get hurt but it would be a good thing if they could tell me that something hurts when it does so that I can help them more effectively.

Then yesterday, my mother-in-laws dog died while they were at church. So Joey and I got to go to a dog funeral last night. Rest in peace Reagan.

The Wedding...

The not so blushing beautiful bride. It was fun to see another couple get married, Joey and I have been to a few sealings at the Salt Lake Temple but never (except our own) at the Mount Timpanogos Temple, it is so very beautiful.






Gus just being cute.

Sophie and Kirstine made friends, it is so cute Sophie is big and she is small just like Erin and me.

Erin and Steve Allred cutting the cake.



Sophie loved the bubbles and even had to take one home. She tried so hard to blow the bubbles herself. Joe has a wonderful preschool teacher who decided that this week they would learn how to blow bubbles, little did she know that we would need these skills just the next day.

Hero

So last night was not quite so different than normal. I was up 2 times with Gus and Sophie came looking for me while I was nursing him and she couldn't find me so she decided that she would camp in the family room. She turned on the light and curled up on the rocking chair. I had watched as I was nursing going in and out of my room like, she was thinking "Why is mommy playing hide and seek right now?" I wanted to call to her, but I did not want to wake up Joe. So I went looking for her after I finished with Gus. She was so cute all curled up. I turned off the light and rocked her for a little while then put her back to bed. She said, "No mommy, no." So I picked her up again and held her until she was asleep. I love these moments when she prefers me. I know how dumb, but when I take her anywhere she is acts like I am such an embarrassment, and so when she wants to be held I do it.
Needless to say I was pretty tired this morning and since all the children were still sleeping, Joe now in my bed, hmmm, when will I learn? So I was sleeping too. When I heard a bang on my back door. I almost didn't answer. I went to the door, in all my just waking up glory, and my neighbour Larry was there. He said that he thought the goat was dying. We both go running into the 'pasture' and sure enough cute little Chuck Norris is unconscience. Larry starts to unwind the leashes,(the goats have knocked down the fence so many times we are in the process of putting in a more permanent fence. We just bought all the stuff.) While I just sit there all unhelpful. Larry then starts pushing on Chucks chest like CPR, without the mouth to mouth, Chuck starts to belch and then comes back to life. It took him a while to stand (about 5 or 10 minutes) then he got up tried to nurse his mother, but I imagine he has a terrible sore throat. I hope that he fully recovers but thanks to Larry he is not dead right now.

THANKS LARRY FOR SAVING CHUCK NORRIS!!!

The neighbours that I have taken the time to get to know are all excellent people. All very understanding and kind to our family. We are lucky to live where we live.

Petting Zoo

Okay so call me a tight wad but I think that we enjoyed the goats as much as anything at the Thanksgiving point petting zoo, and we can step outside for free and play with them.
So I am only being not funny. We enjoyed the other animals too. I did decide that pigs stink worse than stud goats and look very disgusting to me. Therefore, I do not think that I will be getting a pig like I had planned on doing in a few years.
The cow loved Joe as you can see. It was a beautiful thing.

Milestones

Hurray!!! We have had a week of accomplishment. 1st: Gus can now sit. 2nd: Sophie is now potty trained. She has only had one mistake yesterday because she was locked in the car seat and it was tiny, but still that is the only one. The day before one and two the day before, not that everyone needs to know what her potty is like but I am so tickled that she is all done with diapers. 3rd: Joe only has one more round of chemo and then we are done. We are done with A treatment and the last is called B (original aye). 4th: Joe gets to go back to school so much sooner than I had anticipated. He will probably get to go in October sometime. His counts have to just drop and then come back up. He loved school so, Hurray!!!
Until another day, tootles

I don't know how all these great bloggers do it but I never know which picture goes where. So I thought I would just put in some of the pictures I like from when the computer was sick.
The captions I would have said are, "Sunday naps with daddy." "Sophie is such a daddy's girl". "Mema with Gus, they best friends from the get go". "Go Joe, go. Look at him walk. It has been so long since he didn't cry when we put him in the gait trainer".

First Food

This is Aunt Nannie...Chel asked me to share this with you so here you go. Last week Chel, Sophie and Gus went to the zoo with our family while Joe and Joey were at chemo. Michelle couldn't find Gus's binky so she improvised with ice cream!!! Gus LOVED it! We all had a really nice time at the zoo...here are a few of the pics...if you want to see more visit my blog at http://zrfitz.blogspot.com/

All ready to visit the zoo!





On the carousel.

Gus and Mommy's ice cream!



Sophie loved her ice cream too!

I see

So this is the family picture my friend had posted of me. I think I now know how to take pictures from somewhere else.

My Friend, and more

Whenever certain people that I really like call, I answer, "Hello, Friend." One of these people is my friend Natalie, her link is on my blog. I would like to say if you need a GREAT photographer she is the one. She took pictures of our family and they look wonderful, there is a preview on her blogspot, Lehi Wrights. I met Natalie through our mutual friend Jana, we all walked when our 4 year olds were tiny babies. I would talk to them about all the shocking news Joey and I were receiving from the doctors about Joe. There wisdom and friendship helped me through a very difficult time. I think that I wouldn't be so positive about all of Joe's health issues if I hadn't had them to talk to. I don't think that I ever told them thank you so, THANKS LADIES. I would wake up so excited to talk to them and I usually did most of the talking and still they would keep coming, Thank You.
I believe that Heavenly Father puts people in your life when you need them and usually I believe that they need you as well. I know that I have had some very wonderful influences in my life and even though I tell Joey that I want to move, I think it is just because I am bored of the same walls day after day. I can't paint or construct until Joe is cleared by the doctors, the fumes can irritate. So I sometimes think we should move but I don't think that I could ever be in a better more loving ward than the one I am in now. Thank you everyone for you love, prayers, kindness, and patience.
Love, Michelle
P.S. Our new operating system is different and I haven't figured out the picture thing yet, hopefully soon.