Giveaway: Les Madeleines

Have you ever watched the Food Network and wished that you were able to teleport just to try the food from these amazing places? Well today I am here to share this opportunity. Of course I can not offer you teleportation, but through Fedex and the amazing owners of Les Madeleines, I am able to make this happen for one very lucky winner.

Les Madeleines is one of the hidden treasures here in Salt Lake City, Utah and has been featured on The Best Thing I Ever Ate on the Food Network. They are known for their kouing-aman {it is pronounced like "queen" + "a" + "mon"} and claim they are slightly addicting... addicting is not a strong enough word! This amazing delicious master-piece truly is the best thing I ever ate! The kouing-aman has this sweet, salty, caramelized crunch on the outside, and a gooey flakey center. Hmmmm, heaven on earth!!!

Anything you buy from this shop of pure perfection is delicious. If you ever find yourself in Utah, be sure to pay a visit to Les Madeleins found in the heart of the city. They also serve breakfast and lunch and fresh beignets.

I have teamed up with the owner of Les Madeleines to give the winner 4 of the Kouing-aman, in any of the 50 states {don't worry if you are not from Utah, it will be shipped} . Here's what you need to do to enter:

* You need to become a follower of my blog and leave a comment saying you have done so.

For Extra Entries {to help boost your chances}:

*Leave a comment telling me the best thing you ever ate.

* Spread the word by social media {Facebook, blog post, Twitter} that links back to this blog, and then leave a comment that you have done so.

That means that you can have up to 5 entries: 1 for each social media that you link to {i.e. Facebook, blog, twitter}, 1 entry for becoming a follower of my blog, and 1 entry for telling me the best thing you ever ate.

If you failed to become a follower of this blog, you will be disqualified, and the prize will go to the next winner. 

If the winner lives here in Utah, you will be required to pick up the item up from the store.

The winner will NOT be responsible for shipping; however, providing information to me is necessary.  


The giveaway will end Tuesday April 5, 2011 at 11:59pm MST

A very special THANK YOU to the owner of Les Madeleins for making this possible! You truly have a heart of gold. FYI... Did you know they never throw out their food; they always donate their extra items to local shelters. To read more about their involvements you can click here.

What is Failure?

By reading my previous post you may understand that I have/had a fear of failing, or letting people down. You may recall reading what my Dad said. After having that conversation with my Dad, I am totally ready to fail. I am ready to take on new challenges; I am ready to brace new things and take that leap with my eyes closed. I AM READY!!

Just because you "failed" does not mean it is wrong. It does not mean it was a failure, it means you got a result. Your result may be different then you originally planed, but you are still able to grow and learn from it. So how can it be measured as a failure? Only we can put judgement on it. We also have the power to make it a positive experience.

One of the first things my Dad said to me when I told him I was afraid of failing was, "Have you learned nothing from me? I have failed more in my lifetime then I have succeeded. You can't learn if you don't fail." If you know my Dad then you know that this is extremely powerful. He is the most successful business man I know. I always look up to him for his knowledge and integrity, and guess what... he had a learning disability too! So his example is that much more inspirational.

After the much needed Daddy-daughter talk, I remembered one of my most favorite Disney movies. I knew I had to plop that DVD in and snuggle up with Ekemona to watch. This one scene {below} stood out more then ever. I always knew this scene was amazing, but it wasn't the reason I choose to watch the movie. This sums up everything I was feeling and thinking, and I knew I had to share it with you. PS doesn't this remind you of the talk I had with my Dad? Well I think it does.



So in case you ever fear failure, ask yourself, "What is failure?" and remember this post, remember this movie, and remember what my dad said. One of the greatest things I learned from my job at Disneyland is the power of a dream and the power of moving forward. Walt Disney is a prime example of that and how the sky is the limit. Never let your fears or doubts rule your positive emotions. You are made to do great things, so go out there and prove to the world how great you really are!

Rubic's Cube

Some of you know that Gian is pretty dang smart. Seriously, the smartest person I know! Well he has a collection of Rubics Cubes that he has compiled. The smallest one he has is a 3x3 and then the biggest one he has is 6x6. He can usually solve these within minutes while I try to pel my stickers off and try to rearrange them to look like I solved the puzzle. Which, by the way, you can totally tell because every corner of every sticker is curled and will never go straight again... I swear the manufacturer did that on purpose!!!

Well one day as I was holding Eke, he was eyeing the collection of cubes. I thought I would hand him one to kind of play with. Well I think this kid is going to be more and more like his Dad!!!

Tease Tease Tease

I just wanted to write what I was feeling that very moment. To first clarify, I AM NOT PREGNANT!!! Please... Ekemona is only 5 months old I would be in hysterical, paralyzing, traumatic fear and shock if that were the case. So lets go ahead and delete that assumption.

I will not spill all the beans completely or share the details until it is set in stone. Whether it is positive or negative news, I will be sure to give you a more informed update. To satisfy your curiosity, I will give you two words... Job Opportunity. OK that is it!!! No more information. That is all that you will get from me, but clearly you can see how this opportunity has literally just tickled me. So regardless of the outcome I am so thankful to even be acknowledge and qualified. 

In Other News:

Have you noticed I change the name of our blog? What do you think? I want to remove our last name from the blog. If you have our blog listed on one of your side bars I would deeply appreciate it if you would update it with the new name of our blog. Just copy and paste our URL and it will automatically do it for you. If it does not change at first, try again... or just rename it. 

I used Gian's shaving cream today... {in a deep masculine voice} and I smell like a man,

And to reward you for your suffering here is a picture of what this afternoon looked like: 

What darling boys!! If you can look closely they are literally sleeping in the same exact position

Gian blow dried Ekemona hair... again bahahhahahaha

and I want to show you my favorite earrings 

I am So ...

... Excited I could bust!! My face is flushed, red and hot like a coil stove. My hands are clammy with fear and joy! Could this really be real? Can this really be happening? It came out of the middle of nowhere and I just cried with tears of happiness; I immediately texted Gian with the news, my hands were shaking and my heart was pounding a million beats a second. I had to call my Mom and Dad. I needed their advice and council. I tried to hold my composure, but my cracking voice gave me away. My dad asked me if everything was fine, and I cried harder. I was trying not to scare them, but I just was overwhelmed with emotions I could hardly take it.

One of the first things that came to my mind was, I have been dreaming about this. Literally, I've been having this recurring dream for the last 3 months about this exact situation. I just thought I was releasing emotions in my dream - things that I have been hurting over, things I have been wanting, things that I have been craving to express, but now, just not more then 30 minutes ago, it was all made clear to me. I was dreaming about what was in store for me. I believe that God has placed this in my hands and that He really knows me better then I know myself... better then anyone knows me. I must be doing something right!

Today while I was talking to my Dad, I told him one of my greatest fears is failing and he told me, "So what, fail. FAIL WILDLY!! Go ahead and fail so hard that you will have no regrets." I expressed more of my emotions to him and he said, "If you're so scared then don't do it! Then you will never worry about how you couldn't fail" and I replied "Hell no.... what fun would that be?!? I would never learn anything if I did that," and that immediate response made me realize how much I wanted this! My fears of failing were diminished. How did I get so lucky to have such amazing parents who could coach and counsel me in such a positive way?

I feel like I have been prepared for this moment. All the thoughts that are rushing through my head are confirmations of things I have been feeling in the past, and I know that this must be right! I feel empowered, confident and strong. I feel like the sky is the limit, and this is only the beginning. Every cell in my body is doing their own little victory dance. I can only imagine the possibilities!! Watch out world... here I come!

Giveaway

My sister, Brittany, is doing a give away. 

You should check her out. The item would make a great gift too. 

Hope you like it and good luck!!

The Itch

Just days after Ekemona got his helmet he started to roll his head from side to side. I called the doctor and asked if this was a normal side effect and he said "yes, it is like wearing a beaning all day, it gets itchy under there."

Whenever I can tell that it is just driving Little E nuts I take it off and scratch his head for him. It is both funny and sad because his eyes start to get heavy and he gets all relaxed. Sometimes he will even try to itch it himself. Poor guy!!

He fell asleep in his swing while scratching his head

Good news is, he doesn't get hot with it on. So that means he will keep his long locks for a little bit longer. I don't see the need to cut his hair if he isn't getting over heated. Also it has only been two weeks and we can already see a huge difference in the shape of his head. So glad that we were able to get the helmet for him!!

Hahahahahah!

Since Ekemona has his helmet, we have to make sure we thoroughly wash it to ensure that no bacteria or fungus grows while he is wearing it. When they told me these things could happen I freaked out, knowing how painful that could be. They suggested to wash it daily. Well I think it is only fair that Eke gets a good clean scalp scrubbing every day too. We like to give him his baths right before bed time and then blow dry his hair so he gets a nice toasty dry, along with going to bed with a dry head of hair. Gian blow dried E's hair one night, and this was the result:

Bahhahahahahahahahhahahah I still laugh every time I see this photo.

I ♥ Mail

I feel like blogs are todays modern day pen pals. My sister, Brittany, has been able to find some really neat blogs of parents with children who have special needs. I copied her by following those blogs too.

Through blogging, I have a pen pal named Tiffany. Her and her daughter, Olivia, are amazing and I love to read their stories.  Tiffany and Olivia sent me actual mail... real live mail, the kind that comes to your door!! Check out the stickers Olivia put on the box. How did she know I loved the Biebs so much?!?!  Guess what it was... just try...

...ok fine, it was Girl Scout cookies!! If you know me then you know these things are like gold to me. Literally seconds after opening the box, I dove straight into the cookies. Hence why there are cookies already out of the box before I could get my camera to document the joyous occasion! Tiffany mentioned that Olivia was selling GS cookies and I asked if they shipped to Utah and they did... they really really did! Thanks you guys!!! You made me and Gian very happy!

If you notice to the right column there is a section called "Amazing Mothers with Spectacular Children." There I have placed these mother's blogs. I really can't tell you enough how much I love these women and the example they set {you will notice my sister is on there too!!!}. Thank you ladies for always posting and sharing your stories.

One of My Greatest Challenges

When I was younger I had some speech delays. My mom was worried that I possibly had a hearing problem. She took me to get my hearing tested and the results came back completely fine. As I grew older, there were other delays developing such as not knowing my ABC's, reading, shapes and colors seemed to be confusing as well. My mom was beginning to grow more concerned. She took me in to get more testing done. They ruled out ADD and ADHD... they did a simple test to see if it was dyslexia - nope, not that either. Finally after the right test the doctor was able to give my mom an answer. I was diagnosed with Auditory Processing Disorder also known as APD. Not only was this my learning disability, but mine was quite severe. The doctors told my mom that I would never learn to read or write, or hold a job. Well by reading this you can already see how much I have accomplished.

My mom and dad were devastated but relieved at the same time. My mom was worried about what the future held for me, but thrilled to have an answer to start making a plan of what would be best for me and my scholastics. I never did like school, I spent many hours trying to understand something so difficult yet everyone else was able to learn so easily. I remember learning to read and looking at the letters as if they were hieroglyphics. Everyday after school I would stay an extra hour working in a class called Resource, then after that I would meet with a tutor to help me with homework and other tasks. 

This lasted almost my whole education. There were various programs that I was in and other Resource classes. When I was in the 4th grade my mom found this a program in Berkley (at the time we were living in a town in the Bay Area called Alamo) it was about an hour away from our house and I traveled at 8 am during commuting hours. It was 3 hours a day 5 days a week for 3+ months. My mom was able to clear it with my school so I actually didn't ever attend my class until the afternoon. I loved it because every day after the program I would get lunch with my mom at this 50's diner. I loved how my parents always tried to make it a fun day. When I graduated from the program, my parents took me to this wonderful hotel called the Claremont Hotel for a fancy lunch were I wore my favorite dress and tights, and my dad gave me this beautiful porcelain doll. I felt like a princess, and I knew they were so proud of me and that meant the world to me.

To be completely honest I am not sure when I ever learned how to read. I never felt comfortable reading in front of a large group... a small group... well actually in front of anyone. I actually never enjoyed reading period. I always felt overwhelmed and it seemed to take me much longer to read than anyone else I knew. I didn't feel confident reading out loud until I was 20 years old. I know that I was able to acknowledge the fact that I could read in the 6th grade, but that is all I can really remember... I don't remember getting it or being proud. I just remember my teacher giving the class a reading level test and I scored a 4th grade level and I thought, "Ohhh I can read!"

I would love to tell you that I no longer struggle with this learning disability, or that there is a cure for APD, but unfortunately the only thing that can be done is constant work. I have learned how I learn, how I perceive things, the way my brain works, and memorizing became my greatest tool. I struggle with this every single day, but because it is all I know I am not always aware that it is something I struggle with. In 2009, I was driving home from work balling because I was having a hard day. I called my sister, Brittany, for advice and to vent. I will never forget what she told me, she said, "You have a learning disability, it's not easy! You have learned to compensate for things, you have done so well at this no one even knows that you struggle and if anyone were to see how far you have come they would be astonished." Whenever I think about this it makes me choke up with tears, knowing that someone knows how far I have come and yet knows how hard it still is for me. I never knew until that moment how much I really struggled.

My family has always made me feel loved and accepted, they never once judged me. They helped me to learn that this is who I am and to never be ashamed of it. Because they never had shame around it, I never had shame around it. This has made me a better and stronger person. Without them and their help I don't know who I would be today. 

I want to share this because I hope that anyone who does have a learning disability will be able to love that part about themself. My hope is if you know anyone who is different then you, that you will accept them for exactly who they are, instead of judging them for not filling your standard of "normal" or "intelligent." If you have a child that is behind in any way there is nothing wrong with getting them evaluated or tested, even if it is something behaviorally. Early intervention can work miracles!! 

Thank you Mom and Dad, Brittany, McCall and Kachina for all your support, love, guidance, understanding and example. 

Cranium

One of my favorite things about Ekemona his is gorgeous hair! I mean that kid worked really hard to grow all that luscious hair in the womb. I love to wash his hair, I love to comb his hair, I love to run my fingers through his hair, but I no longer can enjoy it as much for the next 12 weeks.

Why you may ask? Well Ekemona has Torticollis, which is a tight muscle in the neck that causes an infant to favor one side. While favoring this one side it begins to misshape the infant's head and or develop a flat spot which is called Plagiocephaly. The only way to correct it is by wearing a  P.A.P Orthosis Helmet. There is nothing that causes Torticollis, sometimes it happens in the womb or it is something the infant develops after birth. If a child has Plagiocephaly it doesn't mean it is caused by Torticollis either, they can happen with or with out each other. To correct the Torticollis you just stretch the neck muscle twice a day. I've been working with him and have already seen a huge difference, and when he becomes more mobile it will no longer be a problem. 

The way the helmet works is by placing a little itty bit of pressure on the parts of the head that stick out the most. This causes the head to stop growing in those areas, while the other parts fill out the empty spaces in the helmet. The picture below will help illustrate what I am explaining. 

This photo is a bit extreme, but this will give you an idea of what Ekemona's head shape is.

There are many other senarios of Plagiocephaly shapes, but this is E's case.

Good news is little Ekemona is young enough so he will only have to wear it for 12 weeks. Some babies who get the helmet later have to wear it for 6-9 months. If he grows fast there is a chance he will not have to wear it as long. 

 They make the helmet by first making a mold with plaster. The picture above is a sock to protect the skin and hair from the plaster. The picture below is the plaster hardening. Can we please talk about these darling cheeks?!? I love this little face!

His hair is so long!!! 

I want to thank Brittany, Mike and Lily for their help. When I was in Idaho in December (Ekemona was just 2 months old) Mike had noticed Eke's flat spot and how he was favoring one side. Mike continued to tell me about Torticollis. Brittany and Mike learned all about this when taking Lily to her therapies. Because they were able to shine some of their knowledge, I was able to bring it up to my doctor, and a whole 2.5 months later we are able to correct it and Ekemona won't have to spend as much time in the helmet. See Lily, you are already changing peoples' lives and you are only 8 months old. 

The only thing I don't like about this helmet is how hot he gets in it. His hair already acts like a perfect wool hat, but now he has this thick plastic thing that doesn't breath on top of that!!! So I hate to say it, but we most likely will be trimming his "Samson's Hair" to help keep him cool. The doctor said the shorter the better. Regardless of the love I have for his hair, whatever will help my little ninja, I am all for it.  

New Nephew

Crosby Jude Robert Brown was born 

March 4, 2011
19" long

7lbs 9oz 

Mom and baby are doing good. Congrats McCall and Ryan, he is so precious.

You're Going To Call Me What?!?

So I am not exactly sure what to do. I am highly considering hiding our children's names on our blog. I am worried about their safety since this is a public blog. What do you guys think? Should we hide our children's names? Why or why not? Should it be their middle name, or a made up name? I want to know what everyone's thoughts are around this issue. Do you think there are weird creepers out there that I should be cautious of? What do you do for your blog? Why do you choose to share or not share your child's name?