My Memories Software Giveaway

Alright, here it finally is...

I have been playing around with the My Memories software for around three weeks and each time I get more and more excited with what I've done or find that I am able  to do with the program-- it's great and you don't have to know a thing about traditional scrapbooking to enjoy it. My Memories is affordable, mess free, easy to learn and simple to use. You can customize practically every aspect of everything that is offered. You can rotate items, angle items, adjust the size of your images, as well as add textures, designs and even embellishments.  I have shared some of the different things that I have done with this particular software here, here, here, here and here. However, what I have shared is only a very, very, small fraction of what is actually available.

For me, my favorite thing (so far) is that I get so many different options for photo layouts and again, these too are customizable (Is that a word??).  For scrapbooking or photo books you can make all of your pages through the program and then print them out and store them however you'd like-- completely mess free! Photo layouts and scrapbooking are not the only things that you can do with this software, you can make cards and even videos as well, although I have yet to venture that far into the program. Really, it seems as if the possibilities are endless!

My Memories Suite offers a lot of free design downloads and hundreds of low-priced "paper packs", and templates and they are constantly offering new items-- just like if you were going to a specialty store! Their website also has a blog that you can keep up to date with, see what others have done and shared as well as submit your own work. 

Today I am giving you, my readers, the opportunity to win a free copy of the My Memory Suite 2011-- that way you can see for yourself all of the fun things that the software offers.

 Here are the rules:

1. Go to My Memories Gallery.

2. Pick your favorite layout, it doesn't matter which one you choose, just make it one that you fancy and then tell me which one it is and why you like it-- through a comment on this post.

Simple enough? You have one full week. Next Friday (September 16 , 2011)  I will randomly pick a name from the comments (if there is more than one) and announce the winner that day.


For those of you who are interested in purchasing the My Memories Suite v2 software, if you use this code STMMMS54442 you will get $10.00 off of the software as well as an additional $10.00 off from a purchase from mymemories.com store.

I've added the The Tutorial Video so you get an idea of how to use the program as well as what is in it:
http://player.vimeo.com/video/27945413?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0http://www.mymemories.com/

Speech Therapy

While Vada and I was in Saint Louis I met with the doctor who is the head of Neurology for the Children's Hospital. We discussed a great deal of things but one particular question that he asked me made me realize how wrong my thinking was. He asked me what kinds of therapy Vada was currently getting. I said physical therapy and that was all. He asked why she wasn't getting anything else and I said that I was under the impression that she didn't need it if she was doing as well as she was. Vada had regressed while she was on the ACTH but bounced right back shortly after coming off of it and since then she has done nothing but move forward. He agreed that her social skills were amazing (his words), especially with all that she has gone through but her progress now should not determine the help she receives (not his words). He said that she should be getting all of the therapy that is available to her and that there were two reasons behind his thoughts. The first being that if she were to continue to have seizures or if they got worse and she did regress then the therapies would already be in place and we wouldnt be put on a waiting list. His second reason is what made me question my own throught process. He said that we know because she has Down syndrome that there are and will be delays and by getting her all of the help available we can help her progress more fully and that's all I want for her, a better chance at life. I want her to reach her potential. I want to watch her thrive and succeed and I am so grateful that the doctor gave his opinion. Once we returned from Saint Louis I talked with Kim (Vada's PT) and told her what the doctor recommended.

Yesterday was Vada's first session in speech. Next month she will begin developmental therapy. Speech therapy was one of the most interesting things to watch and be a part of. I learned so much and Miss Vada was incredibly interested in what Sara was teaching her. She lasted a whole forty minutes and for a baby as mobile as Vada that's pretty impressive!

Sara worked on different sounds and where those sounds can be felt. A great example is the "P" sounds. When saying words that have the "puh" sound you push air out from your mouth. Sara tore a piece of paper and placed it on her hand and then on Vada's and made the sound. When she enunciated the "puh" in "pig" she  blew the paper off of their hands. By doing this it helps Vada asscoiate the word with the sound with the action. Make sense? Im not a therapist so putting it into words is not particularly easy for me to do and I may be explaining it incorrectly. I did however take a lot of notes and as I learn more i'll share it.

Another good example of what I am trying to explain with how the sounds can be "felt" was when Sara brought out the bubbles. She enunciated the "buh" in the word while tapping her index under her bottom lip. "Buh, buh, buh..., bubbles.

Other words/sounds that I was impressed with the "S" sound, like Oscar. Sarah pronounced it as "Awh-sssss-ker" while making the "sss" sound she took her index finger and slid it on Vada forearm like a snake would move or slither.

The "K" sound was also interesting. With the word "cookie" Sarah enunciated the "k" sound while touching her throat. "Kuh, kuh, kuh..., cookie."

"O" as in "open" was pronounced with the "O" being the main sound. "Oh, oh, oh..., open" and while saying it Sara took her index finger and circled her mouth.

Im excited for whats to come. I know that sounds odd but I learn from these therapy sessions as well and then I can help Vada in between the sessions. Im really grateful to have these resources available to us/to Vada.

More Photo Layouts

Tomorrow, you'll get the opportunity to win the software that I have used to make these great layouts!

No More Excuses

Why is it that I never forget medications for my husband or children but I almost always forget my own? How is it that Vada has only missed a physical therapy session due to illness but I cant get myself to exercise again? I stay on my girls to take showers everyday but sometimes I skip a day. Is it Poor time management? Motherhood? Procrastination...? I think, honestly, its a combination of all of those things and then some. I love my children and I think that I do a good job at mothering them but when it comes to taking care of myself.., sometimes I lack in that area.

My hair is falling out. I am gaining weight and my skin is dry. I have Hypothyroidism and these are all things that happen when I don't take my medications. Besides this morning, I cant remember the last time that I actually took my two tiny pills that make all of the difference.

When I look at myself I feel as if my skin is just hanging off of my body. I know nice image, right? I gained over sixty pounds during my pregnancies (All three of them!). After I had Vada I had postpartum edema and swelled up like a balloon. I actually weighed more after I had her than I did in my final weeks of pregnancy. Although, two weeks of diuretics took care of it. I was also on over twelve weeks of "strict bed rest" and from what I have been told for everyday down it takes two to recover. Twelve (weeks) times seven (days) equals eighty-four (days of bed rest). Eighty-four times two equals one hundred and sixty-eight (days to recover), which means I should have been recovered and been ready to exercise when Vada was around five and a half months. That's a long time to recover and that mark for recovery was hit and then passed an even longer time ago! So I have made a decision. Instead of saying all of the things I want to do, like my old routine of running three to five miles a day or my Insanity workout, Tracy Anderson Method workout or even my Winsor Pilates workout. I am only committing myself to one small thing, at least to start with... Ten minutes of elliptical exercise. Yes, I am that out of shape. Ten minutes get me sweating and breathing hard. That'll be my plan for one week. Its short enough that I cant make excuses and at the very least, its something. So I don't sabotage myself i'm not even going to speak of my next steps. I am going to focus on today and my baby steps back to a healthier me. This morning's ten minute "workout" was accomplished and I had my little motivator playing next to me the whole time. For now on there will be no more "I'll start tomorrow." excuses. For now on, even if it is only for a short ten minutes, I am getting my butt on the elliptical and I am doing something that makes me feel good about myself and the time that I have.

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Two days ago was Vada's eighteen month birthday. The funny thing is that I have been saying the same thing for several days now. On Thursday I told my mother in law that Vada and I celebrated it with some ice cream. Thursday was the first of September. I guess I was just so excited that I lost track of what date it really was. Vada was born on March 2, 2010. Therefore, Friday was in fact the correct day!

Since we already had some ice cream, last night we had fall vegetable soup (made recently) and broccoli with potatoes. The soup is my favorite and even though I call it a "Fall" soup I make it throughout the year because I like it so much! Vada likes it too, in fact I have never seen her eat so much at one time! She finished almost all of both bowls.

After dinner we did something new...laundry... oh wait, that's not new but riding in the basket, for Vada is! She was giggling like crazy!

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Last night, before bed Vada caught up on some reading. Justin and I have been trying to budget in a new vehicle, one that is appropriately sized for our family and Vada wanted in on the decision making aspect of the deal. She's still deciding.

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This morning was the third Sunday in a row that I have missed church. Not. Like. Me. The first Sunday we went to Saint Louis because of Vada's seizures. Last week was because of the cold that she caught the prior weekend and this Sunday was also because of that same stinking cold. Yeh, she has had it for three weeks! It's not contagious, at least none of us have caught it. She's not running a temperature and hasn't this whole time. I have brought her to the doctors and he has said it's just a cold and it should pass on it's own. Now, it's settling in her eyes and she has a lot of congestion that oddly enough comes and goes throughout the day. So I am thinking its time to bring her back in and re-examine her.

Anyway, instead of taking a coughing, runny nosed and watery eyed little girl to church this morning, Vada and I stayed at home, did laundry and listened to one of our church sermons on podcast. I'm grateful for the podcast recordings because I don't feel complete throughout the week when I miss church. Listening to my pastor's voice and hearing the messages that he preaches helps when I cant be there in person and especially, when I am out of town, sitting in a hospital. While missing church was not the highlight of my day I did enjoy this morning with my baby girl and she seemed to enjoy helping with the laundry.

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Two days ago I posted something that I later in the evening, removed. It had to do with raising money and the Down syndrome awareness walk that is coming up this October 1st. I removed the post because I spoke (or in this case wrote) too soon. Therefore, because the walk is now only twenty-six days away and we have yet to collect any money I want it to be known that we are still collecting money and it will be donated (one way or the other) to the QC GiGi's Playhouse and it will also be donated in honor of "Team Vada 2011". When more information is given to me and when it is set in stone I will share all of the details with you but please, if you want to donate, don't wait! Contact me and I will get you any information you need!

GiGi's Playhouse of the QCA and The 2011 Awareness Walk

Today Vada and I took a tour of our local (soon to be opened) GiGi's Playhouse. GiGi's is a Down syndrome awareness center that has a vision where individuals with Down syndrome are accepted and embraced not only by their families but from their schools and their communities. GiGi's mission is to increase positive awareness of Down syndrome by empowering individuals who have it as well as empowering their families and the communities that they live in. If you would like to read the beautiful story on how GiGi's began click here.

Today was just a quick drop in to visit with Michelle, who is the site coordinator for the QC GiGi's (and also someone that I consider a friend).  She gave us a quick tour and we discussed all of the exciting plans for the near future. I can not put into words how thrilled I am that GiGi's is here and that Vada as well as myself and my family will somehow be a part of it.

Vada was sleepy and snuggling up with Michelle.

We have less than a month (twenty-eight days to be exact) until the Quad City GiGi's is open! The Grand Opening will be on the same day as the awareness walk, just a little later in the day so it's going to be a busy one for many people.

There is still a lot left to do before GiGi's is open but it'll get done and it sounds like its going to look amazing!  It does look a little bare right now but tomorrow the stage is arriving and since every GiGi's has to have a stage, this is a huge step forward.

GiGi's offers a wide variety of programs and activities for all ages. Some of the activities that I am excited for Vada to be able to participate in are The Walkers Program- it helps strengthen the skills in children who are beginning to walk. The 2 &Under Group- it promotes positive beginnings for families with an infant or a toddler with Down syndrome. Its main focus is on ongoing support and networking for new and current families-- anyone who knows me or who has done even the slightest of reading from my blog knows that I love, love, love meeting new families and their children who shares having a bonus chromosome in common with our Vada! There is a group called Daddy and Me that I am interesting in as well, although I am not for sure on the age requirement for that particular group and I think the programs that are offered varies from one location to another depending on the groups that are participating. Anyway, Daddy and Me promotes positive interaction and social networking between children with Ds and their male role models. How cool is that? Sibling Time is another group that I am hoping to have in our QC location. Sibling Time is a group that offers a positive place to share about life with a sibling with Ds.  

With so much to offer its hard to not get excited about everything GiGi's will bring, not just for Vada but for everyone in our area. I can't wait!

One last thing that has to do with GiGi's is the Fundraising Walk that our local Down Syndrome Family Group is doing-- it's quickly approaching! The walk will be on October 1st at 10AM. In the past years we have done The Buddy Walk. However, this year we will be doing Walking on the Upside of Down Syndrome for GiGi's Playhouse of the Quad Cities (link to registration is attached). All of the money raised from the walk will be specifically for the QC GiGi's and its programming.

Last year we had almost thirty people join "Team Vada" and we would love to have any and all of our friends join us again this year. If you are interested click on the link and sign up. If you have any questions feel free to contact me. If your unable to attend the walk but would like to make a donation, contact me.

Registration for this years walk will be accepted after September 16th and even on the day of the walk. However, if you register after the 16th you will not be guaranteed a Tshirt.

Last year Vada was unable to come to the walk, this year (as long as she is not sick) were bringing her along for what we consider a great celebration of beauty, life and all of God's perfections! I really hope to see you there!