Guest Post: Heather Von St. James

I am 44 and a mother to a quirky little 7 year old, Lily. She is my only child, and my whole world. When Lily was just 3 1/2 months old, I was diagnosed with Mesothelioma; a type of cancer that kills 90-95% of those who have it. Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos exposure, and I was unknowingly exposed from my dads work clothes when I was just 9 years old. As I’m sure you can imagine, the first thing that came to mind when I was diagnosed was my baby girl and how I wasn’t going to be able to watch her grow up.

 

After intense treatment and recovery, I’m still here 7 years later and cancer free! My journey with cancer was a terrifying one and I'd like to turn my pain into purpose and become someone that other people can look to for guidance, inspiration, and hope in situations like my own. I’m trying to raise awareness of this horrible little known cancer that is such a deadly killer (and sadly, 100% preventable).  

 

For more information or to read more about my story please click here.

Thanks Heather for sharing your story with us.  We admire your courage and strength.  We wish you well on your journey in finding treatment and a cure for others.

P.S. isn't her hair fantastic?!  

Guest Post: Enjoying the warm weather with your new baby

Rachael McAdams is new to the SAHM world. (Stay at Home Mom) When she's not chasing around her twin girls you can find her whipping up healthy meals in the kitchen, jogging around NYC, spending time with her husband, and well of course.. writing! Rachael is in the process of setting up her own blog but for now you can find her on Twitter at @livealittlenyc.

When my girls were just born, I so enjoyed the summer with them! We would go out and enjoy the warm weather and they just loved looking at everything and reaching out and inspecting all the new items around them. I loved taking them for walks in the park – it was the perfect backdrop for photos and fun days out.

I always made sure to have hats on hand to the girls. I wanted to make sure they were well protected from the sun. I just loved the reversible sun bucket hats from Patagonia I picked up for the girls. It’s very important to remember to keep your newborn well protected from the sun and use baby-safe sun screen only in small amounts if your baby is younger than six months old.

I always kept my camera with me when we would head outside. I just loved to watch them explore all that was new in their little world! Their reactions and expressions when they discovered something new were just awesome! I would also make sure to bring a blanket with us when we would go in the park. I would take them out of the stroller and put them on the blanket for a change of scenery and to get really nice shots of them in such a natural background. Before they were born, I picked up a Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 digital camera. I tried really hard to not just get take photos, but really capture who they were they were as newborns, so I could show how they changed as they age. If you haven’t been able to get out your baby’s birth announcement, this is a perfect time to take photos for it! I had the girls sitting on a blanket in the park with their hats and sunglasses on and used the headline “The Beauty Contest was a Tie!” It was adorable! I used TinyPrints.com to upload the photo and write up the girl’s birth announcement. Everyone loved it! Everyone told me they loved seeing the photos of the girls in the park! I take photos with them in the park every time we go for a walk. I think the girls started to enjoy our outings just as much as I did!

To the new parents that might be reading this, my advice to you is this – make sure to enjoy this special time in your baby’s life. Everything is new to them and they are naturally curious. Spend as much time with them as you can. You will never forget it!

Thanks Rachael! 

A Solitary Holiday

photo via me

Hello friends of Bryton's! I am Rachel from Blogging is for Lovers and I know Bryton from college. She's pretty swell, no?

My love for Christmas has waned over the last few years. I can't stand the songs and decorations until after Thanksgiving, and even then, it's barely tolerable. I never know when the Christmas cheer is going to hit, but it eventually does and we all have a magical season.

I got to wondering why I'm such a notorious Scrooge, I used to love all this stuff! And then it dawned on me - I associate Christmas with family. Don't get me wrong, I adore my fam, but I don't have my own to start traditions with. I haven't lived with my parents for many, many years and I always seem to live quite far from them. They're in Utah and I've been as far as San Diego and I'm currently in DC. Sigh. We have so many wonderful Christmas traditions that I miss terribly in the weeks leading up to Christmas. I don't partake in those anymore because I don't see them until a few days before the big gift giving extravaganza.

I am definitely looking forward to the day when I can have Christmas cheer as early as Thanksgiving (maybe earlier!) because I get to watch how my children react. Is there any better holiday for kids? No. Definitely not. I live for the moment when my amazing nieces and nephews open their presents (and let's face it, as one of the single aunts I'm constantly competing for title of FAVORITE).

I'm going to be home on the 23rd and I'll hopefully be able to sneak in some of my favorites:

-my mom has a huge collection of Christmas stories and we would read one a night after reading scriptures as a family

-we would do 12 Days of Christmas for a family at church (my brother is a hurdler and is amazing at doorbell ditching and then running like lightning)

-German Oven Pancakes for breakfast!!!

-we watch White Christmas every Christmas Eve and sing along like fools (Bing Crosby - swoon)

Those are just a few, I'm sure I'll chastise myself later for the ones I have forgotten. What I'm really looking forward to is the day when I get to start traditions with my own little family and we get to make new magic every year.

See how the Christmas spirit hit me this year here, and stop on by Blogging is for Lovers any time

Merry Christmas!

oh what do you do for Christmastime?

Hi there! I am thrilled to be guest posting on Bryton's blog! Isn't she lovely? She asked me to talk a little bit about my traditions for Christmas. Christmas is such a wonderful time of year and I love it more now than I did before. Here are a few of our fun holiday traditions:

-My husband and I have been married for 5 years, for 3 of those years we have dedicated our Christmas time to another family. That means that we take the money that we would spend on each others' gifts and use that to buy a gift card for a family in our area that is in need. This has been an incredible way for us to do service and help keep the spirit of the season in our home. It has been incredibly beneficial in our lives and needless to say Christmas is now my favorite time of year. 

-We do not handle "Santa" the same way that others do. I remember when I was young and I found out that Santa Clause...well...you know...I am kind of embarrassed to admit that it broke my heart. I was so upset about the truth of the matter and it really impacted me. When Peter and I discussed how to handle this with our son Owen we decided that Santa is real, for all intents and purposes. We want Owen to know and remember that Santa Clause is the one that helps us to remember others during this season. He, along with the Savior (the Savior more so than Santa), help us to remember to do service, to love one another, and to focus on the Reason and not the commercialization of Christmas. Not only does Santa help serve as a reminder for Owen, but he also stuffs his little stocking with yummy treats. 

-We try every year to go to SLC and walk around Temple Square. The lights, the company and a quick stop for hot cocoa really make for a lovely outing. 

-Christmas Eve has always been spent at my parents home. We have a very chill dinner together and watch movies, chat, play games and have fun. Then we open presents! We do our sibling gift exchange and then relax and enjoy each others company. One of the big things in our world are Christmas movies. We love Elf, Charlie Brown Christmas, Just Friends, A Christmas Story and National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. FUN, FUN, FUN!

-Every Christmas morning we wake up and check our stockings. This will, at some point, serve as a way for Mommy and Daddy to sleep in, while the kids see what Santa brought for them. Then when we wake up (which let's face it, we are more excited about Christmas morning than the kid right now) I make delicious Nutella Crepes and the present opening begins! We spend the day together watching movies, playing with new fun toys and remembering our Savior. 

-I love Christmas so much. I love remembering our Savior and celebrating His birth. I am grateful for this time of year and the time it gives me with my family, friends and other loved one. I hope your Christmas is filled with joy and love. 

Merry Christmas!

-Hugs

Ashely  (visit her blog called Our Party of Three)

picture found here

a juggling act post

Did you know that my little sister has a blog?

Well she does! and I did a little guest post

on keeping a balanced life.

Or a somewhat balanced life..

Click here for the link

and be sure to stop by!

(sorry for the late post. with all this crazy weather our internet went down. but it's up and running now!)

a modest summer

Check out the blog Clothed Much

and my guest post about A Modest Summer.

(back when I had blonde hair...)

I love Elaine and her tips on how to love and re-use the pieces of clothing you have

when you are on a modest budget and when you wear only modest clothes.

That's kinda my life so her posts are gems!

Click here for the link again.

Thanks Elaine!

come say hello!

Hop on over to Blogging is For Lovers

and check out my Guest Post on our favorite Polaroids.

(don't be shy, making new friends is fun!)

Click here for the link again.

enjoy!

Switched at Birth

Monday night I watched "Switched at Birth" a new tv show about two families who's daughters were accidentally given to wrong families.  They find each other years later and that's where the show takes off.  The one daughter, Daphnie is Deaf.  Already in the first episode, we see how different hearing and Deaf people are.  

There are some good things about the show like featuring Deaf actors, sign language use between the Deaf characters, and Daphnie's mom supporting Daphine's culture.  But I do have some issues...

* Daphnie is played by a hearing actress. This confuses me.  It's like painting a white person's skin to play a Black person.  It's not the same and it's obvious.  Why not just hire a Deaf actress to play a Deaf role?  

*Daphnie lip reads.  Only a very very small percentage of Deaf people can read lips.  It takes skill and is a huge struggle in every conversation. And it is incredible how she never misses a beat. 

*I wish they would only have Daphnie sign and caption what she is saying.  abc family has such an opportunity to show the world Deaf culture and that culture includes American Sign Language.

But I am no expert.  So I asked my best friend Anna Pauling who is Deaf to clarify some common misconceptions regarding Deaf people.  I mean, she lives this life every day. (Don't feel stupid if you thought some of these things.  I was on this same street before I went to school in Deaf Studies.  We all start somewhere!)   

Why should we call deaf people Deaf?  Wouldn't it be political correct to say Hearing Impaired?
Many people are not sure what to call the deaf...just call us what we want to be called, Deaf.  To me Hearing impaired means someone looks at me as if I am broken.  I am confident in who I am as a Deaf person and the word deaf represents me.  Hearing impaired does not. 

Does your cochlear impant "fix" you or "cure" your deafness?

My cochlear implant does not fix me.  I made the decision to get the cochlear implant when I was 13 years old.  To many doctors I am considered a failure because I got the implant at a older age.  Many people assume that the cochlear implant will fix a lot of things.  The cochlear can help in some ways but it's not guaranteed. I can not hear perfectly and I never will.  I don't hear everything but I can see everything and my language (ASL) offers that. 

Would you ever want to be hearing? 
Before I answer this I want you to understand that majority of the people can hear.  It is considered "normal" and many do not understand why deaf people do not want to hear if they have the opportunity (cochlear implant -please remember this does not make you hearing).  Many people get upset if parents do not find a way for their child to hear.  As a deaf person, I am grateful for my parents to allow me to be who I am and did not force such a device or pressure to become "hearing".  I do not want to become hearing. Yes there are many challenges but I cannot forget the good things, I have a culture.  

Do all Deaf people lip read? 
Can you lipread? it confuses me that many people expect me to lipread.  Many hearing people do not lipread and yet they expect me to.  English is not my first language, if you can't lipread in your own language why am I expected to. 

How would you like hearing people treat you in daily interactions? 
treat me like a person.  Many people freak out and get nervous...relax. I will help you out.  Hearing people think they are helping the deaf but really we are helping you :) Just open up and listen. 

How would you like the media to portray your culture?
tough one...there are many people out there that views the deaf as something broken/disabled and many of them are not aware that there is a culture.  We do have a language.  We need someone who is involved with the deaf culture.  This is so important because they know the deaf world, struggles, norms, challenges, etc.  Also we need someone who's first language is ASL.  

Thanks Anna for sharing your thoughts and personal experiences.  Again, this is something that is important to me.  I hope you get the right idea about Deaf people and gained a little bit more understanding of the people around us.  And, as you watch the show, I hope you understand like all media, that this is not a perfect representation of Deaf people and Deaf culture.  

Feel free to leave any questions in your comments and maybe I'll have another Deaf friend guest on the blog to answer them...

Come on over

I did a Guest Post over at Love and Photographs titled, "Fashion with a 9 Month Accessory".  

Come on over and take a peek...

Also, we are taking off tomorrow for Vegas

so have a happy weekend.

Bye bye friends.

(definitely had to lean over to get that shot...32 weeks and counting.)