Six Steps

While I was out of town over the weekend visiting with friends Scott sent me this video he had made with his phone. It melted my heart and brought tears to my eyes. We have been working with Edie all summer on walking with a push toy. Most days she wants nothing to do with it while others she will give it a try. We started by holding her entire body up while she pushed. After a few weeks we moved to just holding her under her bottom while she pushed. And now look at her! Six steps! If you listen closely you can hear her say "Da Da" while she is walking.

Of course once I got home I tried to see her do this in person and again she wanted no part of it. Each time we tried to stand her up to the handles she would literally hold her knees up in the air so that her feet would not touch the ground. She would dangle in that position for a while and start to whine. I think all she really wanted to do was be left alone to play with her new doll house.

She is so fun to play with and now she has really began to "play". Don't get me wrong she still likes to pull out everything from her toy box and throw it on the floor. But she has now also started to concentrate on one toy and actually play with it for a period of time. We bought her a Little People doll house complete with daddy, mommy and baby. Right now she likes to put the people through the door and close it, through the windows and peek in then she pulls them out and does it over and over. She lays on her belly so she peek through the door and see where they fall. Last night I was playing "daddy" and I would hold him outside of the door and play like he was talking to her. While I was doing this I would make him wiggle back and forth. She looked at him and studied his moving. She then took mommy and placed her on the floor - held both of the mommy's hands with her little fingers and wiggled mommy back and forth just like I was. It was so cute. She is so observant and is constantly trying to mimic what we do and say.

On Friday she even tried to hold up just three fingers. For what ever reason I have been stuck on the number three and showing her three fingers while saying three. I am always saying things like....."Edie has 3 crackers", 'Edie has 3 books", etc., etc. Friday while at her changing table I told her "Edie has had 3 dirty diapers today" and I held up three fingers. I promise she looked at her hand, looked back at mine and spread her fingers, then pushed down her thumb. She was trying to say 3!!

It is the little things like this that make me love her more and more each day. The video is a little grainy and her pants are falling down - but who cares. Our baby is WALKING!!!!

Let Me Catch You Up..........

First Time for Everything

I have only seen this on TV in the past but today I actually saw it first hand in my kitchen! My little Ladybug was so exhausted after eating her dinner that she literally passed out in her chair! I turned my back for a seconded and when I turned back around she was asleep. She was so funny and cute I just had to get a few photos. Even after I washed off her hands and face and removed her tray she still never woke. Poor baby. She slept for three straight hours (in her bed). She has had a big, busy week and she deserved the rest.

Welcome Wylie

Edie has a new niece! Wylie Christina Smith arrived Wednesday weighing 7lbs 11oz and 20". Edie could not wipe the smile off of her face when she saw her. She is really curious about this teeny-weeny baby. We now have to teach her that she is not a toy baby. Wylie's Bubba and Sissy are also very curious and VERY excited. Aunt Kelli is doing well and they will all go home on Saturday. Welcome to the world Wylie. God is truly amazing!!

Doctors, Doctors and More Doctors

waiting......waiting.......and more waiting........

I feel like we have spent the past month in the Dr.'s office. Our most recent visit brought us some good and not so good news. Dr. Johnson, Edie's cardiologist, informed us that her VSD is still looking good which is - it is still there but so small at this point he does not feel it will have any effect on her. FANTASTIC!! We were excited to get this news and for an instant we saw the light at the end of the tunnel. Then we moved on to the new condition.

It was recently discovered that Edie has a cleft in her right valve. This cleft is allowing blood to leak in minimal amounts basically in the center portion of her heart. The only explanation for not seeing this earlier is that it has always been there but as Edie grows and her heart grows the cleft, which is a tear in the valve, has gotten larger and larger and is now showing. There are two ways of correcting this condition and both would require surgery. One would be going in and stitching the cleft closed. If this is not possible she would need to have the valve replaced which would lead to repeat surgeries to replace the size of the valve as Edie's heart grows. We choose to focus on scenario #3 and that is it will remain small or even better close on its own as her Partial AV Canal did and just as her VSD is trying to do.

We will go back again in 6 months for an additional EKG and ultrasound. We have been STRONGLY advised that this is not something that would cause Edie complications over night. She could be 2, 3, 5, 25 and still be able to thrive with a cleft in her valve. The size of the valve is what determines the steps to take. We know the power of prayer. Edie has so many Prayer Warriors we know that God will see her through. We are so incredibly grateful to be surrounded by so many people who love and care for Edie and our family. We love you and we thank you for your continued support.

4 Years

Scott and I celebrated our 4th Wedding Anniversary last week - July 16th. Above are some of my favorite photos from the (first) best day of our life. We celebrated the following night by having dinner at 26 a "hip" little restaurant downtown. The atmosphere was fun and the food delicious. Looking back on these past 4 years I am amazed at how much we have grown, how much we have learned and how much we have to be thankful for. I am so thankful for my husband. Scott is an amazing husband, an even more amazing father and my best friend. But most of all he puts up with me!

We did go out for a bit after dinner but not for long. We were due to arrive the following morning at Kids First Adventure which is sort of like a Safe House for the children in the Sims ville area of Alabaster. As a community outreach project through our small group at church we installed a fence, packed a gravel basket ball court, cooked hot dogs and held lots of activities for the children who attend this facility. It was a fun day and it felt good to see so many smiles on so many faces. Young and old.

My Friend Merritt

Edie and Merritt had a great play date as did the Mommy's. They played with toys, ate some lunch and played in the pool. Merritt was not up to a photo shoot by the end of the day. They were pooped from all of the fun!

First Dentist Visit

Edie had her first trip to the dentist to show off all 7 1/2 of her teeth. It was a pretty easy visit. After Edie entertained everyone in the waiting area with her toothbrush skills (she loves to chew on her green toothbrush) we headed to the back. We had fun with the hygienist just playing with all of the gadgets (she will one day cringe at). But today it was all about fun. She got a gum massage, water shots, tongue suckers and all kinds of goodies to take home.

After all of the playing the Dr. came in to assess Edie's teeth. As we already knew Edie's teeth are coming in - in a random pattern which is not uncommon for DS babies. However, he said that her pattern is even more random than the norm for DS. Everything about Edie is unique which makes our life all that more interesting.

I was advised that she may never even get all of her baby teeth which may lead to not getting all of her adult teeth - while in another case she may have too many teeth!! It makes my head spin! So we decided not to even think about the unknown right now. She will go back after her 2nd birthday and at that time if all of her teeth have not appeared we will then have x-rays to see what is going on. But for now she is looking good. She is getting her molars which is making eating easier and more fun because we get to eat all kinds of things now!

Edie's favorite foods are fish sticks, mini corn dogs, Gigi's Mac and Cheese, sauteed squash (on her good days), green beans, carrots, grilled cheese and ANYTHING bread related especially when it has syrup on it. Desserts are cooked apples, mini vanilla wafers, pudding and cool whip. Tonight we had a chicken pot pie which I just knew she would love. Not so much. Edie is just too smart! She knew it was not homemade like Gigi's so she fed most of it to Ziggy. At least Ziggy left the table with a full belly. I guess experimenting is what it is all about - right?

4th of July

We had a nice relaxing holiday weekend. Friday even felt like a holiday which is unusual. I did not touch my computer or go near anything work related and Scott was able to take off after lunch and join us at the pool. To sum up our weekend we swam, ate, slept then we swam, ate and slept some more and it was WONDERFUL! Edie was pretty water logged by Saturday night. She got to bed early and Scott and I sat outside on the patio and watched the fireworks in downtown Helena. It was a great show - long and full of beautiful bangs!

Photo Contest

Grethel Van Epps is celebrating her 2nd year as a "Professional" Photographer. And in doing so she is having a photo contest of some of her favorite photos she has taken over the past year. And she chose one of Edie's!! The winner of the contest will get a 16x20 of the photo. So go to http://www.gvephotography.com/blog/the-2nd-anniversary-with-a-contest/ and vote for Edie!!

Edie is #3. It is quick and easy to vote. Just scroll to bottom of link and cast your vote! Hurry - the contest ends Friday July 3rd!