All About Edie

Merry Christmas 2011

2012-01-25T11:06:00.000-06:00

Of course we had a BIG Christmas! Lot's of toys, food, family and fun. We were so excited to see the look on Edie's face when she came down stairs to see what Santa brought her and to no surprise, she could have really cared less. Santa carefully selected a cute little mini coop (ridden once), a riding toy for the tv (not yet enjoyed) and several other games and toys (hardly played with to this day) but all Edie really cared about were the Baby Signing Time dvd's. I should not complain though, she could be addicted to much worse than BST videos and truth be known she learns a lot from them and knows more sign language than all of us put together.

Edie was not much on opening all of her presents and at one time Scott and I even debated letting her open them throughout the week. She pushed through it though, even helping OA to open his small gifts. I am thankful to have a child who does not care about getting millions of gifts on Christmas. After all that is not the reason for Christmas but I do look forward to the day when they both come running to the tree with excitement in their eyes to see what Santa has brought.

Breakfast with Santa

2012-01-24T22:47:00.000-06:00

Decorating for Christmas this year was fun! We decided on having a live tree and although it was massive, it was very pretty. We decorated it with what seemed to be the trendy color combo for this year which was red, white and blue ornaments. I wanted an all white tree but it just kept growing : ) I enjoyed having a real tree and I think we just may do it again next year. (Just on a smaller scale) Gigi also finished all of our stockings. I could not believe she got them all done by Christmas and I was so excited to see them all together on our mantle. They are SO beautiful and such a wonderful keepsake.

Breakfast with Santa did not go quite as planned this year, well the picture anyway. Santa was not overly jolly and after waiting in the long line for our picture I believe both Edie and Santa had - had it! OA did great though : )

Gorham's Bluff 2011

2012-01-24T22:31:00.000-06:00

We took our annual family trip to Gorham's Bluff right before Christmas. This is a tradition Scott and I decided to make for ourselves and our family three years ago. We enjoy being away, bonding, building a fire and roasting marshmallows without having to drive too far, yet it feels like we are far away. We spent the days just doing nothing and it was so nice. I look forward to this trip every year and I can't wait to continue the tradition with our babies for many years to come.

Weekend Happenings.....

2011-12-02T14:16:00.000-06:00

Over the Thanksgiving weekend we did something we have never done before. We bought a "real" tree this year! Growing up we both had real trees most years but together this is a first. With the help of Edie we carefully selected the skinniest, shortest tree we could find (or so we thought). When seeing your tree outdoors it appears to be much smaller than it really is people! So once our skinny/short tree was lit with over 1100 lights that I WRAPPED BY HAND we brought it indoors to see how HUGE it really was! None the less we love it. It smells great and looks beautiful and it will make Christmas 2011 a memorable one if we can keep it alive for the next 21 days :)

Oh and ROLL TIDE!!!!

Our Family

2011-12-02T13:59:00.000-06:00

Several weeks ago the Shunnarah and Kitchen families gathered for our very first family picture day since the babies have been born. Edie and OA's aunt and uncle had a sweet baby boy named Hollis almost one month before OA was born. We are so fortunate to have two new blessings in our family. Holidays at Gigi's and Giddo's will never be the same with two bustling boys and a bossy big girl ;) I can't wait to watch these boys grow up together and be the best of friends!

One through Twelve

2011-12-02T12:37:00.000-06:00

These past two months have gone by WAY too fast! My little BIG boy is now two months old! I must say it has been so much fun. We have once again been blessed with a sweet and happy baby. Dr. Cortopasi warned me of how fast things would go this time around I never expected it would be this fast. OA started smiling at 4 weeks, cooing at 6 and found his hands at 8 weeks. He is now working on getting his thumb in his mouth too! He has good neck strength and is working on controlling it. He loves to sit up and look around but his favorite thing is for someone to sing to him. I promise he is trying to sing too, it is so cute :) He wakes up smiling just like his big sister and has truly been a great baby.

Last night was my first time not being in the same room with him in technically over 10 months. He started off in the bassinet and/or sleeping in my arms :) Three weeks ago we felt he had outgrown the bassinet and moved him to his crib. I slept in the twin bed in his room until last night :( It was bitter sweet because I truly do LOVE to cuddle with him but I must say I do not think I have slept so hard since I was 6 months pregnant. The biggest blessing of all was that he slept all night! Well.....at least from 11:00-6:30. To me that is all night.

OA continues to grow and weighed 10 lbs 5oz at his last Dr visit. He eats VERY well and we have finally settled into somewhat of a pattern. I can't believe how fast he is growing and I wish it would slow down just a bit!

Giving Thanks

2011-12-02T09:27:00.000-06:00

We have SO much to be thankful for this year. We are thankful for our Lord and Savior who loves us unconditionally, our family(s), our health, God's many blessings, OA - our new addition to the family and Edie and her continued accomplishments (she amazes us each day). We have a wonderful life and I would not change anything!

This year we had Thanksgiving lunch at our house. Scott smoked THE BEST turkey ever!! It was soooo yummy and of course we had a fried turkey too, but the smoked was my favorite (along with nannies famous dressing). We had an abundance of food and stuffed ourselves silly. Edie decided she wanted to wear her Christmas jammie pants ALL DAY LONG which did not go very well with the matching pumpkin shirt I had gotten for her and OA to wear - but oh well. You pick your battles :) We had a great day sharing, eating and laughing with the family. These times are too few and far between, but I am thankful when we do all come together and for the memories we make.

Daddy Day

2011-12-02T09:01:00.000-06:00

Recently OA and I went to visit daddy at his new office and to see where OA will be working one day :) Back in February Scott was offered a position as a District Manager for Farmers Insurance in Prattville. This is a goal he had been working towards for over three years. We were not sure when this day would come, but what a blessing God gave our family. His timing could not have been more perfect! I had just found out that we were expecting and I hated the thought of continued traveling for work. For me it was just not an option to have two babies at home while I was away working, nights at a time in another state. So with Scott's promotion (and permission :)) I too got promoted! We are so proud of Scott for working so hard and for the opportunity he has received. I am thankful to him for giving me the gift of being a stay at home mommy. I have SO enjoyed my time at home, especially with having a new baby. It has been such a blessing.

Since opening his office Scott has done really well. He now recruits agents, trains them and manages a team. Right now he has a team of ten with several others in training. My part in the operation was helping to select furniture for and decorate the office. It is a minimal clean look and works well with Scott's taste. It still needs a few more things, but other than that it is close to perfect ;) Once I have adjusted to being a new mommy again I hope to help in the business in some way. Scott has much to be proud of and I look forward to seeing what he accomplishes next!

Boo!

2011-12-02T08:34:00.000-06:00

This Halloween we were a family of ghost and spiders. I went along with the spider theme of our house (for those of you who have never seen our house at Halloween we have a HUGE black spider that all of the kids just love). Edie and OA were ghost and daddy was the ghost buster :) They were all super cute. Edie and daddy went out Trick or Treating while OA and I stayed in and passed out candy to all of the neighborhood kiddos.

This year Edie had several chances to wear her Halloween outfit, so the $10 was well worth it! She had a costume party at dance, a Halloween parade at school which OA and I attended and again on Halloween night. Edie loved wearing it. OA on the other hand was not too pleased with wearing his ((snug)) ghost tail. Poor thing....it was made for a newborn yet he had already outgrown it!! I love my little BIG boy!

Life and Loves

2011-11-12T11:44:00.000-06:00

Our lives are full of joy these days. Edie has grown into a sweet big sister over the past 6 weeks. I honestly believe she has grown by leaps and bounds since her baby brother was born. She is talking so much these days making 3-4 word sentences. She has been minding very well and her teachers have reported that she is actually the best listener in her class. We have been told that she likes to hug her friends A LOT and she has really began to initiate play, which is a nice change from the hitting she was doing to get her friends attention. Edie is also using so many new signs. So much so that I have to break out the sign language book to know what she is telling us! She is SO smart and she has such a good memory it is amazing!

OA is eating very well - and mommy is exhausted from his big appetite :) At his two week visit he weighed in at 10lbs 2oz! I love the bond he and I have formed, however this baby does not like to be put down. If he is awake he wants to either eat or just be held and has now grown fond of sleeping with mommy to the point that he does not want to go in his bassinet. I feel bad, but I guess we have plenty of time to break him (and me) of this habit. Right now I am just going to enjoy cuddling and loving on our sweet baby.

Two Weeks.....

2011-11-12T11:17:00.001-06:00

Our good friend Grethel Van Epps of gvephotography.com came to visit us soon after OA was born. She was sweet enough to bring her camera along and take some sweet pictures of our new love. And as our baby gift she gave us the entire CD of the session :) G has been a part of our life since Edie was one, she has been taking Edie's pictures ever since. I am blessed to have such a sweet lady in our life who too will be having her own baby in the next few weeks. We can't wait to meet Vivian and watch our babies grow together. I thank G for all of the wonderful memories she has captured and I am especially grateful for these.

Welcome to the World

2011-11-11T10:04:00.000-06:00

Welcome Owen Anderson Shunnarah. OA was born at 11:42 on September 30th, 2011 weighing 9lbs 4oz and 21 inches and a head full of hair. The love we have for this little boy is unbelievable, something I did not expect to be honest. I was afraid of how I would love two little beings equally, but I do. OA has been such a blessing to us and the perfect addition to our family.

I would be lying if I said we were not nervous going in to deliver OA. Of course there was so much running through our minds on the health of our new baby boy. Would he be healthy, would he have all ten fingers and toes and the most obvious, would he be born with DS. Scott and I chose not to test for any of this and we knew going in that we had a slightly higher risk than most of having a child with DS - but honestly it did not matter. We want our family to grow and we knew we would love this little boy no matter what. After all having a child with DS is a blessing. Simply put, a blessing.

Edie has really taken to OA and being a big sister. We have yet to experience any jealously or serious injury to baby OA. We are still learning how not to love so hard and that baby does not need his diaper changed every 5 minutes :) Other than that Edie has been a big help. She hands me diapers and wipes, throws away dirty diapers and loves to help with bath time. She is very concerned if he cries and can't wait for him to be big enough to sit and play with her. We are so looking forward to seeing these two grow together and become the best of friends.

We are truly blessed to have such sweet Angels.

Princess Edie

2011-09-26T08:55:00.001-05:00

Over the beautiful - cool weekend, while waiting for OA, we enjoyed just being at home. Da da got some yard work done, we decorated outside with our Halloween decor, watched some football, jumped in the jump-jump and attended a Princess Party for Edie's friend Ashlynn. Edie really had a good week at school and home. She got all good reports from her teachers, therapist and was an Angel at home for us. I hope this sweet streak continues :)

I can not believe how much Edie has grown. She was such a sweet girl at the princess party and she had so much fun. She was SO excited to put on her Princess dress that as soon as we got home from church she wanted to wear it. Edie has never had any "dress up" clothes, mainly because I did not think she would care anything about it. But once the dress was on she was ready to go - so we got to the party 15 minutes early. Luckily Ashlynn only lives two doors down. I stalled Edie as much as possible, but the Princess was ready! So I think I know what Santa will be bringing her for Christmas this year. A Princess needs variety, right?

Edie was not as clingy to me as she normally is when we are in a large group of people. She walked right in, hugged Ashlynn's grandmother and made herself at home. She colored (without eating the crayons), waited her turn to have her makeup applied, sat patiently while reading a story (looking over at me several times grinning ear to ear) and ate her TWO pieces of birthday cake without any help from me. My baby is growing up and I am SO proud of her!

Owen Anderson Shunnarah

2011-09-22T19:29:00.000-05:00

With the addition of O.A. in the coming week I will need to change the blog to "All about Edie and Owen". Of course I am very excited to finally meet him - but I am also nervous of having a new itty bitty baby in the house. I am confident that Edie will do well and she will be a great big sister to O.A. my nervousness comes from my ability to care for two babies.....my first love and our first son. Can I do it? I know it will not be easy but I know it will be rewarding for all of us.

I have been working on Owen's room practically all summer it seems. Picking the paint colors were easy. I knew I wanted an all white and grey room with touches of blue. So we chose a soft grey for the walls and a pale blue for the ceiling. The initial plan was to only have blue on the ceiling and in the bedding and their not be any type of "theme". I bought the sequin stars several years ago and held on to them for our next baby room. Those multiplied into more stars and well I guess the room has a "star theme" with more shades of blue than I had anticipated, but it all works.

A few of my favorite pieces in the room is first the painting that Edie did. I squirted the paint and Edie smeared it asking for more and more and more. She LOVED painting this picture and the best part of it were the hand prints that she left. I love how it turned out and I can not wait to make more of this type of art with both of my babies.

My next favorite is the glider/rocker and ottoman. This piece was given to me by my sister when Edie was born. One of my talented neighbors paint and distressed it and another neighbor recovered the cushions in a grey linen and made the sweet pillow. It turned out perfect and was a great baby gift from the two of them. Another piece in the room that I thought turned out pretty darn cute is the light fixture. I got the idea from a fixture I had found long ago but the colors would have never worked. So I made my own using a painted fixture from Lowe's, hardware cloth and hand carved birds painted silver.

I think the room and all of it's pieces came together well. It is a very soothing room and I hope Owen loves it. Who am I kidding....he could care less, the most important part is that I love it! I can not wait for our baby boy to get here and see it himself!

Milestones

2011-09-22T18:29:00.000-05:00

This summer we worked on two BIG milestones - potty training and moving to a big girl bed. We are pleased to announce that Edie did great with both. We are still tweaking the potty training part (more to come on that) but as far as the big girl bed goes....she was more than ready for it. We did have a few nights where she was confused and not sure what to do with herself but after those passed she has been a big girl ever since!

This bed was given to me by my great grandmother. We painted the bed white, her room the color "Lettuce Alone" green, hung some hot pink curtains, purchased new bedding and hung lots of ferries from the ceiling. The room turned out really cute and best of all Edie loves it! She is now officially a BIG GIRL, not so sure if I am happy or sad about that :(

Small Spaces = Cool Places

2011-09-19T14:39:00.000-05:00

One of the projects I worked on over the summer was our laundry room. Because my office/desk area was previously located in O.A.'s soon to be baby room we had to come up with a new solution. We did not have a playroom or an extra bedroom to spare, but what we did have was a laundry room. So we made the most of this small space. We painted the same color as our dining room, hung a wall of curtains to cover the washer/dryer, purchased a smaller antique desk, hung a pretty awesome light fixture, added a few accessories and ended up with a pretty cool room. I am still searching for a super skinny storage piece to go between the desk and the wall and I am contemplating on painting the desk white. But for now - I am happy with the way it all turned out.

p.s. my photography skills are not the best in these photos. we got a new camera and i am still learning. personally i think the room looks better in person :)

Summer 2011

2011-09-19T09:18:00.000-05:00

To say we were busy over the summer is an understatement. Aside from several family trips, parties and holidays we also did some renovations and re-do's at the house, Scott opened his new District office in Prattville and I have been pregnant. So every time I sat down and thought about all of the blog catching up I had to do - frankly I became overwhelmed and just put it to the side again. So here I sit today, determined to get our summer blogs complete so we can start fresh because I know there is SO much more to come!

Over the summer we visited Chestnut Bay Resort at Weiss Lake for a mini vacation. I absolutely LOVED this place. There was so much for us to do. It was relaxing and we all had such a good time just being together. I look forward to this being a new family tradition and returning each year for some good ole' family fun!

Forth of July was a big even in our neighborhood this year. One of our sweet neighbors hosted a party at their home for the whole neighborhood. We had tons of food, a jump house and fireworks that night. We know we live in a great neighborhood with great neighbors but times like these help to remind us of how lucky we are.

For our 6th Anniversary we took a trip to Boston for a long weekend. We chose Boston because of the cooler weather, the sightseeing and to visit Martha's Vineyard. We did SO much sight seeing which really took a toll on me, being 7 months pregnant. I started off strong but by the end of the trip I had elephant kankles and was completely exhausted but it was all worth it. We had a great time taking tours, eating great food (lots of lobsters), seeing the Boston Red Socks stadium and taking a boat to Martha's Vineyard. We experienced lots of first and made some really great memories. It was the perfect Anniversary.

Our last trip for the summer was to PCB baby! We stayed in a beach side condo which was nice having our room so conveniently located. Normally we always stay off of the beach and have to haul all of our things to and from. This trip we made a deal that we would only go if it were easy. So we got on the beach early and stayed late, we cooked dinner each night and just took it easy. It was one of the most relaxing beach trips we have taken in a long time and the timing could not have been more perfect. It was our last trip to the beach as a family of three and we know that next year it will be a whole new experience :)

One of the parties Edie was invited to this summer was for one of her little friends, Anna James. She had just a few of her friends over for pizza, cupcakes and a visit from Cinderella. The girls had so much fun dressing up, dancing and having their faces painted. I thought it was a perfect little girls party, so perfect that we may have to steal the idea for Edie's 4th :)

Chickens, Puppies and Cousins

2011-06-22T15:36:00.000-05:00

We have been spending a lot of time at Nannie's and Pawpaw's this summer. It has been so nice going back "home" eating good home cooked meals, spending time with my parents and just being in the country with them. One of the biggest highlights for Edie is to feed the chickens. She LOVES to feed the "bock-bock's" and would feed them 10 x's a day if Pawpaw would let her. They also have about 10 other four legged farm animals called puppies. Edie loves to play with them until they all start to surround her and nip at her legs and then she is ready for them to "go!". During one of our trips Edie's cousins - Wyatt, Wesley and Wylie also came to stay and play. They had a fun time playing in the pool, jumping on the trampoline, playing dolls, dress up and loving on one another. I love to watch Edie play with her family at her grandparents; it makes for such great memories.

Class of 2011

2011-06-22T15:12:00.000-05:00

We recently celebrated Edie's graduation from The Bell Center. A nice ceremony was held for all of TBC graduates and families at Canterbury Methodist Church. During the ceremony each child received an actual diploma from Ms. Betty Bell, founder of The Bell Center. There was also a slide show showcasing each child, their graduation photo and photos from their time while at TBC.

We are so proud of Edie and all of the things she has accomplished these past three years. I can remember the very first day we entered TBC and met with Ms. Betty. I remember Edie's first visit at just 6 weeks old. I enjoyed going with Edie to her visits when she was just an infant and learning new techniques and things to help her with her development. It was fun to see her working towards her goals and it was even more fun to see her accomplish each of them. We still have much to work on and we will miss TBC, the staff and the children; but we look forward to what the future holds for Edie and the adventurous road getting there!

Mother's Day 2011

2011-06-22T14:43:00.000-05:00

As you can see I am still playing catch-up in the blogging world. I really do try. It is always on my list of things "to do" but somehow it just keeps going to the back of the line. We have been having such a fabulous summer and I have so much to post, but there just never seems to be enough time to sit down and do it. So today while Edie is napping I have decided to get at least two-three things on the blog.

So going back to Mother's Day.......we had a great day. Church, then brunch at Silvertron. All I wanted for the day was to be with my family and have the HUGE fried mushrooms that I remember from Silvertron. I can't say much about the mushrooms (they were not as I remembered) but I can say that I had a wonderful day with my family. Playing, napping and eating one of Scott's wonderful home cooked meals. I am so blessed, we are so blessed. I love being a mom and I look forward to being a mom of two soon. I just hope that our baby boy is just as sweet as his big sister :)

Beach Baby

2011-06-03T15:03:00.000-05:00

Back in MAY we took a short trip to the beach and I can not believe I am just now getting around to blogging about it! We actually left the day the tornadoes hit Alabama. We could not (still can not) believe the destruction this terrible storm left behind. We continue to pray for the families who were affected.

Although the winds were strong and the waters were cold we still managed to make it to the pools and to the beach. I have not been to the beach so early in the season (since spring break ) and I had forgotten how cold the beach can be in May. Cold! None the less we had a good time. The resort we stayed at was beautiful with plenty of kid friendly pools. We ate plenty of good seafood, a little watermelon, we got a little sun and Edie was in her dream "sand-box" so life was good :) We hope to make it back again this summer once the water has warmed up!

Easter 2011

2011-04-26T23:09:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful Easter Sunday. Starting with Edie's excitement over her Easter basket. She screamed with excitement over her new potty book, owl neck wrap and Elmo toothbrush. She can be so funny sometimes. The weather was beautiful, Edie was adorable and we are humbled by Jeasus' sacrifice to die for us on the cross so that we may have everlasting life with him. Church was packed as it is every Sunday which is exactly how I like it too. I love praise and worship and hearing the Church full of song - it just makes your heart sing!

After church we had lunch at Gigi's and Giddo's along with Aunt Mindy and Uncle Chuck. We later had an Easter egg hunt where Edie collected her money eggs! It was a great day which ended with a l-o-n-g nap : )

Easter Goodies

2011-04-26T22:36:00.000-05:00

Edie helped me in the kitchen on Good Friday making rice krispie Easter Eggs for the neighborhood kids. She helped me to measure, pour, stir, smash, bag and stick! We had such a good time cooking together and delivering her sweet eggs. She was so proud of them and so was I!

Slip N Slide!

2011-04-26T22:29:00.000-05:00

One of the best things about Fridays in Hillsboro is spending them with neighbors. I love getting together with all of the moms while the kids play. We are all so anxious for the pool to open so on this particular Friday Kerin got out the slip n slide which is the next best thing! Edie was so funny.....she would just sit and observe the older kids slide and once they were on to something else she would give it a try. But once they were back again, she would just sit and watch. That was until she discovered the mud!! Oh well, mud makes fun too :)

Thomas the Train

2011-04-26T21:33:00.000-05:00

Several weeks ago we visited the Thomas the Train exhibit in Calera and even rode Thomas! We went along with several of our neighbors and their kiddos in celebration of Maxwell's3rd birthday. Although Edie does not know who Thomas is she still enjoyed all of the activities. Riding Thomas was a lot of fun but Edie's favorite part was the ginormous sandbox and musical entertainer who sang and played for all of the kids. Edie even got to join in and play a few instruments herself! We ended the day with a picnic lunch and the petting zoo. It was a great day - even better with five VERY pooped kids :)

We continued Maxwell's birthday celebration on Saturday with a Trike-A-Thon party. All of the kids brought their trikes for a fun trike race. Edie still is not "in love" with the idea of a trike so she did not participate - but the rest of the kids had a great time. Edie did however LOVE the bounce house! (despite the photo below) She is really getting good at jumping and feeling more comfortable doing so. So she jumped and flipped until she wore herself out. Her next favorite part of the party was the cake and ICE CREAM!! Of course she ate every bit of it and licked the bowl :)

World Down Syndrome Day 2011

2011-03-21T10:51:00.003-05:00

Today is World Down Syndrome Day and I am taking this day to celebrate my precious Edie-bug and ALL 47 of her chromosomes! Edie was not born with just 46 chromosomes like most children, she was blessed with 47 (Trisomy 21) and without that 21st chromosome Edie would not be Edie. I can not imagine our lives being "typical", I would not want it to be honest. I LOVE being Edie's mom and I L-O-V-E Edie just the way God intended her to be. Edie is super smart, super cute, super funny, super sweet and such a joy to be around. She touches everyone she comes in contact with and is a magnet for love. She is our biggest JOY in life!

Today I would like to raise awareness to those of you who are not familiar with DS. It is not a disability, it is not a mistake - it is a gift. Our family is grateful for this gift and we celebrate it everyday! Our daughter is smart, capable, determined and we know she will thrive and succeed in life just as all of her other friends who are touched with DS will. My biggest hope/goal for today, World Down Syndrome Day 2011, is that those of you who are reading this will continue to spread the word and participate in stopping the "R" word. I know that most say it in a "joking" manner with no intentions to hurt others, I did. But when children hear adults, parents use the word in just a "joking" manor they follow and think it is acceptable when it is not. I know my reaction to hearing someone around me use it - I cringe, I sometimes speak up and there are other times I just let it go. I NEVER want to imagine my reaction to someone using the "R" word in Edie's presence or any other child or adult with special needs for that matter. I PRAY that this word is cut from our vocabulary one day soon. So I urge you to stop and think before you speak and remember that words can hurt, even when it is a "joke". Thank you for taking the time to read and have a great WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY!

Edie has something she wants to tell you......

2011-03-08T17:32:00.003-06:00

Mercedes Marathon 2011 - all wrapped up

2011-03-08T17:06:00.002-06:00

We recently wrapped up our final Mercedes Marathon as a family of The Bell Center. Again, bitter-sweet. I am so proud of what we, our family and our friends have accomplished over these past three years. We made a commitment three years ago to raise money for TBC in honor of Edie and we watched the "Ladybug Fundraiser" grow from less than 100 guest to over 200 and in the process we raised over $40,000 for TBC! Now that is something to be proud of!! We finished this year with a little over $14,000 in donations and although we did not reach our goal I am still so extremely proud and grateful to everyone who helped in making this cause such a success. We could never do it without all of the wonderful family and friends. We are so, so blessed.

This year Team Ladybug consisted of two relay teams and three 1/2 Marathon runners and one of those was "Da-Da". I am proud of everyone, but I am especially proud of Scott. He said he would do it for Edie again this year and he did. I know it is not easy, I am not a runner by any means but Scott's accomplishments are so special to me and I know one day Edie will look back at these photos and she too will be so proud of her "Da-Da". This year (even with jello legs) Scott was determined to take Edie across the finish line with him. He stopped to grab her just as he rounded the corner and both with big smiles on their faces they ran the last few steps to cross the finish line together. Such a special moment in time and I am so glad it was captured for us to cherish. Great Job Team Ladybug!!

Video of TBC Kids Marathon

2011-02-28T23:04:00.000-06:00

This is a link to the video that a sweet friend made of Edie at her marathon. I am so greatful to Racheal for capturing this special time for Edie to keep forever. Thank you Racheal!

To see video go HERE

TBC Kids Marathon 2011

2011-02-28T22:56:00.001-06:00

This was Edie's last year to participate in TBC Kids Marathon as a student of TBC. I remember the exact day of the first marathon she should have been participating in. We started the morning with a visit to Dr. Cortopassi with a terrible ear infection, and cold. I had so hoped we could make it but instead we came home. We sat in the highchair eating lunch while we watched all of Edie's new friends being pushed by their parents in strollers to the finish line. But the second year we made up for it! Edie strutted down to the finish line using her walker and coming in 1st place! We cheered and cried for a moment that we had dreamed about, literally. Scott and I can honestly say this was one of the proudest moments of our lives. Watching her run among the crowd smiling and waving as she passed was a magical time. And 2011 was just as special. This year Edie speed walked all by her self - no assistance, not even from me :( She started the race with gloves and a sock monkey hat, stopped in the middle pulling them all off and then took off again to the finish line. She received her medal and then took off again going back to the starting line! All she wanted to do was run!!

Edie's grandparents, Aunt Mindy and Uncle Chuck and our sweet neighbors came out to share the morning with Edie and cheer her on. I can not tell you how great it feels to live in a neighborhood filled with so many wonderful families who care about us. And for DeAnna, Maxwell, Abbott, Michelle, Madison, Mason, Jennifer and Cooper who got up and came out to see Edie run in her race so early on a Saturday morning it meant more to me than they will ever know. The support and the love that these families give to Edie is unbelievable. They even made Edie a sign complete with their little hand prints. So sweet!

We will miss this race and these times with our family and friends - but as always, we look forward to what the future has in store :)

Hello World.......It's Been a While

2011-02-26T23:07:00.003-06:00

So you already know I have many reasons for not blogging lately and if you did not already know.....well..... I do. We have had lot's of excitement, changes, happenings, etc. in our household lately. Which is really nothing out of the norm. I promise I do enjoy blogging and I love keeping everyone up to date on Edie but sometimes life just gets too busy, days become so much shorter and I am just so tired by the end of the day. Any hoo as I have promised many, many times before I once again promise to do better and I will spend the next few days catching you up.

If you have not already heard I finally resigned from Summer Classics after 8+ years. Yes it was bitter-sweet and there are still days that I wonder how things are going and miss my SC family, but I know it was the best for me and for my family that I get off the road. Traveling had really taken a toll on me over the past few years and I was beginning to feel that it was really having starting to have a negative effect on my relationship with Edie. Therefore, we (Scott and I) finally decided it was time and ever since Edie and I have gone from a relationship of "sisters fighting" to mommy and daughter "loving" and it is wonderful! I am able to read Edie a bed time book and say our prayers together each and every night. I see her every day and it is a dream come true for me! So 2011 has proven thus far to be the best year ever!!

So enough about me....now back to All About Edie! Towards the end of 2010 we made our yearly trip to the cardiologist. While Edie still has a small leak in her valve Dr. Johnson is still hopeful it will be something that will not require surgery. So that is the results we will live from and towards until our next visit which will be in December 2011. Shortly after we visited Dr. Cortopasi for her 3 year check up and again we had all good reports. We finally wrapped up her blood work for her thyroid test and everything checked out fine. Which means Edie is growing and thriving as she should and all is well. Happy times in the Shunnarah household :)

Edie at her yearly "happy heart" check up.

Edie playing with her new baby and refurbished highchair she got as a birthday gift from Nannie and Pawpaw. Ms. Jackie gave the highchair to Nannie for Edie and Pawpaw painted and fixed some broken pieces and Nannie made a new cushion for it. It is perfect for Edie and her babies. She LOVES playing mommy: to include many, many diaper changes. Apparently her babies are very "stinky".

Edie sporting a birthday gift from The Cobb's Nest. One of my good friends DeAnna Cobb started The Cobb's Nest where she offers super cute appliques and monograms for all seasons and she has recently started sewing matching pants for boys and girls too! I think this outfit is so cute and SO Edie!

The "Monkey House"

2011-01-20T09:30:00.003-06:00

Edie and her little friends had a great time at her "Sock Monkey" Birthday Party. We had the famous jump house, Kindermusik and the cutest sock monkey birthday cake ever! Publix really outdid themselves! Not only was it super cute, it was good too! Kindermusik was kind of hectic with so many little ones, but they all seemed to enjoy it - especially Edie! We sang songs, played instruments, danced and ended with a parachute which I think the kids really loved. After cake we opened gifts and played some more. It was a beautiful day!

After Edie's 1st birthday Scott and I told ourselves we would not have another big party for Edie until she turned 5. But we decided this year to overturn that decision and have a small, simple party for her. I am not sure how small it was - but it was pretty simple (for me). Really I was pretty proud of myself :) We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family and so many great friends. And as I have mentioned before, we are truly blessed to have a neighborhood full of great families and kids Edie's age. She has so many friends right here in our back yard and that makes me feel so good. I can't wait to watch them grow together! And now that three of us have the same jump house I see a lot of fun times this summer!!

Edie's Birthday - Day

2011-01-20T08:55:00.002-06:00

Edie turned THREE last Friday! I can not believe it still! We have a THREE year old! As you can see from the pictures she is doing great and is one happy Birthday girl. I searched all week for the Barbie microphone and woopie cushion that she so loved. I did not have any luck so I settled for a $1 echo mic from Target and who knew how many hrs of fun this would bring to Edie. She loved it! Dada bought her a Ladybug pillow pet too.

We attempted to eat dinner out earlier in the night, but we quickly learned that this was a bad idea. We had to leave the restaurant before we even finished our appetizers. I tried taking Edie straight to McDonald's for her favorites but this did not make her happy either. She finally settled down on the way home after I fed her french fries in the back seat. Once we were home she was as happy as could be. We are learning that Edie's favorite place to eat is at home, in her own chair, with her videos. I was upset that I did not have a cake for her as I thought we would be celebrating out. So I threw together some ice cream and cookies, lit the candles and whala! Happy Birthday Edie!!

We love you more than you will ever know. Thank you for the three best years of our lives!

Ice Day 2011

2011-01-20T08:38:00.002-06:00

We were tired of the cold and the ice and being stuck inside so we found some fun. We were itching to break out Edie's jump house - so we did, in our dining room! Edie's little friend Stella came over to join in the fun too! They had a blast jumping, having "tea time" and chilling on the sofa. These two are too cute! Stella is our neighbor and we are so blessed to have so many kids all the same age who live in our neighborhood. I see these two being best buds.

2011

2011-01-20T08:30:00.002-06:00

I am part of a group of young professionals called the Hats and Horns Societe'. Each year this group host a NYE party where the proceeds benefit local children's charities. This year the party benefited The Bell Center and Operation School Bell. If you know me you are familiar with TBC. Operation School Bell provides back to school clothing and supplies for children in need. Both are great organizations and we were so honored to have helped each in some way. This was mine and Scott's 3rd year to attend the party and my 2nd year as a member. The party is held at the B&A Warehouse downtown. We had two bands, loads of food and a silent auction. It is a lot of fun and a great way to kick in the new year! This year we also had a photo booth which is where these pics were taken. So fun!

Christmas Part 3&4

2011-01-20T08:13:00.003-06:00

After opening Santa's gifts at our house we got ready and headed to Gigi's and Giddo's to have Christmas breakfast with them and celebrate the day. Once we were there the snow started falling. It was beautiful! So big, white and fluffy and what a perfect touch to Christmas morning. We ate way too much food as usual and Edie got way too many gifts as usual! Between Gigi, Giddo, Aunt Mindy and Uncle Chuck that little girl could go years and years without another single gift! Edie got lots of learning and craft toys, a barbie guitar, a drawing/chalk board easel, Mr. potato head and a HUGE jump house!

Mommy and Daddy got a brand new Dyson Vacuum!!!!!! I can not tell you how shocked and excited I was over this! We have been using the same vacuum Scott has had since collage - so this is a MAJOR upgrade!! We use it almost daily and we love it! It is super quiet and so easy to maneuver. Even Ziggy likes it, she no longer attacks our vacuum as she used to. She must have thought the old one was a monster it was so loud!

The next stop on the Christmas train was Nannie and Pawpaw's. With all of the grand babies it is mass cohos' and I love it! The kids have such a great time opening gifts and playing together. The gifts of the night that Edie just could not get enough of was Wesley's Barbie microphone and Wyatt's woopie cushion! Edie LOVED both of them!! The microphone she carried around all night and the whoopee cushion I think Wyatt had to finally hide from her. It was not like an ordinary woopie cushion either. It had a sponge of some sort in it and it would blow up again and again by itself. Edie just kept sitting on it! She got a pink vacuum, a broom and dust pan, clothes, a flashlight, a car and more learning toys! Toooooooo much!!! Our house is shrinking!!

Mommy and Daddy got the traditional gift basket from Nannie and Pawpaw filled with random goodies. I always like getting these because you never know what you are going to get. The fav from this years basket for me aside from "the softest socks in the world" (and this is really what they are called) was the bread cutting board and knife. Now I just have to make some bread! We also got a Shark Steamvac. It is amazing! So now we have no excuses not to have the cleanest house on the block!

After gift opening, eating, playing games, eating some more we were pooped and headed back to the big Ham for a weekend of hibernation.

Breaking News!

2010-12-29T16:33:00.000-06:00

Edie liked riding her new trike for almost a full 35 seconds!!

Christmas - Part 2

2010-12-29T08:35:00.002-06:00

Christmas Eve {After Santa}

Christmas Morning {Opening Gifts}

When I say Santa may have brought too much, this is exactly what I mean! Maybe shopping online was not such a good idea after all. It is hard to keep up with and remember all you have purchased until it is all delivered and in one room! This year Santa brought Edie a HUGE doll house which he did not realize was made for barbie dolls and not miniature loving family dolls :( These 10 little people could all fit in the bathtub that came with the house at one time! But I guess next year it will give Santa an excuse to bring barbie dolls.

Edie also got a new baby and a diaper bag filled with baby diapers, feeding pieces and a baby potty! She also got some new Elmo videos one of which is a "potty time" video (see where I am going with this? This is the year to be diaper free!!) Elmo jammies, books, games, clothes and under all of this was a pink Tricycle! Which Edie did not even notice until we pointed it out to her! Oh - and Santa brought a pink play tent which Edie could care less about too. Maybe it was all too much? We did not even finish opening all of her gifts or start to dig into her Christmas stocking before she got bored or should I say overwhelmed. However, it did give her something to do over the next few days and Santa learned a good lesson this year.........less is more!

Now all we have to do is sell this house and find a bigger one to fit all of Edie's toys because we have not even gotten to Christmas Part 3 & 4 which is all about the grandparents, aunts and uncles gifts!!

Christmas - Part 1

2010-12-29T08:11:00.002-06:00

Christmas Eve Night - {Before Santa}

As you can see Edie was so super cute in her Christmas jammies. I bought these thinking we would go on the train ride in Columbiana, the North Pole Express. I had no idea this thing sold out months before!! Next year we will be more prepared and we will get tickets way in advance. Edie has really become the little picture poser. She knows what the camera is for and when you tell her to say "cheese" she will smile so big and stand still for us! Then she wants to see herself in the screen. Edie is such a ham, a cute ham :)

We still did not quite understand the Christmas Elf this year, but we did read the book and gave him a name. Scott and I had some fun with him too! One day we found him in the kitchen with all of the paper towels pulled from the holder and he was swinging from them across the kitchen. On another day we found him recovering from some Christmas parties with a cucumber on his head next to a bottle of spilled advil. And on the last day we found him in the fridge hiding in the butter tray with a carrot in his mouth. Next year I have a feeling he will be doing a lot more crazy things ;)

Once Edie was all tucked in for the night Santa did his magic and brought his gifts. Maybe too many gifts.......

Gorham's Bluff

2010-12-27T17:19:00.002-06:00

A few years ago we "tried" to start a new family tradition for ourselves. Just a quick getaway the night before Christmas Eve to relax, build a fire, roast some marsh mellows and be together. Unfortunately due to the hectic lives we live, we were unable to make it last year but this year we were determined. I am not sure if you have ever heard of Gorham's Bluff but it is worth the short drive for even just one night, which is what we do. There is nothing to do but spend time together :) They have several different cottages you can rent as well as a lodge where they have a B&B. We have only been in the winter, but we would love to visit during the spring/summer. I bet it is beautiful. During the warmer times you can swim, fish and bike ride and they also have some hiking trails.

Each trip we have stayed in a different cottage (house) which I love doing. This time we stayed in "Scott's Cottage". It was a beautiful three bed three bath house, with a huge mud room, living and dining room. It had a great wrap around porch on top and bottom. It was way too big for us especially for just one night, but we loved all of the room! Each time we have had a visit from the local Ladybugs! This time they were drinking water from the kitchen sink. The last time they were all over the master bedroom ceiling. And when I say all over - I mean ALL OVER! But we don't mind, it seems like they belong there and it wouldn't be the same with out them :)

After a great dinner and a restful night we had pigs in a blanket for breakfast and headed back south. Edie was just as pleased as she could be listening to her Highlands CD and watching her Elmo videos. What a great trip! I wish we could do it once a month!!

We played in the leaves, went to the playground, took in some beautiful views and played, played, played inside where it was warm. We danced, watched a video, built a fire and had the most incredible steak dinner. Santa even came to see Edie early at Gorham's Bluff and brought her a new Elmo. We had so much fun. Edie was an Angel during the car rides and while at the cottage. She and I were buddies and I loved every minute of it! We had such a great time being together and just slowing down, if even just for one night.

Breakfast With Santa

2010-12-27T16:51:00.003-06:00

I can not believe December is almost gone and I have not blogged one time!! So let me start from the beginning...........shortly after the 3rd Annual Ladybug Fundraiser we quickly became "Santa's Workshop" with nest EGgS design. We had over 80 orders to fill and just two short weeks to do it! So between work, travel and day to day duties we were up until the wee hours of the night rolling, cutting, baking, sanding and assembling. At the end of the crazy journey Nannie came to help package and ship. We felt so blessed to have so much interest in our work and even more blessed to have completed it all with only one mistake! I accidentally misspelled a name, but we promptly corrected it and all was good :)

Between all of this craziness we had some sickness, I completely lost my voice for a few days, sounded like Darth Vader for a few more, almost lost my mind - but didn't - and then we had Breakfast with Santa. I promise it was a little more enjoyable than the pictures seem. Edie did not like her breakfast, but she LOVED her some Santa! This year Edie has really loved Santa. We practically have had to pull her away from him during her few encounters. I believe it all stems from her light up Santa at Gigi and Giddo's. In her room at their house they have put the large plastic Santa that you would normally see in someones yard. It is a life size nightlight :) Edie kisses it, hugs it and says "Santa". She LOVES it and I am not sure what is going to happen when he gets packed back up!

Her last visit from Santa the night before he came was in our neighborhood. He came through on the firetruck wishing us all a Merry Christmas and telling the kids to get to bed early so he could come visit. Edie pointed, cheered and yelled "Santa". It was magical to see her eyes light up when he rounded the corner. Next year we will get a picture of this too!

3rd Annual Ladybug Fundraiser

2010-11-30T23:31:00.000-06:00

We are overjoyed and so blessed by those who came out for the 3rd Annual Ladybug Fundraiser Honoring Edie and benefiting The Bell Center for Early Intervention. We had so many family and friends to come out and support this great cause. We had delicious food from Lovoy's, wonderful entertainment by Hunter Lawley and the best silent auction ever! We raised over $10,000 during the night of the event and we are still counting!! Thank you to everyone who made this night so special for us. More to come at a later date....but for now I leave you with these photos playing to one of Edie's favorite songs. Enjoy!

Something So Sweet

2010-11-21T23:35:00.001-06:00

Go see Grethel Van Epps {Here} password - edie
I can not begin to tell you how many pictures I want from this session! Edie was a perfect Angel and so, so sweet!

3rd Annual Ladybug Fundraiser

2010-11-13T13:46:00.006-06:00

This is it! Our "Final Hoorah" as we prepare for our 3rd Annual Ladybug Fundraiser Honoring Edie and Benefiting The Bell Center for Early Intervention. This is the week of late nights, high blood pressure (me), nervousness and much excitement. This week we will be gathering all of the silent auction items, making description cards, printing bid sheets, confirming food, making food, picking up this and that and praying that it will be a great night of fundraising and fun. We are so looking forward to the party and seeing all of our family and friends come together to celebrate Edie and TBC. Edie has come such a long way and we are so appreciative of what TBC has done for her and for us. This is our way of saying "Thank You" to TBC and to our family friends for supporting us each step of the way. We look forward to seeing you there!

More Beautiful Each Day

2010-11-13T13:35:00.003-06:00

"I" had a play date with Edie at Joe Tucker park and we enjoyed this beautiful weather! If you have never been to this park in Helena it really is very nice. It is a boundless park which means it is for everyone! Special needs, handicap, typical - Everyone! They have a lot of great activities to play on and with. We had so much fun just being together and playing. I asked Edie at one time to go over to the slide and sit on it and smile so I could take a picture. I expected her usual pose with her thumb in her mouth, but not this time! I honestly believe she gets even more beautiful each day. If that is possible :) Man I LOVE this little girl!!

Bubbles!!

2010-11-13T13:28:00.002-06:00

Sunday we were invited to Edie's friend Cooper's 2nd Birthday Party. It was a bubble theme which was perfect for Edie - she LOVES bubbles! They had a bubble machine at the front entrance and lot's of bubble games to play. We had pizza, cake and these super yummy cute marsh mellow pops (Cooper's mommy is making some for the fundraiser too!) The kids had a great time and Edie was pooped. We went straight home, took a bath and hit the sack. Thanks for a great party Miss Cooper and happy 2nd Birthday!

Boo!

2010-11-13T13:23:00.002-06:00

We had so much fun this Halloween Trick or Treating at our neighborhood and participating in a Halloween parade in Aunt Mindy and Uncle Chuck's neighborhood. All the children were so cute all dressed in their costumes and fun. Even several of the Adults in the neighborhood got into the Halloween spirit, including us! Edie went this year as what else but a Ladybug. She was a very colorful Ladybug at that with her pink, purple and green pants and hot pink sneakers. Although she did not wear her antennas very long she did look cute in them. The only thing she was a little confused about was the candy part. At one house she politely went to the bowl and picked one piece at a time and then politely placed each piece of candy (one at a time) in the neighbors pumpkin instead of in her bag? The other thing we will have to work on next year is learning why we can't go inside of every ones home. For some reason she thought this night was a time for her to go in and visit with everyone. We will work on that next year!

Yo Gabba Gabba!

2010-10-23T22:05:00.002-05:00

Scott and I still say Edie had a "Michael Jackson" moment at the Yo Gabba Gabba Live show. This is one of her all time favorite shows and she "signs" for it everyday when she walks in the door by swinging her arms back and forth while running to the TV. Edie did not know whether to scream with glee, cry for joy or clap with excitement so she did all three at the same time! It was so cute! Just to see her face once she realized what was happening and what she was seeing was real, it was worth more than you could ever know. We had great seats and the show started with a boom of confetti, midway we had balloons falling from the sky and to end the show there were bubbles galore. This was a night I will never forget. It was a night that our baby bloomed into toddler-hood and it was a great site to see. She loved the show, every minute of it and so did we. I will never forget that face!

Fox 6

2010-10-23T21:44:00.000-05:00

For those of you who do not know Scott, Edie and I had the privilege of visiting the Fox 6 News studio last Saturday to promote the P.A.D.S 11th Annual Buddy Walk which took place last Sunday. Our debut was set for 8:45 but after arriving a little late we were whisked to the studio almost immediately and on by 8:25 (I think) Edie and I were not wired with a microphone, which was a blessing. Right at the beginning of the segment she and I were fighting over the bow in her hair, but shortly after all I could do was focus on the wire she was chewing on. Other than that Edie did great and I did wonderful since I did not have to speak :0 So let me just tell you about the next part of the interview.......the news anchor did a wonderful introduction of us by stating that we were with P.A.D.S, Parents AGAINST Down Syndrome!!! I would like to clarify that we are in no way shape or form AGAINST Down Syndrome!! Scott promptly corrected her to state that P.A.D.S stands for Parent Advocates FOR Down Syndrome. But she said it and never looked back! It is funny to think about now but at the time it was a little shocking. We are still trying to get a clip of the segment and we will post once we do. But for now just keep in mind that we are totally FOR Down Syndrome, it is a beautiful blessing in our lives! Our daughter is Edie, and she "happens" to have Down Syndrome.

Buddy Walk 2010

2010-10-18T19:31:00.001-05:00

What a perfect day for a Buddy Walk! Sunday's weather could not have been better and with over 15,000 people attending this years event we certainly enjoyed the day. There were space bounce(s) arts and crafts, face painters, balloon pop, dancing and much more. Did I mention dancing?! I loved seeing the kids and older kids up on stage singing and dancing away!! For those of you who do not know this was Scott's 2nd year as VP of PADS. His most important job as VP is coordination of The Buddy Walk. It is not small potatoes to coordinate an event for over 15,000 people. Scott also appeared on two radio shows and as a family we were on FOX 6 Saturday morning promoting the walk. Scott did a wonderful job and it showed! There were more walkers than last year (a lot more) and a great tailgate tent area where each team pitched a tent and enjoyed food and the company of their team members before the walk.

We did not have a tent this year but we did have a team and Kelli and I are already planning the food and signs for next year!! As we are nearing the end of our road with The Bell Center it is hard to manage two fundraisers at the same time "The 3rd Annual Ladybug Fundraiser benefiting The Bell Center" and the PADS "Team Ladybug". We decided when we had Edie that we would really concentrate on TBC until Edie graduated from the program and then we would focus our fundraising on PADS which is an organization we will be a part of for the rest of our lives. So look out Buddy Walk 2011 here we come!!

We are so grateful to those who gave their Dollars for Downs and supported our team this year. We exceeded our goal and we hope you know how much we love you and we thank you for everything you do for our family. We hope to see you all at next years Buddy Walk, walking for TEAM LADYBUG!!

Team Ladybug!

Edie with her buddy Allie and Stella who came to The Buddy Walk to see Edie

Ladybug Shoot Continued.......

2010-10-13T21:02:00.001-05:00

OMGosh!!!! How cute is this!! She was over it by this point. I was sweating like mad yet I dressed her in pants and a corduroy top (which was way too small because it was her dress from last years fundraiser!) I thought it would be cute as a top, if the buttons would have worked! Poor sweet baby.

Ladybug Shoot

2010-10-13T20:52:00.004-05:00

We are so lucky to have so many wonderful friends and family who love and support us. One of our friends in particular happens to be a VERY talented professional photographer. Grethel Van Epps spent a very hot afternoon with us over the summer taking pictures for Edie's Save the Date card for the 3rd Annual Ladybug Fundraiser. There were so many good pictures it was hard to choose which one to use. We narrowed it down to just one and I bought a few more for memories. Because Grethel is such a wonderful friend she surprised me with the best birthday present ever! A CD of ALL of the pictures from the shoot for me to cherish forever!! I have big plans for the black and white shot of her looking down holding her tutu. It is the sweetest picture ever!! Who am I kidding......they are all the sweetest pictures ever!!

Rail Road Park

2010-10-13T00:28:00.001-05:00

We enjoyed a Saturday at Pepper Place a few weeks ago where we bought lots of fresh vegies and fresh baked bread. Followed by a visit to the new Rail Road Park downtown. It is a really super cool place. The playground was not huge, but the toys are cool. There was so much wide open space to run and play too. At one point Edie took off running down the track as fast as she could. I think she likes feeling like she is getting away. We just let her run and eventually she came back :)

I liked watching the gobs of people doing yoga, the dogs playing in the water and seeing families just enjoying the day. It was a great relaxing way to spend the afternoon with my family.

Painting with the Ticking children

2010-10-13T00:18:00.001-05:00

Back in September we visited A'Mano's and painted with the Ticking children and their mentors. They had several beautiful pieces on display that the Ticking children had painted and one piece up for auction. The proceeds benefited The Bell Center. Their paintings are mostly on tar paper and wood. Edie painted a house using tar paper and house paint. We were able to take one home and one was left to decorate The Bell Center with. The Ticking family took on the love of painting and now sell their pieces in many art galleries and craft shows. They also have a love one who once attended The Bell Center. You can see their story by visiting www.trestaylor.com/tickingfamily_communityprojects.html. As you can tell Edie LOVED it!

Bama Fans....BIG & small

2010-09-19T21:48:00.001-05:00

Edie was something else over the weekend. She was in the best mood and everything was so funny to her :) She clapped, sang, screamed with glee and laughed more than I have ever heard her laugh before. Scott and I loved every minute of it too!! She also started jumping on the sofa. So every time Scott would say "Touchdown Bama!" Edie would climb up on the sofa and jump. She thought it was the best thing ever. Cute yes - dangerous YES! But how can you say no to this sweet little thing in her Bama shorts :) Scott purchased these Saturday morning when he and Edie went for her Chocolate Cheerios at the grocery store. What a cute Bama Baby!!

AL vs Penn State

2010-09-18T15:34:00.001-05:00

Scott and I were fortunate enough to be given two free tickets to the game last weekend. Mindy and Chuck have season tickets and were not able to go, so we were the lucky winners of two tickets with great seats!! It was a long, HOT, day....did I say HOT!! The quad was SO crowded....did I say crowded!! It only took us an hr to park, 30 minutes to find our friends tent and an additional 20 minutest for Scott to go back to the car to get the tickets we forgot the first time but in the end we had a great time. Personally I have no idea how people tailgate every game. For me one or two is enough and then I can call it a season :)

The Backyardigans

2010-09-18T15:23:00.001-05:00

Before

During

After

Our yard was pretty much useless before. We did not spend a whole lot of time out there. But now we are out there almost every evening. We extended our patio by adding a raised flagstone area. We wanted to keep it as natural looking as possible so we had grass planted in between each stone. Not only did it extend our patio but it really seems to have made our yard as a whole feel a lot bigger. A lot of the space that was previously useless to us is now filled with stone making the whole patio much bigger.

We (I mean Scott) used the leftover flagstone to make a border for our flower bed. We bought a few more plants, relocated others and we are now well on our way to the courtyard feel we are shooting for! We still intend to have the patio stained to match the flagstone and plant more plants in the spring. But for now we are just enjoying our new backyard and the cooler nights!! More to come!
We have been have been busy with our back yard for several, several weeks now. We still have a little left to do, but we are so happy with the end results so far! If you have ever been to our house you know how small our yard is. Which is OK. We did not buy because of the yard, we bought because of the potential the neighborhood has once it is fully developed. Granted we may not even be here once that day comes but for now we are going to enjoy every inch of it!

So Tweet!

2010-09-04T22:54:00.002-05:00

Nanny bought all of the grand-girls matching Tweet Bird outfits so we headed to the park today to take some pictures since it was such a nice day. We got a lot of good ones, which I was really surprised that we were able to do it. I still have no idea how those professionals do such a good job at getting four kiddos to all smile and look at the same time. But for a bunch of amateurs we did a pretty good job! I think Nanny was pretty tired after doing jumping jacks, singing and dancing for for them but it was all worth it!!

Edie + Pudding = a sweet mess!

2010-09-04T22:47:00.002-05:00

This is what you get when you mix Edie with pudding!

The bottom right photo is Edie signing "more" - AFTER a FULL bowl!!

2nd Annual Tailgate Challenge

2010-09-04T22:44:00.002-05:00

Last Saturday after the birthday party we headed to the 2nd Annual Tailgate Challenge benefiting The Bell Center. There were several more tents as compared to last year and the tents really stepped it up on the food too! During this event people are able to set up a tent, decorate it, serve something small that goes with their theme and cheer for their favorite team. There are awards for the tent with the best spirit, best all around and best food. We had so much yummy food to taste I was full within the first 10 minutes, but that did not stop me! We had hot dogs, fish tacos, Krystal's, cookies, rum balls, salsa, and I can not even remember the rest. Let's just say too much of a good thing! But there is never too much of a good thing is there??

Happy Birthday Wesley!

2010-09-04T22:27:00.002-05:00

We celebrated Wesley's 5th Birthday last weekend. She had a Mary Poppins themed party complete with black hats that we got to decorate. This is a photo of the birthday girl blowing out her candles on her yummy cake right before Edie planted her hand in it! The good thing was Edie made a perfect hand print, the bad thing was it scared Edie so bad that she screamed while holding a handful of icing which she promptly rubbed all over her shirt. But in the end the party was great, the cake was still delicious and the birthday girl got lots of great gifts :)

So Sweet

2010-09-04T22:09:00.002-05:00

I had to post the photos of Scott's recent contribution to nest EGgS design - a toddler picnic table. Edie LOVES hers! She sits at it like a big girl eating snacks, watermelon and drinking her pink lemonade. Scott is offering them in three colors - a coastal blue, green and white. They are really "cottagy" looking and the perfect size for Edie and her friends! We hope he can get in some orders for the upcoming holidays so please spread the word! You can see them under "for your {eggs}" on the nest EGgS design blog.

S-L-I-D-E!

2010-09-04T22:01:00.002-05:00

I know it has been forever since I last posted and I had promised myself that I would start updating every Monday again, but as you can see it has been few and far between. What can I say, we are just too busy! Last MONTH we had a fun play day at Aunt Mindy's and Uncle Chuck's house which included, a pool and a HUGE slide! Any child's (and adults) dream come true! We had so much fun and Edie especially LOVED to slide - all by her self I may add. I would walk her up to the top and without hesitation she would flop on her belly and slide down just like the big kids. She had a blast!! We loved seeing her play with all of her little friends. Such a fun on a VERY hot day!

All I Can Say is AMAZING!!!!

2010-08-04T21:30:00.001-05:00

Christian Maniscalco is AMAZING!!!

I met Christian during the PADS Golf Tournament this past year. I heard of what he was doing, but I had no idea what he was REALLY doing! Christian has been inspired by individuals with DS and he has taken on a challenge of his own. He is supporting Edie and all of her friends by raising money for the Adult Down Syndrome Clinic right here in Birmingham and by participating in the Ironman Triathlon. Do you REALLY know what an Ironman Triathlon consist of? I didn't until today and this really puts it into prespective....

Swim the equivalent of 43 football fields

Bike the distance from Birmingham to Atlanta

Run the length of 459

Christian will finish his journey on Aug 28th in Louisville KY. He has been training for the past 7 months with the mission to raise awareness for Down syndrome and raise funds for the Adult Down Syndrome Clinic. He has raised $22,000 so far and he is still working on his goal of $25,000! He is in second place in the Janus Charity Challenge and if he remains there he could secure an additional award for the clinic - up to $10,000 more! Alongside this generous man is his wonderful wife, Amber who works with children in the Vestavia School system. Together they have two children. Thank you Maniscalco family - Thank you! You are AMAZING!

See what one person can do!!!!! Read the press release below!

.........................................................................................................................................

Birmingham athlete, Christian Maniscalco enters IRONMAN TRIATHLON

Raises funds for the Adult Down Syndrome Clinic at UAB

July 26, 2010 -- Birmingham, AL

Not only will Christian Maniscalco swim the equivalent of 43 football fields, bike the distance from Birmingham to Atlanta and run the length of 459 on August 28th at the IRONMAN triathlon in Louisville, Kentucky*, he will also be raising funds so that individuals with Down syndrome* here in Alabama and across the Southeast will receive excellent healthcare. Their faces are his motivation and their stories his inspiration for the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike race and the 26 mile, 385 yard marathon.

Christian had always wanted to complete a full IRONMAN TRIATHLON. Shortly after he registered and learned of the Janis Charity Challenge he and his wife Amber, a speech therapist at Vestavia Elementary School East, attended The Buddy Walk* hosted by Parent Advocates Down Syndrome*. PADS invited him to tour the Adult Down Syndrome Clinic where he met with clinic director, Dr. Eddie Lose. He knew immediately he had found his source of inspiration and the charity he wanted support.

Christian is raising funds for the Adult Down Syndrome Clinic at UAB to be named in honor of John Mark Stallings in conjunction with the Janus Charity Challenge. Athletes who join the Janus Charity Challenge find deep meaning in the Ironman experience by using their passion for the sport to make a difference in the lives of others. When applauded for his efforts, Christian comments, “Sure I’m training for the IRONMAN, but all admiration should be directed toward parents of children with Down syndrome. They are IRONPARENTS, running the lifetime race of raising a child with special needs.”

Christian has two specific IRONMAN goals. His first goal is to raise $25,000 or more for the clinic - to date he has already collected $19k. The second goal is to complete the course within twelve hours. For this he is relying on encouragement from family and friends along the course since there are no breaks between events. Birmingham can cheer him on by donating to http://www.januscharitychallenge.com/ or sending notes of encouragement to downsyndromealabama@gmail.com

Melon Eating Contest

2010-08-04T21:09:00.001-05:00

Scott is going to soon add some new additions to nest EGgS design of his own. Baby picnic tables and I am so excited! This is his first prototype that he made just for Edie. To test it out Edie decided that she would have a watermelon eating contest on it after a dip in the pool. That sweet girl loves watermelon!! Scott is actually painting now as I type - aqua!! I know Edie is going to enjoy many picnics and watermelons on this cute little table. It's just her size!

Take Me Out to The Ball Game

2010-08-04T20:59:00.003-05:00

Friday night we celebrated the hot temps, crazy humidity and PADS at the Birmingham Barron's game. Scott and Edie had attempted this once before when I was out of town but due to the rain that night the game was called. So this time we all went out to the ballgame and despite sweating like the three little pigs we had a great time. Edie loved sitting on the bleachers like a big girl while she ate her hot dog. She also clapped and cheered at every crack of the bat. I think she may actually know more about baseball than I do! I know her daddy LOVES that too!!

BIG 1

2010-07-26T20:11:00.001-05:00

Saturday night we celebrated Wylie's 1st Birthday. Again, I say it all of the time, but where does the time go? How can she be one already? Aunt Kelli out did herself on the birthday dinner too! We had chicken casserole, steamed veggies, fresh tomatoes, peas, bread, strawberry dessert AND cake!! I ate, and ate, and ate!! Everything was delicious - the food, the cake and the sweet baby girl!

Something else special happened that night too. I have been anticipating the day when Edie could sit at the "big kid" table and eat without us by her side. Well Saturday she did and she did great! I actually think she found Wyatt, Wesley and Camille so entertaining that she forgot what she was doing and ate almost all of her plate! I was so proud of her. I was also proud of how well she played in Wesley's room with all of her cousins. Aside from the occasional hitting on Wylie (which we are aware of and working on) she did great.

Roll Tide!

2010-07-26T19:58:00.001-05:00

Scott, Edie and I were invited this weekend to go on a tour of Bryant Denny Stadium by the Caldwell family. They won the tour during the "2ND Annual Ladybug Fundraiser" and we were twice blessed by the Caldwell's - once when they made the donation to our cause and won the tour and twice when they invited us to go with them! We were so excited to see what all Alabama fans out there want to see! We saw the recruiting room, the press room, the locker room and the big "A" where the players and coaches stand, the sky/VIP boxes (which cost around 500K I might add) and the newly planted field. We had a great time and we would have documented so many wonderful photos of it if only I had remembered the SIM card which was back home in my computer and NOT in my camera!! UGH!! Therefore the above snaps were taken with Scott's camera phone. :(Sorry again Scott :(

5 years

2010-07-26T19:48:00.001-05:00

Scott and I recently celebrated our 5Th year anniversary. I can not believe it has already been 5 years! Where does the time go is all I have to say! It is hard to believe that in 5 years we have lived in three different homes (great memories, great homes and did a good job at selling each of them I must say), moved to Mobile and back, now on our 4Th car (we have a way with lemons), had 1 car stolen out of our driveway ("now" a funny story), lived in our "new" home for almost three years and have a beautiful 2 1/2 year old! Oh and Ziggy is still with us (poor Ziggy). There is so much more I could add to this 5 years of total bliss, but I will not bore you with the details.

All kidding aside Scott and I have a wonderful life. I married a wonderful man and Edie has a wonderful father. I can not ever say it enough "Scott is an AWESOME father and husband". We have made some great memories these past 5 years. We have shared a lot of laughs, a lot of tears and a lot of GREAT times! I am still grateful, very honored, so blessed and just as excited as I was 5 years ago when I said "I do". Thank you for 5 wonderful years and Thank you Edie for making 2 1/2 of those our best!!

The big DQ

2010-07-18T22:44:00.000-05:00

So we have been busy lately - I know, I know, I always say that. But I promise you I am not kidding! Between work, nest EGgS design (check out the NEW look BTW) and life in general we stay busy. I love it most of the time, I wish things would slow down some of the time, and I would not have it any other way all of the time. I live for cahos!!

We did take a break last Sunday and made a trip to the big DQ for some ice cream. You really can't beat DQ's ice cream even with all of those other fancy ice cream and yogurt shops out there. However, I still have not been to Yogurt Mountain and once I do I may change my tune. But for now I am sticking with DQ. Edie LOVES ice cream. BUT only if she can eat it all by herself, with her own spoon. She is a bit like her mommy and does not like to share when it comes to food :)

Grethel Van Epps Photography

2010-07-07T14:38:00.001-05:00

So my all time favorite photographer, Grethel Van Epps Photography is doing another contest and this time the winner will receive a free session AND $100 print credit and all I have to do is tell you how I really feel!

She is truly the best! I found Grethel's information at the Baby Palooza a few years back and I am not even sure if I met her that day or if I just picked up her pamphlet from a random table. Anyway I loved her work and I held on to it waiting for Edie to turn one. So once she finally did we booked our session and we have been using her ever since. We have had four sessions with Grethel since that first booking and I have LOVED everything she has done. My house has gone from a few black and white photos of landscapes to a shrine of our daughter and of our family in eye popping colors! I have counted and as of today we have 37 photos on display that GVE took throughout our home! I can't believe it myself - slow down sista!

To top it all off Grethel has become a great friend of mine. She has supported our "Ladybug Fundraiser" by donating a $700 value photo package, she did the photo shoot for the Save the Dates for the fundraiser last year, she has become the preferred photographer of Hillsboro (where we live), she helped me to launch nest EGgS design by donating her talent and getting word out and she is just plain fun to hang around with! Can't get enough of GVE and I mean that! GVE is a great photographer and a great friend - winning the contest would just be a bonus :) Check her out for yourself and you can enter the contest too!! Even if you don't know her personally, just share what you like about her work www.gvephotography.com/blog and www.gvephotography.com

Let Freedom Ring!

2010-07-06T08:10:00.001-05:00

We had a GREAT 4th of July weekend!! We started with watching the firework shows from the top of our neighborhood. We could see Helena's, the Hoover Met and another show that was going on in downtown Birmingham. We were not sure how Edie would react since this was the first time she had ever experienced the fireworks, she LOVED it! We had glow sticks for all of the kiddos since it was so dark out there and Edie waved her stick shouting "yeaaaaaa" after each boom! It was so cute! We had fun and Edie got to bed around 10:00

Sunday we went to the pool and afterwards we went to our neighbor's for more food and fun. The D's cooked a yummy Boston butt with all of the fixins. Edie's favorite part was the watermelon as you can see! And after Maxwell taught her how to eat it with no hands it made it even more fun for her. She, Mason and Maxwell were so cute together. They played so well and we even think there may have been some flirting going on ;) Another great day and Edie got to bed around 9:30

Monday we cooked out at our house with the neighbors again and later on we went to the A's for some boccie ball and more watermelon. Edie was in heaven. She had watermelon and chocolate ice cream from head to toe! That little girl LOVES to get dirty!! We had another great day and another late bed time. Scott and I said she was officially a Big Girl this weekend. She played so well with all of the kids, she had such a great time and she stayed up with the best of them!

Vote for Edie

2010-06-30T03:13:00.000-05:00

Poll: I vote for number: THREE

Our super great photographer - Grethel Van Epps of Grethel Van Epps Photography has chosen a photo of Edie to represent her work {12} from past sessions. It is such a sweet one where she is hugging her Lolly Dolly. If Edie has the most votes we will win the picture in a 16x20!!! Go and vote for Edie as one of your favorites too!! Hurry contest ends July 5th!!

Just click on the Poll tab above and vote for # THREE!!! You can vote from as many different computers as you want. Pass on to your friends too! We can always use more photos of our precious Edie!!

Beach Bums 2010

2010-06-30T02:17:00.000-05:00

We had such a great time last week at the Palms of Destin Resort. They had a super great pool perfect for a "little fish" named Edie. She LOVED the zero entry pool and she LOVED the ocean. She would have spent all day at both if she could. As long as she was in the water that is. The slat water did not seem to bother her either even when a few waves went over her head. In the pool she LOVED wearing her swimmies like the big kids. I am pretty sure she knew what they were for because she willingly put them on and immediately started towards the deeper part of the pool. She did go under a few times but she really seemed to like it when she did.

The condo was great. Edie slept until 9:00 most mornings - what more could we have asked for? The resort style pool was great for kids and adults with lots of room to move around. It never seemed crowded and Edie loved seeing all of the action. For the most part she enjoyed playing with the other babies, especially their toys and they loved playing with hers so it all worked out. The only trouble we had was on the last day when Edie put another little girl in the choke hold and pushed her under water. Other than that she pushed a 2nd little victim when she got too close to her daddy. I am starting to think Edie may be becoming a bully.

We ate a lot of great sea food but my favorite restaurant was AJ's. I loved the atmosphere and I especially loved seeing Edie feed the fish. She went CRAZY!! We also took some time to visit San Destin and Sea Side which is always nice - so much to do and so little time!! I could have spent another week at the beach. Hopefully we can make it back for a long weekend before fall. That's my goal anyway : )

Just Splashing Around!!

2010-06-18T19:03:00.001-05:00

Today we went to the Splash Pad in Gardendale with our friends Maxwell, Joseph and Merritt. It was a great way to cool off and have some fun! Edie lasted about 20 minutes and then she was over it. We recharged with some of Merritt's snacks and Joseph's drink and they were off again. We had a lot of fun playing in the water and getting some sunshine before our vacation to the beach next week! What a great way to kick off the weekend! Now we are Beach Bound!!!

Three Summer Loves

2010-06-18T18:18:00.001-05:00

There are three things I love about summer - fresh flowers {especially hydrangeas}, Gigi's homemade grape leaves {they are the BEST} and homemade margarita pizza with fresh basil from our herb garden and homemade dough {found in the bakery section of Publix}. Edie of course could care less about all of the above, but I am working on her. One day she will learn to appreciate how good Gigi's grape leaves are. I could eat the whole pot by myself!!

Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Kitchen

2010-06-15T22:12:00.002-05:00

Aunt Mindy {aka Mrs. Kitchen} made my day by posting several of their wedding photos on fb today!! These are some of my favorites from the beautiful day. During all of the photo shoots I thought to myself, "Edie could not have been more of an Angel" as she totally cooperated by sitting so sweetly while the photographer shot away. However, once I saw the photos I do not think there is one where she is actually looking at the camera. I guess she was just so into everyone else she forgot to look at the camera and smile. What kind of 2 1/2 year old does that ;)!!!

None the less the wedding was beautiful, the bride and groom were just as perfect and Edie walking down the aisle as the flower girl made it all the more special. I am seriously considering bring her dress to the beach with us next week for some more photo shoots. She was just too stinkin cute in it!! I need more!!!

2010-06-15T21:59:00.001-05:00

Flower Girl

2010-06-13T22:47:00.001-05:00

I said I would post more photos of the wedding and of Edie walking down the aisle. But because I can not copy any of the pics from the professional photo link and our camera was terrible that day, I have now started begging friends and relatives for pictures. Kelly, one of our cousins from Colorado, shared this one with me. So Cute!!!! Look at that smile!!

The Bell Center Seeking Summer Peer Models

2010-06-11T14:03:00.000-05:00

I usually would not post this to Edie's Blog - but it is the only way I can get it to post to face book for everyone to see. If you have a typically developing child you may be interested in this therapeutic "play-date" group. They meet all over Birmingham one day each week. Your child would serve as a model peer to children with special needs. What fun!!

The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs is currently looking for children between the ages of 29 months and 3 years old (by June 30th ) to serve as peer models for children in their summer Stay and Say Playgroup.

The Stay and Say Playgroup is designed to promote independent play skills and encourage socialization in both typically developing children and children with special needs. A parent and/or caregiver participate with their child in this weekly playgroup on Wednesday mornings from 9:30-11:00. A team of therapists including an early childhood special education teacher, physical therapist, occupational therapist and speech and language pathologist lead the playgroup that takes place in a variety of locations including McWane Center, Pink House, Homewood Park, Cherub’s Clubhouse, The Birmingham Zoo and Children’s Dance Foundation . A short informative session on positive child rearing practices is included for parents and caregivers.

The Playgroup Meets for 7 more weeks this summer and the cost for Friends is $50 for the entire summer.
If you are interested in participating please contact the Andi Gillen at 870-0081 or agillen@thebellcenter.org

Crazy Lake Lady

2010-06-07T08:49:00.002-05:00

While Aunt Mindy and Uncle Chuck were away on their honeymoon we headed up to their lake house to spend a few days playing in the water and grilling out. Last year when we went to the lake Edie was content enough to stay in her pack-n-play down on the pier. This year not so much. Scott and I quickly realized that our little busy body did not equal "relaxation" I am not sure what we were thinking. She wanted nothing to do with a life vest and everything to do with playing in the water. We ultimately had to line the edge of the pier with chaise lounges so she could not get to the water. She eventually settled with playing with water in buckets and wearing it on her head.

Edie also got a new bathing suite for the trip! Ms. Jackie surprised us with several new outfits including a precious seersucker bathing suite with her initial monogrammed on it! I LOVE it! I am not sure how much she is selling these for, but if you are interested let me know. She also made Edie several short outfits with swing tops and matching shorts along with a precious pillowcase dress with a fun Disney theme. I am so excited that she will have all new clothes to wear for our BEACH TRIP in the coming weeks!!! Thank you so much Ms. Jackie!! We love you so much!

Congratulations!

2010-06-07T08:36:00.002-05:00

Congratulations Aunt Mindy and Uncle Chuck!! Mindy and Chuck were married May 29th at Gabrella Manor. The ceremony, led by Chucks father was so beautiful not to mention the bride and groom! The flowers were amazing complete with an aisle of scattered rose petals that was nothing short of something you would see in a magazine of a Southern Garden Wedding. The colors were green, brown and cream with pops of colors in all of the flowers.

Family came from all around to witness the marriage of Mindy and Chuck and to see our baby WALK down the aisle! Yes! Edie WALKED down the aisle all by herself, carrying her sweet little flower girl basket! She was so precious in her dress. I said she looked like a little cupcake. Scott and I were a little emotional as we watched her coming down flashing her smile to everyone. She did perfect! We had a goal, "a wish", that Edie would walk for Mindy and Chuck's wedding and she did it! She is AMAZING!!

We spent the rest of the weekend with family having a great time catching up and seeing everyone. I had hoped to have some photos for this post, but my camera was not taking good photos since I do not have a flash. So I snagged this one from a fb page. I hope to have some to share with everyone soon!

Edie's First Princess Tea Party

2010-05-17T11:48:00.001-05:00

This weekend Edie attended her first "Princess Tea Party" for her friend Addie's 4th Birthday. Each Princess was dressed in style wearing her most beautiful gown. We made wands, colored pictures and even had a special visit from Cinderella! Addie's mom made the cutest castle complete with balloons, center pieces and a bubble entrance into the Tea Party. Each Princess drank from their own personal tea cup and had Princess cookies and cupcakes. Edie had a great time playing with all of the little girls, eating stickers and crayons. When will she learn that crayons and stickers are not food :) The party could not have been more precious, nore could Edie. Her favorite part was drinking from her tea cup and sitting at the table with all of her friends. She was too cute as you can see!

Mother's Day

2010-05-12T21:34:00.001-05:00

I had a great Mother's Day with Edie, Scott and family. We started the day with brunch at Brio's, where Edie ate grapes for the first time { that I am aware of }. Then again, who knows she probably has eaten them many times at school with her buddies. She seems to eat EVERYTHING there. From salad, to fig newtons, to pineapple and pizza. She has never eaten any of this stuff for me and believe me I have tried!!

After brunch we went home and did a little yard work, took a little nap and later Scott and I went on a date night and Edie had a spend the night party with Aunt Mindy { which she loved }. Scott had bought us tickets to see Norah Jones in concert at The Alabama Theater for my Christmas gift. We have never been to a concert at The Alabama Theater, but we did watch Friday the 13th in 3D there years ago which was hilarious to see at age 30 not so much at age 10. I love the building and I love Norah Jones so it was a great combination. The seats were perfect, the concert was great and the day was wonderful. What a great way to end the perfect weekend!! I love my family and I LOVE being Edie's mom!

Buck Creek Festival

2010-05-12T21:16:00.001-05:00

Saturday we spent a beautiful day with family and friends at the Buck Creek Festival in downtown Helena. I was not sure how the day would go, but my plan was to get out there early and stay as late as possible. We drove to the top of our neighborhood and parked to catch the shuttle. Once we got that far we just decided to go ahead and walk the rest of the way and to my surprise it really was not all that far. We all had a great time eating, listening to music and watching the rubber duck race.

For those of you who are not familiar....you have the chance to buy one, two or a flock of ducks. Each duck has a number written on the bottom, they are all tossed in a huge container and later dumped into the Cahaba River. There is a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place duck with money prizes. Needless to say we did not win anything, but we had a great time watching.

After the race Dada taught Edie how to throw rocks and she tried eating a few too. After wandering back to our spot and a few pokes to the eye we gathered out things and headed home. I could not believe how well Edie did throughout the day. We were there for a total of SIX hours with just one 5 minute nap!!! I can not tell you how much fun I had spending the day outdoors with everyone. It was a great Saturday!! { with the exception of the walk back }

PADS Golf Tournament

2010-05-12T20:37:00.001-05:00

Wow! Could time fly any faster!! I have so much to catch up on I can't believe it!! We have been super busy these days with birthday parties, weddings, fundraisers, work, hobbies, life, etc., etc. A few weeks ago Scott, Giddo, David Wilson and Brent Cobern played in the PADS Golf Tournament benefiting the Adult Down Syndrome Clinic here in Birmingham and in honor of Edie. There were over 90 golfers in attendance golfing in honor of a child with DS. I helped to man the check in tables and set out the silent auction tables. I also got to oversee the 9th hole which was where the car give-away was. Unfortunately no one won the car, but Edie's team did 1st place net score! Way to go team!! It was great to see everyone show their support and have a good time.

Aldridge Gardens

2010-04-25T22:42:00.000-05:00

Edie and I have been taking a photo class from Grethel Van Epps Photography. I have learned so much about our camera and the timing has been perfect. I dropped the camera at the Mercedes Marathon back in February and since then the flash has not worked. But now after taking the class I have learned how to use the camera without the flash - even when it is dark outside! (well not completely dark) Above are a few of my favorite practice shots from our recent class at Aldridge Gardens. I have never been to Aldridge Gardens and we will have to go back soon for more photo shoots!

Edie is becoming more and more of a "big girl" each and every day. Her personality is really blooming. She talks so much now. Especially to her babies. She loves her babies, kisses her babies, bathes them, feeds them and puts them to bed patting them and says "night-night". It is so cute to watch her. I can't get enough of Edie and all of her love.

We Have Our Selves a Walker!

2010-04-12T20:48:00.000-05:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you our baby....walking!

Over the weekend Edie decided she was tired of having dirty knees, stood up and said "look at me! I'm walking!". Really she did not say that, but we knew that's what she was thinking :) Edie is now walking about 75% of the time. She is still learning how to keep her balance, but she is stopping and starting again, bending and standing, she is even turning to to walk around objects!

She thinks this is the best thing ever and we could not agree more! Edie, we are so proud of you!!

Jump! Jump! Jump!

2010-04-12T18:42:00.000-05:00

Click to see Edie and Da Da Jump! Jump! Jump! It may look dangerous, but I promise she is having a blast!

nest EGgS design

2010-04-08T17:20:00.005-05:00

As you know everything about me is "all about Edie". I simply just cannot get enough of her! Last year I met this wonderful friend who made photo necklaces and of course I had to have one of Edie! So I bought one and I LOVED it! I loved it so much that I decided I wanted to learn how to make one myself. I thought about it, read about it and talked about it for months. Finally Scott and my friend Grethel Van Epps was tired of my talking and not doing so they encouraged me to go for it and I did! So after much research, 100's of attempts (and I do mean 100's), many tears and frustrations later I finally found a technique that I felt was perfect and { nest EGgS design } finally "hatched".

{ If you are wondering where { nest EGgS designs } came from let me tell you a little story......... I decided a while back I wanted to do something creative, fun, involving Edie and to put a little money away in my "nest egg" for us girls. Edie's full name is Edith Gabrielle Shunnarah, which is where the EGgS part came in. Brilliant if I do say so myself! }

My friend Grethel of Grethel Van Epps Photography (my most favorite photographer in the world :) was kind enough to not only let me use some of her photos from past sessions for my samples but she was also kind enough to take photos of my samples to get me started. She has also advertised for me on her fb fan page as well as her blog. Grethel is having a contest and will be giving away 3 of my necklaces so please visit her blog to enter and win one for yourself!!

I have lots of ideas for { nest EGgS design } and this is just the beginning - please take some time to visit the blog and see for yourself what we have instore for you. Don't forget to tell your hubby you want one for Mother's Day or you can just buy one for yourself or for your own Mother or Grandmother!!

Easter Sunday

2010-04-05T00:13:00.001-05:00

Edie in her Easter dress with Aunt Mindy

We had the perfect Easter Sunday. Church, lunch at Gigi's and Giddo's and an Easter Egg Hunt. Edie got more chocolates and candies (as did mom and dad) a new summer outfit and money eggs!! To our surprise after we got home we found a few special gifts in Edie's eggs. I do believe Edie has more money than we do. As a matter of fact, I am sure of it! Thank you Gigi and Giddo for a fabulous lunch and all of the goodies!

SONIC

2010-04-05T00:07:00.000-05:00

This year the Easter Bunny brought Edie much more than just chocolates and bubbles.....he brought a SONIC gift card too!! Thanks Nannie and Pawpaw!

Easter Weekend

2010-04-04T23:57:00.001-05:00

Edie and her cousin Wylie

Edie walking all by herself

Saturday we spent the afternoon with my family in down South. We headed to Clanton after Edie's nap for a Easter Egg Hunt and dinner out. The day could not have been more beautiful. Scott and I did not know what to expect with Edie and the egg hunt. We were not sure if she would understand or even like it. Well she did clearly understand, she found six eggs and placed them all in her basket. Edie absolutely LOVED it! As you can see she loved holding and walking with her basket like a big girl. She even got up a few times and carried her basket all by herself - such a show off! The smiles just warm my heart.

April Already!

2010-04-04T23:44:00.001-05:00

Where oh where does the time go? I just posted "Is it March Already?" for goodness sakes!! I can't believe how fast these days are going by. Something else I can not believe is how much Edie has changed this past month. She is talking a lot more, singing, laughing out loud at her videos on TV (which is so funny to see), dancing, standing and walking short distances all on her own! She is doing this so well that it has become her nightly entertainment. She tries each night to see how many times she can stand and sit, stand and fall, stand and walk. Over and over again just giggling away. She thinks it is fun. We think it is GREAT!! These are a few photos from Edie at The Bell Center last week.

Edie Walking

2010-03-17T00:21:00.000-05:00

We finally have video of Edie walking! Nan and Pawpaw came for a short visit on Sunday and even though Edie was feeling bad she still had it in her to show off a bit. She is really starting to get the hang of the walking thing. Sure she still wants us to hold her hand and be there to catch her, reguardless she is making great progress. She even walked accross her classroom THREE times ALL BY HERSELF this past week! That is 18 feet without sitting down!! We are so proud of Edie. I think she just might walk down the asile at Aunt Mindy's wedding afterall.

To see the video click here - - EDIE WALKING!!

Exciting Stuff

2010-03-16T23:55:00.001-05:00

We have had some really exciting things going on at the Shunnarah house lately. Edie is talking up a storm! She has even put together two word phrases like - "ziggy outside", "ziggy stop" and her favorite "ziggy no! no!" I am not sure where she is getting all of this from ;) I do feel sorry for Ziggy getting in so much trouble but it is so cute to see Edie discipline Ziggy. Poor Ziggy - she needs a nice long walk...alone. Edie is driving her crazy!

I also have to give credit to Edie's school, Primrose for making such a difference in her this past month. Not only is she talking more, she is signing a lot! Sometimes I have to consult our sign book just to see what she is saying. I am also giving credit to Edie's Primrose buddies for teaching her some "terrible two" lessons. I am only kidding - but I must say these past few days have been challenging. Although Edie has been sick (again) we are not quite sure if her attitude of slapping, biting, "no-no", whining, throwing, not sharing, and crying at the drop of a hat is from feeling bad or from feeling spoiled. Edie has always had such a good disposition that when she acts out it puts us all in a tail spin. I just want my sweet, kissy-face baby back. But even at her worst, Edie is still the most precious little girl ever.

Above is Edie getting ready for school. Yes she likes to brush her teeth while watching Tv. We have to get a better routine down for dental hygiene. Where did she get that precious dress from? Ms. Jackie of course! It was chilly out so we wore some brown leggings. Thanks Ms. Jackie! We LOVE the dress(s)!!

Is it March Already?

2010-03-06T23:16:00.008-06:00

I can not believe how fast time is flying by. I can't believe I have not posted since Feb 21st! So much has been going on and we have a lot to share. Edie is doing so well in school. She loves Prim Rose and continues to excel at The Bell Center. Edie has started to stand up completely from the "frog" position which shows great strength. She is also really starting to find walking fun. She giggles as she comes towards you (we have realized that if we continue to scoot backwards - she will continue to walk towards us). The best part for her is falling into our lap. She thinks it is quite fun and we think it is so exciting to see her taking steps, many steps on her own. Now we have to work hard to keep it going!

Speaking of walking and standing alone. We were able to get a few photos of Edie showing off at her recent 2 year photo shoot with my friend Grethel, owner of Grethel Van Epps Photography. I have always loved Grethel's work and she is truly amazing, but this time it was one of my favorite sessions. We took our time and enjoyed just "playing" and being together. We played with books, bubbles and keys. You can see her slide show here once on site go to clients login and type Edie. Enjoy!

Don't You Love It!

2010-03-06T23:11:00.006-06:00

Just wanted to share with you our newest love. Edie and I received these precious calling cards and gift cards from my dear friend Stacey Day owner of RocPaper. They are the sweetest things. My cards include My name - Mom to Edie, my phone number, email and blog address. Edie's has her name and a Ladybug design on the front and a cute design to match on the back of the card. I LOVE them!! Check out her site, she just uploaded some really cute stationary. Thanks so much Stacey - your the best!!

Halle's Hamper Playdate

2010-03-06T23:05:00.002-06:00

Today Edie and I hosted a Halle's Hamper party at our house. Our home was filled with the cutest little clothes, the cutest little babies and some really great friends. Edie had a blast playing with all of the children and having some "girl time". At this party you can pick your child's outfit and design it yourself by choosing your own combination of some really precious fabrics! It is a really fun concept! With all of the cute designs and fabrics how could any mommy resit! Check it out soon - spring/summer orders end March 15th!

Pee Pee in the Potty!

2010-03-06T22:57:00.002-06:00

Edie has really grown over the past month. She continues to amaze us. We bought her a potty several months ago with no expectations and no real plan. We just put it in the powder room, talked about it, played with it and let Edie sit on it while we were in the restroom. Sunday night to our surprise Edie was sitting in the kitchen floor and started to touch her diaper. When I asked her if she needed to "go potty" she pointed toward the powder room. So we went in there, I took her bottoms off and she sat on the potty for the first time without any pants on. She got off a few times and then sat on it again, looked at me with big eyes and she pee-peed!! I could not believe it! I grabbed her up gave her a big hug and called for Scott to come and see. With all of the excitement I scared Edie to tears. I reassured her that she had done a perfect job and gave her so many kisses. Like I said....she continues to amaze us.