Snails and Ladybugs

Last year we bought Edie a snail costume for Halloween only to discover that it was way too big. So although she is now 21 months old she was finally able to wear her 12 month old snail costume for Halloween. As you can see she was too cute! Normally Edie does not like hats but this hat was different. I am not sure if it was the bulging eyeballs or the fact that she knew she was so cute in it - but whatever the reason she wore it with out a fuss. We were not able to get out and Trick or Treat in Gatlinburg because of the rain. However, Edie did sport her snail costume all during dinner at a local restaurant. She was the cutest snail ever!

Nan and Pawpaw surprised her with a big fat Ladybug for Halloween. She loves to lay on it and pat it to sleep. Something else she likes to pat to sleep is her dolls. That is right after she drinks their milk!

Kitty Cat

We were surprised last week with a gift in the mail from Ms. Jackie {Edie's other Grandmother}. It was the cutest little dress with orange bows and a black cat just in time for Halloween. Edie wore this dress for three days in a row! Her final debut was during the trip to Gatlinburg. It fit perfectly and looked so sweet on Edie. Thank you Ms. Jackie! We also received a precious handmade dress from Ms. Jackie for Christmas which was delivered by Nan. I can't wait to put Edie in it too!!

Holiday Photo Shoot

I am still trying to catch up on my posts. We have had a lot of things going on with the fundraiser and our recent trip to Gatlinburg {I will post pictures later} but for now I wanted to share with you photos from our recent shoot with Grethel. We met with her last Friday morning for pictures. It was hot, humid and Edie was not in the best of moods by the end of the shoot - but we still got some really GREAT photos of her! And us! Once again our house will be filled with new photos but I promised Scott that a little wall space will remain in our house. I just can't help it though. I love my beautiful little girl!

go to www.gvephotography.com click on client and enter password - edie. Enjoy!

Buddy Walk 2009

Sunday was a day of celebration. Our family along with over 1000 others celebrated with friends and family members who have been touched by an angel with Down Syndrome. During the month of October National Down Syndrome Awareness Month PADS {Parent Advocates for Down Syndrome} host the annual Buddy Walk. During this event we all join together, raise money and walk in honor of a child and/or adult with DS. Thus far the PADS members have raised over $85,000. Their goal is to raise $100,000 by October 31st. So if you have some lunch money to spare next week please visit www.parentadvocatesdownsyndrome.com and help this organization to reach their goal. Money raised this year will benefit the Adult Down Syndrome Clinic at UAB Hospital.

We too are a part of this group. Scott has served as VP of PADS this year and did a great job in coordinating a very successfull 2009 Buddy Walk. This year was actually the highest attendance ever! Congratulations Dada! We are so proud of you for putting your heart and soul into making this year a success!

The Great Pumpkin Patch

We braved the cold today and headed out the the Pumpkin Patch in Clanton, AL. We played on the pumpkins, in the sunflower field and took a hay ride to the pumpkin patch. We scoured the patch until we found the "perfect" pumpkin. I actually bought Edie and I pumpkin hats from etsy just for this occasion. {i'm a goob i know} Of course Edie was not into wearing her hat even though she looked so cute in it. I think it was because she was tired and VERY cold. We have realized after today that Edie is not a fan of cold weather especially when there is wind involved. She is more of a suggeler which is also fine with us. Just not when we are trying for a photo shoot!

This cold snap did prompt us to go on a shopping spree too! We had not really realized until this morning that Edie does not have a warm coat. She has many jackets, sweaters and blankets - but no coat. So this evening she and I went to town and purchased her a precious green wool coat, a fleece bubble sleeveless jacket and a pair of pants lined with fleece. She is sure to be warm next time!!

Friends Big and Small

Last weekend we had over some of our good friends to watch the game. Well - the dads watched and the moms and babies played. We had a good time. Edie loved playing with Audrey, Maxwell, Andrew, Carter and Rossy. It was chaotic with all of the kiddos but for me it was great! It makes me want to add two or three more to the Shunnarah household. Chaotic yes - but so rewarding! I love the cahos!! And I love all of our friends and their babies.

aha Moment

A friend posted a comment to Edie's blog that I wanted to share. Take a moment to look at this site and vote for this aha moment. As Jack mentioned the top vote will be an aha moment TV commercial next year. The more awareness of Down Syndrome the more understanding the world will become.

Jack said...
Thanks for sharing Edie's story. You seem to have a wonderful family.As this is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, thought I’d pass along an easy way to help raise awareness: check out this short video -- http://www.ahamoment.com/vote/barry -- about the aha moment of father of a child with Down Syndrome who learned what you can do with challenges. If you like his story, click to vote for him, as the top vote getter's in the contest will be aha moment TV commercials next year. More media exposure around Down Syndrome awareness would be a very good thing, so spread the word if you can. First round ends Oct 15, so get your vote in soon!Thanks,jack@ahamoment.com
October 14, 2009 6:42 PM

Do You Have 9 Minutes to Spare?

If so see this {i copied from a friends blog - hope you don't mind sandy}. This is a very informative video teaching us all how those with Down Syndrome are more alike, than different. If you are like me you may sometimes find yourself thinking that most teenagers and adults with Down Syndrome may never drive a car, go to college, get a job, live unassisted, etc., etc. After all, it is what society has taught us. I even sometimes catch myself thinking "What if Edie never {blank}" then I quickly remember "look what she has already accomplished at just 21 months!" and so what if she doesn't drive a car one day. I will drive her! She is truly amazing just as all those with Down Syndrome are Amazing. See so for yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKUkj7Pmk_0

In Honor of National Down Syndrome Awarness Month and Edie Shunnarah

What a more perfect time to kick off our fundraising for the "2nd Annual Ladybug Fundraiser" honoring Edie and Benefiting The Bell Center for Early Intervention than October. This month is National Down Syndrome Awareness Month and we want to make you AWARE that Down Syndrome is a blessing! Our lives have truly been blessed by Edie. She has given us so much more than we could ever give to her. Our lives are so much fuller, richer and meaningful because of Edie. She has shown us how to embrace and love life and appreciate all that we have.

Because of Edie we have also been introduced to some wonderful families and individuals. Some of these individuals you will find at The Bell Center for Early Intervention in Homewood, AL. These ladies have cared for our family as if we were a part of their own. They have actually become a part of our family and we feel honored to know them. Last year, due to much love from family and friends our "2009 Team Ladybug"raised over $10,000 for TBC during the Mercedes Marathon event. This year we are raising the challenge to $18,000! Please take some time to read "Our Story" and what TBC means to us. Please also consider making a charitable contribution to our wonderful cause and take part in supporting these beautiful children. Also pass along this blog or the http://www.edieshunnarah.firstgiving.com/edieshunnarah to anyone you know who would like to give a gift as well. We love and appreciate you so much!!

"Our Story"

The baby room was complete. All of her tiny little clothes were laundered and our bags were packed, with her coming home dress folded next to mine. The car seat was secure, our camera batteries were charged. We were prepared. We were ready and on January 14th, 2008 God blessed our family with Edith Gabrielle Shunnarah.

She was beautiful. She had all ten fingers, all ten toes and a little something extra. “Edie” was born carrying an extra chromosome. In clinical terms she was born with Trisomy 21, Down Syndrome. Scott and I thought we were so prepared, so ready, but we never expected this. We were not ready to care for a baby with Special Needs. We knew nothing about Down Syndrome, how to care for a child with this diagnoses, what the future would hold for us, for our {brand new} baby girl. All I could ask was – “God why us? Why me? Why our little girl? – She does not deserve this life you have chosen for her"

We were introduced to The Bell Center by every random nurse and doctor who entered our room. With so many recommendations we knew this was our next step. We made the call and met with Ms. Betty Bell five days after Edie was born. It was tough entering the facility for the first time. We were a bit uncomfortable as we sat in the car trying to catch our breath and dry our tears. Neither Scott nor I had ever been exposed to this world and yet we were now a part of it. We were not ready and we had no idea what to expect. We were immediately put to ease once we spoke with Ms. Betty. She knew so much more about us than we did ourselves. She knew our thoughts, concerns, feelings, and she knew our daughter was worth every ounce of love the would had to give. She advised us to go home and enjoy our baby, love our baby and five weeks later Edie attended her first class.

Since this first class Edie has gone from learning to hold tiny rattles to walking while being assisted and everything in between. Scott and I have gone from “clueless” to very well informed and very well supported. We have so much love and respect for Ms. Betty, the therapist and volunteers who serve at The Bell Center. And to show our gratitude we started “The Ladybug Fundraiser in honor of Edie Shunnarah” in 2008 raising over ten thousand dollars for The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs.

We can easily say our life was turned upside down on January 14th, 2008 and it was turned upside down for all of the right reasons. We could not have asked for a more wonderfully special child than our Edie. She has taught us more about life and what truly matters than you would ever know. We were not prepared nor were we ready but God was. He was ready to bless us with one of his greatest gifts of all. And we are so glad that he chose this life for us.

Teething and Tantrums

Poor Edie..........Last week Edie developed a stomach bug which gave her many dirty diapers, a lack of appetite and I am sure stomach pains. On top of this we are pretty sure she is teething. She is visibly getting her right incisor tooth but we think she may also be getting in some larger teeth in the back. She is constantly sticking her thumb towards the back of her mouth and chewing on it. I have tried teething toys, teething biscuits as well as frozen washcloths. She does not seem to like anything as well as she likes her thumb. However what she does LOVE are the teething tablets. Are they really just sugar pills, placebos as some say? Or do they really do something? Whatever it is Edie loves it! I have been giving her 3 before bed and the other night she signed "more". She has only wanted crackers for the past 4 days but she wanted "more" teething tablets!

We think at this point Edie is over her bug - but the crying seems to persist. Almost everything over the weekend upset her. We have never seen her cry so much. In fact, because she hardly ever cries, when she does it sends Scott and I into panic/stress mode. We just do not know how to handle it. We hate not being able to soothe and seeing her so upset. I am sure some has to do with still feeling a little puny but we are beginning to wonder if she is pulling one over on us.

She got a little too accustomed to eating just Gold Fish and Ritz crackers during her stomach bug. We made her pancakes, waffles, oatmeal (twice), toast, pb&j, fish sticks, chopped meat, veggies, chicken noodle soup,muffin tops - all of her favorites and she still wanted nothing but crackers! So what did we do? We gave our baby crackers and still this morning all she wanted was crackers. Luckily Gigi was able to get her to eat creamed potatoes and meatballs today so maybe things will begin to get back to normal. We hope so anyway. I miss her little potbelly!!

2009 PADS Buddy Walk

Tomorrow begins National Down Syndrome Awareness Month. Please become an Advocate this month for our precious children and spread the word on how Exceptional they truly are. Let others know how you have been touched by a child with Down Syndrome. You can even go a step further and join us October 18th at Regions Park for the 2009 Buddy Walk and personally show your support. The day will be filled with games, music, food and ending with a short walk. Your ten dollar donation even includes a 2009 Buddy Walk shirt! Scott is actually the VP of PADS this year and his main responsibility has been to coordinate this big day. We are so proud of him - so come and see what he has planned!!

Click link to make your donation today and to find out more about the Buddy Walk

http://www.bhambuddywalk.com/index.php

Look at Me!

Edie has been walking with her push toy for several weeks now - but this past Saturday she really showed off!! We were at a friends house for the game and Edie grabbed Anna James' push toy and went to town. At one point they were both walking together. It was so cute!! I have never seen her so determined to use the push toy. Later that evening she went to town with her own push toy. One thing I have learned about Edie is she does things on her own time and to her own tune. We have tried working with her in the past on walking and if she does not want to do it there is really no "making" her. But everyone was right. Edie will do it when she is good and ready. And she was ready Saturday!! I bet she would have walked all night long!!

Now we just have to learn to navigate. Once Edie hits the wall she can not physically turn the toy around. So she just sits, bounces on her bottom and grunts until we move it around for her. I know she will figure it out soon a long with bending her knees when she walks which is a big issue for most children with DS. They tend to sometimes want to lock their knees and "waddle". Poor baby - I apologize for the pants. She has enough things to concentrate on with out having to trip over her pants and their being 6" too long. I promise not to do it again!! But as you can see it did not slow her down a bit!

Happy Retirement Nannie!!

Nannie is officially retiring Wednesday September 30th! We are so proud of her and excited to see what this new chapter of her life will bring. I hope it brings her more joy than she ever knew was possible. I know Edie will be excited to spend more time with her as will I. Nannie deserves a break and a long vacation. She has a lot of things planned starting with a long camping trip to South Carolina the day after she clocks out for the last time! Once she returns she will be spending some time with Edie and the rest of her grand babies I am sure. We celebrated her retirement Sunday with the whole family including our new addition Wylie. Edie was pooped after such a long day as were we!!

Roll Tide!!

I am amazed everyday at the wonderful things Edie is doing. I am even more amazed at how she is growing and turning into a little girl. She is still my baby and always will be, but she is quickly turning into a little girl. She is such a ham when it comes to the camera. When I pull it out she immediately starts smiling and posing. This lasts for only a few minutes though so I have to be quick!! This is Edie sporting her new bama suite I got her at Sew What in Helena. It came with both shorts and pants. However, the shorts are almost pants on Edie when she stands. I bought her the 18 month - months ago just knowing it would fit. I had to move the buttons up 5" to get to fit a little better. She will be wearing this outfit for three football seasons!

Isn't She Beautiful!!!!

This is a favorite photo I recently snapped of Edie. She is so beautiful. I think she looks like a little baby doll. We are going to a party on Friday where there will be a vendor there who makes jewelry out of photos. So I have been going through Edie's pictures for a photo necklace. This may be the winner!!

Where Have We Been?

I can't believe September is almost over and I have posted so little. It just goes to show how busy we have been! We have been here, there, and everywhere. Edie is really moving these days and in to everything. I have officially purchased locks for the cabinets. First and foremost I do not want Edie to get hurt crawling through them, but secondly I am tired of cleaning up after the little booger!

Edie leaves a trail daily, hourly throughout the entire house. She starts in our bathroom pulling out everything in my drawers and and cabinets. Then she moves on to the bedroom and my sock drawer. Next on to my jewelry cabinet pulling out everything she can get her hands on. Then it is to the playroom where the tornado really hits. After that the kitchen where she pulls all of the letters off of the fridge. In between pulling out all of her Tupperware. Lastly it is to the living room! I can't keep up!!

Above is were she spotted her toys I had put away in the closet while I rotate them. It is amazing how intrigued she was with the farm toy on that day, once it was put away - while it was out she had absolutely no interest in it!!

Play Dates

We have been quite busy with life lately. We always seem to be coming and going and never sitting. Between traveling with work, MDO and TBC we have managed to spend some fun times with our friends too! A few weeks ago Edie and I tagged along with my neighbor Deanna and her son Maxwell for a trip to the zoo. It started to rain 10 minutes into the trip. But the good thing was because of the rain most of the visitors left and the rain forced the zoo animals to stay close to the glass surrounds where there was the most shelter. Which gave us close up and personal one on one time. At one point Edie's was face to face with the Bangle Tiger! It was pretty cool I must say. We also had the entire petting zoo to ourselves. So despite the rain we had a great time.

Most recently we met my dear friend Stacey and her two boys Carter and Ross for lunch and a little fun time at Veterans Park on Vally dale. A very impressive park I must say. Not only does it have a handicap accessable play area complete with a rubber surface it also is equipped with handicap swings. I have never actually seen these in person but they are pretty cool and look so comfy. Next to this play area they have an additional playground for smaller kids and bigger kids. Mommy loved the AstroTurf surface and Edie loved the itty bitty slide. I would sit her on top and she would wiggle until she started to slip down the slide. I struggled not to touch her because I wanted her to do it on her own - but I did support her head each time as to make sure she did not bump it going down. As for the AstroTurf I think it is a perfect choice for our back yard. It is not the cheap shinny plastic kind. I am sure it too is made of plastic but it had some type of loose, black, rubbery pebbles down in it. I am thinking to absorb moisture and to give it buoyancy?? Good guess I thought.

After much play, some tears, spit up and Carter's beet -red face we decided to call it a day. Our last laugh was watching teeny tiny Stacey struggle to carry 16 lb Rossy while trying to open a car door that did not even belong to her! she was a little distracted I have to admit by Carter's spill onto the pavement, but it was still funny. I have to hand it to her she is a great mom to two gorgeous little boys. I am fortunate to have such great friends. Especially friends with cameras!! I forgot mine each time so I borrowed these from Stacey's blog. The one on the top Carter and Edie looking into a fish eye mirror. I'll steel some photos from Deanna and post soon too!!

Save The Date

This November we will be having our 2nd Annual Ladybug Fundraiser to benefit The Bell Center for Early Intervention. Last year we thought of having a fundraiser in honor of Edie and as a part of our marathon PIT fundraising for The Bell Center. So we came up with the "Ladybug Fundraiser". Why Ladybug? Because that is what we call Edie. Why you ask? Because Ladybugs are a sign of luck and fortune and that is exactly what Edie has brought us. We are lucky in love and so very fortunate to have been blessed with such a beautiful, wonderful little girl.

Last year we had over 100 people to attend and we raised over $7000.00 the night of the fundraiser. We had entertainment, food and a silent auction. This year we hope to have even more to attend and of course we hope to raise even more for The Bell Center. Things have certainly gotten off to a great start. My wonderfully sweet and talented friends Stacey Day http://www.rocpaper.com/ and Grethel Vann Epps of http://www.gvephotography.com/ donated their time and talents in creating the Save The Date card. I love and appreciate both Stacey and Grethel for helping us with our great cause. Above is what we actually had printed and the header photo was mine and Scott's 2nd choice of our favorite photo. We just love Edie's smile in it. It was too cute not to share. (Grethel I hope you don't mind).

We have pinned down date, place, time and entertainment thus far. We have donations for the silent auction coming in already including, a photo session and CD of photos by Grethel Vann Epps http://www.gvephotography.com/, UA Merchandise and several getaways - out of home, out of town and out of state. I am so excited to see things in motion and I can not wait for it to all come together. We have a long way to go and so much more to do. If you or anyone you know would like to donate a talent or item to our silent auction I would love to hear from you! Also if you did not receive a Save The Date or know someone who would be interested in coming I would also love to hear from you so I can get it in the mail. michelleandscottshunnarah@yahoo.com

Mark your calendars!! We hope to see you there!

So Much to Say.......So Little Time

Man. I am so behind! So much has happened and most so long ago I am going to try and remember it all for you.........

We went home to Billingsley for the Davis Family Reunion last Saturday. This was Edie's 2nd reunion. We had family from FL, MS and all over AL to attend. It is always great to see everyone and catch up. There was actually a lot of the kids (I am referring to myself too) there this year. It never last long enough and with Edie needing a nap it was cut especially short for us. We all had fun and ate a lot of great home cooking! There was some buzz about having it in Piedmont, AL next year which will be a nice change and a lot of fun. I am looking forward to it!!

A few weeks ago Edie visited Dr. Cortopasi for her checkup. She got two shots HEP A and a flu shot. She also had blood drawn for her yearly thyroid test. Things did not go so well this visit. Dr. Cortopasi was running behind due to the overwhelming amount of sick kids on a Monday (note to self - never schedule an appointment on a Monday again!) Because of the delay Scott had to go back to work before the shots were administered which threw me into a panic since he is the one who always holds Edie's hands and body while I look away because for one I can not stand needles and for two I especially can not stand seeing my baby cry. I did step up to the plate to hold Edie and practally cried along with her. She was so pitiful. The nurse had a little trouble finding a good vein and by the time she inserted the needle Edie was already in tears. She laied there looking up at the nurse crying to the point that she started making this "ooooo...ohhh....ooooo" noise. It was the saddest, weirdest, cutest noise all at the same time. Man I love that baby girl and I hate to see her hurt. After the nurse was done she quietened down a little but then when I laied her back down to put on her clothes she fell apart. I finally got her to calm down to a few sniffles when she saw her big, pink, camo band aid on her arm and started to scream again. Poor baby cried herself to sleep on the way home holding on to her big, pink, camo band aid.

The good news of the visit was they thyroid test came back normal. Edie is now 20 lbs 3 oz. She is 50th percentile in weight which is great! And 90th percentile in height on the DS chart which is great too! Dr. Cortopasi said she may just have her Daddy's height!!

Stuff Your Face Tailgate Party

This past Sunday The Bell Center hosted a "Stuff Your Face" Tailgate Party at Sloss Furnace. It was the first year for the fundraiser and it really turned out to be a lot of fun despite the rain earlier in the day. They had around 8 team tents set up under a covered area representing different university's. Each team decorated their tent and offered food with a "Team Spirit" flair. We definitely "stuffed" our faces with good food and drink. They had prizes for teams with the best spirit, most creative tent and most creative food. The turn out was good and I think they raised a good bit of money too!! Edie had fun seeing all of her buddies, dancing, eating and petting the "look-a-like" Georgia Bull Dog. There is already a lot of buzz on what they are going to do next year!!