Milestones

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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



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......

Mercedes Marathon 2011 - all wrapped up

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

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

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

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"

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

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

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.