Fall Photo Shoot

This last one is one of my favorite pics of Amelia. It just captures her perfectly.

20 Months

Getting SO big, SO fast!

Other photos from November online at

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150362069985916.345788.671875915&type=1&l=96b2df8959

Happy Thanksgiving!

19 Months / Happy Halloween!

Other photos from October can be viewed at

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150312314415916.336843.671875915&type=1&l=79967b581c

18 Months Old

Dear Amelia,

I can't believe it's already been 18 months! It feels like just yesterday we celebrated your first birthday and maybe a week ago, I held you in my arms for the very first time. But time has flown and you've gone from my tiny baby girl to a beautiful little girl.

A year ago I wrote you a letter and as I reread it tonight, I was blown away by how far you've come. Yes, it's been a year, but it doesn't seem like it's been that long. You not only talk, you talk incessantly. You don't just walk, you run. You don't don't just eat solid foods, you devour every bite like it may be your last.

Our last day of nursing was on Mother's Day and it was so bittersweet. I nursed you right before I left on a week-long trip to Jamaica. When I came home you didn't even make a move toward latching on. I was both heartbroken and relieved. I loved our snuggle time when you nursed. The way you would wrap one arm around my waist and stroke my chest with your other hand always seemed so sweet. It was our time together and the longest you would sit in my lap without fidgeting. Now you only snuggle me like that at bedtime or if you don't feel good. When we watch Elmo you want to sit NEXT to me. Every time I pull you on my lap, you wiggle off.

When your first birthday rolled around you were already saying many words - Mommy, Daddy, milk, baby, up, kitty, cheese, bubba (bottle), uh-oh, thank you and more! I think you were up to 20 words by the time we went to Australia in April. Your word count now has more than doubled. Maybe tripled. You even say small sentences - I want milk; I need help; I love you, Mommy. Each day new words tumble from your lips and I continue to be amazed at how quickly you're learning.

We went to your 18-month check-up today and the doctor was dazzled by your ability to identify the color yellow, count to five with me, and to the surprise of both of us, count backwards from 10 to 1. You were very excited to show him your eyes, ears, nose, mouth, belly and head. It was very cute. Not only did the doctor call you "already as smart as a smart 2-year-old," he joked that you're also bigger than some 2-year-olds! You are 35" tall and 29.8lbs, which puts you in the 97th percentile for height and weight. My sweet baby girl is moose and I love every ounce of you!!!

Speaking of love, you LOVE Elmo. I can put on an Elmo DVD and you will sit absolutely still for 27 minutes, giving me enough time to whip something together for dinner. Your favorite DVD features kids' songs and you know all of them - She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain; Twinkle, Twinkle; John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt; and more. It also focuses on counting down from 10 to 1. I guess that's where you learned how to do that and I just didn't realize you had picked it up. Not only do you know the songs, you love to dance. We'll play music videos of Will iAm and Jason Mraz singing with Elmo and you'll sing and dance along. It's really cute.

The other thing that's really cute is your curls. You have the best hair. I'm super jealous of these perfect little corkscrew curls that cover your little head. I joke that they are your horns in disguise since some days, you are the Devil. You will look at me and push food onto the floor. Or, worse are the times you throw yourself on the floor and kick and scream because tell you "no." Luckily for all of us, those moments don't happen all the time.

There's so much to share with you that I don't want to forget. You LOVE to read. You still have the best laugh. More often than not you like to push your bike (or car) instead of riding it. You are constantly chasing the little boys in our neighborhood and you get mad when they all run off because they are bigger than you and don't always realize you want to play with them. You LOVE to paint and without fail, you end up with paint all over your hands and face. You can definitely be a bully - when you want something, you try to whatever you can to get it. You've been bit three times at daycare, but luckily haven't bit anyone yet. You love to brush your teeth and that's good because you already have all but your 2-year molars! You are a little obsessed with babies, but not crazy about me holding them. And, you LOVE shoes - I think you might have an obsession when you're older.

I am excited to see what each day brings. You are a sweet, sweet girl who is full of happiness. You bring so much love to so many people. You share hugs and kisses to anyone who needs them and know how to make almost anyone laugh. You are a breath of fresh air in a world that needs more rays of sunshine. I can't adequately put into words how you make me feel when you offer me unexpected kisses or turn to me and say "Love you, Mommy."

Love you, Amelia,

Mommy

Time For Me

Tonight I had my first massage since the one I got when I was pregnant with Amelia. It was nothing short of AMAZING. I cannot remember the last time I felt that relaxed or peaceful. The massage therapist barely talked, which allowed me to fully enjoy every moment of silence.

I went into the massage feeling guilty but as I laid there, I realized I need to do such things for myself. I didn't fully understand how much I give of myself every day raising Amelia, working, and trying to keep life moving forward. I realized how little I allow myself to think of ME. Yes, I may nap on weekends when Amelia naps, but that doesn't mean I'm taking care of myself. It means that every once in awhile I give myself a break and give into my exhaustion. I need to do it more often. And so does Shaun!

17 Months Old!

I will find time to make some real posts soon, I promise. I want to do it. I need to do it. But for now, here's some pictures from August of our little princess.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150250164455916.322754.671875915&l=369de5fdf6&type=1

16 months old!

Our little tomboy is getting to be such a big girl. The month of July earned her her first set of skinned knees. The band aids became necessary when one tumble led to another and the re-skinning just kept occurring. Little Miss needs to SLOW DOWN! :)

Check out all of Amelia's JULY adventures here - http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150222051610916.313541.671875915&l=94362aea52&type=1.

15 Months Old!

To see more pictures of Amelia from the month of June, click on this link...

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150190490355916.306376.671875915&l=c6a641237b

Vote for Amelia!

PARENTING MAGAZINE is having a photo contest. Please go vote for Amelia!

Click on these links to vote!

http://www.parenting.com/photo_contest/137550/photos/all/406856

http://www.parenting.com/photo_contest/137550/photos/all/406887

http://www.parenting.com/photo_contest/137550/photos/all/406895

Groovin' on the Green

Tonight we went to the first installment of a Summer music in the park series called Groovin' on the Green. We packed a picnic and ate it there while we listened to the music. Amelia had a ball dancing to the music and walking around checking everyone out.

Swimsuit Model

Come on, you know you wish you could pull-off a ruffle-filled swimsuit like Amelia's! :)

She's too stinkin' cute for words. That's all I have to say!

Bare buns!

I need to snap this picture again with my real camera instead of my phone.

I LOVE the bare buns!

SO Big!

Last April I took these photos of Amelia sleeping on doll bed and originally posted them in this blog post.

Recently we were at Abby's house and Anna's doll bed (the same one above) was out so I tried to get a picture of Amelia with it. Thankfully she didn't break it when she sat on it! Since Amelia wasn't too steady on her feet Anna held her hands so I could snap a shot of how tall Amelia is compared to the bed now!

Big Girls Eat Off Plates

Amelia and I went to the Essex Tavern last week for a Girl's Night Out Dinner. She showed off what a big girl she is by eating off a plate without a mess for the first time. I was such a proud mommy!

Such a Happy Girl!

"Two" Cute in Pigtails

Check out those curls!

She toddles...

Amelia is a walker now. It's so crazy to watch her toddle around the house. She is SO proud of herself and while it brings me joy to see my little girl growing up, she's growing up too fast!

Once again, there were no injuries incurred during the filming of this clip. :)

Kisses for Elmo

This is so freaking adorable that I had to get it on video. We recently got this Elmo book and every night Amelia snags it off the shelf to read during bedtime routine. Without prompting she started giving Elmo kisses every time we read the book. I think it's too precious not to share!

Chatterbox

Amelia is definitely proving to take after me when it comes to talking. The girl is quite a chatterbox. She chatters ALL.THE.TIME. It's great. A week or so ago Shaun and I counted all the words Amelia says...

1) Dada/Daddy
2) Mama
3) Baby
4) Bubba
5) Elmo
6) Up
7) Uh-oh
8) Thank you
9) Pretty
10) Kitty
11) Cheese
12) Shoe
13) Nana
14) Apple
15) Owie
16) Hi
17) Yup
18) No
19) Ready
20) Ni-Ni (for night-night)

That's A LOT of words for an almost 14-month old. Now, if she'd just learn "please"...

My Little Book Worm

Amelia LOVES LOVES LOVES to read.

This past weekend I put two books in Amelia's crib when I put her down for her nap. Each day she "read" for about 30 minutes and then passed out. When she woke-up she went back to "reading" for about 10 minutes. Since Sunday night I've been putting a book in her crib when she goes to bed. Every morning she has been waking up and "reading" until we go in and get her.

She then "reads" again in the car on the way to daycare while we listen to her cds and then again on the way home. At bedtime we read 3 or 4 books.

It makes me SO happy to see her loving her books. I absolutely LOVE to read and have been hoping she would get the bug too!

She WALKS!!!

We've been working on walking for awhile now. Amelia's confidence has been growing. Just this weekend alone I saw huge improvements in her attempts at walking.

On Friday she took three quick steps - practically running to the safety of my arms.


On Saturday she walked around the neighborhood insistent on holding both my hands. If I even tried to pull one of my hands away she'd sink to her knees and refuse to walk. It was both frustrating and funny.

Yesterday we cruised around the front yard, but this time she paraded around confidently only holding one of my hands. She did amazingly well at regaining her balance when she faltered and seemed so proud of herself.

Then today when I picked her up from daycare she greeted me the biggest grin ever. Who would have ever guessed that minutes later she'd close the gap between us by proudly staggering 8 steps to me. I shouted in pride and excitement while I fought back tears. I was SO happy for my little girl, but so sad that she's growing up so fast.

When we got home I subjected her to some videotaping...

I promise she's fine at the end. It looks, and sounds, worse than it was - she didn't even cry!

Amelia Goes to Australia

We had a FABULOUS trip to Australia to see Shaun's family. Amelia did SO well on the flight over and proved to be quite the adaptable little traveler. Our two weeks were filled with lots of family time and playtime with cousins. What more could we ask for!

I have a whole album of photos online at
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150150185070916.285117.671875915&l=2d544180e7 so I encourage you to go there to see all 140+ photos since it would take me AGES to post them here. Just click the link and you should be able to view them whether you have a Facebook account or not.

Coming home was definitely a lot harder. Amelia maybe slept for 6 of the 36 hours we were in transit. She was an angel given the situations we were in, but it was definitely more rough than the flight there. I think next time we'd consider an overnight in Los Angeles just to make things easier on ourselves. Food for thought.

While it is so nice to be home and back into our routines, we are sad not to be there. Watching Amelia play with her cousins Georgia and Jenson was awesome. The three of them were super cute together and I loved watching them all interact. I think she misses them too. We haven't been able to Skype with them since we've been home, but I'm curious to see how she reacts to seeing them online.

Amelia's first birthday!

I will post the pictures here but for now, here's a link to an album where they are already posted.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150112262515916.280410.671875915&l=a839646f1a

You do not need to have a Facebook account to see them. I have made it a public album.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Our sweet little leprechaun!

I think the tongue came out in response to something

about getting kisses for being Irish. :)

She Makes Me Laugh

Tonight I was able to catch a few moments of Amelia on video to share. I love this girl! She definitely knows how to make her momma laugh. I hope you get a good laugh too!!

Okay, so this is a little long but I promise you, the end is hilarious. I was trying to video how Amelia cleans off her tray when she's done eating. Then, she made me SO grateful that it's a bath night!

Amelia seems to love music. Her daycare provider says she is always dancing when there's music on. I've noticed when I left her watch The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse she always dances along with the Hot Dog Dance at the end of each episode.

I'm a Survivor...

In mid-February I attended a women's luncheon event hosted by the American Heart Association. The Go Red For Women Luncheon is a national fundraising event to raise awareness about the number one killer of women - heart disease. I joined almost 500 other women at this event for two reasons - the networking and to support a cause that I want to embrace since I feel like it's the best one I can relate to for personal reasons.

In the last year I've told my story dozens of times. It's not something I offer-up just because - usually someone sees my scar or there's a related topic on the table. I try to tell the story with the tone of "thank God I was pregnant and my daughter is a miracle in more than one way." She is a lifesaver, whether she knows it or not.

At the luncheon a local women, Michelle, stood up and told her story. It was moving. In short, she came home from the grocery store and collapsed in her driveway. Luckily her husband was right there, but so was her young daughter. I can't image how that affected her daughter. Her husband did CPR and the luckily, the local rescue squad got her to the hospital in time to save her life. She suffered a Sudden Cardiac Arrest. I don't know for sure if she has a defibrillator or not. I think so, but it doesn't matter. She's a lucky woman and a Survivor.

After Michelle spoke, she asked the attendees to make a gift to the American Heart Association. On the table where pledge cards to fill-out with your information. Part of the pledge card allowed you to make a gift in someone's honor or someone's memory. I filled out my pledge card and then was informed by a friend that she made her gift in my honor. I didn't know what to say so I just said, "thanks." I didn't think of myself the way she does - a Survivor. I know that's what she thinks because she also informed me that she think next year I should be the Survivor Speaker and she was going to tell the committee members she knows about me. All I could think was "Ugh!" and that I don't have a story that would impact enough people, because thinking like that wasn't how I look at it. How could I even compare myself to a woman who had pretty much died and came back? I don't know what I consider myself but despite calling Amelia a lifesaver, I have never called myself a Survivor.

After the luncheon I went about life. Then last night I was watching The Evening News and they talked about a Michigan high school team that was playing their first game since the sudden death of a teammate, Wes. (see the story here) Wes made the winning shot of the game and collapsed on the floor. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. Sudden cardiac death at SIXTEEN years old. Tests found he had a large heart and was never treated. He played that last game despite flu symptoms. He made the winning shot, but it also cost him his life.

I found myself sitting there watching the piece with tears welling in my eyes. I got lucky. I collapsed in a parking lot and two people saw me go down. Wes collapsed in a gym FULL of people. I lived. I am a Survivor. I don't know why that's weird for me to say. Calling myself a Survivor is like trying to talk with a dry mouth full of cotton balls. Maybe it takes it all to a whole new understanding of what really happened that day. I don't know, but I guess going forward, I know wether I say it or not, I'm a Survivor.

Crazy Snow Storm!

We got PUMMELED yesterday/last night/today with a TON of snow. The back deck had been cleaned off but not anymore...

So Shaun went out to shovel (darn reflection ruined my good picture but you get the idea)...

Amelia Playing in Her Jammies

Just waking up from her nap...

"Eating" some chocolate cake...

(guess I should give her a real snack)

Watching Daddy shovel the back deck...

Blowing Daddy a kiss...

Daddy & Amelia waving to each other...

She Makes Me Laugh

Amelia being silly with her shirt on her head like a wig and

giving me some attitude. What a cheese ball!

Such a Happy Girl!

NO!

Amelia's favorite word - "no!"

With the head shake to match. :)

D3: Dreamed.Designed. Delivered.

In January I gave notice and left my job with the National MS Society to start my own business.

I decided that "ShawnnaLea" and "Zemanek" were too unique to incorporate into a business name and have people easily find me. I wanted something that wasn't too "wedding-y" because I didn't want to pigeon-hole myself into just weddings. After playing around with names, D3 Event Management & Consulting was born. D3 standing for Dreamed Designed Delivered.

I designed business cards and got them printed. I've started distributing them to everyone I know. The next step is getting my website up and running. It will take some time to write all the copy and get the pictures together, but I'm hoping to have it done in the next two weeks. *fingers crossed*

So far I've done some consulting work at two resorts and I'm busy with the yoga conference that is taking place next February in Jamaica. And networking with plans to do a lot more networking.