Sooooo EXCITED!

YEY My abuela and Titi Arelis and Gwen and Darwin are coming up from Florida. I have never met Darwin, but if he is as cool as Gwen then we should be good! LOL

Oh and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TITI JANETTE!

I know I haven't posted much but we have just been hanging out and taking it easy. We have a bunch of appointments coming up soon, so I am happy for the break.

Oh guess what Mommy and Daddy turned my car seat around!! Yup...now I just wonder, why didn't they do this sooner!!!!!!! It is soooo much better. I can see EVERYTHING. Mommy was a little bothered by it, she wanted me to stay turned around...something about it being safer, but Daddy said my seat wiggled too much when it was backwards....ANYWAY I am facing forward and I LOVE IT!!!! It is soooo much waaaaay better. Daddy laughs because I stare at him while he is driving LOL. He doesn't know I do it to make him uncomfortable! Oh and it is so funny because Mommy practically sits backwards in her front seat so she can play with me. I know it is soooo not safe, but she is Mommy, she is supposed to know what she can and cannot do. She tells me ALL the time the things I can't do. When I fall asleep she sits the correct way....at least I think so...I am sleeping so I really don't know....hmmm I wonder how I can find out...anyway

YEY YEY YEY my family is coming up to hang out with me!

Hopefully we will have some new pictures this weekend.

Later!

Yearly Review....LOL

Well I went for my 12 month check, but really I am 13 months old...its all good. Here are the stats.

21lbs. 14oz. and 30 inches tall

And this time they did it again....I got stuck 3 TIMES! But it was okay, I guess. I am kind of used to it. Though I yelled like nobody's business when the first one went in!!!

But I think what the worst thing was this finger thing. They stuck my finger and took out blood! Yeah not excited about that at all. And then they put this tight band-aid on my finger oh man all I wanted to do was take it off. I kept on messing with it! I think Mommy snuck a picture of me trying to take it off. But I left it alone, finally....

Oh so listen to this one. You know, my parents keep saying this thing is "for me" but I don't think it really is. They got me a "toy box". But, it is not a "toy box" it is a crazy thing that keeps my toys locked up and I can't get to them unless someone opens the top!!! What is that about?! I saw the box, it didn't say "toy box" on the side. Well, I can't read it..... but, there were no pictures of toys in it or out of it. It is a "storage bench". I heard Mommy tell Titi Chell that. I mean it is kind of cool. All of my toys are in one place and I can go into it when I want. At least Mommy left out my favorite toys. My 4Wheeler and truck and books are out. I can get those anytime! The living room does look a little better because my blocks aren't everywhere and I do like to sit on top of it. So maybe it's not so bad. I still don't like the fact that I have to have someone open the top for me to get my stuff. I guess when I get bigger it will be easier!

Okay gotta go! Bye

This Is What I do....

Love me or leave me....but I need to explore and I am just too cool about it....I am all about the LEAN these days. I LEAN on the couch, LEAN against the chair, LEAN on my parents....it's a thing.....

Please Just Please Stop Messin With Me!

Okay, well it really isn't that bad, but man we were at the doctor for EVER yesterday. Everyone was really nice oh man and this girl Erin had me dying with the bubbles! Oh it was so funny, but I think everyone was laughing at my laugh. Not sure, but it was funny!

Well they tested me again so they could set my hearing aids right and this time I sat on Daddy's lap when they did it. But I was tired and got bored after a while, but they were able to get enough readings to set my aids right! Which was the point. I heard Mommy telling the audiologist, that is the person who checks my hearing. Have I told you that already? Sorry if I did. Anyway. They weren't going to do a test, but Mommy asked them to do another one because there were different answers for the different tests. That is how Mommy explained it to me. So she wanted to make sure they were programming me right. Okay whatever that is all the technical stuff.

So they stick these things in my ears! Yeah they call them earmolds. So weird! It is all rubbery and then they ALL did it. Paula, Mommy, Daddy and Erin. It was like okay people enough is enough! My ears need a break. But after they were done teaching Mommy and Daddy how to put them in and take care of them. They weren't that bad. I let them put them in and I kept them in.

It was pretty funky to hear things the new way. We will see how all this goes. The big problem is my glasses and the hearing aids are fighting for space on the back of my ears. So they gave us this hair tape??? Who needs tape for their hair? Anyway, Mommy said they were going to try some of it tonight.

She put them on me this morning....ummm that was interesting....for Mommy. Look I know they are good for me, I just have to get used to it, I know, I know, but I didn't want them on this morning. So I gave Mommy a little fight. But, she got them in. I don't know how with all the moving around I was doing, but she did. Then we went to Mari's house and Mommy had to show her how they worked. HAHAHA I heard Mommy tell her that if I pulled them out and if she didn't want to work with them today she could put them in the little bag she brought. Mommy wanted her to to let me just be with them in for as long as I would go. Maybe I will pull them out really early!!!!!! And then I don't have to wear them AT ALL, well as least until Mommy or Daddy come get me. But they said I will have to get used to them. I don't know how long that is going to take.....maybe NEEEEEVVVVVVEEEEEERRRRRR! No I think Mommy and Daddy would be sad. I might try to work with them on these hearing aid things. Hey check out this pic. You can barely see them LOL My curls cover them up and they match the color of my hair almost exactly.

Can you see them?

I think I need to get some endorsement deals.....Miraflex for my glasses and Phonak for my HAs LOL Then maybe Mommy can stay home from work!!! Ohhh that would be fuuuuuuun.

Today Is The Day

Today we go to UNC and have another hearing test. Its the one where they play the sound I look to the side, the animals light up, yeah yeah yeah. We have done it a few times already. But Mommy said they need to do it again so they can program my hearing aids to amplify, that means make louder, (I didn't know what it meant until Mommy explained it to me, so I thought I would tell you also) the sounds that I don't hear so well. Then my aids will help me the right way. I hope this works out. I don't know how I feel about having more things on me. My glasses are cool. I love my glasses now. I take them off, try to put them on. I fix them if they get crooked. They are a part of me. I guess these will have to become a part of me also.

Well Daddy is coming this time with Mommy. He hasn't seen me take the test so at least it will be new for SOMEONE. HAHAHA

Okay I'll let you know how things go. Mommy is coming to pick me up soon.

Went to A Party This Weekend!

So I was invited to a birthday party on Saturday. Yes, me. The invitation was to me and if I wanted to bring my parents, I could. I decided I should since there would be a lot of different people around and I would need someone to watch out for me with the bigger kids and feed me when I got hungry. So I told thme about the party and we dediced we should ALL go.

The party was a birthday party for Ronnie and Ashley. They are the neighbors and I hang out with them during the day because they are my babysitter's kids. It was fun! There were a lot of people there and I was hanging out with Mommy and Daddy. They had a pinata too. Ronnie wanted me to hit it with the stick, but Daddy said I was too little so they gave it to another kid. I got a party hat and a goodie bag with candy that Mommy mostly ate. She always takes my candy and Daddy takes my lollipops. Good thing I don't like any of that stuff, because then we might have a problem!

Well here I am with my Daddy and messing with my party hat. I mean they gave me one. I put it on. But, it didn't last....strings around under my chin, not my thing. LOL You can even see Daddy in the picture asking me why I wanted to take it off...Hello?!?! Wouldn't you?

On Sunday we went to BJs to go pick up some stuff for me, you know the usual diapers, wipes, food and juice. I wanted to get in on the action and help out....well watch the video you'll see what I'm talking about. Oh yeah and that musical break down in the middle of my task happens often. When the music hits me...I HAVE TO DANCE!

No, I'm Not Deaf, Just Hard of Hearing...

There is a difference. According to the tests the doctors have done, they say I have a problem hearing low tones. Mommy and I met a really nice teacher that came to the house yesterday from Early Intervention. She is supposed to help teach Mommy and Daddy how to help me learn how to talk better than I already do. I mean I understand what I am saying, it is just that no one else does LOL. Well I was scoring off the charts in some things and right at my level or a little above in others, Mommy calls them "Developmental Skills". She seems nice and will be coming over like every other week, Mommy thinks. And then we will see how much help I need.

So, Mommy thought it would be a good idea to put this information up for everyone to read and can understand a little of what we are dealing with right now. I have a mild to moderate hearing loss. Believe me I can hear Mommy and Daddy call me and talking to me. I love to talk back and respond. I love my music and dancing, so all this stuff and my hearing aids should help me with learning how to talk PERFECTLY!!

Description of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss can be conductive (due to faulty transmission of sound waves) or sensorineural (faulty sound reception by nerve cells), or both.

Common causes of conductive hearing loss are wax blocking the ear, a perforated eardrum, or fluid in the ears.

Common reasons for sensorineural deafness are noise exposure, age-related changes, and ototoxic drugs (that damage hearing).

Hearing loss can be:

• mild (a loss up to 40 dB) - with trouble in hearing ordinary conversation

• moderate (40-60 dB) - where voices must be raised to be heard

• severe (over 60 dB loss) - where people must shout to be heard.

According to the World Health Organization, the term "deaf" should only be applied to individuals with hearing impairment so severe that they cannot benefit from sound amplification or hearing aid assistance.

The most common cause of sensorineural deafness is aging which produces presbycusis - literally, "old hearing." Those with presbycusis often complain not only of hearing loss - usually in both ears - but also of associated tinnitus or ringing in the ears, and sometimes dizziness.

It takes only a slight loss of hearing to make life difficult because although conversation is audible at low frequencies (deeper voices), it is not as easy to hear higher pitched voices.

Typically, with hearing loss, the ability to hear high sounds goes first so that there is trouble hearing birds or women's voices, followed by the loss of low-tone reception.

The elderly may have trouble hearing the phone ring or distinguishing consonants. The problem is particularly acute when there is a lot of background noise, as on a bus, at the dinner table, or when standing next to an open window facing traffic.

Hearing impairment is measured by the amount of level of loss in what are called decibels (dB) hearing level (HL). Decibels are like degrees of a thermometer. As temperature increases, so do the number of degrees. As the volume of sound increases, so do the number of decibels.

Normal conversation is usually between 45 to 55 dB. A baby crying hovers around 60 dB and downtown traffic can blister the ear at 90 dB.

If you can hear sounds between 0 and 25 dB HL most of the time, your hearing is normal or near normal and you probably do not need a hearing aid, although it may enhance your abilities in some situations.

If you only hear sounds above 25 dB HL, your hearing loss may be mild, moderate, severe, or profound. Hearing aids are designed in part to compensate for the level of loss.

4th of July Weekend Was SO Awesome!!!

So we had a packed house. I LOVE when we have people over. Daddy's best friend Alex and his wife Carmen and their kids Carolina and Jeremy and Carmen's mommy and daddy all came to stay with us. Mommy said they are just like family so I have more cousins!!

They put up the gazebo thing in the back yard so we had a lot of shade and could stay outside and you KNOW how much I like to be outside!! Daddy brought out the radio and we ate outside and hung out and played Dominos!! And then my Tio Alex came with my cousin Annelisse! We had a good time and I was playing with everyone.

Oh and check this out they brought this little dog. It is kind of like Jersey but small like me! I liked him, his name is Sparky. I tried to grab his tail a couple of times because it is sooo FLUFFY. Come on, you see that little thing, at my eye level, swinging back and forth you HAVE to try to grab it, wouldn't you?!

Well on the 4th Alex and Carmen and the family went back to Florida to their house. They live in this place called Orlando. It is kind of far from my Abuela and Titi Arelis, but maybe the next time we can go see everyone! And Mommy said when I get bigger we will definitely go because Disney World is there and I will get to meet Mickey Mouse in person!! That is so awesome. I only get to see him on TV during his show, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Man I LOVE that show and the "Hot Dog" song. Oh I stop everything when they start singing that song! I make Mommy laugh so hard.

ANYWAY!!!

That day we decided to go to the beach. We went to Wrightsville Beach. Oh that was awesome! I hate my car seat so the ride was a bit much, but it was worth it once I got on the sand. I was sitting in the water with Mommy and the waves were crashing on us. Annelisse was collecting shells and then Daddy took me out to jump in the waves!!! We had so much fun. We didn't get to see the fireworks, but I went to sleep early when we got home and I KNOW something was going on. I could see some lights from outside my window, but I was WAY TOO TIRED to get up to go check it out. I figured someone would tell me what happened in the morning. We have these things in the house that Mommy says we are going to light up, but we still haven't so I don't know what that is all about. I guess I just go to sleep too early for all these party people!

Well here are some pictures and a video of home much I LOVE THE BEACH!!!

This is Daddy's best friend Alex and his son Jeremy.

Me and Daddy at the beach. I was tired....

And here is my Tio Alex. It was getting late....

Oh and check out the new Domino table Pop-Pop made it for Mommy and Daddy!