HAPPY 2ND HEARING BIRTHDAY, AVA!

Ava's hearing is two years old today. We are as happy as ever with her progress and the beautiful "hearing" girl she has become. There is no doubt that she LOVES her cochlear implants and she LOVES to hear, especially music. Here is a short five minute video montage that captures her journey in a nutshell~from birth to the present. Thank you for sharing this special moment with us,

Amy, Markus, Ava and family

Ten on Tuesday (Thursday)

I love the "Ten on Tuesday" posts written by my other CI mom friends such as this and this and this. I love how you don't have to have a particular topic to write about, but rather a general diary type blog entry about a bunch of things all in one entry. So, even though it is THURSDAY and it is supposed to be Ten on TUESDAY (not Wednesday, right, Aiden's mom?), here is my list:

1. Cochlear finally came out with snazzy new processor covers for the N5's to fit the processor with the compact rechargeable battery.

They are soooo pretty and soooo cool!

2. Of course, big sister Lauren needed something pink for her hearing aids, so she got new pink sparkly molds:

3. Every spring and fall, we change Ava's microphone protectors. When the protectors get dirty and dusty, the sound quality can become distorted, so it is important to change out the protectors every 4 months or so. Cochlear finally came up with a much improved system to change the protectors (thank you Cochlear!). Before, it was next to impossible to change the protectors. They are teeny tiny little round discs the size of a grain of black cracked pepper and are next to impossible to hold let alone manipulate into the microscopic microphone holders and oh so easy to lose those little buggers (and impossible to find if you drop one on the floor!) It was also next to impossible to remove the protectors from the processors as well because you had this little tool with a looped wire end which was too wide to fit into the tiny hole where the protectors are sitting in. Now, Cochlear has improved the removal tool so that it is a cinch to pop the old protectors out. And as for inserting the new protectors, you simply slide a patch looped over the ear hook and line the protectors up over the holes and pop them in. Soooooo easy!

4. My oldest daughter Clarissa and stepdaughter Catherine are graduating from high school in June. They are in the midst of deciding which university to attend in the fall. What am I going to do without my built in babysitters? I mean the reason I have a social life is because of my two oldest girls. I can literally just walk out the door and they know the whole routine of the household. I am going to be lost without them (and all their friends who babysit for me when my daughters cannot).

5. Clarissa and I went prom dress shopping. It is the quintessential mother-daughter experience. I will never forget it. You look so beautiful and so grown up. I shed silent but proud tears. I am so proud of you sweetie.

6. My youngest son Adrian is graduating from grade 8. He also is celebrating his confirmation next month. He is growing into a handsome and smart young man.

7. Ava LOVES to dance. She constantly asks to listen to MUSIC. 8. Ava visited her pre-school yesterday. I cannot believe she will be going to SCHOOL. She starts in September and will be attending 3 mornings per week.

9. Potty Training! Yes, it's actually happening. WOOOOOHOOOO. We first tried in January. Too soon. We tried again in March. No luck. We started again this week and we are definitely getting somewhere. Yay Ava! What do I do? Just have her put on underwear and keep the potty close by. I don't ask her a million times if she has to go pee. I just let her take the initiative. I figure she needs to learn what it feels like to be wet and learn how to control her bodily functions. This time she indicated whenever she has to pee and we would put her on the potty and she would go. No poops in the potty yet, she still wants her diaper for those. But today she did tell me her poo-poo was coming and she started to go in her underwear but she didn't finish it off in the potty (wanted her diaper back on for that). Baby steps.....baby steps. At least she demands her underwear everyday now. I found this Sesame Street rewards sticker chart. There are 5 columns for which she can earn a sticker, such as: indicating she has to "go", sitting on the potty, "using" the potty, flushing the toilet and washing her hands. Oh, it also helps that I use marshmallows as an bribe incentive.

10. Clarissa got her driver's license. What a huge help that is. She can run errands and pick up siblings. I am loving it! So many changes this year. Hold onto your little ones. They will be driving and graduating before you know it!

Our two minutes of fame!

Our family was featured on our local cable tv show "Where Parents Talk". At first I thought the feature would be centered around Ava's cochlear implants, however, the network was more impressed with our blended family of seven kids thus the clip featured our family. They did touch briefly on Ava's implants, but not as much as I hoped for. To view the clip: click here