Finally an update

WOW, where has the time gone. It's been awhile since we've published a post. There have been many post started but never finished. It is usually late when I get started and my mind and fingers wear out before the finished product. Today I promise a complete post to bring many of you up to date.



Today we took Chloe for her one year check-up and let me tell you she was ready to prove her stuff. She pulled all the tricks out and impressed the socks off the doctor. On command she picked up her shoe and brought it to me. On command she pointed to her mouth. She showed off her vocabulary and pointed to the objects in books. Ex. there was a book on cats and she says CAT. It was amazing.



Speaking of vocabulary, her words are: dog, dada, duck, mama, cat, weese (Cleis), wouse (horse), ball, pop, whad dat (what's that), apple, book. She comes up with something new almost everyday.

While we all know Chloe loves to give special presents (she was born on both of her Mimi's birthday) and she is continuing with her gifts. On September 20th, she started taking a step here and there. This continued over the next few days and then on the 25th, (Mommy's birthday) she took off and hasn't stopped since. Boy does she sure know how to give special memories. Thank you Chloe you made Mommy's day, another great memory.

It is hard to believe that a year has passed. I can't believe that the baby we brought home a year ago is now walking and starting to tell us what she wants. I treasure the year that I have spent with my girls and I continue to look forward to each and every day that we have to be here at home together.

Pictures are coming. I added a couple of Halloween Pics. I really wanted to stay up to date on this but I think the last time I added pictures to my Shutterfly account and sent everyone the email was around the start of Chloe's ninth month. So I have some catching up to do. In the mean time I will post some to the blog and then I'll get all the pictures organized and uploaded to Shutterfly. Cleis also has a fondness for Frog Legs. Here she shows off her latest catch!

Chloe is quite the little pistol to take and have her pictures made. In order for us to have some one year pictures we had to go 3 times. I finally took Tony with me, actually he volunteered to come help out. We finally have a few good pictures and these will be in the mail soon.

New Pics.

The girls enjoying themselves on the boat, Big Sis showing Lil Sis how it's done.

Old toys become new toys. Chloe learns to ride the police car.

10 Month Report

Chloe has had a huge week. I'm not sure I can list all the things she has accomplished this week. I'll start with one of the biggest milestones, she is walking with aid. I noticed her earlier in the week pushing some of her toys around and I thought is it because she can lean her body against them and push to walk or can she really do it. So I raised up the little toy that walks with her. Some musical activity walker. Actually I think it's called Melody Walker. She can do it, it looks like she is pushing her supermarket cart around the house.

Vocabulary is growing - says bye and is starting to wave from time to time, ought oh, good, dog - this has been one of her first words and recognition, duck

Play with her stacking rings by taking them off and putting the on.

Takes objects and puts them inside others. Especially her stacking cups in the bath tub. She knows which one is smaller and will fit. I enjoy watching her do this. Something else I find interesting, she has watched me open say a bag of chips and she now tries. Funny to watch.

Moving to Table Food

For the past two nights I have made dinner and Miss Chloe has joined us at the dinner table eating right along with us. First night I made, hamburgers, mac n cheese and green beans. She loved it all and fed herself. Second night I made, flank steak with portabella mushroom, baked potatoes, warmed up the green beans and salad for us. Chloe had the baked potato and green beans and sat there eating away.

Outer Banks

The girls and family are having a great time on the Outer Banks. Cleis and Mazden can't get enough of the ocean, today has been the best beach day and best for playing in the ocean. Early in the week there were a lot of rip tides and that made for dangerous waters. Chloe enjoys her time at the beach, she doesn't mind the sand and enjoys playing in the sand. We've not taken her out in the water, not because she doesn't want to go but for me the water is a little cooler than I like and I haven't made my way out past my ankles yet. Chloe is loving the pool though and the hot tub.

On Tuesday, we made our way to the Corolla Lighthouse and everyone, including the kids, except Chloe all climbed the 214 stairs to the top of the Lighthouse. We spent most of our day at the Lighthouse and exploring the wildlife and nature center.

We have been bad parents and have not had our camera out like we should have. We do have a few pictures and I will download them as soon as I can and post.

Dr. Follow Up and 9 month report

This has been a week of doctor appointments for Chloe. On Monday we had her 9 month check up and all is going well. She has dropped down into the 70th percentile for her height and weight. She weighed 19lbs. 9 ozs. and is 28" long. The doctor tells me this is common with breastfed babies. She said you see them gain a lot in the beginning and the taper off around 6 months. Chloe is textbook.

Today we had her Audiology evaluation at Kosair and we received a GREAT report. The doctor's performed 3 test on her and she did great on all of them. When we did the test in the sound booth, I can report Chloe was a different baby from the previous two times. She heard the louder noises right away and would turn toward the noise. She turned toward the softer noises as well but sometimes was a little slower or it took a couple of times to repeat but the overall report was she is hearing just fine!!!!!

The doctor's did point out it can be difficult to test Young infants and testing around 7 & 8 months can be hard to clarify. Infants are just learning about sound and responding to the sound that they may not always catch the sounds and respond correctly.

We will evaluate her hearing again in about 6 months just to make sure everything is still going well.

Dr. Visit

On Friday, we made our 4-week follow-up visit to the ENT for Chloe's ear. During our visit we received some good news and then some not so good news. Chloe's tubes are in and doing great. They are open and doing what they should be doing. The bad news is when we re-tested her ears for the hearing she is still showing signs of hearing loss.

Chloe did totally fine on one side but the other side it was as though she never heard the sounds and the lady made many different sounds at many different levels and she never heard them.

We are being sent to Kosair to have more testing completed. Our visit at Kosair is on the 12th of July. I don't know what they are doing or anything. The ENT doctor said we need to refer you on and Kosair would be able to do a higher level of testing.

So next Thursday we will be at Kosair for our testing. I will follow up after we find something out.