M Week and Life Lessons

We spent two weeks on M week. What can I say? Lots of important M words... Of course, Mama is at the top of the list. I will remember every day for the rest of my life that was the first sound that Taylor made that sounded anything like a word - Mama - at 4 weeks post-activation. Now, Taylor knows who her Mama is without question. She has perfected saying "Mama" for several months now. She has a beautiful "Meow", which she does as she follows our cat Mikea around the house. She can say Mikea, but it more often comes out as the Kay-ah part. She also tries to call our dog, Maverick. She'll pat herself on the leg and go "Mav, Mav." At our last therapy appointment, she cracked up Daddy and the therapist by saying "Oh My Gosh."


She helped Daddy mow the yard. I can't believe she tolerates riding on the mower with her "ears" on, but I guess it doesn't bother her. Last week, my husband took her to the grocery store and she said "hi" to everyone she saw. Several people said hi back. It's amazing... you just want to say -- hello, my deaf daughter just said hi to you. and she's not even two yet! It is so cool to witness her truly enjoying her own ability to communicate.


There are some times as a parent when it is really nice that she can communicate verbally. It is still weird to me, but Taylor makes the same sounds and words now with and without her ears on. Sometimes, she talks to herself quite a bit and we can listen to her through the baby monitor without her realizing it. Last weekend, we put her down for her nap around 2:30... didn't want it to be much later and have her up until 10 p.m. She just wouldn't give it up and fall asleep though. We were puzzled until I heard her go "Eeewwww. Peee Youuuu. Eeewwww." I looked at her Dad and said "she's poopy." Sure enough, I run up there -- Poop up her back, on her sheets, blankets and bumpy. I'm just glad she hadn't gotten to the point of sticking her hands in it and wiping it on something else. And so it goes...


I always have to throw in a little story on Derek too. He's the 3-year-old ruler of the universe, if you ask him. As of two weeks ago, Derek is a champion pooper on the toilet, after 10 months of #1 on the toilet, and no #2, we have total success!


We were taking the kids out and about one evening and offered to go to a park close to home. The other option was to go Home. Derek says "well, I don't like my choices!" He's THREE! Welcome to the real world. One life lesson down, one million to go.


He is so funny... a great big brother in some many ways. I hope Taylor keeps learning from him, just not quite in every way.