Winter

It has been a little while again since my last blog....has been a busy time moving house, starting a new business and keeping up with Isabel now that she is up and running...literally.  She has decided walking is far too slow and so tries to run everywhere...unfortunately her little legs don't always keep up so there have been several little accidents.  She started walking properly at 13 months and then running about 2 weeks later.

Off & walking

More walking practice with Lyla

In the last few months Issy's language has been developing really nicely.  She has at least eight words she is using consistently (Mama, Papa, Bubba, Max, Up, No, More & Bye).  Her receptive skills also continue to amaze us...she is following instructions and understands an enormous amount.  From the living room I can ask her to go into her room and get her (baby, bag, shoes etc) and she will come back each time with what I have asked her for.  She is loving singing and music and dances around the living room to High 5 and Play School and does all the actions when I sing "Twinkle Twinkle, Open Shut Them, Incy Wincy Spider and I Hear Thunder".

Enjoying Easter chocolate in the Hunter Valley

I guess the 'amazing' part of it all is that we quite often forget that Isabel has a hearing loss.  It is such second nature to us now to look after her "ears" and our nightly routine of charging batteries and using the drying box, checking each week that everything sounds ok with our headphones that plug in to the CI's, constantly reapplying them when she takes them off while playing (or having a tantrum!).  The only time we remember is when someone new asks about them or stares a little longer than usual.  It is interesting that the majority of people that do ask us about them have never heard of cochlear implants and assumed they were hearing aids (which I suppose ultimately they are).

Isabel is also down with her routine, when we ask her if she wants to go in the bath, the first thing she does is hands us her CI's and heads for the bathroom.  The same thing when she is ready for bed, she will hand us her processors and take her bottle before she lies down.  She is starting to get the fact that she needs them to listen, but also that they can't get wet and they aren't that comfortable to sleep with!

Just being cute

Isabel is most definitely a "girly girl" in that she loves necklaces, bracelets, shoes, handbags and pretending to put on makeup.  She will put on of my necklaces and then parade around in front of whomever is in the house saying "Ahhhhh." She loves to try and put clothes on herself and then looks in the mirror smiling and again saying "Ahhh."  It is hilarious.  She also has a very maternal side wanting to feed her babies and push them around in prams.  Our poor dog Max is quite often the victim of her mothering as she tries to dress him in our clothes and give him milk from a bottle.

Being silly with Granny in Sydney

We are doing swimming lessons once a week now and Issy loves it!  Although she can't hear while she is in the water she watches the other kids faces and she laughs and kicks and splashes along with everyone.  She is also getting the hang of the safety entry and exit, she knows to kick when she is on her back and to paddle when on her front which seems to purely be muscle memory after showing her what to do and her watching the other kids.

With besties Lyla & Jade

Loves her Papa

So much is happening so quickly now and it seems Isabel does something new nearly every day.  Its such a fun age and I am loving hanging out with my little mate....will be hard when she starts going to daycare next year....hard for me that is!

M.x