Whirlwind Update

A week has passed with me essentially missing in action on the blog front.  Not for lack of adventures, but for lack of time.  So here's a bit of an update.

During this time, Miss Cora has had two doctor's visits, which is a record number since her recovery from heart surgery.   The visit to the audiologist was somewhat inconclusive.  There is likely a small amount of fluid, and perhaps some mild hearing loss in the lower register.  It's apparently hard to tell, both because her ear canals are so small that it makes some of the testing inconclusive, and also because she's still young enough that a lack of response to auditory stimulation could be either the result of hearing loss or just loss of interest.  Who knows? The audiologist told us it's probably not a concern for now.  We'll be going back in two months.  We know Cora can hear and she usually responds to sound, but sometimes she seems to choose to ignore my verbal attempts to get her attention.

We also went to the ophthalmologist, who says she's doing great.  She's still a bit farsighted, which is typical for babies of this age.  But her eyes work together well, her vision is the same in both eyes, and her nystagmus has dramatically improved.  Yay, Cora!

This week I had a little extra work on my plate, and my mom and sister came into town so that Nick and I could spend an evening out on the town for our birthdays (which are later this month).  It was the first time he and I have gone out together without Cora since she arrived, if you don't count going to and from the hospital in the early days (which I certainly don't).  Cora had tons of fun with her favorite Grammie and Auntie Mira, while Nick and I sipped adult beverages and got to see an acapella group sing. 

We also went Christmas shopping without buying anything, visited some great Portland eating establishments, and got to see Santa and some other cuties at the Northwest Down Syndrome Association Winter Social.  (I'm hoping to get the Santa pics in the mail any day now).

Cora definitely wants our pretty drinks.

 This weekend we've got a cookie swap and two holiday potluck parties.  It's that time of year, for sure!

Little Beanie seems to love this time of year.  She has already shared one of my own favorite Christmas activities:  lying underneath the tree.

And of course, you already saw the fruits of our Christmas coloring adventure.  She's loving on the Christmas music (she's fond of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"), but I think she especially likes her silly Mumma dancing around the house singing to her.



She has, to my selfish joy, started to choose me over most other people, places and things.  Daddy is still great, of course, but she's starting to reach for Mumma whenever I'm in sight.  No matter what kind of entertainment is going on, she seems to always save the best and most brilliant smiles for me.  And it makes me SO happy.  This little girl inexplicably seems to get cuter, funnier and more lovable on a daily basis.  (Even while continuing to keep us up every night).

Hopefully I will keep the posting up this month, in the midst of all the fun and bustle.  In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite silly girlie pics from the last few days.