Eight Weeks Post-Activation

Yesterday marked eight weeks of hearing for Audrena.

We took the kids to the annual fire station open house. Audrena was just fascinated with the fire trucks. As we looked at them, I talked to her about everything--the wheels, the doors, the siren ("oooo"), etc. She watched as the fireman put the ladder "dooooown, dooooown, dooooown" at the end of the night and listened to the beeping of the backup alarms on the trucks. But that's not the exciting part. As we talked to different people throughout the evening, she began to say, "Hiiiiiii." Then, as we watched kids climb a ladder, she said, "Up!" We were so excited with two new words in one night, and on her eight week hearing anniversary!

Recently, we've also heard her say, "Yeah." She has been trilling her lips for the elephant noise, saying "oof" for the "woof" of the dog, and making a higher pitched "ooo" for the "ch ch ch ch chooo chooo" of the train. It's so wonderful to see the progress every day!

Here is a timeline of what Audrena has accomplished in just 8 short weeks.

9 days    "Mmm" while eating.
    "Boo" while playing Peek-A-Boo.
12 days    "Shhh" while pretending the baby doll is sleeping.
13 days    Pointed at restaurant speakers & danced to the music.
     Turned to point at the door when Dr. Lusk said, "Bye bye."
3 weeks    "Aahhh" while flying an airplane toy.
4 weeks    "Ooh" for a firetruck siren.
    "Moo" for a cow.
    "Baa" for a sheep.
    "Uh-oh" when she dropped a paper and then looked down at it.
    Attempted to say "bubbles" while blowing bubbles with Mommy. It was not clear, but we could tell it was what she tried to say.
    Follows the command, "Turn the light on," or "Turn the light off" without visual cues.
5 weeks    Attempted to say "off" while playing the light switch game. It came out "fff."
    "Woo hoo" while riding an ATV with Daddy. Repeated after Daddy said it a few times.
    Turned to look at the proper person when asked, "Where's Papa" and "Where's Daddy?"
    "Rawr" while playing with a tiger toy.
    SLP observed Audrena mimicking many of her mouth motions as she talked.
6 weeks    "More" once for parents and at least twice for SLP.
    Responded to name on the first try 3 out of 5 times.
    SLP observed that Audrena displays recognition of all ling sounds except "ssss."
7 weeks    Audrena responds to "ssss."
    Audrena nearly always picks the correct toy out of two when she hears the sound (i.e. Audrena chooses between a dog or a duck when we say "quack quack.").
    Tries to say "Ana" for her older sister, Reyana's, nickname.
    "Putt putt" for tractor.
    Heard the microwave timer beep from the living room and looked around the corner for it.
    Says "more" and "uh-oh" often at daycare, sometimes at home.
8 weeks    "Hi"
    "Up" while watching kids climb a ladder at the fire station open house.
    "Yeah"
    Attempted "woof" for a dog. It came out "oof."
    Trills lips for an elephant.
    Attempted "choo" for "ch ch ch ch choo choo" with the train toy. It was a higher pitched "ooo ooo."