Good things come to those who clean their floors.

We've had to face a few challenges within the past couple months. This isn't a pity party post. Believe me, if I was having a pity party you'd all be invited. And we'd eat chocolate covered Candy Cane oreos dipped in egg nog. Everyone faces tough times, trials and challenges and how we choose to deal with those things helps us to be better people, better friends, better ugly moms. I'm with Cam, life is so not fair. We don't have to like it, but we do have to deal with it by putting our shoulders to the wheel and girding up our loins and all that jazz.

During therapy yesterday (IMing with Deb is free, people), I decided my new family motto is Just Keep Swimming. I like to swim and I like cute fish that can talk. As if Gaby hasn't had a tough year already with that whole emergency surgery thing, she was tested on Monday and found to have severe to profound hearing loss in her left ear, which means she can't hear anything at all in her left ear. The audiologist believes it is permanent based on the battery of tests they performed on her. It was completely out of left field for us. On Saturday she had asked Jerry to put the iPod earbud in her "hearing ear," and that was the first time we knew she was having trouble. She has never complained at home or at school about not being able to hear. I'm certain that she had and passed a newborn hearing screening. Her hospital records from CA will at least be able to answer that question. There may never be answers to what, when ,why.


She's the same smiling, michievious Gaby that she was and always has been. If she's had this hearing loss for awhile she's coping well. If it's sudden, then she's also coping well. She watches people faces when they talk and is probably teaching herself to read lips. Her teacher and the audiologist from the district are awesome and I know she's in good hands while at school.

Jerry and I have never noticed anything amiss with her hearing. She has used earphones/ear buds without complaint this school year, which leads us to believe it's recent and possibly realted to her surgery/anesthsia. She's 5 and exhibits selective hearing on par with her siblings. We have a loud house. Everyone feels the need to be heard at once, so talking loudly to each other is standard. She sings all the time, loudly. Gaby is probably the loudest of all of us.

We have a lot of questions and no answers. At present her ENT appointment is December 29th. I'm trying to get her in earlier. I'll win those schedulers over with some Oreo truffles or Gracia's famous nuts or Deb's insanely awesome Chocolate Chip Pumpkin bread (which btw was a huge hit with the orthopaedic surgeon) if I must.

Deb personally gave me permission to feel frustrated, sad and overwhelmed. Also too, she gave me permission to open my Christmas present to myself. Let me tell you it was love at first mop. She said that if anything was going to make me feel better it was clean floors (and a clean tabletop). And she was right. Deb is always right.

While I was steaming and mopping my mom stopped by, with another early Christmas present (vest). Perfect for a crazy cold day like today. Thanks mom.
Yay for silver linings or at least faux fur linings.