Do you ear what I ear?

Hi folks,

Been a while, I know. Brother had his birthday last week, but was sick with 'ammonia' (I know, it's pneumonia, but try telling that to a new 3 year old!). Anyway, he was so sick that mom was preoccupied a bit, and we lost track of the week with all the antibiotic-taking and bed-hopping. It's usually me that ends up on antibiotics, but this time I sailed on through my little cold with only a bit of ear ooze. No problem! We tried to have pizza for his birthday dinner, but he didn't want any and I decided it was time for climbing practice in the restaurant, so mom and dad cut the dinner short.

The major irritation for me is that last week one of my hearing aids quit working, and we've all found that I still actually like them, even if "they" think I don't need them. I've not been myself, and really it's just that I like having the aids in my ears--they help me process what I hear, and without them sounds just aren't sounds like I like them. I can't explain it, but mom knows what I mean and she's trying to get them fixed. I will have to go for another hearing test, this time a proper one, and that may convince them of what we know.

At any rate, mom sang in a choir concert last Sunday along with a symphony orchestra, and it was great, even without my 'ears'. I liked the part where they played Baby Einstein--mom's telling me it was Beethoven's 5th symphony, you know the one: Bah, bah, bah, buuuuuummm--but to me it sounded like the Giraffe one, as brother calls it. It was great, and every time the music got loud I snapped to attention for a while again. I even tried to conduct with the guy in front, waving my arms in time to the music. Mom said that Beethoven must have had a kid with Autism, since he knew just how long to let the music go soft before turning up the volume again. I think she's a little silly, but I love her.

Brother is well and it's warm for a change, so we're off to the park. Bye for now!
love, Adam x

You gotta love Grassroots!

Hi all,

Mom and Dad took brother and I to something called a music festival yesterday, and boy howdy did we all have a good time! It was grassroots, whatever that means: to me it means lots of people in funny clothes, sitting around on grass listening to lots of different bands play music. As you can imagine, it was my kind of place!

We heard some good bands, one called Paleface and another Indian band I can't pronounce--I liked that one so much dad took me up on stage to dance with them (bottom picture). Another real lively one was called the Holy Ghost Tent Revival--at that concert we did lots of dancing, brother and Dad and I (top picture). It was fun being able to dance whenever I wanted to, and mom never had to tell me to be quiet! Then we ate some good food and drove home. Brother fell asleep on the way home, but he still went to bed because he's sick right now. His voice is all hoarse--he sounds real funny now when he yells at me if I take his blankie!

Of course, it wouldn't be a complete post if I didn't tell you about a doctor appointment, like the 8am one we had with the ENT before the music thing! Mom took me--I think it was hard for her to get up and to get ME up, but we got there on time. Except when we got there they told mom the appointment had been cancelled somehow, so we had to wait a while. I was pretty good, but mom was cross.

When we finally saw the doctor he said my ear was better but still lots of fluid, so he sent me to the hearing test lady. She put a funny thing on my head to put the sound through my bone and show if there is any nerve damage or only a conductive hearing loss. It doesn't look like nerves, she said, which means it's probably mostly fluid in my ears that makes hearing harder.

So the doctor said we might think about doing the "Big procedure": putting me to sleep, getting my ears cleaned out and maybe tubes put in, doing the sleep hearing test (ABR for those of you who know things like that), checking my eyes and maybe even taking out my tonsils. Whew, all at one go--good thing I'll be asleep! Mom and Dad are not sure about the tonsils bit, but all the rest sounds like it will happen. If you have any advice for them, I'm sure they would want to hear it. I think I'll only be in for a day--maybe a grandma will come to help?? :)

Mom had to make a few other appointments for me--looks like the docs are not through with me yet!

That's all for now, love Adam.