Thursday, September 25, 2008

Hearing Child

I must say it is a big adjustment having a child that can hear after having 2 that can't. It is also so much fun to watch Jordan turn to new sounds with that look on his face "what was that". I have to change when I do the vacuuming, with Jared and Allison I could clean house when they were sleeping and they would never hear a thing. Jordan on the other hand wakes up at the slightest sound. How great is it that I have to tell Jared and Allison to not be so loud because Jordan is sleeping. While I would not change Jared and Allison for anything(God made them the way they are for a special purpose) maybe just maybe Jordan will be our piano player or famous singer.
He is starting to really try to communicate with us. His new word is "dat" as in "what is that"? or "want that". It is so cute. I just love hearing him "talk"
Thank you God for Jordan's hearing.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Happy 6th Birthday, Allison!!

10 weeks early!!
No oxygen or tubes!!
Sleeping soundly

Does she really need to be washed?
Allison's 1st Birthday

Sitting pretty in her Easter dress.
"Reading" a story to her baby (this is about 2 weeks or so after her CI activation)
Enjoying the outdoors
That pumkin is almost as big as you are



1st picture with your glasses.
You are such a good big sister








Happy Birthday, sweet girl!! Look how far you have come in 6 years.




Friday, September 12, 2008

Jordan's Party









Can you tell Jordan enjoyed his cake?
"All this partying just plain wore me out."





Happy 1st Birthday Jordan










Just look how much you have grown in a year!!
We are so thankful that God gave you to us


We Love You.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Middle Wife

I received this from my mother-in-law and I thought it was too funny not to share.
Out of the month of babes.

The "Middle Wife" by an Anonymous 2nd grade teacher.

I've been teaching now for about 15 years. I have 2 kids myself, but the best birth story I know is the one I saw in my own second grade classroom a few years back.

When I was a kid, I loved show-and-tell. So I always have a few sessions with my students. It helps them get over shyness and usually, show-and-tell is pretty tame. Kids bring in pet turtles model airplanes, pictures of fish they catch, stuff like that. And I never, ever place any boundaries or limitations on them. If they want to lug it in to school and talk about it, they're welcome.

Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, very outgoing kid, takes her turn and waddles up to the front of the class with a pillow stuffed under her sweater.

She hold up a snapshot of an infant. "This is Luke, my baby brother, and I'm going to tell you about his birthday."

"First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love, and then Dad put a seed in my Mom's stomach, and Luke grew in there he ate for nine months through an umbrella cord."

She's standing there with her hands on the pillow, and I'm trying not to laugh and wishing I had my camcorder with me. The kids are watching her in amazement.

"Then, about 2 Saturdays ago, my Mom starts saying and going, "Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh!" Erica puts a hand behind her back and groans. "She walked around the house for, like an hour, "Oh, oh, oh!"
( Now this kid is doing a hysterical duck walk and groaning.)

"My Dad called the middle wife. She delivers babies, but she doesn't have a sign on the car like the Domino's man. They got my Mom to lie down in bed like this."(Then Erica lies down with her back against the wall.)

"And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in case he got thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled all over the bed like psshhheew"(,this kid had her leg spread with her little hands miming water flowing away. It was too much !!)

"Then the middle wife starts saying, "push, push and breathe, breathe. They start counting, but never got past 10" "Then all of a sudden out comes my brother." "He is covered in yucky stuff that they all said is was from Mom's play-center, so there must be a lot of toys inside there!"

Then Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to her seat. I'm sure I applauded the loudest. Ever since then, when it is show-and-tell day, I bring my camcorder, just in case another "middle wife" shows up.

Monday, September 8, 2008

CI Mapping

Allison had an appointment this morning for a CI mapping for her new "ear". We were a little discouraged at her last appointment when she was only hearing at 40 dB's. Our goal is to try and get her right ear hearing the same as her left side( 20-25 dB's)
I was a little worried when Allison woke up this morning and did not have a voice( those silly allergies do it to her everytime). I was afriad I would have to cancel the appointment, but she was not running a fever and seemed like herself, but with no voice.
Once in the booth, she was able to hear the beeps at 20dB's, but only heard voices at
50 dB's. I know that it will take a little of time to wake up her ear, so we will continue with her therapy at home and I have asked her SLP at school to do some work with the new CI alone during her sessions there. We will return in Nov and hopefully we will get some better results in the voice recongition deptartment.

Allison got a impression for her new ear-mold, she picked out a rainbow color and is looking forward to having the mold for her old CI. She hates the fact that her old one does not stay on as well as the new one. What a fashion statment she will make. :-)

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Acorns in your hair

This post is more for me, so that I can remember this cute moment from Allison to put in her memory book.
Today, while brushing Allison's hair before school, she was complaining that I was brushing too hard. She said "stop mom I have acorns in my hair" I looked at her rather strangely and said,"you have what in your hair"? "Acorns" came the reply. "You know, nuts in my hair". After trying with all my might not to burst out laughing, I finally figured out what she meant- she had knots.
These are the precious moments that make all the hard work of early morning trips to the auditory oral therapist worth it. Thank you Allison,Mommy needed a smile today!!!
While I am telling on my children, I will share a Jared moment( this happened when he was about 3 or so). We have a lazy boy chair in our living room that turns. Jared was forever turning around in that chair, we would tell him to stop spinning in the Lazy Boy. Well, one day, Jared had enough of us telling him what to do. He looked at us and said, "it's not a lazy boy, it's a lady boy". So to this day, we have a green "lady boy" chair in our living room.

Awesome School

I just had to write and share the great program that Jared and Allison have the opportunity to be in this year.
They are in the Upper Arlington School District( which is one of the better school districts in Franklin County) through the Education Service Center of Franklin County.
The teachers are great!! They are so willing to work with the parents and truly care that children with hearing loss get the same education as their normal hearing peers. Jared and Allison also have a Hearing Impaired teacher and SLP that work with them. Each class has a sound field and Jared is using an FM system. Jared's HI teacher and SLP spend the 1st part of the morning with Jared making sure the system is working right.
I cannot tell you how blessed we are to have this program, I know that there are many out there that have to fight tooth and nail to get just the basics for their children.
To all of you out there who are at the start of this journey, you are your child's best advocate, keep fighting for what your child needs and what they are entitled to. There are programs out there to help your child make it in this hearing world.