reservoir

For Family Home Evening tonight we went to the Muddy Creek Reservior, which is half a mile behind our house. We've never been there before and I've seen people walking the trail so I was intrigued. To make it a learning experience we printed out pictures of nature and went on a scavenger hunt.

It was more beautiful than we had expected, and the kids had a great time, so I think we'll try to make it a regular field trip. It's like a hidden gem in our own backyard. It would even be a fabulous place to do a photoshoot if anyone around here is interested.

Looks like people use this area as a driving range, because there are dozens of balls all over the place. Carter had his pockets and hands full of them. It was like he had won the lottery.

My little bug. What a sweet boy.

Here's a pic of Abby's cochlear implant. First one I've taken.



Beautiful weeds.

Except for a simple crop, I didn't edit this last picture at all. The sunset was naturally that beautiful.

Galveston

Last weekend we went with some friends down to Galveston for the weekend. We rented an ocean front house with a private beach and we spent the weekend being total beach bums. I've never seen a group of kids so content to be in one place for so long, and a group of parents so relaxed.

I already want to go back.

day of firsts

I'm so late in posting this!



Abby's first day of school was Monday and she was SO excited to go (although you can't tell in this picture.) She was a little shy to start, but later Mrs. Adams said that it was as if there was no summer break. She fell right into the swing of things. Abby does so well in a school setting, and she is learning SO much, so I'm okay with sending my little three year old pixie off to school.


We picked Abby up from school on Monday and went straight to the audiologist to get her cochlear implant activated. I was really nervous about it, afraid that Abby might react negatively to it, but it was really kind of anti-climatic. The audiologist tested her equipment, put it on, and we started making sounds. Abby was playing with toys and when she heard something she would look up. There were no "aha!" moments and the sounds didn't scare her. The audiologist said she turned her up pretty high for a first time map because she seemed to tolerate the loudness.


We brought the class mascot "hendrix" with us so he could be a part of the moment, and this is the only picture I took of the activation. We took video of it, but it's actually quite boring so I'll spare you and tuck it away for future viewing.

Abby has done SO WELL with her implant so far. She's been wearing it the majority of the day and actually enjoys having it on. I think she realizes the benefit, although she is still so new to it. In Auditory Verbal therapy today she did things that she has yet to do in therapy before, namely following four part commands (i.e. "put the baby in the car and the boy in the firetruck") So we're optimistic that she will learn quickly and get lots of benefit from her implant.

While we were at the audiologist, we got new earmold impressions made and Carter did not like it at ALL! We had to hold his arms and his head in a certain position to keep him from pulling it out. What a stinker. I haven't posted much about Carter lately so I'll be sure so post something real soon.

speechless

We headed down to the beach, Abby running ahead of me anxious to join the others. We started laying down blankets and Abby sat with the other kids, looking for shells and digging in the sand. She jumped up and followed Sade into the water giggling as she laid back and let the warm water tickle her as the waves came in. It took me longer than a moment to register that I didn't take off her hearing aid. I ran over to her, waving my hands to get her attention and called her over to me. I felt around her right ear. Nothing. I asked her where her hearing aid was and she shook her head. "No hearing aid!" She said, and ran off to play. I quickly went to Brian and asked him if he had taken off her hearing aid and he said no. I did a quick search of the towels, the sand, the shovels and toys, saying a silent prayer that I would be able to find it, but knowing in my gut that the hearing aid was gone. In the ocean. For good.

I ran up to Abby and with earnestness I said, "Abby. I need to know where your hearing aid is. Where did you put your hearing aid?" She pointed to the waves, and said, "In the water." "You put your hearing aid in the water?" I asked incredulously. I began to panic. That's a $6,000 hearing aid. Abby's first day of school is on Monday. She can't communicate without it. What am I going to do? I grabbed Brian and said, Abby told me she put her hearing aid in the water." Brian said, "Are you sure?" and looked around the beach while I went to the shoreline. I surveyed the coast, the waves moving in and out, remembering the large area of space that Abby had covered before I realized it was gone and feeling completely and totally defeated. Brian walked over to me and asked me a question, and as he was talking I looked down at our feet. A wave was coming in, and I saw something hovering a few feet from where we stood. I squinted my eyes, looked closer and yelled, "Oh my gosh!" I quickly bent over and plucked Abby's purple hearing aid out of the ocean.

Brian's mouth gaped open. "You're kidding. How did you.....?" I immediately went into hearing aid CPR mode, saying another prayer that it might still work. I wiped it dry, took out the battery, and started blowing furiously into the battery compartment, trying to dry out the inside as much as possible. Continuing to blow, I walked back to the beach house, grabbed a replacement battery and tried it out. Nothing.

"Come on, come on, come on," I said under my breath and went upstairs to the kitchen, where the air was dry and cool, and continued to force air into the hearing aid, kicking myself that I didn't bring her de-humidifier. I closed the battery compartment again, waited, and then heard the sweet sound of feedback.

I gasped, and immediately my eyes filled with tears. I stood quietly, thanking the Lord for this small little miracle as Abby's hearing aid squealed with feedback.

How sweet the sound.

Ninth Place

There's this website called I Heart Faces where they have weekly photography contests. This weeks contest theme was "Bubbles." I submitted a picture I took a while back and got 9th place! Nothin' big, but its still nice to be recognized.


Here's the link to the website. Scroll down to find my pic.

http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com/2009/08/week-32-bubbles-photo-challenge-winners.html

Lots

Just got back from a trip to Galveston. Lots to write about, and lots happening this week. Stay tuned.

not so much

Many of you may not know that my husband has a job that requires him to travel. A LOT. I never say anything about it on the blog because I don't really want to broadcast to the world when I'm home alone.

We've been married for five years, and he's had the job for five years, and so a traveling husband is really all I know. One year, 60% of his work days were spent traveling, this year hasn't been that bad, but I bet its hovering around 40-50%.

In all honesty I really quite hate it, but its a good job, he loves what he does, and the insurance is IN.CRE.DI.BLE. That in itself is reason alone to stay, especially considering our circumstances. We just call it paying our dues until something better comes our way.

When Brian travels, its usually Sunday through Thursday or Monday through Friday. He's always home on weekends. However, this past project is an international one, and because of a tight work schedule, he had to stay over for two weeks for the first time ever. And then I got invited to attend a parents of HOH children retreat friday-sunday,(more on that later) and so Brian and I missed seeing eachother by a few hours. We were away from eachother for 12 nights, and it pretty much sucked.

So for those out there who have a military husband, or have ever spent a great deal of time away from your spouse, I commend you on your strength, and my heart goes out to you.

wanna see something incredible?

One of Abby's classmates has this same condition in one of his ears.

aye yai yai

We went in for my little cochlear implant technology lesson with the audiologist today. It's a little overwhelming knowing that I am going to be responsible for working, troubleshooting, and sometime fixing this very expensive equipment. She showed me all of Abby's gear and how to work it, and we let Abby put it on to try it out. Abby was so excited to wear it, so hopefully she will be just as excited when they turn it on. She also hooked Abby up to the computer and did a check on her implant to make sure everything was working properly, and we left with a box full of Med-el toys for the kids.


Abby's "activation" date is Monday, August 24th, which is also her first day of school. Exciting times ahead! Yay!

passion

Is there something that you are passionate about?

I mean, aside from raising a family.

Is there something that consumes your thoughts when you're mind is free to wander? Something that you could do all the time and never tire of it? Something that you feel if it wasn't in your life you would not be complete? Perhaps its a hobby, or something you have made a living doing. Or maybe its something that you feel compelled, maybe even obligated to do. Sort of like a life's calling.

What's your passion?

Have your passions changed over the years?

What's your calling in life?

(Aside from raising your family.)


I want to know.

Do tell.

three dollars

He walked by me swiftly, dropping something on the table as he passed. The thump jolted me from my deep phone conversation and I looked down to see a white business card with a star pin attached.

It said: "I am deaf and I make a living by selling these pins for $3. Thank you for your kindness."

It was two days before Abby's CI surgery and we were at McDonalds. The kids had abandonded their chicken nuggets to go play in the tunnels, and I was catching up with a friend on the phone. I quickly ended my phone call and looked around to find the man that had left it. He was an average looking man, early 40's and reasonably dressed, but he seemed terribly shy, with slumped shoulders and downturned eyes. My heart went out to him, and as he walked by our table I stopped him.

I smiled and akwardly signed, "My kids have hearing loss" and pointed to the play area. He looked their direction and nodded. "I sign a little," I signed, and he replied with a few gestures I didn't understand. Obviously I need to work on my comprehension. He then pointed to the pin he had placed on my table and I said, "Oh! Um, let me see what I have." I looked in my wallet and only found a ten dollar bill, so I gulped and passed it along to him. "Thank you!" he signed, I nodded back, and he went on his way.

As he walked away, my thoughts immediately turned to Abby and Carter. What if they became totally deaf? What if we raised them to not understand spoken language? How would they function in the world? Would they do well in school? Would they go to college? Would they have promising careers, or would they end up selling pins for $3 at fast food restaurants? My head swimmed at the thought of it.

My worries and obsessions about Abby's surgery suddenly dissolved and I blinked away tears of gratitude for the opportunities we've had that have allowed us to give our children this quality of life. Although I respect the Deaf community and realize that you can be happy and successful as a Deaf person, I am glad we have chosen the verbal route. I am glad that my children are thriving in the hearing world. I'm so grateful for the technology and therapy that is available to us, that will allow them to be fully functioning in mainstream society. I'm grateful that we have the financial means to make it possible for our children. I'm grateful that we have family, friends, doctors, therapists, and teachers that support us along our journey.

And I'm especially grateful for moments like this, that help remind me of our innumerable blessings and give me a little perspective.

who are you?

And what have you done with my little boy?

Something is up with Carter. The past few days, with or without his hearing aids on, he is mimmicing EVERYTHING we say, down to every internal and ending consonant. If I didn't know any better, I would think that he hears perfectly. It's great and all, but the sudden increase is very strange.

Even stranger, he asked for MILK today! He hasn't had milk in over a year! One day he came down with a stomach virus and quit milk cold turkey and hasn't had it since. Lo and behold, today he asked Brian for chocolate milk. (pronounced "chaklat") And then actually drank the whole thing. I was gobsmacked.

And WORST of ALL, he was being rotton (he's in a hitting phase) and so Brian put him in his crib for a little time out and I bet you can guess what he did. Yep. He climbed out. We were all in the kitchen when we heard his door open. Our heads shot up, Brian's mouth gaped open, and I yelled, "Nooooo!"

Since her surgery, Abby is having a really hard time going to bed on her own in her own bed at a decent hour, so the last thing we need is Carter adding to our bedtime nightmare.

Maybe this is what they mean by "Growing Pains."

Oh, who are the parents in your neighborhood

Thursday me and the kids went outside to play. Our next door neighbor was mowing his lawn and his kids were playing outside with another neighbor kid. The neighbor mowing the lawn was obviously not watching his kids or the neighbor kid as he was fussing with his broken lawn mower, and I didn't see the other kid's mom anywhere, so I asked him where he lived. "Right there." he pointed to a house on a street perpendicular to ours. "Are you out here by yourself?" I asked. "Yes, my mom is watching my baby sister inside." "How old are you?" I inquired. "Five."

FIVE??? Five years old and playing by himself. Would you let your five year old play outside, across a busy street and onto another street, by himself with no adult supervision? And our neighbor friends say that he's been on our street multiple times by himself.

So then my kids start playing with the other kids (who are 3, 5 and 8) and so of course I felt responsible for them all. So the oldest girl says she wants to go see if her friend a few houses down can come play and so they walk over. Abby and Carter follow, despite my protests, and the oldest knocks on the door.

I've never met this family, and so I felt a little weird standing there while they asked if the girl could come play. All the kids are surrounding the door and one of them walks in the house, and Abby and Carter, being the curious kids that they are, took a few steps in the house. I walked closer to the house, telling them to come back, but the lady said, in broken English, "No, it's okay. Let them come in. Please, come in too." So I akwardly walked into her house and all the kids started exploring. This lady has an older girl and 15 month old triplets, and Carter started pushing one of the babies in the baby swing. I told Carter to stop but the lady said, "It's alright. Let him do it." Abby was getting up in the face of one of the other babies, and I again told her to stop. "Please", the lady said, "She's okay. Let her play with them." A THIRD time, I try to keep my kids in line and she said something like, "Let them do what they want to do. I feel like you should let children do the things they want to do, because if you don't they are going to get too curious about it and explore and do it anyway. So I let my children do what they want to do."

Um... okaaaayyyy...