Yep, it's true, she's off the O2!! Except for a few nights when she seems to need a rest, we've been able to keep Charlotte off the O2 most of the time lately. And boy, does it ever make toting her around easier! It's so much easier to go for a walk, the store, the zoo, the doctor, etc.We even made a pilgrimage out to Grandma and Grandpa's place in Indiana for Mother's Day (see the family pics below). I don't think she realized she was in another state, but now Peanut can mark two states off her list.
I hope all Mothers out there had a wonderful Mother's Day. I had a great day hanging out with my parents, Brian, and Charlotte. Charlotte got me a Sponge Bob Square Pants balloon, which is exactly what I wanted.
So, the question I've been getting all the time now is, "How did it go with her hearing aids?!". Well, we definitely got a response when they were first put on. We took Charlotte to Easter Seals last Wednesday and the audiologist was the first one to put the aids on her ears. As soon as she turned them to the on position, without any of us even uttering a word, Charlotte starting screaming and shaking like she was scared out of her mind. Now maybe I'm a bad mom, but it was at this time that I started laughing out of pure joy. Not at the fact that she was upset, but at the fact that the hearing aids were working! Albeit a little too well, which resulted in the audiologist having to turn down the volume twice before we decided that she would be okay with the sound level. When we go back for a follow-up visit in a few weeks the audiologist will be able to turn the volume up if Charlotte seems to have gotten used to the present level. And I think she's already starting to get used to it. For the first couple days she would jump or start crying if there was a loud noise, but now she just furrows her eyebrows. So, we're making some progress.
Tomorrow her DTH (Developmental Therapist for Hearing) comes by and I'm hoping she has some good tips and to how to keep the hearing aids on. I've already heard that some parents use either wig or toupée tape, but since I have to keep taking them off everytime she goes down for a nap, that seems like a bit much. Maybe I should quickly explain what the hearing aids look like. There are several types of hearing aids. Charlotte wears a BTE (behind-the-ear) hearing aid, which has a rubbery-feeling mold that fills in most of the space where your thumb goes if you were to stick it in your ear (don't do this on my account). There is a hole at the end of the mold that faces the inside of the ear canal and this is where the amplified sound comes out. The mold is attached to the hearing aid device that is approx 1.5 inches long. That is the piece that sits behind the ear and holds the microphone on the top, the on/off switch, the battery and her individualized amplification program. Peanut's not a big fan of me physically putting the aids in the ears, but once they're on she's pretty tolerant of them. However, if she's moving her head around a lot and brushing up against blankets or something they start to come out of her ears. Hence, the possible need for toupee tape.
I don't know if you can see them in this picture, or not, but Charlotte is wearing the aids. And I gotta be honest, I don't really think they're that noticeable, unless you're expecting to see them.
We've got a couple exciting things coming up soon:
1. In 3 weeks Nana, Granddad and Aunt Susan are coming over from NZ for a visit! We've been telling Charlotte all about it and she's getting excited! And what's great is now that Charlotte is unplugged she can come along to museums, gardens, restaurants, etc. It's going to be a good time!
2. Coinciding with the Hellyer family visit, the 17-year cicadas are expected to emerge in two days in Northern Illinois and Indiana. For those that have never heard of them check out this site. I've heard estimates of 1 million cicadas per acre. They're harmless, but annoying sources of protein for our dogs. I'll try and get some pics for the next post.
3. On Thursday, Brian and I are going to Child's Voice, a local "school" for pre-schoolage children that are hearing impaired. Their goal is to work with children from birth to around 5-6 and prepare them to enter the mainstream public school system. I'm exciting about seeing their facility and seeing if our family will fit in with their philosophies. If so, Charlotte and I may be able to start "school" in a few weeks!
4. In other school news ... I'll be starting my Intro to Psych class on June 12th. I went for a campus tour last week and it was awesome! I am so stoked about using the library, going to class, writing papers, and not talking about tummytime for a few hours a week! I feel like a giddy college kid again. Only this time my plan is to actually show up for class and read the books.
I do have some sad news to report. A few posts back I mentioned a surviving triplet baby girl that was born a few weeks before Charlotte who was having some persistent health problems that were keeping her in the NICU. Well we've grown quite close to her family, and I found out last week that they lost their daughter, Mari. She was such a beautiful little baby and now she's with her two brothers. If you could keep her family in your prayers I would appreciate it. They've been through more pain in the past seven months than anyone should ever have to bear.
Sorry to leave on a sad note, but someone sounds hungry, so I better get off the computer.
