DO YOU HEAR THAT?: February 2009

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Peaceful sleeper...

No real post today, I just love this picture of my little Logan sleeping in his spiderman costume...

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Bean Bag Fun!

I had some left over material left over from a sewing project, so the boys and I made some bean bags. I never knew a bag filled with rice could bring so much joy for an entire day!

We took masking tape and made shapes on the floor, we then played a listening game. After repeating a word or phrase you got to throw the bean bag on one of the shapes, but you had to say out loud what shape you were aiming for. Even my older son enjoyed the activity until about an hour later he said, "Wait a minute, is this like a game to help with Logan's talking? I should have known!"

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Watch a live Cochlear Implant Surgery...

I saw this off another CI blog and thought it looked interesting.

On Tuesday, the 24th, you can watch a Sequential Bilateral Cochlear Implant surgery performed from University Hospitals Case Medical Center Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital. The surgeon will even be taking questions from viewers, via email.

Click here for more details!

Friday, February 20, 2009

SUPPORT LOGAN'S TEAM!

We have registered for the Walk4Hearing produced by the Hearing Loss Association of America. Do you know that one in ten persons in the United States has a hearing loss? The goal of the Walk4Hearing is to increase awareness about the causes and consequences of hearing loss and to raise funds to provide information and support for people with hearing loss.

We are trying to raise just $200.00 as a team. Your tax-deductible gift will make a difference in the lives of many! It is faster and easier than ever to support this great cause - you can make your donation online by simply clicking on the link at the bottom of this message. Any amount, great or small, helps in the fight. Thank You!

If you would like to donate click here , and click on Logan's name. Then click on "Make a gift".

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Deaf contestant on The Amazing Race 14

Click here to read more about Margie & Luke.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Happy Valentine's Day...

Logan had a great Valentine's Day party at school with themed treats and exchanging cards...

Giving Ms. C.J. her Valentine...

and one for Ms. Vergie, too...

Our Valentine fun at home...

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

"Look, Mom--it's me"

I found these new Cheez-Its and my kids love them. It has been fun for Logan to match the letters with words he sees around the house. I was in the kitchen, and Logan came in, placed these crackers on the counter and said, "Look, Mom, L-O-G-A-N...it's me".

LOGAN'S STORY...

Logan was diagnosed at birth with moderate to severe hearing loss, due to E.V.A.S, to hearing parents. It was a progressive hearing loss and we were aware that his loss would get worse over time. He was fitted for hearing aids at 4 months of age. At about 18 months old Logan seemed unresponsive to most sounds, even with his hearing aids on. We battled with his audiologist about our concern that he had lost his hearing completely. She reassured us that it was just his age and most likely he was "ignoring us." We still felt like something wasn't right and tried hard for about a year to convince the audiologist to do a sedated ABR test to get accurate results. Once those results were in, we received the news that Logan was now profoundly deaf in both ears. Our hearts broke, but peace came when we knew that Logan was now eligible for the Cochlear Implant. We rushed the process of having his first surgery done because he was almost three and at a critical time for speech development. He is doing far better then expected and just received his second implant in December of 2008.

The Beauty of Holland

"I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability-- to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this...

"When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous trip--to Italy! You buy a bunch of guidebooks and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelango David. The gondolas in Venice. You even learn some handy phrases in italian. It's all very exciting.

"After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The flight attendant comes in and says, 'Welcome to Holland.' 'Holland?!?', you say. 'What do you mean Holland? I signed up for Italy. I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy.'

"But there has been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay. The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

"So you must go out and buy new guide books and learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you never would have met. It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills. Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

"But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy, and they're all talking about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life you will say, 'Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned.'

"But if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't go to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things about Holland"

--Emily Perl Kingsley