DO YOU HEAR THAT?: March 2009

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Walk 4 Hearing 2009!

PARTICIPATING IN THE GROUP WARM UP, STRETCHING BEFORE THE WALK...

FUN BEFORE THE WALK...

THE 4K WALK...

FINISHING LAP 1...

MY OLDER SON RAN AHEAD BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT "LOGAN'S TEAM TO LOSE" (HE WAS UNAWARE THAT IT WAS NOT A RACE)...

ENJOYING PIZZA AFTER THE WALK...

We had so much fun and the boys did great. Even Logan walked (most) of the way. We hope to be able to participate again next year.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

As we were walking to pick my older son up from school today, I heard a bird "caw-ing" high up in a tree. I stopped and said to Logan (as we always do with new or interesting sounds), "Logan, Do you hear that?" He continued to walk, shrugged his shoulders and said, "Yeah, Mom. Bird." It was if he was saying, "So what, it's just a bird. I hear them all the time."

I realized then, how natural environmental sounds are becoming to him, just as they are to you and me. I loved how a simple moment, became so extraordinary today.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

coupon code...

Use the coupon code, MARCH29, on all orders $25.00 or more for the shirts below (expires march 29, 2009). I think it gives you 17% off your order.

Great CI shirts at reasonable prices...

Click here to see CI shirts for all ages to raise
awareness for Cochlear Implants!

Monday, March 2, 2009

Our new medical bracelets...

I received an email a few weeks ago from a woman named Linda who owns a company that makes medical bracelets. She said that she came across Logan's blog and wanted to give him 4 bracelets as a gift. We were thrilled! We ordered him this one a few months ago, but it is slightly uncomfortable so he doesn't like to wear it. Linda and her husband developed these bracelets because they have a grandson with down syndrome and he, too, would not wear the "typical" medical bracelets. Logan loves these because they are "cool" and just like the bracelets the older kids wear.

Click here to order one for yourself, they have a lot of colors and sizes to choose from and are very affordable.

Thank you, Linda, for your kindness.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Our new dentist (Dad is getting too busy)...

TVs in the ceiling, a red balloon to take home and neon sunglasses to block the dental light...SWEET!

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

DO YOU HEAR THAT?