Fun Friday!

RIDING AROUND ON MY AIRPLANE WITH MY NEW MICKEY BAG FOR MY HEARING AIDS!!!
HERE IS MY HEARING AID!!!

Well, it's certainly been a crazy week....after recovering from the party on the week-end, it was back to the grindstone for me trying to get things lined up for Matthew and for our new path in life...the one to hearing and learning sign language. We have spent some time as a family watching the sign language DVD and we are excited to have learned simple signs and are teaching Matthew each and every day. It's a big change, but we are trying our best and we think that he does understand the meaning behind signing. This morning he stood at the refrigerator signing cookie, but wanted breakfast! At least he knows to tell us he wants food, right?

SO, what did we get accomplished this week???? Well......we have early intervention's developmental specialist and someone from the deaf and hard of hearing program scheduled for April 17th, we went to the social security office and applied for his number, we got things squared away for his health insurance(lots of paperwork...ugghhh), we spoke with a Children's hospital that specializes in cochlear implants and got all 8 pages of their paperwork sent in for his first appt, we met with the daycare that is willing to work with Matthew (thank goodness!), we visited with friends here at home and at work, Matthew had a pediatric surgery appt and an ultrasound today.....AND he got his first HEARING AID TODAY!!!!! It was unexpected that his molds came in today...when the ultrasound was done today I happened to call audiology to just check and see if they were in and they were!!! Now, I am not going to lie and say I didn't have a hard time as I drove over to the clinic from the main hospital.....especially when one of the medical assistants told me "this is usually just a formality" so he can get the cochlear implants! I was devastated when she said that and of course the tears rolled down my face, but thankfully I quickly texted my family and dear friends and just asked them to pray...to pray that the hearing aids may work and that Matthew may hear something for the very first time! I know because of his profound hearing loss that the chances were not as high, but I was not going to lose Hope! After all, Hope is what we were going to name our little girl and Hope is what led Chris and I to adopting Matthew! There is ALWAYS hope!

So, I was able to put my Mommy hat back on and kick into learning gear when the audiologist put his hearing aids in and fit them to his little ears. He did so well, and she began the testing to be sure the aids worked. Unfortunately, the left aid did not work, so we only have the right one right now, but we are happy with any help we can get!

We have only been home for about an hour, and I am happy to say he has only pulled the hearing aid out ONCE so far! Matthew is such a trooper and without being able to explain anything to him, I'd say he is doing great. And, or course Chris and I are praying hard that Matthew will be able to hear something with this in! When I clapped my hands behind his right ear, he turned suddenly which is something he hadn't done! So, please pray that we will get somewhere with the use of his first hearing aid! Of course, Chris and I will be obsessing now as to whether he can rearly hear, but we are so praying and believing that HE WILL!!!

When I spoke with the hospital that does the implants, they have an entire program devoted to this and it is going to take a huge commitment from Chris and I, and lots of appointments prior to the surgery, and many therapy appts. after the surgery. We are willing to do whatever it takes to do what is best for our child. We won't lie and say it isn't going to be easy, especially with the time commitments and both of us working full time but we are taking one day at a time and are trying to get over one hurdle at a time. Haha...we certainly didn't need the $1000 bill to fix the Xterra to pass inspection this week, but who's counting anymore :) Thankfully my workplace and the people that I work with are absolutely amazing and are going to be able to help adjust my schedule so that I can be with Matthew for his appts, yet still work as much as I possibly can. You have no idea how thankful I am for that, as that is huge to have that much support from a workplace. Plus, I have a lot of patients that I do need to get back and help care for, as I now know how important it is to have special people working with your child - and not being biased, but we have the best people in the world working where I work!!!!(It's amazing, you always think you work to the best of your ability and try to be so compassionate, but there is always more to give of yourself, that's for sure!!!!)So, I have one more full week at home before easing back into work, and getting Matthew adjusted to daycare...ugghh, I cannot even think that far ahead yet, that's for sure.

Here are a few pictures of him as soon as we got home, and then a little clip of him dancing in the kitchen today with Daddy after he got home from work! You sure can't tell anything is wrong with Matthew, can you? He LOVES to dance and play....and is just such a blessing to us all! We are hoping to take him to see the Easter Bunny tonight, so hopefully we will have some fun pictures to post later!!!! Plus, we are looking forward to some fun family time this week-end!!!!