One Month Post-Activation

Yay! Something other than Way Back When-esday!

Chloe came to stay with me today and I got a chance to get some video of her after her Cochlear Implant activation. She is doing so much better now that she has gotten used to wearing the processors and coils, and of course the fact that she's learned that she can hear with them on. She was a good girl today and didn't try to take them off one time! The only time she bothers them now is when she's riding in the car. I guess she thinks she can sneak them off and use them as chew toys. FYI, processors are not condusive to baby slabber! Anyway, they have to be taken off when she's in the car for now. This morning after I picked her up, we needed to stop by the store to pick up a few things. Of course anytime we're out, Chloe smiles and waves, so people stop to talk to her. This morning a man started talking to Chloe, she's staring at him and he just keeps talking, finally she pointed to her ear and shook her head "no." (She didn't have her equipment on yet.) In one month, she's already learned that when someone's mouth is moving, that means they're talking, and she knew she couldn't hear them. I thought that was pretty amazing! She's still going to her mapping sessions, and new frequencies and sounds are being activated and adjusted. December 31 was her "hearing birthday" meaning as of that day, she was at the hearing level of a newborn. Now, I guess she's at the "cooing" stage and she's discovering that she's the one making that noise. Anyway, enough of my rambling, here are the videos I shot this morning. Keep in mind, this is a child who, with the exception of a few whines and cries, was completely SILENT one month ago.... P.S. I have no idea why she kept making the "billy goat" sounds!

And now, here's a taste of her temper.....

Way Back WHEN-esday

Dateline: July, 2005

Kaylyn's Age: 4 1/2 years

Luke's Age: 11 1/2 months

This was our first beach trip as a family of four. Let's just say it was not the most pleasant trip.....Notice the look on Luke's face? He cried, and cried, and cried, and SCREAMED for 5 solid days! He didn't like any part of it, the sand, the sun, the water, and most importantly, he didn't have his bed. Luke has always been a creature of habit; from just a few weeks old he developed his own night time routine and sleeping habits and didn't adjust very well to change. The most important factor in this routine of his was his bed. Any part of the routine could be interrupted with a mild tantrum, but trying to get him to sleep anywhere other than his bed was just not going to happen. So, of course being away from home, and his bed, insighted the mother of all tantrums. We thought he would give it up after the first night, if nothing else from sheer exhaustion, but he proved us wrong. He cried until we finally made it home 5 days later. Seriously, it was so bad, we didn't attempt another trip until two years later, and y'all know how I love the beach! He's always been a stubborn one! Not sure who he get's that from :)

P.S. I know y'all are tired of these Way Back WHEN-esday posts. I promise to try to get something more interesting on here soon. We've just been so busy, there's nothing really going on to take pics of. In other words, I have no other content right now :)

Way Back WHEN-esday

Dateline: August 2004

Kaylyn's Age: 3 1/2 years old

This was Kaylyn's very first dance class. She was so excited. Luke was only 5 days old and I drug my tired, post-partum self out of the house to watch her in her first dance class. She had been looking forward to this for months and there was nothing that would make me miss it...not even giving birth 5 days prior! She is now in her 5th year of dance and her 3rd year on the competition team and still loving it!

Way Back WHEN-esday

Dateline: February 2005

Luke's Age: 6 months old

This is one of my favorite snapshots of Luke as a baby.

Introducing Way Back WHEN-esday

I found Way Back WHEN-esday on another blog while blog-surfing one night and thought it was a great idea so I'm blog-lifting it. Every Wednesday (when I remember to do it) I will post some old random pics from way back when. I decided to do this because: 1.) I love looking at older pics of my kids and seeing how much they have grown and changed, and 2.) It will give me a chance to scan some of the thousands of old pics I have stored in a box from before I went digital (Ya'll know I was one of the last remaining people under the age of 85 to give up my 35mm film camera and I'm still not a fan of digital cameras.) To kick off Way Back WHEN-esday I've decided to post the MIA Halloween 2001 pics that I found in the top of Kaylyn's closet under a box of old baby toys that was still sealed from when we moved into our house 8 years ago. Don't ask me how they got there, but I'm sure I had a good reason for puting them in the top of her closet under an old box. So here it is....

Dateline: October 31, 2001

Kaylyn's Age: 8 months old

Kaylyn's first Halloween. Wasn't she the cutest little pumpkin?!

My break is over....

Yes, it's that time again....back to school. My Spring semester starts today, so it's back to reading boring text books and Googling boring articles. I am SO looking forward to Fall 2009 when I graduate...

FYI

I think it may be time to start building the ark.....

The kids got to come home early today because of the tornado "attacks" as Kaylyn calls them...