Some Pictures from vacation

The boys on the beach. This is the 1st thing we did after arriving in Myrtle Beach. Nothing is more soothing than the sound of the ocean.



This picture was taken at the aquarium at the Riverbanks zoo ~ the jellyfish look so cool!


Thomas couldnt keep his eyes off of Spongebob, Squidward or Patrick...I don't think he could believe that they were "real"...he is used to seeing them on TV.


What a life!!! Thomas spent a little bit of time splashing in the ocean. Once one of the waves knocked him over he got mad and sat down at his toddler paradise! Snacks, Juice and toys!




I thought this ride was going to be calm. I was wrong! We walked on, I sat with Jon and Daddy sat with Thomas. When the ride operator started her speel about directions, etc. I heard her say "no one under 40" is allowed". YIKES! They let him on..they seen how short he is (just 36") I looked over at Jim and being a "man's man" he said "Don't worry, he will be fine!" The ride was fast, spinny and each individual boat spun around. Thomas LOVED it. He kept yelling and throwing his hands in the air whenever the ride operator would ask if everyone was having fun! What a little daredevil!!

Back from vacation

We got back from our trip this past Saturday. It had been a fantastic two weeks (minus the driving..although the boys did amazingly well for a 11 hr trip).
I forgot just how HOT the south gets! Whew...we didnt get to spend too much time on the beach due to heat (and sand being EVERYWHERE). I mean everywhere...thank goodness for the otter box~ that kept the processors clean, dry and sand free! I have a great picture of Thomas sitting in his beach chair, under the umbrella and in front of his beach tent...the kid had it made! Big brother had a blast with Dad and their body boards floating around the ocean. I went in up to my knee's and that was enough! lol Thomas, being the dare devil he is, wanted to walk in and swim with Dad and Jon..that is until a wave came and knocked him over. I had a really good grip on his hand so I pulled him right back up. He yelled a big "NO" to the ocean and walked back to his toddler paradise that was waiting for him.
When we were in Myrtle Beach we stayed at a beautiful resort with alot of nice people (except for the note that was left for us...long story). Thomas and I were in the pool when a little girl swam over to us and started talking. While we were talking Thomas started talking. The little girl asked me what Thomas was saying. I avoided the question a few times (thinking she was too young to understand CI's and deafness...she was 7) than I started with "Thomas was born deaf and he has things called cochlear implants that help him hear...." I wasnt finished with my sentence when she says "my brother has one of those". I explained a bit further and she looked at me like "DUH..what did I just say?". lol She went on to tell me that her older brother had gotten really sick when he was younger and lost his hearing. He only wears one but he had already lost two of his processors and their Mom wasn't happy about it". She was the sweetest little girl and she and Thomas had an instant bond. It was pretty cool.
I did spend alot of time explaining to different people about Thomas, his deafness, hearing aids and cochlear implants. Now, when Thomas hears me start talking about cochlear implants he will turn his head and show whomever I am talking to his ear and the equipment and than he will say "Hear". It's pretty cute.
We go back to therapy tomorrow. It's been 2 wks since we have been and I do have one concern. Thomas has started refusing to wear his left processor. I am not sure why...so tonite I changed the microphone cover and connected the babyworn cable and the snugfit. He may be getting too much distracting noise from wearing the processor on his shirt (his right side is wore on his ear..left side pinned to his shirt). So, we will see tomorrow morning how he takes to wearing both sides on the ear.
He has really started talking alot. Although his pronunciation isn't that great. (another concern of mine which I will bring up tomorrow). We saw ALOT of semi-trucks, worker trucks(bull dozer, digger, etc) and motorcycles. Whenever Thomas would see any of the above he would say "Daddy has ......" either big truck, truck or motorcylcle. Motorcycle comes out pretty cute...kind of like "otototike". I am going to try to get it on video...to save to show him when he is older!!!
Now, its back to our same daily routine! 3 weeks until school starts (I am already getting sad about that). I am going to try to make the most of my mornings...no rushing...that will come in a few weeks!

South Carolina and the lost controller

AHHH...I am finally online. Thank goodness for the library computers...I am getting my internet fix! I haven't been online since Saturday ~ whew!
We are having a great time in SC visiting my sister in law and her husband and sister. We did have a bit of a scare yesterday though. My sister in law was nice enough to take the boys out to a fun park so I could get a few hours of "me" time. About 2hrs into their trip I received a frantic phone call from my SIL telling me that one of Thomas' processors was missing. To make a long story short..he must have been sliding down a slide and it got stuck on something and Thomas just pulled and the controller/babyworn got unclipped and fell to the bottom of the slide. My SIL, hubby, and Jonathan were all looking for the piece. Along with 2 very fantastic employees who closed the play area down until they found the missing pieces. Whew...that was a close one. I did feel bad for SIL...she was giving me a break and she ended up almost having a heart attack. We will be here for a few more days than head down to Myrtle Beach for a few days. Than back to my SIL's to pester her some more and than head back home. We are all having such a fantastic time though, we don't really want to go back home too soon!
Thomas is doing very well. Talking all of the time and now that he has more people to impress he loves it!!! He is speech is becoming a bit more clear and he keeps trying to speak in sentences and carry on conversations!!!
My time is almost up on my library computer so I better get going.

Walking With Dinosaurs

The guys getting ready for the show to start



This the set around the huge black curtain at the front of the stage...these teeth were HUGE!!!


A rare picture of the boys and I. I am usually the one behind the camera!


It has been a couple weeks since since our trip to see "Walking With Dinosaurs" but I had to say that it was amazing. I didn't think that Thomas would like it due to loud noise and scary dinosaurs, but he LOVED it. (he also enjoyed his seat and the way it would flip up whenever he jump off of it or fold up if he would pick his legs up). Jonathan kept his ears covered for a little bit of the show (the dinosaurs roars were LOUD) but Thomas did great. The only thing he got scared of were when the trees came back to life after the "fire" (the green branches kind of sprouted back up from the trunk). As the branches were filling with air Thomas freaked a little and jumped in my lap. Go figure....amazingly loud noises, roars and thunder crashes and he gets spooked by some inflatables! lol
I didn't realize until after our Greater Cleveland CI Support Group meeting last night that Thomas was able to hear me and know exactly what I was saying through the entire Dinosaur show. I entirely attribute that to him being bilateral. Especially since I was sitting on his left(newly implanted) side. The topic last night was "Updates on Bilateral Cochlear Implants" and after the 3 companies gave their talks a panel of a few parents (I was up there...don't even ask how that went...lol) and 3 recipients who all told amazing stories of their life before CI...after initial implantation and than how much fuller their life had gotten after receiving their 2nd CI. Music appreciation was greater, hearing in noisy situations was much easier, their self confidence came back, life was much better for each one after becoming bilateral. We are only 2.5 mths into Thomas' bilateral life but we are seeing some really amazing responses and communication from him. He is trying to speak in sentences (although some of the words are "Thomas words") we can understand a most words in his sentences, he also tries really hard to imitate everything we say (I mean EVERYTHING...even when Mommy gets cut off on the free way).
The first few weeks after activation of his 2nd CI I wasn't too thrilled, and neither was Thomas. I guess I forgot the long road we took with his first CI just a year earlier. After hearing some of the recipients talk last night I know we made the right choice for Thomas ~

Therapy Opportunities are all around us....

Thomas loves skee ball ~ so much so that he will usually roll 2 balls up at a time!


Taking a very short break to tell me that his shorts are starting to fall down!



Brothers enjoying the warm weather and even warmer water



Thomas and Jonathan flying their own AAAHHHH....airplane!!!!




Dad and Thomas enjoying the lazy river (Thomas did not like not being able to touch the ground so after the 1st trip around he was done)





We have been busy these past few weeks...from our Walking with Dinosaurs experience, to my birthday, the 4th of July, trips to Dave and Busters and Cedar Point, family get togethers and in our relaxing days at home (we have had a few) there are abundant opportunities for language. Today, on one our outings, I was sitting with Thomas on a park bench waiting for Daddy and Jonathan to get finished with their games and a bunny came hopping across in front of us. Thomas said "hop, hop, hop" and he proceeded to throw the baby bunny part of his ham sandwich. We talked about the bunny's colors (he was brown and white), his big ears, his tiny tail, we watched how started to clean himself until another little boy came up and scared the baby bunny away. By the way...Thomas became very upset and told the boy "NO, NO...Boy" in the middle of NO and BOY were a bunch of "Thomas' words" we didn't know exactly what he was saying but we (and the little boy) knew he was MAD!

Before the bunny episode Thomas was in the kiddie pool trying his hardest for me to not catch up with him. I usually have Daddy or Jonathan there to help out...Jonathan is always the sweet big brother/Mommy's helper and will follow Thomas when he is climbing up, down, through or under something that I may not fit through. Daddy and Jonathan were out in the lazy river so it was just myself and Thomas. Thomas climbed up the steps to the choo choo train (which is located in the middle of the kiddie pool) and was pretending to drive it. He was yelling "choo choo"..."bye bye Mommy"...I would wave back and say "bye bye, Thomas". Even though he couldn't hear me (no ci's in the water) I could see him really intently looking at my face...he was reading my lips. When i would say "bye bye" he would repeat it. My little guy is starting to lip read which is coming in handy when we are in the water (and when he chooses to look at me...lol). There was another little girl up in the train with Thomas and she was talking to him and he was following her directions (you stand here...and I will stand there/wave to your mommy) of course, she was also giving hand signals so he followed what she did. But neither the little girl in the train nor her Mother ever realized that Thomas was deaf.

Not having the CI's on in the water does not seem to bother Thomas. In fact, when we made him come out of the water for a break he did not want the CI's back on. Of course, he knows that when they are back on he can't go in the water and he did not want to chance that at all!

In the very beginning of this journey I thought that in order for Thomas to talk, hear and listen would require us spending a great deal of time sitting down and forcing all of this on him. If you knew Thomas you would know that this would NEVER work for him. He is a typical 2yr old that likes to do what he likes to do..whatever that may be at the moment. Thank goodness we have a SLP that allows Thomas the freedom to choose what he would like to do and she will get every sound, noise, word, and turn it into an awesome lesson for both of us.

I wish I knew than what I know now. Yes, Thomas learning how to talk, listen and hear is not as easy as it would be for a normal hearing child...it does require alot of talking on our part, alot of explaining, alot of detail (that other parents probably think we are bit nutty for how articulate, how descriptive and how excited we are about all of these "new" things we find and explain) but it is also alot of FUN! It is awesome to experience all of these things for the 1st time (and the 2nd time, and the 3rd time ,etc) with Thomas. A quick walk through the park is no longer "quick"...its an experience. We try and turn everything into some type of learning experience...and it is no longer something that we have to do...it is something that comes naturally for our entire family! When a plane flies overhead...we all say "AHHHHH (with voice fluctuating and hand going up in the air)...at the same time. Of course, we do enjoy our down time...where we sit back and relax and let them play and have fun..and just be kids!!!!