Testing, testing. Is this thing on?

Welp, we are activated. Milo has now entered a whole new world of sound.

The whole activation process on Friday was actually pretty anti-climactic - which is a GREAT thing. We knew there wouldn't be this AHA! moment, since Milo has had access to sound previously. Those miraculous YouTube videos are typically of individuals who haven't any sound before. Not the case for Milo.

What we were hoping to avoid was a bad reaction, which - thankfully - he didn't experience. We could tell he was hearing the beeps and voices. At one point in the second video below, he asks to take it off, which isn't uncommon, since the new sound is so unfamiliar. As time goes on and as we work to improve it, it will become his new normal, and he'll likely love it.

And we think he's already getting a little more used to it. He doesn't want to take it off for naptime/bedtime, and he keeps asking Marc to clap his hands. Must be a new/different sound to him.

Sometimes he says "I don't want to wear that [cochlear implant]" but doesn't resist too much, and once it's on doesn't mention it again.

I jokingly ask him (in a robot voice) "do. I. sound. like. a. robot.?"(and in a high-pitched voice) "or do I sound like Mickey Mouse?" and he laughs and says "you sound like a robot, Momma!" But it won't always be like that.

Here are a couple of videos of our activation experience. You can see his facial expressions change when he hears the sound.

Here's one with beeps:

And here's one with the microphone (so he's hearing voices):

I was surprised to learn that there are 8 million little accessories to Milo's new ear. I don't know what half of them do yet, but we've got some time to learn.

So if I'm completely honest, I expected one extreme or the other. For him to hate it, and we constantly battle keeping it on. Or for him to love it and for us to notice immediate increased understanding. It hasn't been the former, so I'm grateful for that, but it also hasn't been the latter, so I'm ready to start working with his speech therapist and teacher at school [without his L hearing aid in] to see exactly what we're working with!

Thank you SO much for your support, prayers and well-wishes. The work starts... NOW.

Happy Halloween everyone!


- Jaime

Milo's New School!

#truth

I saw this graphic in one of my FB parents' groups, and during such a big week, it resonated in a BIG way.

This past Sunday, October 23rd was Milo's THIRD birthday, which means he's transitioning from the infant/toddler Early Childhood program and gets to start at Pearson Elementary School through PISD at the Plano Regional Day School Program for the Deaf (RDSPD for short).

He's in a class of 8 kids who all have hearing loss and his teacher is an LSLS Certified Auditory-Verbal Educator and there is an SLP who works with the kiddos and they're both absolutely WONDERFUL (as is the rest of the staff at Pearson). His classroom is set up with optimal acoustics and an FM system and the curriculum is geared towards kids with hearing loss. Milo came home talking about his day and his teacher. From the look on his face in every picture we saw from that day - he's going to LOVE it there. We're expecting great things!

The biggest news (for Milo, anyway) is that he gets to ride the school bus!! It picks him up at our house in the morning, and takes him to "Reilly's school" (his old school) in the afternoon. He's been waiting to do this for a long time!

 Milo's first day!

Elaine worked with us through PISD weekly until Milo turned 3.
We'll miss you, Elaine!

 And you've heard me say it only 8,433,133 times before, but Milo is getting activated this Friday!!

I can't reiterate enough: it won't be like those magical videos that you've seen on YouTube, but this is the start of a whole new world for Milo! Thank you for all of the prayers and well-wishes.

Also, please keep Milo's buddy Layla in your prayers. It's been a hard week for her and her family - with a long road ahead - but she's such a strong lil lady. You can read more about Layla's story here. You got this, Layla! Milo can't wait to be told which My Lil Pony to play with. :)  #laylastrong

Milo Post-Op!

This kid, is a champ. We knew that. You knew that. But he proved it time and time again following his surgery! Thanks SO much for all of the calls, texts and messages following his cochlear implant surgery a few weeks ago!

Our surgery was scheduled for 7:30, so we had to check in by 5:50. This was GREAT news, as we didn't need to deny food for very long. Donned in his new TMNT pjs from Uncle G and Aunt Nini, we headed to the hospital and never looked back. Marc and I were both a bundle of nerves leading up to surgery day, but an eery calmness set in on the morning of surgery.

Thanks to amazing nurses, anesthesiologists, doctors and child life specialists (thanks, Jessica!!) - we had the best experience at Children's Dallas.

We were able to be in recovery when Milo-man woke up, and I believe it make all the difference in the world.

Y'all. We were HOME by 11:30 am. They just implanted a device in my kid's head, and we were home before noon. He napped (we tried to) and was up and ready to play by 1pm. He never once complained of pain. Pretty sure he thought that a cochlear implant was a cotton ball, because that's what he knew of his right ear.

I kept him home from school on Wednesday, but it was immediately clear that YOU CAN'T HOLD THIS KID DOWN. Annoyingly (and gratefully) so.

He went back to school on Thursday. (48 hours after his surgery, in case you were keeping track.)

We're now anxiously awaiting his activation. (When we get to turn it on.) Friday, October 28th is the day. Say a prayer for us that Milo responds favorably. (You KNOW that I'll update you here once it's happened.)

Here are some fun photos and videos of this day. This kid is so resilient.

Milo, pre-surgery (7ish on Tuesday morning)

Milo, post-surgery (1ish on Tuesday afternoon)

Til next time,

Jaime