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