Kevin has called me Mommy for about a year now. I would expect him to call me this (or at least, Mom) for the rest of my life. Yesterday, he was taking a shower with his Dad and wanted to get my attention and said, "Kristen, please get me my boat". I thought I was going to split a seam! I didn't even know he knew my real name, and he said it without even being able to hear (in the shower)! He has said it various times today, and I know it is a phase and he is testing out the sound of my real name, but I think it is one of the funniest things I have heard him say.
Kevin has quite the personality! He already is starting to crack his own jokes. His favorite is when we are all sitting around the dinner table and he says something that he knows is a joke (for a 2 year old) and gets this big grin on his face. Watch out teachers.... he will keep you on your toes!!!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Happy Birthday Mommy
My birthday was last weekend and I captured the boys singing Happy Birthday to me. I love how Kevin is just a few seconds delayed in singing, but it also shows what a great language model his older brother is! Enjoy...
Monday, November 3, 2008
You're not listening!
Today I realized that Kevin has been listening to me all along, even when I don't think he is. I think all of his training, both formal speech therapy and informal family training, has paid off with Kevin's ability to really listen. Remember, listening is very different than hearing. We all know that we can hear something, but not really listen it, and therefore not process it. When we are in noisy situations, I often tell Kevin to 'listen to me' or 'you're not listening' if that is what is going on. I guess I have said that enough to Kevin. Today, we were playing play-doh and I was zoning and staring off in space thinking of all the things I had to get done that day, and Kevin said something to me about looking at his sculpture. The next thing I heard was, 'Mom, you're not listening'. I had to try hard not to laugh because the way he said it was just like I say it! I guess we all just hear sometimes, deaf or hearing, but don't listen!
On a side note, one of Kevin's new words that he picked up incidentally is weird. I was telling him that his old therapist was going to be a party and he said, 'that's weird'. He had the right context and everything! It's so nice to hear him really start to use incidental language like that!
On a side note, one of Kevin's new words that he picked up incidentally is weird. I was telling him that his old therapist was going to be a party and he said, 'that's weird'. He had the right context and everything! It's so nice to hear him really start to use incidental language like that!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
auditory memory
I feel that Kevin has had a huge bump in his language the past few weeks! I am sure it directly correlates to his last mapping, but it is so much fun to hear him talk up a storm using proper grammer, syntax, and clear(er) articulation! Something very exciting happened today, though, that brought tears to my eyes! This was one of those true 'CI moments' for me, as a Mom.
Kevin was in music class this morning and, as usual, was walking around the room rather than sitting in my lap. The teacher was talking about auditory memory and she wanted to show us this through the use of singing 'Itsy Bitsy Spider'. She would have us sing a phrase and then hold her hands to her mouth during the next phrase instead of singing it so that the kids would hear the song in the head rather than hear us singing it. I wasn't sure how much Kevin was paying attention because at that time he was more focused on things in the room rather than the teacher, but when she put her hands to her mouth, Kevin waited for the next phrase and then filled in the blank for her! For instance, we would sing, 'The Itsy Bitsy Spider' and Kevin would conclude with 'Ran up the water spout' once he realized no one was singing it. His auditory memory seems to be great! Also, I was impressed with how much he was paying attention without seeming like he was. It was great, my little boy who is deaf was helping fill in the blanks to the song!
He also did a very good rendition of 'Wheels on the bus' tonight. At his school, they were singing the verse about the baby crying and saying 'wah, wah, wah' to work on 'w' sound. He perfected it in his song tonight and actually said the entire verse perfectly clear.
I know that their language comes in peaks and then levels off and then peaks and levels off.... and we are really enjoying this climbing to a peak. I feel like Kevin is on his way to a completely different level right now!
Kevin was in music class this morning and, as usual, was walking around the room rather than sitting in my lap. The teacher was talking about auditory memory and she wanted to show us this through the use of singing 'Itsy Bitsy Spider'. She would have us sing a phrase and then hold her hands to her mouth during the next phrase instead of singing it so that the kids would hear the song in the head rather than hear us singing it. I wasn't sure how much Kevin was paying attention because at that time he was more focused on things in the room rather than the teacher, but when she put her hands to her mouth, Kevin waited for the next phrase and then filled in the blank for her! For instance, we would sing, 'The Itsy Bitsy Spider' and Kevin would conclude with 'Ran up the water spout' once he realized no one was singing it. His auditory memory seems to be great! Also, I was impressed with how much he was paying attention without seeming like he was. It was great, my little boy who is deaf was helping fill in the blanks to the song!
He also did a very good rendition of 'Wheels on the bus' tonight. At his school, they were singing the verse about the baby crying and saying 'wah, wah, wah' to work on 'w' sound. He perfected it in his song tonight and actually said the entire verse perfectly clear.
I know that their language comes in peaks and then levels off and then peaks and levels off.... and we are really enjoying this climbing to a peak. I feel like Kevin is on his way to a completely different level right now!
Friday, October 3, 2008
Swtiching to BTEs? Maybe not now...
So, the skelaton earmolds arrived in the mail and I was anxious to try them out with the BTE setup. I just used the earmolds (not the wigtape) with his BTEs and they stayed on 'OK'. I feel like they flop off easier then when I use the babyworn setup and a huggie. It was a little discouraging because I don't seem to have any problems with the babyworn set-up. Maybe I'll go back to having my Mom sew pockets on his undershirts for the Fall and Winter and revisit the BTE in the Spring. It is so easy to just have a small earpiece on his head, so maybe I'll keep to that for a while. I just thought it would be nice to have him hear while being naked and not have to rely on special shirts. He is potty trained now, so I don't want him in a onesie... maybe a regular undershirt will work ok.
Kevin, however, LOVED the new earmolds! He wanted to take them to bed because he felt like he got a new toy. He was so sad when we told him he couldn't sleep with them. I wasn't expecting that reaction!!!
His speech is getting better and better each day! His language is just amazing, and the clarity is getting improving. He hit his head and said 'ouch' just as I would. I looked at my husband with eyes of disbelief and he smiled (thinking I was amazed he hit his head) and then it dawned on him how well he said 'ouch'. Yes... we will never take speech for granted with him!
Kevin, however, LOVED the new earmolds! He wanted to take them to bed because he felt like he got a new toy. He was so sad when we told him he couldn't sleep with them. I wasn't expecting that reaction!!!
His speech is getting better and better each day! His language is just amazing, and the clarity is getting improving. He hit his head and said 'ouch' just as I would. I looked at my husband with eyes of disbelief and he smiled (thinking I was amazed he hit his head) and then it dawned on him how well he said 'ouch'. Yes... we will never take speech for granted with him!
Monday, September 29, 2008
latest mapping
Kevin had his latest mapping appointments last Wednesday and Thursday. We split the appointment up into 2 days (one day for each ear) just to make it easier on Kevin. Sitting still for 3 hours and concentrating the entire time just doesn't do it for him! It works out so much nicer to only map one ear each day. He did awesome! He was consistently hearing across the board between 15-20db on each ear. The higher frequencies jumped to 25db, but with the new mapping, hopefully those will go down too. We didn't do a hearing test with both ears due to my wiggly boy, but we can assume it would be better than the individual ear tests. The great news is that Kevin's ears have stabilized enough to have the next mapping session 6 months out. We have been going every 3 months, but now we can start going every 6 months. I feel like Kevin is getting to be one of those 'older kids' that I always looked to when we went to the implant center. I used to be the parent with confusion on my face, fear in my eyes, and a little baby struggling to keep his implants on. Now, Kevin walks in the office like he owns it, talks non-stop to the audi and the staff there, and I feel so much more at peace with everything. I love being on this side of things! If anyone is reading this blog who is just starting their journey.... you will be at this place before you know it! Trust me!!!
Anyway, Kevin continues to do great! He said a 10 word sentence tonight. 'Teacher stop reading her book, so we go in class now?' He was referring to his gymnastics teacher who was reading a paper before his class started. He said this immediately after she put the paper down. Nothing gets by this kid anymore!!!
Anyway, Kevin continues to do great! He said a 10 word sentence tonight. 'Teacher stop reading her book, so we go in class now?' He was referring to his gymnastics teacher who was reading a paper before his class started. He said this immediately after she put the paper down. Nothing gets by this kid anymore!!!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Baseball
Tonight, Kevin said baseball! He has been omitting his initial and mid-word 's' sound for a while, and we have been working with him on saying them. He can get them if he really works at it. For some reason, the ending 's' sound comes much more naturally to him. He is even saying some plurals.
Well, tonight he was looking at a baseball and he kept calling it a bay-ball. I worked with him to get him to say bay-s-ball and finally he was able to say baseball so perfectly well! It flows off of his tongue very naturally now! Hooray! Maybe this will be a start of the 's' sounds...! Let's hope every 's' word doesn't take as much work... but at least he is starting to say them!
It is very fun conversing with him now. I understand him most of the time and he is a little chatterbox! He has a lot to say and he uses full sentences to speak. He is turning into a big boy right in front of me!
Well, tonight he was looking at a baseball and he kept calling it a bay-ball. I worked with him to get him to say bay-s-ball and finally he was able to say baseball so perfectly well! It flows off of his tongue very naturally now! Hooray! Maybe this will be a start of the 's' sounds...! Let's hope every 's' word doesn't take as much work... but at least he is starting to say them!
It is very fun conversing with him now. I understand him most of the time and he is a little chatterbox! He has a lot to say and he uses full sentences to speak. He is turning into a big boy right in front of me!
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