Life On Lisburn

Happy Birthday Jamesey! Nope, not a birthday like you'd usually consider - this one is his hearing birthday.  September 10 marks one year since the activation of his cochlear implants! And what a year it's been.  I'm so thankful for the prayers and support that we've received and continue to embrace.  We've been blessed with a phenomenal early intervention team and their encouragement and determination has been a difference maker for sure.  At this point, Jamesey is 1 year old in terms of what he hears (although technically he's still at even more of a deficit since babies in utero take in sounds and process them but that's another detail).  He is adding more and more sounds to his repertoire and will often chatter away for minutes on end.  It's glorious to hear! He is responding to his name and will often turn at a sound - none of which would have been possible a year ago! At this point he is making progress towards walking - we're working to deve...

It's crazy to think that we're looking at Week 39 and still waiting for David to arrive.  Recently I've noticed we've been so consumed with how James is proceeding that there hasn't been time to breathe - but now as David's arrival nears it's really hard not to ask a few "what if" questions.  There's a part of me that will hold my breath when David has his newborn hearing screen and as we wait for the results.  Then there is a part of me that says whatever the outcome we'll be okay.  I've shared with a few of you the perspective that Jamesey really is one in a million genetically and I keep repeating that to myself as a bit of a mantra on the occasions that I start to feel panicky - but our little man is wonderful and he reminds us of that frequently. A few notes about he and Anna since I shared about their brother :) Jamesey - he's responding to sounds and mimicking a few of them like the rooster, pig, fire truck...and I think ...

Well 2014 was a year for sure.  Let's see - where to start: new job for Jer diagnosis of kleefstra and cochlear implant surgery for Jamesey 1 hospitalization and 1 near miss for Jamesey 1 discovery of Disney Kids channel for Anna Monkey (specifically Doc McStuffins, Jake and the Neverland pirates) 1 new love of  rollercoasters for Anna Monkey (she adored trailblazer at Hershey Park) we found out that another little baby to love is on the way - due May 26 new position for me at work Just a few things that are going on.  But 2015 is a new year, full of promise.  We're excited for Jamesey to really begin talking.  Christmas break heard the first really consistent mamamamama's from little man as well as a few dadada's.  His speech and hearing teachers are so encouraged and are so hopeful for him.  We feel blessed to have them in our lives for all the time that they invest in him and in us.  2015 will see renewed efforts with sign language (w...