24th April 2015
Wow! So much to tell, I don't know where to start!
Little Princess has now been switched on for just over 8 weeks and it's been quite a ride - so exciting, so wonderful, so emotional.
It has been amazing watching our little lady start to hear for the first time, it's somethng most of us take for granted and I guess, she took her silence for granted, as that was all she had ever experienced. Now, however, thanks to the miracle of modern technology, my little princess has been introduced to a whole new world and she seems to be taking it all in her stride. The best thing for us however, is that she seems very comfortable with or without her Magic Ears, which is exactly what we want for her.
She has learnt her own name and will consistently turn to someone calling her name, provided her brothers aren't causing too much background noise! She shows so much pleasure from banging her toys together and heating the noises they make - I think all kids love this, but you can tell from her expression that this is a new noise to her and she loves it!
Princess has even started copying some sounds!! She will lift a toy aeroplane and say "Aaaaahhhhh" while flying it around and also stroke a fluffy animal and copy "Ahhhh Ahhh". Other sounds are also heard - mmmm, mumm mummmm (don't get excited, it's not mummy, it's much too early for anything like that!) and loads of screaming, shouting and general communication. For a child with communication difficulties, Princess certainly does not have any problems letting people know what she wants!
On that note, Princess can now understand most conversations in BSL, following instructions and settling with information, but she has now also started signing back - more, food, I want, give me, bird, fish, hello, goodbye, no, yes, princess (I think), magic ears on or off. I am amazed by her progress every day.
With the help and education from her Teacher of the Deaf (TOD) and her speech and language therapist (SLT), we have been taught games and fun ways to help her understand sound, the importance of sound, the consequence of sound and how to make sound. It is difficult to understand why deaf kids (or adults) who get CIs, need to learn to hear, but it's all to do with the digital nature of the sounds sent to and received by the brain. Hearing babies, start learning about listening and sound in the womb, this continues at birth and increased exposure leads to increased understanding and acceptance. It is still strange for me to think that without her Magic Ears, my princess cannot hear me, even though I automatically rely on sign when she is Deaf again. I still can't imagine what it is like to be in her silent world. Maybe when she is older, she can teach me about it herself, while for now I will just have to watch her cues and get clues from Deaf adults I have met.
Quite aside from her Ears - princess has been racing ahead in her development, much to my disgust as I want to savour the "baby" phase for as long as I can since she is my last baby! She has become a "bum shuffler", racing across the floor and chasing everyone around the house (whilst shouting about it!), she has started feeding herself, she is going to swimming lessons (funding my our local deaf group, Sound Friends) which cater for her deafness and she has started making friends with other babies.
It devastates me that my baby is growing up so fast, but I am immensely proud of all she has already accomplished and I am so excited for her future and whatever that might hold!
Thanks again for reading, please feel free to leave comments or contact me about any of this.
Goodnight,
Sara xx
