Sunday, April 28, 2013

Hearing Aids!

We've got them!  We picked them up and learned all about them on Thursday.  Becca was super excited about them.  They are pink behind the ear with translucent pink earmolds with sparkles.  Very pretty.  We are getting the hang of getting them in so they will stay.  She's done pretty well adjusting to all the noise in the world.  On our way from the office to the car, she said, "Mommy, why is da elwabator [elevator] making noise?"  Because they always have, baby.  Welcome to the world.

There have been a few times that she has been overwhelmed.  At a birthday party on Saturday, she pulled me out of the den and said, "Mommy, I just want to sit wif you in da different room all by ourselves."  So we did for a few minutes, then went back to the action.  No biggie.  The volume adjustment and on/off switches have been deactivated so that she doesn't play with them.  When she gets older, she will have access to them to adjust as needed.

John and I are thrilled not to have to yell and repeat ourselves allthetime.  So much less stressful.  There's something about an uncooperative 4-year-old being much more bearable when you don't have to start out yelling.  This doesn't mean, of course, that she listens all the time.  Several times we've caught her in the regular, "What did you say?" loop - she asks, we repeat; she asks, we repeat; she asks, we repeat.  Finally I say to her, "Becca, I think you can hear me now.  Are you listening?"  With the obnoxious honesty of a 4-year-old, she'll say, "No, I'm not wistening."  So now we have a new rule: no asking questions unless you are going to listen to the answer.

John filmed her reaction the first time they put the hearing aids on and turned them on.  The audiologist put them both in her ears before turning them on.  Once they are turned on, it takes about a minute for them to be ready to go - they make a little chime sound (the pixie dust sound, I'm told ;) ) and then go live.  I think you'll be able to tell in the video when they start working for her.  We are so lucky to have the technology and access to care to help her hear!  Enjoy the video.  Life is good.



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