Who would have ever guessed

We celebrated my husband's 40th birthday last night. There was karaoke. Here is a picture of my husband and our son singing together. When I learned that Douglas was deaf I would have never guessed that the day would come that he would sing karaoke...What a blessing....

Update

Summer is here. Douglas is out helping Grandma with her garden. He has joined the swim team. He has taken first every time so far. I am so impressed with my son. He has made sure that everyone knows his needs. He has his coach signal when the whistle is blown. He entered a speech contest for deaf and hard of hearing. He didn't win but I think he did well for his first time. His poem was featured in Boystown National Research Hospital's Newsletter. He is going to two deaf camps this summer. His summer is full and he wants to Hay for a friend as well. What he has done in all of sixteen years. He is going to be an amazing man someday. I am sure I am prejudice. He is my son after all.

new information

When I was deciding which way to go for Douglas with his language (sign,oral or total communication), I told his deaf educator that I wanted him to have speech therapy and I wanted him to learn to sign. I wanted Douglas to be given every opportunity as a deaf person and to be allowed every opportunity as if he was a hearing person. She told me this was total communication. Until a reader of my blog posted a comment about Sim-com, I had never heard of it. So I looked it up. My children can speak if they wish or sign if they wish or do both at the same time if they wish. As there parent until they are old enough to make their own decision I am going to do everything in my power to make sure they get the best of both. When my boys leave my home they will have enough knowledge to be what they choose. If they choose to be deaf and only sign, they will know how. If my boys decide to only speak and not use sign, they will know how. If my boys decide they want to speak and sign or speak or sign, they will know how. I want them to feel they can choose anything they want and know it is okay. I will be proud of them no matter what language they decide to choose. Douglas knows some see 2 signs and some ASL signs. He usually doesn't sign every single word but it is usually in English order..

Independent

I can't believe it but on April 25th 2009 my 15 month old's cochlear implant fell from his head and he grabbed it and put it back on. He is reaching such mile stones. How awesome is it that he knows it has to be on his head to hear sound...

MY BABY GOT HIS FIRST HAIRCUT!

Diezel Sat in the chair all by himself. He didn't bounce around whild Mindy cut and clipped his hair. Now he looks like a little gentleman. It seems like he is doing everything so fast. I suppose it's because he is our very last baby. I want to savior every single second, every single moment, and every single thing he does. The baby i know will be gone in a blink.

Dog bite

Diezel got bit by a small dog. We went and visited an older couple who have an old dog. Diezel was on the floor crawling to dad when the dog came around the chair and bit him. It got the corner of his eye. It was very scary. We had to drive to Omaha and he had a stint put into his tear duct. He also recieved eight stitches. We were very lucky that the dog didn't damage his eye. He is healing very well. The doctor did an awesome job.

Making a decision that is life long

We have been waiting on Diezel's ear infection to clear up to proceed with his second cochlear implant. We live 200 miles away from his doctor so we haven't been back yet to go forward. He wears a hearing aide and I now he is hearing with it. I didn't realize his head piece was off and I called for him and he looked at me. So all day I was testing him. I would clap my hands and he would look to see what I was doing. I would make noises and he would look at me. When we had him in the sound proof room he turned to sound without it (yes it was louder sounds) but with his hearing aide on he turned to some softer sounds. They said it wasn't alot so he was still a canidate for a second one. I know that he wasn't hearing at his best when they tested him because he had an ear infection when they tested him. He had fluid behind his ear.
What if I decide to take away his hearing and it was enough with the use of a hearing aide. It is hard to make decisions for your child when whatever you decide will affect their lives either way I choose.