An Attempt at Being Crafty...

It's an elephant, if you can't tell. I've never used waste canvas before and my stitches are horrible! Oh, well- I may get better with time. I think the next "craft" will be using iron on decals- much easier and I certainly can't mess that up! Or can I???

This and That

I went to pick up Nolan's new earmolds yesterday (impressions made on January 9) and they were too already too small! At least they don't fall out of his ears like the previous set, but there are gaps at the edges. Our audiologist took new impressions and is airmailing the earmolds with another baby's. We go back on Friday to pick them up- these ones should fit for a little while (I hope)!

Along with outgrowing earmolds like crazy, I think I need to buy the next size up in pilot caps. He was in the XS size, and he definitely needs a small now. I'm going to see if I can cross-stitch something onto the hat. I'm definitely not a crafty person, but I can cross-stitch. I'm not sure what I want to put on the hat, though. My husband is lobbying for a Red Wings design, but I don't have a pattern for that!

Early Intervention also came by to set up the evaluation for Matthew's speech. I should have a date soon- I just hope he qualifies this time. He has about eight unclear words. In most states he would qualify for a speech delay, but NY state does a "total language" score. This means that even if the kid never talks, he may not qualify because he understands so much. He wasn't even babbling by 17 months and didn't qualify because his receptive language was that of a 26 month old. We'll see what happens this time around- he just learned to say "mama" at 2 years of age (and can't always say that), but he understands what it means to "gain altitude." If he doesn't qualify for speech therapy, we will just continue on with sign language for him. All I really care about is communication, but it would be nice if we could get some help on the speech front.

Speaking of sign language, I've been wanting to take an ASL class at our local community college. I can't for the time being because the husband is in Sweden for half of every month, which means I have no place to leave the kids while I take a class. There is a lady (ASL interpreter) who goes to my church, and she gave me a certificate for 5 one hour ASL sessions in our home. AWESOME! That should get me started, and the one-on-one will allow me to focus on vocabulary and phrases for communicating with my little guys. J.K., I am forever in your debt!

Things That Really, Really Make Your Blood Boil

Imagine you want a couple of milkshakes. No problem, right? Just go to a local fast food drive through... say a local Steak and Shake... and order a couple. Now pretend that you have difficulty hearing. The speaker at a drive through is impossible to hear through, so you'll have to drive up to the window to place your order- the only reasonable accomodation. Right? Wrong...

Karen, a mother extraordinaire (who also happens to be deaf) drove around to the window to place her order and was denied service- unless she placed her order through the speaker. Which she can't do. Luckily Karen has the patience of a saint and didn't go insane at that moment, which is what I probably would have done. All she really wants is for some sensitivity training and education of the employees who work for Steak and Shake, who obviously have no clue about complying with current ADA laws.

Her local ABC affiliate has picked up the story at: http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=5912924

When I think of something like that happening to MY kid, who also won't be able to hear things through a drive through speaker, my inner Mama bear becomes angered.

I'll be buying my shakes from another establishment in the future!

What Happens When..

People have extra hearing aids, lots of playdough, and WAYYY too much free time on their hands:

Ear Gear vs. Pilot Caps

In the never ending search for items which will keep hearing aids on my almost-5 month old son's head AND will keep them free of drool and rice cereal, I decided to order some Ear Gear. Now, for a comparison between the efficacy of Ear Gear and Pilot Caps:

Ear Gear:

Pros:

• Comes in a variety of cool colors, so you can change the look of the aids over time.



• Covers the actual hearing aid, reducing moisture and dirt damage. This could become important as Nolan learns how to turn his hearing aids into a tasty snack.



• Reduces the chance that small parts might fall off of the hearing aid (again because it covers the aid).


• The cord prevents the hearing aids from becoming lost, if they fall from the child's ears.
• Acoustically transparent.

Cons:

• Costs $25 for one set.


• The cord is too long for a small infant, leaving a lot of "dangle" room.


• The extra cloth over the hearing aid adds bulk, and pushes a baby's ears out (see squashed ear in the picture above). This also makes the aids more prone to falling off (though the handy-dandy cord will keep them from getting lost).

Pilot Caps:

Pros:

• Cost $8 each; $7 each if you buy 2 at a time.


• Keeps older brother from noticing and playing with hearing aids.


• Don't add bulk to the actual hearing aid.
• Covers the entire ear to prevent contamination with dirt and moisture.
• Keeps hearing aids from flopping off when rolling around on the floor.
• The are "so freakin' adorable!"

Cons:

• If a hearing aid does fall off, you might not notice it until you remove the cap.
• If a hearing aid does fall off, there is nothing to keep it attached to the baby.
• People ask why you won't take your kid's hat off.
• Harder to turn the hearing aid on/off if Nolan has fallen asleep- there is a big chance I'll wake him up by untying the pilot cap!

Conclusion:

Pilot caps are definitely better for a smaller baby- they keep the aids on well for a baby who is too young to remove his or her own aids. Ear Gear are probably better for older babies and children, who might remove/mouth aids or get them dirty. Ear Gear makes the aids too big for a baby's small ears and the cord is too long. This wouldn't be a problem with a toddler/child with bigger ears. Pilot caps would begin to lose effectiveness when the kid could just reach underneath the hat to remove the hearing aids. Let's hope Nolan's ears grow enough for the Ear Gear before he learns any new tricks!

I Love Pilot Caps

Oh, to extoll the virtues of pilot caps! I received Nolan's in the mail on Thursday, and it has made hearing aid life much easier! Despite the use of toupee tape, the hearing aids would still flop off when Nolan rolled over. Plus, toupee tape didn't stop my curious toddler from investigating the hearing aids! Now I have fewer worries that rice cereal will get flung into an aid and ruin a rather expensive device.

Plus, this cap matches his eyes! The only negative: his head is growing so fast I'm going to have to order the next size soon.

Back to Square One

I received the approval letter in the mail for Nolan's CT scan. This would normally be a happy event (since it took some argument from the ENT's office to get it covered). Unfortunately, I looked at the dates of coverage: January through March 10, 2008. Nolan's CT isn't scheduled until March 18!

I called our lovely insurance company to get an extension, and was told that the ENT's office would have to reapply for a coverage extension. Essentially, we're back to square one. I have to call the ENT's office (once they're back from lunch) to get them to apply for the extension.

The hospital only does CT scans under general anaesthesia once per month, so we don't have a choice as to the scan date. I just hope this doesn't push us back to April (especially with the frontal bossing).

I am full of ire toward insurance companies at the moment.

In other (good) news, the microphone covers arrived in the mail today. That was fast! I love Buffalo Hearing and Speech Center- the audiologists are WONDERFUL and they have cutting-edge equipment.