New York New Yooooork

In New York you do not hesitate. New Yorkers are always on the move and if you don't move with them you just might get run over. So no dilly dallying here I am all ready to share my NYC photos and stories!

Once we got off the plane we got on a taxi and headed straight to the Greyline bus station. Most of the sites we saw during our visit were from the top of one of these double decker road whales. 

We saw time square, the Macy's that covers a whole city block, and the empire state building. We also spent a little time at Rockefeller plaza, and strolled around seeing sites like central park, Radio City, and the "30 rock" building. 

One of the highlights of my visit was for sure the Apple store on 5th avenue 

 and right behind it is FAO Schwartz, a 150 year old toy store and home of the piano from the famous scene in the movie Big. Despite the fact that I was a little big myself I couldn't pass up the opportunity to play it. 

I had a list of 11 things I wanted to do in NY and surprisingly I did almost all of them, but there were a few hiccups. My mother and I walked our little legs off trying to find a restaurant called Serendipity so that I could try some of their frozen hot chocolate, but the wait was too long and we had to keep moving because I was meeting a friend for dinner. 

I used to live extremely close to this friend before their son graduated and she and her husband decided to leave the small town life and relocate to the city that never sleeps. My friend had dreamed that one day when they were empty nesters (which was at a very young age) they would see the country and try living in different locations spread out from east to west and then pick where to settle down from there. Yes, they are that wild, and driven, and absolutely cool! Anyway, she's been living in Manhattan for 10 months now and we met up at a pub in time square then walked to Junior's to try some authentic New York cheesecake. It was such a great visit.

Afterwards we got back on the double decker for a night tour of the city including a trip over the Brooklyn bridge. By this time we had seen nearly all of NYC and any landmarks we missed we caught the next day on another guided tour.

I know this is lengthy, but are you ready for the grand finale? Back at Time Square we sat at a cafe and had coffee and waffles while waiting for midnight when it would officially become my 30th birthday. We went to where they do the annual new years eve ball drop, and right after getting to be on the jumbotron along with a bunch of other tourists. the countdown began from 10 down to 1. I guess they do it every night leading up to midnight and that was the moment I turned 30. 

New York City was a blast! I really thought that it couldn't get any better, but then when I arrived back in Kentucky and was reunited with my amazing husband and kiddos I heard another voice that I know so well. This was the voice of someone that I have laughed with, cried with, and shared some of the most memorable moments of my life with. I looked up to find my best friend had flown in from Texas to surprise me on my birthday! My husband set it all up and it's a one way ticket, no she isn't moving up here, although that would be cool, but we are all going to Illinois together next week. So it's been a wild ride and without a doubt the BEST birthday ever!

Pinning for New York

I signed up for Pinterest 5 months ago and it didn't take too long for me to be hooked. Granted I haven't had all the time in the world to focus on crafts and cooking lately, but for a while there I was implementing Pinterest ideas left and right.

I often use it to create ideas that I have repinned, like that one valentine's craft I did. 
Or the time Z and I made this angry birds game.

I've also made about a dozen recipes that I've repinned and eventually I want to do a little mini series on this, but for starters here is a really simple recipe I discovered on Pinterest that is now a reoccurring part of many of our meals. J loves them!

I also love using Pinterest boards to keep all of my ideas in one place. This is what I did for SJ's birthday party and it turned out to be such a success!

 My latest Pinterest board has been all about my upcoming trip to New York City.


 I never really shared how or why I am going to be in NYC for my birthday. It's kind of silly, but I think it's worth sharing. A couple weeks ago mom asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I nearly cried. Okay, maybe I did start crying a little bit. I am about to be 30 years old and that doesn't bother me, but I've seen so many of my friends in Texas celebrate this milestone in fun and extraordinary ways. When I left Texas I knew I would not get to be a part of this tradition with them. I started not only missing my friends, but in a way missing my identity. Let's face it, despite my attempts to live "life in the slow lane", all year long I've been consumed with moving, pregnancy, hearing loss and motherhood in general. My mom did what mother's do best and listened sympathetically to my little pity party and her wheels started turning. Thanks to working at the airport she knew we could get a great rate on airfare so she asked me where I wanted to go. I could pick anywhere in the US! The idea took me by surprise and I couldn't think of anything, so she suggested New York city. Suddenly the thought of spending the last day of my twenties in the big apple was like a dream that I never knew I had. Since then I've been pinning, planning, and pining for New York city and early tomorrow morning we leave... or bust!

Blog Catch Up

In the past week I have thought about all the many topics that I needed to blog about. So since I flopped at blogging on any of them I'll just get the ball rolling with a rapid update on each family member.

SJ got her new hearing aid molds which fit great and solved the feedback problem. What a relief!

SJ's favorite summer time activity is chalk art, but for the record she did not create the love design.

I tried to enroll Z in preschool, but they said he wasn't eligible because anyone turning 5 before October is considered kindergarten age. Ahhhh! Time to figure out a plan B I guess.

Z with his brand new glasses. I can't believe how much he has grown. What a big boy. 

 J has temp job that is keeping him busy right now and all the gardening he did in the spring is starting to pay off.  

J have snuggle time at the park with his favorite little girl. 

Garden time with Z. 

Aside from a terrible cough that I ended up needing a prescription for, I have been feeling great with lots of kicks and Braxton Hicks. Oh, and our baby boy has a name!

I'm 24 weeks and almost into the 3rd trimester.

Let's just say details to follow, although I am not sure when I will get to elaborate on all the details when I am busy getting ready for my trip to New York City where I will turn (get ready)... 30! Seriously though, details will be coming.  

SJ's Signs Part 1

We leave for Illinois in about 2 weeks and we will be meeting up with old friends that haven't seen SJ in a while. This video is to prepare them and other loved ones to see first hand what signs she knows. Knowing just a few simple signs will help bridge the communication gap, but she is also in the middle of getting the kinks worked out with her hearing aids and starting speech therapy so it's also important to clearly verbalize the word with the sign so that we can continue to encourage both ASL and english. This isn't something I want to push on everybody, but I want to make sure SJ's friends and family have a fair chance to know what she is signing or how to get a point across to her, although truth be told she is 2 and won't even look at what you are signing half the time!  

It was hard for me to narrow it down because there are so many other signs that she can say, but I don't think you will need to know cat, bath, or ice-cream while we are camping. Here are some personal notes about the 10 signs I decided on for the video

1. More- This is the one she uses the most and it usually just means she wants something even if she hasn't had any to have any more of.

2. Eat- She understands and produces this sign.

3. Help- She uses this one usually if she is trying to get something open although it is a little hard to recognize so I show her variation in the video.

4. Please- She doesn't do this one often, but she has known it since before she was diagnosed hearing impaired, so I try to encourage manners and remind her to sign PLEASE when she wants something.

5. Toilet- Sometimes she signs toilet sometimes she just grabs herself, ha ha.

6. Thank You- Same as please and sorry. We are working on our manners.

7. Careful- SJ does use this sign, but she understands it. Since it is a command that comes up often with her I thought it might come in handy.

8. Sorry- She does not produce this sign either, but much like please it is something we are working on to show respect. If you sign it make sure to be expressive! Facial expressions are an important part of sign language.

9. No- She sees this one a lot and uses it a lot, but it's usually because she is being a stinker.

10. All done- This was one of her first signs. She also sometimes uses it as a way to express when she doesn't want something. Similar to wanting more of something she hasn't had sometimes she is all done with something she hasn't begun.

If you have any questions just let me know!

Tips and Links for Learning to Sign

Since finding out my daughter SJ has severe hearing loss my sign language vocabulary has gone from barely a handful to a pool full of words and information on ASL and deaf culture. I am still a beginner, but I've come a long way and I wanted to share some of the tools I've been using.


1. Baby Sign
When SJ failed her first hearing test I pulled out the baby signing curriculum that I haven't glanced at in years. The DVD includes 145 ASL signs which I kept practicing until I knew them all. I also started watching Signing Time videos which are a great way for both children and adults to learn on a number of levels.

2. Talking With People
One of the best tools for me has been talking with some of my friends that are interpreters for the deaf. I have gone up to complete strangers that have hearing aids and talked to them. I have sought out council from friends of friends that are deaf or hard of hearing. I want to hear from anyone and everyone that can help me on this journey.

3. Phone Apps
There are a few free phone apps that I downloaded to help me learn on the go. There is one called Wierman's family ASL which includes 50 signs and you can take quizzes. All the free apps are very limited, but every little bit helps when you are starting out and you can always delete them if they are taking up too much space.

4. ASL University
This website is really in depth and I've only completed 3 of the units, but it's been informative and it was recommended to me by someone who teaches ASL full time.

5. Online Dictionaries
I have three websites that are my go-tos for looking up signs they were all recommended by some of my professional interpreter friends.

www.signingsavvy.com

www.aslpro.com

www.lifeprint.com 

My biggest advice as someone learning to sign is CROSS REFERENCE! It's hard to learn when there is so much conflicting information on which sign is the right one. Many times there are a few different signs used depending on a persons age or region. It's a bit of a headache, but I always check 3 sources and pick whichever is most common or up to date.

6. TV

Once I started learning ASL I noticed that signing was happening all around me already. For example programs my kid's watch like, Blue's Clues, Sprout Good Night Show , and PBS kids all use some sign language. Then I came across this Sia music video, which I had seen several years ago, but it didn't occur to me at the time that the entire video was in ASL! Now I can watch it and recognize most of what they are signing. src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/t1x8DMfbYN4?fs=1" width="480">


7. Switched at Birth

I had a signing teacher recommend this show to me (featured on ABC family, ABCfamily.com, and netflix) and I was skeptical at first because I am just not a fan of teenage drama. Watching the entire first season  has confirmed that this show would probably be my last choice in entertainment OTHER THAN the sign language. Many of the main characters all communicate with ASL. Seeing the usage in conversation and modern language was SO helpful. I think this program is what really taught me to be more comfortable implementing what I know into every day speech. I would often rewind pause or try to interpret without reading the subtitles. I fully intend to watch the entire show again eventually just to see how much more I understand the second time around.

8. ASL dictionary

At this time in my journey I invested in a heavy duty hard back ASL dictionary for about $30 at half price books. I use it all the time, but I do wish it was even more current than 1998 edition because some of the words are outdated already.

9. Documentaries

The Sound of Fury
Through Deaf Eyes
Touch the Sound

The first two documentaries are on Netflix and they teach you a lot about deaf culture, cochlear implants, and the history of sign language. The last one is a film I saw several years ago about a deaf percussionist.

10. Practice

I think one of the reasons I have been more successful with ASL than any other language I have tried to learn is because it's applied to my everyday life. I needed a language to speak to my daughter that is still in-between the world of the deaf and the hearing. I use sign language everyday and I keep an ongoing log of words I want to learn. My 4 year old keeps me on my toes anytime he asks me a sign that I don't know I just say lets write it in the notebook and later we look them up. We usually do this practice once or twice a week. I will learn one song or story at a time and this helps a lot too. Every time I learn a new song or children's book I realize there is a little less that I have to look up because my vocabulary is expanding.

I'm linking this up with Top Ten Tuesday at Many Little Blessings. I know it's a lot of info, but I've wanted to share these tips with my friends and family for a while and I always love to network and learn new things myself (see #2). For those interested in my daughters story feel free to browse through the blog or read this post for details.

Getting Used to Hearing Aids

 SJ got her hearing aids on Friday. It was a long and exhausting day, but it had a good turn out. Our doctor told us that there were so many different reactions with children that you just never know what to expect. They may cry, they may squirm or act confused, they may not react at all. Or she said in a few cases you have that "Disney moment" where the child lights up when they hear their first sound and act like this is what they were waiting for their whole life!

For SJ we did not have a Disney moment. In fact, I would call it more like a dentist moment or worse (for the stereo typical child that does not like the dentist). The hearing aids were squealing, she got very upset and kept trying to pull them out. The Doctor wanted to make sure that J and I knew how to put them in so she had us practice a few times before we left and it was rough. She repeatedly told us that we just had to work through this stage and when SJ takes them out just put them back in. She cried and cried and looked at me with those big puffy eyes full of tears like MOM save me! I pictured us wrapping her up in our arms like a  straight jacket just to get her out of the office with them still in. It was not a pretty mental picture. LUCKILY, we were told to give her a rest and try again when we got home. We are supposed to start with 2 hours a day, increasing the amount of time she keeps them in each day, and by a week they basically need to be in at all times.

After a stop at McDonald's and a nap, I said Okay, let's do this. Hearing Aid boot camp here we come. We pulled out all the stops; squeezable yogurt, a juice box, and a popsicle. J pushed her in the swing which was perfect because she had to hold on. We watered the garden and played fetch with the dog. These are all activities that she loves and kept her hands occupied and her mind distracted. By the end of the two hours I felt like we had tamed the beast.

Once she had warmed up to the idea of the devices I got out my camera to document this moment. These shots will give you an up close look at her new daily accessories. The aids are attached to a bungee cord that clips on the back of her shirt.

For now the aids are encased in a flesh colored sock thingee (don't mind my technical jargon) and this is to prevent damage if they do fall out or hit something.

The mechanical part of the hearing aids are pink, but until we know she can be trusted without all of the protective gear, you can't even see that part. In fact, we pulled her hair back to help us get them in, but even with trying to photograph the aids, in a lot of pictures you just can't see them at all. 

The mold that goes in her ear is clear. She has already been refitted for a new one. They need to be precise and at this age the ears are changing all the time. It's been over a month since they did the first mold and it appears that it is already too small which maybe why the aids are giving so much feed back which I guess is referred to as "whistling". 

Yesterday she wore them for 4 hours and only took them out twice. This time instead of plugging her ears at the sight of them she did not protest at all which makes me think maybe she does enjoy the newfound sounds. 

There are still a lot of unknowns with her condition and a lot of trial and error from what I'm told. The volume starts at HALF of what it should be and will gradually increase over the next 3 weeks. So far I've noticed a few times that she seemed to react to a noise (once was at the doctors office when they tested with some maracas.) Honestly though, it's hard to tell what she can hear and I try not to jump to conclusions. I've learned a lot about patience through this journey so I guess we'll just have to wait and see how she does as the volume increases and the speech therapy begins. Our Disney moment will come.  God has a plan. I really do believe that.

SJ Update

Things are starting to move along since SJ was diagnosed HOH a month ago. We've seen a couple specialists from the First Steps program and everyone that we've met so far has been so wonderful and helpful. They've all fallen in love with our baby girl and are eager to help her get to where she needs to be developmentally. A couple days ago someone came to the house to evaluate her. We know that she has severe hearing loss, but many times children like SJ can also be behind in other areas because audio and speech delays have made an impact in developing other important skills like cognitive and social. Thankfully this is not the case with SJ!

It turns out she is a genius that is hard of hearing. Okay, I am the typical proud mom exaggerating a little, but she did do extremely well on all of the tests. Her case worker did many different play therapy games with her to see how well she could follow instructions, and use her fine and gross motor skills. She did puzzles, stacked blocks, and sorted things by color. She drew a circle and a line perfectly. She caught a ball, ate yogurt with a spoon, and turned upside down pictures right side up. The lady was blown away by her attention span and how well she performed. The hard part was they still had to check at what age she was developing her speech and hearing, which of course she is WAY behind in. She did not respond to her name at all when called from the other room and she couldn't point out eyes and ears without the use of gestures. She also can't pronounce any consonants except maybe a slight m sound. The workers have been so gracious to warn us that it can be hard to hear the results of these tests knowing that your child has a disability. In some areas she is ahead of her peers, but when it comes to hearing and speech she scores at the level of a 2 month old. You might be thinking well, of course she does, she is physically impaired, it's nothing to be ashamed of, it's still hard to hear though. However, I am not discouraged. Everyone is excited about the chance to work with her because she is just a ton of fun and they can't wait to see how much excels once she is aided. 

Speaking of aided, she gets her first set of hearing aids in just a couple days. She is going to go from hearing basically nothing to being able to hear music, voices, the dog barking, her favorite TV shows, and so much more. I can't imagine what that would be like. I am not getting my hopes up that she is going to light up when I say her name or that she will start talking right away. I don't know what to expect, but I do know that some children don't like having hearing aids at first. They have no context for the sounds around them and they may be irritated by having to wear the devices, but we have some experience with that already. 

When Z was 15 months old he got glasses 

He did well with them, but we went through a few tough times of him loosing and breaking them before they became something that he actually took pride and ownership in. Some of my friends may remember being a part of the search party at the park several years ago. The men, women, and children that were  with us painstakingly scouring of every inch  of the wooded area to find this little pair of frames that we did not have $400 to replace! Thankfully we did find them that time. These days Z takes his glasses off to swim, bathe, and sleep that's it (much like his sisters hearing aids will be). 

There are so many times I have been grateful that I am going through all of this with my 2nd child and not my first. Not just because of the glasses thing, but I feel like I have some frame of reference for what to expect in general. I think if SJ was my first I would worry that every little fit and tantrum was because of her hearing loss or inability to communicate verbally, but I'm no rookie. I know that most of the times that she is upset or acting out is because she is TWO and that is what two year olds do along with being stinking adorable. 

I'm glad that I have this blog to share all of these details with family and friends. I  have heard your requests and will be teaching some of the signs she knows via blogging for anyone that is interested in being a part of SJ's "first language" along with continuing to keep everyone posted on what happens with the hearing aids next week! More to come.  

Super Excited Big Brother

It will be interesting to see how both kids adapt to their new sibling in 4 months. Z is so excited already. He wanted a baby brother more than anything and was thrilled when he found out his dream was coming true. My recorded this on her phone during the ultrasound.



 He will give everyone in the family kisses and then kiss my belly and say "can't forget that little guy". I can't wait to see them together! In preparing for our gender announcement photo with the clothes line thing

 I went to a consignment shop to find some baby boy clothes and I stumbled upon a smaller version of Z's rock band pajamas. He calls them rock band pajamies because they have electric guitars on them and I guess it makes him think of the xbox game Rock Band. He should be able to still fit in them this winter and they are going to be so cute in their matching PJ's.

I know that having 3 kids is going to be an adjustment, but I love watching our family grow and having Z at an age where he can experience this whole process with more understanding just makes it that much better.