Vermont

We had an awesome vacation in Vermont. It was the first time we have gone away for longer than a few days as a whole family. Since the boys were born we have always had so many doctors appointments Frank has used most of his vacation days to watch the other kids so it was a nice break for all of us.

We did a lot in Vermont. We went to the Pico Adventure Center. We did Power jumping.
(Well, Calleigh just enjoyed watching!)



Colin

Cormac


Ciaran

Cormac did some rock wall climbing...

A quick shot with cousin, Michael.

Pony Rides...

For the actual 4th of July we went to a parade in the town of Killington. It was so much fun. This is the boys 4th year at the parade and they loved it. We wore our red, white and blue to celebrate. We learned all about why we were celebrating and the meaning of 4th of July. We learned some new songs (Grand ole Flag, Yankee Doodle!) The kids got to do potato sack races, egg toss, water balloon toss and many other fun games at the picnic in town. We swam at the pool and Ciaran and Cormac have mastered swimming without floaties!!

Calleigh loved the cake and the fireworks. This is the first time the boys stayed up late enough to see the fireworks. I can't belieive I let Calleigh stay up to see them! I would have NEVER done that with the boys. She truly loved them and slept very late the next morning!

The next day we rode the gondola at Killington Mountain. Lots of words to be learned. Gondola, peak, slope, summit and many more. The boys LOVED the ride up to the Summit.

We did some fishing. Lots of vocaulary for this one too! Cast, reel in, bait, bobber, patience, line, algea, tackle (as in tackle box and not as in tackling like the kids usually do!) We learned difference between pond, lake, stream, river.







We did mostly family bonding. Cuddling on the couch in the evening. We went out to dinner one night and a band was playing. The kids got down on the dance floor. They were shakin their groove things for sure!

We also went to the lake. I didnt have my camera for the lake. Took lots of pics on the phone but I cant get them to transfer.

We finished up the week by heading to Massachusetts to the Cochlear Implant Convention. That will have to be another post!

Along the way in the car we played some great games. Whiz Kids is awesome! We also played a game where one person says a word and the next person has to say a word with the LAST letter of the word the person before them said. You can make it harder by making it be only words of a certain topic. We learned about each state we travelled. (The Bay State, the Empire State, The Green Mountain State, The Garden State). Lots of hours to talk in the car. LOL.

All in all it could not have been a better trip. Unless of course,Aunt Lee and Uncle Bill could have been there with us!

Summer

I have a hard time keeping up the blog because we are just too busy enjoying our Summer! We are down the shore today but heading back North in a while. I am so upset scheduled an appointment for Ciaran for a Monday. It is supposed to be beautiful tomorrow again. Oh well, live and learn.

I still owe an update on the convention and I promise it is coming. Maybe tonight or tomorrow I can work on it.

Leave you with a short story on Cormac. Cormac was telling some family about the Neptune (the new waterproof processor coming out shortly). He was saying how he can't wait to get it. Then he tells me "you know I can wear it in the bathtub." I say "i know you can wear it anywear" He says "know what I want to hear?" I say 'what" He says "when I stick my head under the faucet and rinse my hair I KNOW it makes a sound and I really want to know what it sounds like". Hmmm...first time he has ever mentioned it to me. First time he has ever said he wanted to hear something he couldn't. I was a little upset to realize he was missing something BUT in the very near future he will hear it. SMILE

Ten on Tuesday

Ten Things about the Minuteman Northeast Cochlear Implant Convention:



1. I was so inspired by the people I met. To see SO MANY people in one place walking around with implants is just amazing. People of all ages and all different reasons why they needed an implant but mostly with the same goal. To feel connected with other people and not feel isolated.

2. The psychologist who gave a seminar was by far my favorite speaker. She said things I never knew. Taught me things to look for in the future. I asked her for a copy of her presentation so I can share it with others.

3. Frank's favorite seminar was "Sports and the CI".

4. We are a special community of people.

5. Advanced Bionics is part of the family. Choosing them has made me happier than I can ever imagine. The love and support I feel from everyone there is amazing. I don't think many companies function like they function. Right down to meeting Tiffany, one of the customer service reps who helps me when we need to order parts.

6. Cormac was "recognized" by people who have never met him! The power of the internet....he said he was like a "rock star". He is a rock star to us for sure.

7. I .got to listen to two of the pioneers of AV therapy, James Watson and Lea Watson. They were amazing. I am reassured we did and are continuing to do things correctly :)

8. TEN BOOKS A DAY!!! This is what Lea Watson said we should be reading to our children. We are big readers but I don't think we do ten books a day. She said she has never had a parent come back and say "we didn't need ten books a day". But she has parents who tell her how early their kids are reading and how they are the top readers in their class. I committed to reading 10 a day. Monday was our first day. We did it!!

9. Knock, Knock jokes are great for kids.

10. We need to instill in our children the ability to self advocate. It is critical to their success. They need to be able to say "I didn't hear you " or "I didn't understand you" which are two very different statements. They need to not be worried about others and always ask for clarification and not be embarassed.

This could easily twenty or thirty on Tuesday but will stop at 10.

We're Baaaack!

It's been an amazing 10 days of vacation. We did alot. We played alot. We laughed alot. We learned alot. We covered Vermont, made it to the Cochlear Implant Convention is Massachusetts and ventured back to NJ. We covered a lot of ground and I plan to give a great update as soon as we settle back in at home. The convention was marvelous. Being surrounded by so many amazing people is priceless. Getting to meet IN REAL LIFE people i have "known" for a long time beyond priceless. Seeing so many inspirational people and listening to speakers who are so knowledgeable was unbelievable.

So, stay tuned for the whole story.....

On a side note, Ciaran is a champ. He has never missed a beat with his hearing aids. He woke every morning and asked for them. He PROUDLY showed them off to anyone who would listen to him. He has not complained once about them. He was in a play group at the convention and I got a text from one of the group leaders "Ciaran just told me his hearing aids are making a different beeping noise and he thinks it means he needs new batteries". I only told him once if he heard beeps he might need batteries. He is totally taking ownership of his hearing aids. I could not be prouder of him.

Day one

We picked up Ciaran's hearing aids this morning. He was very excited and couldn't wait to go get them. He seemed like he was really trying to be excited even though I could tell he was a little nervous. He did awesome. He was great with the audiologist.

I was most nervous about the molds bothering him. He doesn't seem to notice them. He is very enthused and says "things sound a little louder and my voice sounds different" He decorated them with green stickers. He was all excited about the pediatric kit Phonak provided. He loved the bag and wanted to carry it with him. He said we have to make sure to bring it to Vermont.

When we got home he could not have received a better reception from his brothers. They came running to the truck asking to see them. Colin said "wow, Ciaran, those are so cool. I really like them". Cormac said "Ciaran, now you are like me. Can you share your stickers with me? I want to look cool like that" I let Colin try them on and he was excited. I might have to get him so dummy hearing aids!

All in all it has been a great day. Ciaran had a yummy donut when we were done (it was too early for the hot dog truck!) and then we came home and CALLEIGH TOOK THREE STEPS ALL BY HERSELF. God works in mysterious ways. I was a little down about Ciaran having to get hearing aids and then I come home and the smooch walks for me. She is a little ray of Sunshine in our lives!

Wordless Wednesday

Ten on Tuesday

1. Summer is in full swing for us. I love Summer. Wait, did I say I love Summer. We just returned from a long weekend in Wildwood, NJ. We are blessed to have some really great family friends. We were away with Frank's neighbors from where he grew up. There are 6 siblings in the family. Frank has always kept in touch with two of them but he hadn't seen the rest in a really long time. They were all there with all their kids. I think there were about 40 of us all together. I don't think I have ever met a nicer family. Old friends of Frank's and new friends for me and people we will always stay in touch with.

2. I am preparing for another trip this weekend. We are leaving for Vermont on Saturday. My uncle and aunt have a beautiful home in Killington. We have spent all our 4th of Julys in Vermont for so many years I can't remember. Both my sisters go along with their children so it's an awesome time for all of us to be together.

3. We will be attending the Northeast Cochlear Implant Convention from July 8th to 10th. It is held is Sturbridge.. This will be our first time attending. I am really looking forward to seeing some friends and meeting some new families. The convention has some great speakers and tons of stuff for the kids to do while they are there.

4. We made our own sidewalk chalk today. It is hardening over night. I am hoping it works. This was a science project of the day. I am hoping to do a few a week. Keep their little brains stimulated over the summer.

5. Three more days until we pick up Ciaran's hearing aids!

6. The house is DONE!! (well, except for the new light fixture and mailbox) but it looks AWESOME. It's so hard to make such a huge decision. One you have to live with for a long time. I am thrilled with the color. I love the window we chose. I will upload a before and after if I can.

7. Ciaran and Cormac are now swimming without any floaties as long as they can stand on their tippy toes. I am confident they could swim in deeper water but they still are not ready to try. Colin is close to doing it as well but he is my nervous nelly. All three of them will jump off a diving board and go down a slide into the deep end.

8. Calleigh is a fish. She gets so excited when she sees water. I can put her totally under water and she thinks it's the best thing ever. If I sit her on the edge of the pool she just leans off he side and plops into the water to whoever is waiting.

9. Wants to fully enjoy "fun drinks of the deck" while in Vermont. I have to come up with a new drink.

10. I have realized I am mildly addicted the ID network (Investigation Discovery). I am not sure why I watch this channel all the time.

Such a typical moment...

We just returned from an amazing couple of days away with some really awesome people. I plan to post pictures and all about it but I wanted to write this down.

You see the picture above? Those were most of the "kids". I know some of them are older but they all sat at the kid table when we went out to dinner. (except for Calleigh LOL) I sat at the adult table with about 16 adults. We had two very long tables. I had my back to the kids table. We were lucky because the older girls totally took care of the boys. All that to say, I always have the worry in my head. "It's so noisy in here, will Cormac be able to hear and follow the conversation?, will everyone understand him? will he be overwhelmed?"

So, I am sitting with my back to him but I could hear him. And I was also able to just observe him. And you know what? He was just another kid sitting at the kid table talking to everyone around him. He ordered his own food. (ravioli and meatballs) He asked for a glass of water when the waitress asked him what he wanted to drink. He talked the ENTIRE time to the people around him. He told them he wanted to be a dentist. He told them about constellations and outer space. He told them the school he goes to where he lives.

This weekend was the first time he had ever met ANY of the kids at the table. Not once did anyone NOT understand him. Not once did he seem out of his element. He was just, well, he was just "Cormac". Even after four years some things still never get old and still amaze me.

July 1st

That is the date we FINALLY pick up Ciaran's hearing aids. Took some time and searching but we found an absolutely awesome audiologist. Ciaran's hearing loss is not typical. I guess some audiologists were just not experienced enough to handle his loss. Since he only has loss in the mid frequencies you don't want to aid the high and the low. By putting in an ear mold you have to be careful to not take away his access to the frequencies he can hear.

Of course, we are picking up the hearing aids the day we leave for vacation for 10 days. Not the ideal situation but it is what it is. We need him to be really comfortable with them before school starts. I already showed him what they will look like and he seems like he is really good with it. I am not sure how he is going to react to the ear molds. The ear molds are by far my biggest concern. He gets bothered by stuff. Things sometime bother him but we will see how it goes.

After much consideration, we went with Phonak Nios. It was the best fit for his loss. The audiologist ran his audiogram through the various software programs for Oticon and Phonak. Phonak is owned by Sonova which also owns Advanced Bionics. So, we are staying in the same family of companies. Phonak is the leader in the miniaturization of hearing aids. They are bringing their knowledge together with Advanced Bionics to create much smaller processors for implants. Cormac will benefit greatly from this merger.

You can see it in the picture below. It looks much bigger in this picture. It is so tiny especially compared to Cormac's processors. It will only take up about 1/4 of his ear. We went with a neutral color hearing aid and mold. He wants green because it is favorite color. We will use stickers to decorate. With the cost of these little suckers I don't want to be locked into one color only to have him decide he doesn't like it any longer. With him starting Kindergarten in the fall who knows how he will feel when September rolls around.

Father's Day 2011

It was a great day all around. Only thing that would have made it better would have been to be able to be with my father. I still miss him every day. I struggle with the knowledge my boys will forget him and it breaks my heart. Calleigh never met him since he passed away while I was pregnant. He passed away two years ago on the boys' 3rd birthday. I have never been to the cemetery because it was always simply overwhelming for me to go.

Yesterday, I finally forced myself to go. Frank and I went with the kids. And while it was sad and I cried it also made me feel OK. The boys asked lots of questions and I was happy to answer them. It was an opportunity to tell them great things about him. They all "talked" to him and said very sweet things. Colin said "how come I can't hear him answer me?" I told him you have to listen with your heart and not your ears.

Calleigh sat in the grass (something she doesn't like too much) and placed flowers all on her own and "talked" away. It was like she was at peace while she was there. Almost eerie. She was just playing and smiling.

After that we headed up to Frank's brother's house to celebrate his birthday and Father's Day. My kids love seeing their cousins, Corinne and Gavin. Great food, great company and alot of fun.

I couldn't ask for a better Dad for my children. Frank loves our children so much. He is great with them and loves to play with them. Notice his shirt? They picked it out for him and he had to wear on Father's Day. Calleigh, on the other hand, has Frank wrapped around her finger. She totally knows it already. We are headed for big trouble in her teenage years if he can't stop spoiling her!

The Christening of Aunt Trisha's pool by the Lawrence Family!

My sister and her husband got a pool. This is the first summer with it and we made our first trip to try it out! When we aren't at the beach we will have some good times at the pool. Calleigh is apparently a water bug. She literally was going under and would not get out of the pool. She was kicking and just loving it. The boys, well, they are just fish. They will spend every second in the water. Cormac didn't want to hear in the water today so he went without his cap. He is just as happy with or without it. What's even funnier is how you can have a whole converstation with him and he just talks back. We had to remind his cousins he couldn't hear!

Sigh of relief

We have finally found an audiologist for Ciaran! She is the third person we have seen (on top of the two hearing tests). I was hoping to find someone in NJ so we didn't have to go into the city more often than necessary. The first place was not capable at all. I won't even get into the details but due to them we were delayed over two weeks only to find out we would have to go somewhere else. The next place took our appointment and we had another two week wait. Two days before the appointment the audiologist herself called me to tell me she reviewed his records and didn't think she was the right person for him. I am glad she was honest but wish it didn't take another two weeks.

Yesterday, we went to Summit Hearing Aid. I was not full of confidence when I arrived but went with an open mind. She was so awesome. She asked all the questions I thought she would ask. She was already contacting his school to confirm which FM system would be in place so it would be a good match with the hearing aid she chose. She said his hearing loss "is uncommon and very hard to aid" and requres an aid that is more high end (just our luck). She wants him to have an aid that "he can grow with him" (ie, Ipods, cell phones, etc) so he can keep those little expensive suckers longer. I really felt great when we left.

We will make the final decision on Monday on which hearing aid he will wear. She is waiting to talk to his school. It looks like we will be going with a Phonak. At least we will keep it in the family. Sonova is the parent company for Phonak and Advanced Bionics (Cormac's implant compay).

I am so happy I kept searching for the right person. I am so thankful for Summit Speech School and in particular, Ellen, their audiologist who helped me so much. And not because she had to help but because that is the kind of person she is and the type of place Summit Speech School is.

Metal

The other day I noticed Cormac was only wearing one implant while playing on the front lawn. My usual panic set in and I asked him where it was. He is usually pretty great about putting them in his pocket if one falls off but he is still only 5 years old. So, he says, don't worry Mom. I put it right here....




It is stuck to the door of my truck. He says "the truck is metal so the magnet will stick to it and I won't lose it" He tests everything to see if it's metal by sticking his magnet to it!

Wordless Wednesday

Ten on Tuesday

1. Our house in nearly 1/2 done with the new siding :) I am so excited and can't wait until it finished. We have waited 7 1/2 years to do it. New roof and new siding, new front window!

2. Having your step father doing the siding is priceless. The boys spent 5 hours outside today with Pop Pop and Phil (Pop Pop's employee) and they helped the enitre time. I swear it was just awesome. They loved it. They only came inside to use the bathroom. They also learned so much. God bless Phil, he was on the ground the whole day so had to answer the brunt of the questions! I on the other hand, put away 5 loads of laundry, cleaned one bathroom, got rid of all of the boys clothes they outgrew, organized Calleigh's room and made a nice dinner... did I say PRICELESS????

3. I have one of the busiest weeks ahead. Three appointments tomorrow. Two on Wednesday, four on Thursday and two on Friday. I am exhausted just thinking about it!

4. Looking forward to a fun weekend. Some good kiddie time but also some time out with just some big kids!

5. Calleigh is so darn close to taking steps. She can stand for so long and do squats but she just wont take a step.

6. Calleigh is also turning out to be a really great signer. She isn't talking much yet but if you show her a sign she can do it immediately. It is really helping in our communication.

7. Is very happy this week is not going to be so hot since we won't be able to get down the shore.

8. Very happy with our summer reading program from school. Boys are already loving it and can't find out enough about Rainforests! We have been reading even more than usual and I just love it.

9. We are heading to Wildwood Crest
the end of next week and am really looking forward to it!

10. Can't wait for the Northeast Cochlear Implant Convention. I booked our room already and am very excited. The whole family will be there with lots to do.

A very nice compliment

I was at the mall Tuesday on the search for some beach hats for the boys with no success. We sat down to have some lunch. While we were eating pizza we were talking about synonyms, antonyms and similes. It was such a very normal converstation. The kids were just naming examples of each. "Fast as a rocket, sleeping like a log, hard as a rock, up/down, above/below, toss/throw, jump/hop, twirl/twist" They had some really good ones I can't remember.

Two ladies sitting near us approached and said "are they triplets?" I said yes. I was thinking I was going to get some silly comment made to me because that seems to be the norm. She says "are you homeschooling them?" I say "oh, no. we just finished preschool for the summer". She says "I overheard you talking to them and I assumed you must be homeschooling. The things they are talking about and asking are amazing for their ages." She also said she was a retired teacher. I explained to her Cormac has implants and our family is very focused on language and listening. She said "well, it sure is working!"

So nice to hear from a complete stranger!

Ten on Tuesday

1. We are officially on Summer break as of June 1st! I LOVE IT ALREADY! We have been down the shore for lots of days already.

2. We attended Kindergarten orientation at St. Catherine's. It was mostly for the kids to meet their future teacher and they got a tour of their new classroom along with all the other rooms they will now get to use in the fall.

3. The theme for our Summer Reading Program is "Let's Explore the Rainforest". I am very excited for this theme because the boys will love it. If we complete all our reading the boys get a NUD day at school. (No uniform day)

4. I seriously love the beach. It is by far my favorite place to be. I am so happy and blessed that Maggie (my mother in law)lives at the beach. We are always welcome and the kids love going there.

5. Finds it annoying Spring no longer exists. It goes from 45 degrees to 90+ in a week.

6. Cormac will have two only 3 more therapy sessions and be done for the Summer. Two days when I won't have to be up and out of the house by 8:15am! YIPPEE!!! He will resume services in the Fall and it will only be one hour per week.

7. Calleigh has CLIMBED THE STAIRS!! Yep. Last week she did it for the first time. She was so damn proud of herself it was adorable. The is really making some great progress the last two weeks. She is getting UCJB's (I think those are the intitals) for her ankles to give her a little extra support. I think she will be walking in no time. She doesn't want to crawl any longer and is spending more time cruising. She is also knee walking which means she wants to be mobile without her hands being on the ground so it's a great sign.

8. Calleigh turns TWO on Friday!! Two already. WOW

9. Signing the boys up for Summer tennis again. They loved it the last two years.

10. My blog might be slightly neglected in the Summer because I will be too busy enjoying my time with the family! Hoping I can keep up with it though since i now can update the blog from my phone (I think I can anyway)

A new Chapter...

Yep. We did it. We graduated PreK 4 and are moving on to Kindergarten. It was a joyous moment. It was a sad moment. It was a memorable moment. Sad because I am losing my babies. Five years flew by in the blink of an eye. I am blessed to have been able to stay home with them for five years. I didn't miss a minute of their lives. I tried to be always hands on and guide them. I ignored lots of laundry and messes to just play with them. And you know what? I still feel like it wasn't enough time.

That said, it's been an incredible five years. The best five years of my life. To say this is an accomplishment is an understatement. Some thought it wasn't possible. Some thought Cormac might have to be in a different school from his brothers. I never thought it for one moment. If it was for his best interest I would have done it but I knew in my heart my three would be together. My heart used to break when Ciaran and Colin would crawl off and play together and Cormac didn't realize they left because he could not hear. That all came to a griding hault once Cormac got his implants and could hear. He became a natural leader.

What amazes me the most is how Cormac appears to do it all so effortlessly. To anyone watching they have no idea how much hard work and concentration it takes for him to achieve "effortless". But I know. I know how tiring it can be. I know he LOVES being up there. I know he is bound to miss something in such a loud gymnasium with so many people but from where I am sitting it is not apparent. I know his brothers next to him give him support and love and understanding. And if he does miss something I know they will help him.

They have learned so much. They have grown so much. From September to June they are different kids. They have made friends. They have developed so many different interests. Some of the interests are the same and some are different. I love how they are so different from each other and yet can still come together and work so well as a team. They are so happy all the time. They love to talk. (I mean, it's actually overwhelming at times LOL) They are in no way shy AT ALL. They love to learn new things. They ask questions I would not expect from preschoolers. They show real interest in new subjects. Their attention spans have really expanded.

I am so pleased with our decison to send them to their Preschool. Their teacher was the most loving teacher. She was so great with the boys. They honestly love her. We will miss her next year. Luckily, they will see her because they are stying in the same school.

I am so comfortable with my decision to keep them in their current school. It really seems like the right place for our family. I look forwarrd to many years of happiness while our children attend school.

It's hard to write this post because I in no way want to make it all about Cormac because it is not. Make no mistake, I am just as proud of Colin and Ciaran. They are superb students and so very smart. I owe so much to Ciaran and Colin. They are by far the best speech models. We are so lucky to have built in speech models living with us! Although I write this blog about our whole family I started doing to so other parents could see what is possible for their children and see how amazing a child born deaf can do with cochlear implants so I feel it's necessary to point out certain things about Cormac.

This could not have been said better....

Please take the time to read this great post by a fellow blogging Mom whose son also has implants. It's perfect and could not have been said any better.

OUR JOURNEY: just saying ...: "... most of the time it's fine. In fact, more than most of the time you don't think twice about it. second nature like. Get up in the mornin..."

Way back Wordless Wednesday!

Here are pics from today's date May 27th 2006. That would make them 7 weeks old.


All three ready for a walk...



This is how we rolled....


Cormac


Colin


Ciaran

A great day (Tuesday)

Today was just a great day. We didn't do anything special. Went to the gym and the kids just love it there. Did a little shopping and when we got home we played. Old school playing. We had a full out water gun battle on the front lawn. It went on for a very long time. I swear I thought at one point I broke me ankle running away from the tree maniacs who teamed up on me to triple attack me! It was made even better when Frank pulled up after work and they attacked him too.

We rode bikes and skooters. We played with worms and roll polly bugs. We wrote and drew with chalks. We had car races. We blew bubbles. We met a new neighbor who is 3 years old out for a walk with her grandmother. The boys invited her over again next week.

Considering how busy and crappy Monday was it was so nice to have a simple day. Monday the boys had school, Calleigh had an appointment with the orthopedic doctor, we had lots of errands to run and the amount of phone calls I had to make regarding insurance and doctors visits was frustrating to say the least. (Calleigh needs additional physical therapy, the orthopedic doctor also recommended UCBL's for her and I had to find some one else to see Ciaran for his hearing aids). I will post another post about Ciaran. I am so aggravated with Hackensack Audioligy I cannot even tell the story right now. Needless to say, Ciaran will have to wait another two weeks for hearing aid which is beyond annoying.

So, having a wondeful Tuesday sure made up for a frustrating Monday!

And I wanted to thank everyone who offered comments on our new journey. Your support and advice is so very helpful and appreciated. Whoever sent me the link the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's hearing aid guide for children a special thanks. You didn't leave your name but that sure is awesome information. Thanks so much.

Ten on Tuesday

Ten reasons I am upset about Kindergarten. (We graduate from Preschool on June 1st)

1. Well, the first is simple. I can't believe I will have three Kindergarteners. How on earth did it go so fast? Did I make the most of the very short five years I had to spend with the kids before school gets in the way?

2. Full day Kindergarten. Why? They have years to spend in school. I would prefer 1/2 day but it's not an option. Both the public school and private school have full day.

3. Homework is sure to start.

4. We will no longer be able to do stuff "while all the other kids are in school". We will have to squeeze stuff in on weekends and vacations. Hate that.

5. Our summer will be shorter next year. Preschool gets out much earlier and starts later. Just means less time with my boys.

6. Someone else having so much time with my kids. I know they will be in good hands but I rather they were my hands.

7. Packing lunches 5 days a week. UGH!

8. Sort of dreading the ironing of school uniforms.

9. Two IEP's instead of one now :(

10. See #1

Not sure why this is so upsetting to me but it is truly making me sick to think they will be gone so much. I really enjoy and relish the time with my kids. I am sure having some time on my hands but I would prefer to be with my kids.

A morning at the mill...

We spent some time Saturday morning on a hike at the mill. We went with a treasure map Colin recieved in the mail from a real life pirate! (Also known as my good and talented friend, Cristina) I of course had to hide some treasure along the way and then we had to "discover" the mini treasure chest filled with a few pieces of candy and some gold coins.









It was a fun and exciting way to spend the morning. Every day is an adventure with this family of mine!

The mystery continues

I got the genetic results back Monday for Ciaran and Calleigh. They are both carriers of connexin 26 and have one of the genes. It takes two genes to be affected. Cormac has both so he is deaf. I am having mixed emotions about the test results. It's awesome for Calleigh. She is not showing any hearing loss at this time so we are confident her talking will come in time. As for Ciaran, I don't know what to say. Why does he have hearing loss? Not knowing is difficult. I am hopeful whatever it is remains the same and it will not be progressive. With connexin 26 it could have been progressive loss. This is a positive but the not knowing why is what gets me.

Ciaran had an MRI on Wednesday to check out the structure of his ears. This requires anesthesia. He did fine with the "sleeping potion" (his words, not mine). He just wanted to get a hot dog off the hot dog truck when it's over. A small price to pay for a scared 5 year olds happiness. He wasn't awake 5 seconds and he asked for a hot dog. I have to say when I went into recovery and saw him still out from anesthesia it made me cry. He looked like such a big boy all of a sudden. I just counted the minutes until he opened his eyes.

His hearing aids will be in next week. It's a new adventure for us. I have no clue about hearing aids. Hearing aids and Cochlear implants are totally different. I am pretty well versed on the implants but am clueless with hearing aids. I have lots of learning and lost of questions. Luckily, one of my blog followers (emmaverdona) wears Safaris and I know help is available (how do you listen to Ipod touch???) Cormac just uses regular ear buds or headphones but that's not possible with hearing aids. A friend of mine also has a child wearing safaris and she could not be more knowledgeable on hearing aids.

So, the mystery continues. Maybe the MRI will reveal something but I doubt it. We should have results on Friday. Further genetic studies could be ordered.

Ten on Tuesday

Ten things that have been said to me probably 10,000 times:

1. Are they natural? (I have never met a unnatural child but, ok)

3. You sure have you hands full.

4. God only gives you what you can handle.

5. Everything happens for a reason.

6. Don't worry he/she will be fine.

7. Are they all your kids?

8. Better you than me. (yep, if you feel that way I am glad it is me)

9. You had triplets and had another? You must be crazy.

10. Are you done having kids?

I could probably easily do Twenty on Tuesday with this topic. Pretty much all of them are pretty annoying but I have grown used to them and have plenty of witty combacks!

Mother's Day

This post never got posted for some reason


My Mother's Day went great today. It started off with breakfast in bed made by Frank and the boys. Scramled eggs, taylor ham and hole wheat toast! All my favorites. They had picked me out beautiful flowers and an awesome Super Hero card.











My Mom and Richie came for dinner which was cooked entirely by Frank. I enjoyed a few cold ones which really hit the spot.




For me, every day is Mother's Day. My children are the greatest blessings. Every day is not easy but every day is rewarding. Every day is a new adventure. The worst day at home with my kids is better than the best day in an office. I have my days of insanity and not so great parenting but we have way more good days than we do bad days. My life is full of love and laughter every day and I have my fabulous children to credit.

And talk about rewarding Mother's Day. Read below..... What more could I ask for?

I am giving Calleigh a bath and out the window in the yard I hear Cormac say "Dad, I hear the beautiful birds chirping. Do you hear them?" Brought a tear to my eye. Never gets old to hear your deaf child point out sounds he hears because of amazing cochlear implants!

Ten on Tuesday

1. It is ridiculous an insurance company can tell you they will pay $1,000 every two years for hearing aids. So, $500 an ear. Try and get a hearing aid for that price. We have amazing health insurance and I am shocked this is what I am being told. If he qualified they would cover bilateral implants at NO COST to us. I don't understand why his being able to hear with hearing aids should be treated any differently. I knew the coverage was different but this is really upsetting to me.

2. Calleigh has appointments with the lip surgeon, the ENT and audiology today. Yep, three in a row. They are all at Columbia so it's better for just one trip. We will see how she does. It will be tiring for her.

3. The new roof is complete and they finished in one day.

4. They are predicting beautiful weather all week. This makes me smile.

5. I am still waiting the genetic testing results on Ciaran and Calleigh. I really am hoping to hear something this week.

6. The boys delayed birthday party is on Saturday. I might be more excited but they are very thrilled.

7. Ciaran's appointment with audiology went well. Not sure if we will stick with the same audiologist. I don't think we will see eye to eye. We ordered him Oticon Safari's. He wanted green. We wound up with a neutral color because he can put green stickers on them and we go green ear molds. I didn't want him stuck with green for a few years.

8. My usual upbeat attitude about medical conditions has been hard to maintain the last few days. I hate that Ciaran now will need hearing aids. I hate not knowing what his futre holds. Oh, and I hate the amount of worrying that goes along with another kid who is responsible for THOUSANDS of DOLLARS worth of stuff. I am constantly checking Cormac now I will be checking Ciaran. Trust me, making sure I have all four kids is work enough.

9. Calleigh is standing more on her own and letting go. A step in the right direction but I don't think she will walk by her second birthday which was my goal. This saddens me. She is more frustrated lately. She wants to be out playing but she can't walk and I don't always want her crawling all over. It is heartbreaking to watch.

10. Our beautiful Robin's nest still holds two eggs and no babies. I can't wait until they arrive.

And It's only 12:15 pm

Today went something like this....

6:30 am wake up and take shower. Boys wake up and watch TV for little while.

7:30 am Feed boys and get dressed for school (at 9am)

8:30 am go to get Calleigh in her room since i try and let her sleep as long as possible. Calleigh and her crib covered in vomit and poop. Head to toe for Calleigh and top to bottom of crib.

8:35 am pop Calleigh in the bath and get her dressed.

8:45 am grab lunches and backpacks and load the Fab Four into truck

8:55 Arrive at school to drop off Colin and Cormac since Ciaran has to be at audiologist at 10:00am

8:57 am Cormac decides he does not want to go to school and starts to cry. Not his usual behavior. I think it had to do with Ciaran staying with me. I had to leave him crying and hysterical with the teacher assistant.

9:45am arrive at then ew audiologist for Ciaran.

11:15 am leave audiology and drive home.

11:30am Calleigh vomits in car all over car seat and herself.

12:00 arrive home and clean her and car seat as best I can since I have to pick the boys up in 30 minutes and cant wash and dry the seat in time.

12:15 pm TYpe this post!

So, what did you do before noon today??? LOL

Wordless Wedneday

Ten On Tuesday

1. The boys all got an Ipod touch. (Not from me but a combined effort of generous family and wonderful friends) I am thinking I am going to lose my mind trying to keep track of all of them! But I have downloaded only educational games and they are loving them. Cormac's TOD is getting me a list of good listening and speech games as well. They will be great for both Cormac and Ciaran. They are having fun the cameras as well.

2. Cormac saw his TOD for the first time in over 2 weeks today due to Spring Breaks and illness. He was excited to see her again. We chatted for a while and have decided for next year Cormac will only do 1 hour per week instead of two. He is doing awesome and doesn't need anything else. I like ( I mean LOVE) having her meet with him each week because I know he will stay on the amazing track he is already on. She did suggested we use his other hour for Ciaran. It didn't cross my mind he would need therapy but it can't hurt to track him and see if he is losing any of his sounds.

3. Calleigh will see the orthopedic doctor, the lip surgeon, the ENT and audiologist next week....do I need to say more?

4. It will be three weeks since we saw the genetic doctor and I am waiting patiently (NOT) for the bloodwork to come back on Ciaran and Calleigh. It can't predict their futures but for some reason I really want to know.

5. I think Spring might actually be here...I am almost afraid to type it for fear it will go away!

6. We are supposed to be starting the new roof on the house this week. Hoping it happens. Built in entertainment for the boys.

7. Colin, Calleigh and Cormac can't get enough Clementines. I mean you have to buy them by the crate and we are going through them like crazy. The love the "little oranges"

8. We are growing our own strawberries. Wish me luck. This is a first.

9. Our apple tree survived it's first winter. Doubt we will see apples this year but it would be nice.

10. The Robin Red Breast nest in our tree for the past 5 years was ruined this year with all the snow and rain. I am happy to report they built a new nest even better than the last one. We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the babies. We have done this every year.

11. I had to add this...as I was typing about the nest a bird just flew into my window and killed itself! Luckily, it was not the mamma birdy!