Little Chocolatiers

We celebrated the boys birthday at Little Chocolatiers. It was such a great place. They took care of everything. We had a total of 14 kids at the party and it was so calm. All the kids were so interested in decorating their chocolate dinosaur or flower they were too busy to even think to run around. They also got to make chocolate covered pretzels, marshmallows, Graham crackers and a few other things. All the things they made are put into a goody bag and they take it home with them. They also each decorated a chef's hat before they did the chocolate. It was so much fun and a great way for them to spend their birthday. It wasn't total chaos of kids bouncing or running. The adults also got a tray of chocolates covered treats to enjoy while we waited. I highly recommend having a party at this location if you are local.

They had a cupcake cake...I sort of got a chuckle out of the 666 on the cupcakes...

A friend had shirts like these made for her twins and I had to get them for the boys. They each had their own color.

All in all it was a great day! We spent time with loved ones and family. We are now preparing for the Bunny to arrive and are coloring our eggs. We will once again celebrate the boys birthday with cake tomorrow for family who wasn't with us today. That will be four celebrations. These boys sure have the life.

THEY ARE SIX!!

Dear Ciaran, Colin and Cormac,

I hope one day when you are older you will have the chance to read this.

Today you are turning six years old.  I still cannot believe how quickly the time has gone by.  It seems like yesterday we were told we were having triplets.  As shocked as we were to find out your Dad and I were up for the challenge from the beginning.

 Your very first ultrasound you were in a perfect little triangle...we knew our lives would never be the same.  What we didn't know was how much you could actually love three little people.  I THOUGHT I loved you more than was possible before you were born but that all changed at 11:41pm. 11:42pm and 11:43pm on April 6th 2006.  The first time I saw you I LOVED you more than I knew was possible.  My heart actually HURT...but a good hurt. 

Your first year was a blur of feedings, diaper changes and lots of chaos.  Even though it was a blur I remember all the details.  I remember the smallest things about each of you.  It's like my memories are burned in my brain.  The first year we saw lots of firsts.  First words, first time rolling over, first time sleeping through the night and first steps.  We rejoiced in each accomplishment. 

We had some hard times also in the first year.  We learned of Cormac's profound hearing loss.  We were new parents and we had THREE babies at once.  Learning of Cormac's deafness was not what we expected.  With no history of hearing loss in our family we had no idea what to expect.  We cried, we mourned for the loss of what we thought would be and then we came up with a plan on how to get you to be the best you can be.  We learned for the first time about Cochlear Implants.  We learned you would be a good candidate.  We discussed our options and decided for our family and for you this is what we wanted.  We never wanted you to feel isolated from your family.  Our entire family is hearing.  We knew we wanted you to speak and hear.

Now, tomorrow as you turn six years old my heart still hurts when I look at the three of you.  It still hurts from the love I feel for you.  I am so proud of the little men you are becoming.  You are all so different yet come together as one so easily.  The amount of love you have for each other astounds me.  When one of you is sad the other two feel it.  You can tell by the looks on your faces.  Trust me, it's not always a love fest.  You all have your moments when you don't get along.  Bottom line you all know you are brothers forever and I would challenge anyone to try and break that bond.  Good luck.

Ciaran:  You will always be my little Ree Ree. The freckles across your nose bring a smile to my face each time I look at them.  You LOVE to talk and never stop talking.  You ask more questions in a day than the average person probably asks in two weeks!  You really remind me of myself in a lot of ways.  You also look just like your PopPop.  He would have loved to see how big you are getting.  You LOVE sports and are a natural athlete.  You are amazing at puzzles and mazes.  You know lots of your sight words and I have no doubt you will be reading by the end of the school year.  You have a tough exterior but on the inside you have a hear of gold.  You could not possible love you sister anymore.  You say your favorite thing to do is cuddle with your Mommy :)  You say you want to be a Cowboy when you grow up...

Colin:  My Ollie...your kindness is contagious along with your smile.  You think lots of things are "beautiful and pretty".  You wear your heart on your sleeve and are very sensitive.  You are sweet and kind to everyone.  You love being outside and building things (traps, houses, firepits).  You would live outside if you could.  You love coming down stairs in the morning tell me "Good Morning,Mommy..you look beautiful today".  You LOVE your dog, Duke.  He is truly your best pal.  You also love anything to do with water.  Right now you are totally into River Monsters.  Daddy lets you watch all the cool shows on Nat Geo. You love anything Cammo.  Another favorite of yours in Man vs Food.  It cracks me up to watch it with you.  You started reading a few weeks ago.  You are smart as a whip and love school.  You want to be a Vet when you grow up.

Cormac:  My blondie or curly cue...you continue to amaze me daily.  Your blonde curls make me happy.  You LOVE to learn.  Anything.  You want to learn everything.  You are so loving.  Your heart is so big.  You love to hug your brothers and kiss them.  You are the first to compliment them when the do something well.  You draw them pictures and signs to congratulate them.  You are smarter than I even know.  Your teachers are amazed at what you know.  You have been reading for over a year.  You love anything to do with a Princess.  You spend a majority of your time drawing, coloring or writing and reading.  You can hit a baseball better than we expected. You want to be a pediatric dentist when you grow up. You just LOVE life. 

According to the three of you:  Ciaran is going to own a ranch, Colin will be the Vet for the animals and you are going to convince Cormac to be a dentist for animals.  You will all have houses on this ranch.  Apparently, I will be living on this ranch too!  Sounds like a plan for me.

I am so thrilled to have been able to stay at home with you for all these years.  I feel blessed to have been part of every little part of your life.  My hope is you continue to grow and learn just like you are now.  I hope you continue to be the loving, helpful and amazing boys you are right now.  My life changed six years ago.  It changed for the better.  It changed me into a person who really appreciates the small things in life.  You changed me into a better person.  I know I need to lead by example.  I am forever grateful for the three of you for showing me what unconditional love feels like.


Always know, my love will find you wherever you go.

Dr Max Gomez: Helping Deaf Children Hear

Check out the video below.  This is my friend Jennifer's daughter, Hannah, having her implant activated.  Could she be any cuter???  I didn't know it but they used a short clip of Cormac is the bathtub during the show.  Pretty cool!

Dr Max Gomez: Helping Deaf Children Hear « CBS New York

New things

This weekend the boys started Lacrosse.  They have never even seen the sport before.  I signed them up because it's very popular here and some of their friends from school were playing.  The first practice took place indoors in a "bubble".  You know, they are outside but they put those HUGE white bubbles up so technically you are inside.  Our swimming lessons were also in a bubble.  If it starts there is lightening you have to leave it.  Anyway, all that to say the acoustics are CRAPPY.  It is HUGE and there were about 60-70 five to seven year olds along with their parents.

I was worried about Cormac being able to understand the coach from across the giant bubble.  I remembered from Basketball he got frustrated the first week because he couldn't hear so well with the acoustics in the gym.  I brought his FM with us and asked one of the coaches if they could wear it to help him hear better.  His response "Of course, we are all about giving these kids the best experience they can get"  I love him....

Without ever having to remind the coach I spoke with he handed off the transmitter to each coach as he was working with Cormac (they were broken up into three different skill areas and were rotating through the stations)  Cormac never missed a beat and said he loved it.  It's all about our kids just being one of the kids.  He LOVED lacrosse and thought it was great.  He said he had no problem hearing anything. :)  I could tell instantly he could hear.  He was doing everything just as they said it.  If he couldn't hear he would have followed the other kids and been a second or two behind the other kids. 

For those with younger kids who are going to be playing sports I highly recommend using an FM system in these situations.  Cormac played soccer last year (outdoors) and will play baseball this year and he doesn't need the FM when he is outside.  He hears the coaches perfectly fine.  The indoor acoustics make it a little harder.

Just my two cents on the benefit of the FM outside of school.

Flashback Friday

Colin and Ciaran's first haircut....I remember this day like it was yesterday.  I loved these outfits.

Wordless Wednesday

Reading

Many things have fascinated me in my life as a Mom.  I have to say watching your child learn to read is at the top of my list. 

Cormac has been reading for a long time.  I'd say about a year.  He was an early reader. (Funny thing, I was told deaf children have a harder time learning to read).  Yesterday, I watched as Colin's brain just got it.  He has known all his sight words and has been sounding out words for a while but yesterday the light bulb went off and he read me an entire book.  He was so proud of himself.  His first book was "Henry's first day of Kindergarten". 
Cormac was so cute.  He went and drew him a picture and wrote him a note saying "Good job". 
Ciaran isn't reading yet but he is doing awesome.  Ciaran is more of a math kid.  He gets easily frustrated when trying to read.  That said, he knows lots of his sight words and is just starting to try and sound them out.  Give Ciaran a computer or math and he is a whiz.  Last night after Colin read the book Ciaran came and got me and asked me to go in my room with him and let him read a book.  It's really the first time he has shown enthusiasm towards learning to read.  And you know what??  He did a great job.  He recognized all the sight words in the book and tried sounding out the big words.  He was able to get lots of them.  I think the competition between him and Colin is quite the motivator!  He wasn't competitive with Cormac when he started reading because it was so long ago he didn't really care!

I honestly feel like all the work we have done in our house and our focus on language has really given the kids a jump start.  I am very proud of them.  I feel like this is a big hurdle we have jumped.

Wordless Wednesday

Ten on Tuesday

1.  A mother's intuition or gut feelings are very accurate.  Never underestimate them.

2.  This has to be the best WINTER in my life.   Beautiful sunny days.  Warmer than one would think possible.  What a great first winter living at the beach.

3.  I will be the mother to three SIX year olds shortly...I have no idea how this happened.

4.  Less than three months and will be on Summer break.  I am counting the days!  What to do all Summer???  Lots of beach time, swimming, surfing, boogey boarding...

5.  I am meeting with the Principal of the boys school after our Easter break (we are off for almost two weeks!! YAY) to discuss the boys placement for next year.  They will continue to be in the same class but we want to make sure whoever has them is comfortable with the equipment.  I plan on meeting with their new teacher at the end of the year so we are well prepared in September.

6.  Calleigh is scheduled for tubes in her ears on May 7th.  A sleep study will be done before this and if is necessary she will have her tonsils and adenoids removed.  I hope all at once.

7.  If Calleigh needs hearing aids..well, I don't know what to say about this.  My stress level will be off the charts.  Mostly just trying to keep track of the equipment. I am also fearful we will lose Cormac's implants or Ciaran's hearing aids.  Adding two more to the mix might push me over the edge.....

8.  I LOVE my new job at CaptionCall.  Seriously, I love it.  I spent YEARS trying to find a job working from home and making my own hours.  I didn't think it existed.  I can honestly say I now that job.  Add to this I am working in the field of hearing loss and helping people get back something they had lost... the ability to use a telephone is just awesome!

9.  I am still hoping to run my half marathon in May.  Training has been difficult because of my lack of time but I have gotten a few good runs in.  I can do 5 miles easily at this point.  The most I have run is 6 1/2. I just have to double that and I will be in business.


10.  Got an interesting email yesterday which might lead to Cormac being in a PSA for hearing loss....to be continued...

Going with your gut..

As a Mom sometimes it is what needs to be done.  We know our children the best and while professionals may seem to always have our kids best interest at heart sometimes it might not be enough.  A fellow Mom blogger just wrote about making a big change in her son's life and she went with her gut.  She knew her son needed it and I applaud her for it. 

While Calleigh continues to progress.  I am thrilled with her huge leaps she has made over the last few months.  I have been told Calleigh has low tone.  Her doctors have contributed her late crawling, walking and most of her gross  motor skills delays  on her low tone and also the fact she had two surgeries cutting her belly clear across.  Add to that she had a colostomy bag for eight months and she didn't get the tummy time she needed.

I get all that.  Trust me, I do.  However, I don't feel Calleigh's amount of low tone equal the amount of unsteadiness and unstability she has while walking.  She still doesn't climb stairs yet.  She has a habit of holding her ears all the time.  I think somethimg else is going on. I don't know what but to me it seems like it's related.

I made an appointment with a new ENT who also specializes in balance issues and disorders.  He works in conjunction with an audiologist.  We were able to get in to see him on Friday.  (Friday will go down as one of the worse days for many reasons I will blog about later)

To say it was overwhelming is not quite the right word.  It turned out to be over two hours.  First you are seen by the ENT.  We went over her extensive medical history.  He was instantly interested in her mouth.  He asked me if anything was wrong with her lower lip.  I was shocked because I had never noticed anything and no professional or anyone for that matter has ever mentioned it to me before.    He said it seemed like her left lower lip could not fully move down.  As he put it, like Sylvester Stallone.  He basically wants to keep an eye on it.  I have been watching her like a hawk since and have not noticed anything but who knows.

He checked her ears quickly and said he saw some fluid.  She has only had one ear infection in her life and she didn't have an infection on Friday.  She just had some fluid.  He also said he was "impressed with the size of her tonsils".  He asked if she had any sleep issues or if she has ever had a sleep study.  Nope.  Of all the stuff she has had a sleep study was not on the list.

Next was the audiology appointment.  Calleigh was not so thrilled at the beginning when they had to check the pressure in her ears.  One ear came back as having fluid.  Next we went in the booth.  She LOVED this part.  She was so excited to wear the headphones.  She was a pretty good reliable patient if I do say so myself.  The results??  Mild/moderate hearing loss bilaterally (Melanie Ribich...I could not help but think of you for some reason when I was hearing this news.  You were so supportive when I learned of Ciaran's loss)  Calleigh has had her hearing tested before (several times) and has passed.  The only reason at this point I am not losing  my mind is because I am hopefully optimistic the test was not accurate because of the fluid.

We were seen again by the ENT to go over the results.  We talked for a long time about the results and all my feelings about Calleigh's well being.  He said the hearing loss could be caused by the fluid but it is possible for her to have hearing loss after the fluid is gone.  Apparently, Duane Syndrome can have hearing loss associated with it.  I feel like an idiot for not knowing this. I did so much research when I found out she had this and never came across this fact.  No other doctor ever mentioned this to me either.  That said, Calleigh has had her hearing tested multiple times in her life so I don't feel like a complete failure.

The end result??  She is scheduled to have tubes place on May 5th.  She will also have a sleep study done before the tubes.  Once we see the results of the sleep study he will determine if she needs her tonsils and adnoids removed.  After the tubes we will retest her hearing and pray the fluid was the problem.  We didn't really address the balance issues except to say if she has fluid in her ears it can cause her to have balance issues.  Bottom line he said we don't know what Calleigh's potential is on a scale of 1 to 100 (or for any kids) but we know with fluid in her ears and perhaps sleeping issues due to her tonsils we know she won't reach her potential.  So let's start with the tubes and go from there.

It was a lot of information to take in all at once.  I have been processing it all weekend.  My plan is to just get to the next step and take it from there.  One day at a time.

The Neptune

The arrival of the Neptune in our house has brought so much excitement it's hard to describe.  I know some people might not quite understand but it's been tremendous.  Ciaran and Colin are just as excited for Cormac as he is for himself.  I have been waiting for this moment and was hoping me or Cormac would not be dissappointed.  Well, it was in no way a dissappointment.  His reaction was more than I could have anticipated.  His true joy was off the charts.

He has since showered with it and learned the word condtioner.  I had no idea he didn't know that word.  He knows all his other bath words but when I said put conditioner in your hair he said "what is that?" 

We didn't make it to the pool yet.  We plan on going this week.  I know the reaction will be the same.  Cormac has always loved life.  His zest for life cannot be put into words.  He continues to amaze me with how he handles himself. 

Here is a link to the Youtube video.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwBb8PEN2pc&list=UUYChxWOEmT_FyZ7fSRYh9jg&index=1&feature=plcp

I plan on writing a more detailed account of the Neptune as we use it more but we have been delayed since March Madness has started (not basketball).  We went to our third St Patty's Day Parade today.  I seriously love all the festivities.  Seeing so many friends and family and enjoying a few beers is always a great time.

Big Day

Tomorrow we are going to NYU for the mapping of the Neptunes.  We received the boxes on Friday and WOW are there a lot of things in the boxes.  Because they have so many cool options for colors there is so much.  Cormac chose light blue, bright green and a bright blue color.  Keep in mind he is bilateral so we have two of everything.

I remember thinking when he was little how much I wished he could hear in the water.  Not just the bathtub but anywhere.  It was for his own safety.  I was for his ability to fit in with everyone else while in the water.  The funny thing is it NEVER seemed to bother Cormac.  He was still young.  At the end of last summer was the first time I started to notice things were different for him.  He still didn't seem to mind but it was becoming harder.  Kids were talking to him and he didn't know.  His brothers were awesome for him.  They were quick to tell new friends he couldn't hear and tell them to make sure he was looking at them before they talked to him.  They would point out the helicopters and things so he didn't miss them.  Always his greatest supporters. 

To live on the beach we are always around the water.  I was usually pretty brave about allowing him to wear them around the water.  That said, I was always watching like a hawk for fear they would fall into the ocean.  Well, worry no more.

I also think of all the language opportunities available on the beach or anywhere around the water.  To think he won't really ever have to be without sound except when he is sleeping is just down right amazing to me.  I honestly always knew it would be in his lifetime but I never thought it would be available so quickly.  What makes me even happier is knowing children being implanted now will never experience no sound around water.  They will never know any different.  They will never hit an age when pool parties start and the kids get upset (I have been told this by Mom's of older kids) they can't hear their friends or have to keep taking their processors on and off.  I know now that Advanced Bionics has released a waterproof processor the other companies will be working hard to produce the same and all kids will have access to sound in the water.

We headed to the store today in search of noisy bath toys for him to play with and experience for the first time.  Not much was available but at the last moment we found a bathtub Ariel that sings and does all kinds of stuff in the water.  For those who know Cormac you know this is his dream come true.  He has always loved Ariel.  His excitement was off the charts.  I REALLY want to get these toys but not sure if I can get them in the morning.  If not, we can get them during the week and play with them another day.

We have a new aquatic center near the house and they have open swim every day of the week so we will be hitting the pool this week for sure!  I am planning on taking lots of video.

In Cormac's almost 6 years of life the only thing he told me he wanted to hear and couldn't hear was the faucet running over his head.  He said "Mom, I KNOW that makes a noise because I can feel it and I really want to know what it sounds like". Well, tomorrow is the day :)

Contact Me

I received a few comments from people about the Neptune.  I can't contact you back so please click on the "contact me" button on the left hand side and I will receive an email and can answer your questions.  Thanks! 

Ten on Tuesday

1.  We attended Family Fun Night at Summit Speech School on Friday.  To say I love that place in an understatement. ( I am writing a post just about the evening)

2.  Yesterday was my first official day of work in over 6 years.  It was fun and I enjoyed it.

3.  WE GOT APPROVED FOR NEPTUNES!!! (Way more to blog about later)

4.  March Madness begins this weekend. And I don't mean basketball... I mean the start of the St Patrick's Day parades and celebrations! 

5.  Saturday at the Nutley Parade will be the 15 year anniversary of when I met Frank for the first time. 

6.  WE GOT APPROVED FOR NEPTUNES!!!

7.  Calleigh is a chatterbox lately and her speech is coming along.

8.  WE GOT APPROVED FOR NEPTUNES!!!

9.  I hurt my ankle last week after my beach run and couln't run for a week.  Not so good since I am supposed to be training for my first 1/2 marathon.  I ran yesterday for the first time and it was OK.

10.  Oh, did I mention WE GOT APPROVED FOR NEPTUNES!!

Just in case you cant tell I am pretty excited. 

I have so much to blog about on a few topics and just not much time.  I will work on them tonight (hopefully)

Lent

The season on Lent is here and began on Ash Wednesday.  I have been thinking of things to "give up" for forty days and really couldn't think of anything. (Well, I guess, Facebook! ) On Tuesday I went to a meeting at the boys' school about staying connected with your children in an overly connected world.  The woman speaking talked about some great points.  She also suggested instead of giving something up to add something to your day.  I think this will be a concept the kids can better understand.  Since they really have no concept of how long 40 days is it would be difficult for them to give something up.

Here is what we I have decided.

  We will start saying Grace before all our dinners.  Not just our holiday dinners but our nightly dinners.  We did this for the first time last night.  The boys all know their prayers so it was nice. I also think it sort of calmed everyone down a little before dinner.

We normally read every day.  But we are going to add another 20 minutes a day to reading together.  I went to the library today and got some new books to start.

We are going to spend one day a week "unconnected" as a family.  There will be no TV in the evening.  There will be no phone calls for me or Frank.  No computer for me while the kids are awake.  We will spend our time playing games or reading or talking with no distractions.  Most night we don't have the TV on until the very end of the day but I am guilty of being on the computer or phone.  This is more of a change for me and Frank than for the kids. 

So, that is our plan and we are sticking to it! 

Wordless Wednesday

Amazing and Miraculous!

I have been thinking about this the last few days and I am hoping everyone can chime in with their experiences or opinions.

This summer Cormac will be implanted 5 years.  I cannot believe it has been 5 years.  In those past five years a day has not gone by when I haven't had a moment when I think to myself "Wow" or "I can't believe he heard/said that".  I say all the time it is truly a miracle my son can hear and speak.  How thankful we are for living in a time when cochlear implants were able to change our lives.  Each day I am STILL amazed at what he has accomplished.

At what point do you think children realize what a miracle their cochlear implants are?  Do you think as they get older they will fully understand?  I know many adults who lost their hearing as adults and they know how it gave them their life back.  Cormac doesn't remember NOT hearing.  He doesn't remember the surgery.    He is only 5 and can't possibly comprehend how different his life could have been.  He knows he is deaf and hears because of his implants.  But to him, he is just Cormac.

What do you all think?  Those of you with older kids do they "get it"?  Or is it just their life and it's "no big deal"? 

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4GLTE smartphone

Counting....

Counting the days until this is our daily routine again....It will be here before you know it!

100th Day Of Kindergarten

This morning was the boys 100th day of Kindergarten celebration. They each did a project and had to go in front of the class to tell about it

 Cormac did "Hello" in 100 languages. He wrote all the words on the poster board. He also said "Hello" in five languages in front of the class. 


also s                           

Ciaran made snowflakes out of 100 lolliops in groups of 10.

Colin assembled two 50 piece lego cars..

I couldn't be prouder of the three of them if I tried.  I know I say it all the time but I still get overcome with emotion when I see the three of them together in school just doing their things.  Oh, and there is also that little thing that the one talking in FIVE languages is my deaf son.  Yep, my deaf son talking in front of his entire Kindergarten class!!!!

Here is what the projects looked like up close

House of Horrors

Last night we went to bed thinking everything was normal.  Just another Friday night.  Well, were we WRONG!  The stomach flu has hit this house HARD.  Calleigh was sick on Thursday and was vomiting but she wasn't to bad.  She seemed to be fine yesterday.

My night went something like this:

11:30 pm Ciaran runs downs stairs yelling Colin is throwing up in his bed.  Run upstairs get him to the bathroom too late.  Strip his bed and make it again in clean sheets.  Colin says he wants to lay with us.  OK. Give him bucket and he tries to sleep.  He eventually says he wants to go in his own bed.

12:30am We hear someone running from their room.  Cormac pukes in the hallway.  Get him cleaned up and he wants to sleep with us.  He did fall asleep but went on to puke 8 more times.

2:00am In between Colin and Cormac alternating puking Ciaran wakes up and it is now his turn.  The really strange thing?? None of the were ever up at the same time.  It was like as soon as I got one settled back down a different got sick again.  It was a losing battle.

So between 11:30pm and 5am I think it was 23 incidents of puking...yes you read that correctly.  23...

Oh, and then just when it couldn't get any worse....Frank starting throwing up this morning.

I don't believe there is enough Lysol on the planet at this point.  I have washed EVERYTHING from their room.  Not just the sheets and pillow cases but the special blankets and cuddly friends they sleep with.  I have sanitized every door knob and light switch and handle at least 50 times today.  I have practically given myself a Purell bath.  I have a terrible head cold for two days now and I really really can't get the stomach flu.  I sort of feel like it's inevitable but I girl can hope, right??? But you all know when I will get it, don't you?  It will be on Monday when Frank is back to work and I am left by myself and will have no choice but to do what I do everyday and not be able to be sick.  That is just how it goes.

I think this explains why Cormac passed out on the car ride home from the city yesterday.  He usually doesn't get so tired from a mapping.  I know lots of people who do get very tired after a map so I thought maybe but I now know he was getting sick.

We were supposed to go to a dinner at the school tonight.  That is not happening.  We also have our 100 day celebration projects to make and we have to get our Valentine's signed.  It's not looking good since the boys don't want to leave the couch!  Cormac did some of his project when he had a burst of energy.  Ciaran do a lot of his too.  Colin is putting 100 legos together so his is easy at least.

Did I mention now they all have fevers???  When I tell you we are never sick.  Last winter they were never sick.  This year we are getting slammed.  It hate when they are sick.  They hate being sick.  Right about now they are on Scooby Doo overload...

Here is the face of sickness...
Cormac sleeping with his Ipod.  Not even Angry Birds could keep him awake.

Colin said he felt better and had a drink...it was back in the toilet in under 5 minutes.

Ciaran trying to smile. 

Thank you

I just wanted to say Thank you to all of you who responded to my last post.  Your support, commiseration, understanding, compliments are so greatly appreciated.  We all have our days when somethings just don't seem fair but I know I am very blessed with my children.  Many families have it way harder than our family. 

I am friends with many of you on Facebook so I apologize for the duplicate in this post but I have a new favorite I had to write down.

Here is the conversation I overheard two days ago:

Cormac to Frank " Dad, I have decided me and Colin are optimists and you and Ciaran are pessimists. " Franks says "really, why?" Cormac replies "me and Colin see the good in everything and you and Ciaran focus on the bad..."

Frank thought I told him to say this to him.  I explained Cormac came up with it all on his own. 

Colin has also revealed that "Reese is in love with me and he is sure she wants to marry him"

We have a big week coming up.  We are celebrating the 100th day of Kindergarten on Monday.  We have yet to start our projects and are open to ANY ideas. So, please, leave a comment if you have an idea.  Keep in mind, I need three...  We will be having a Valentine's celebration at school on Tuesday.  I love being able to go to all their events. I am so grateful to be able to be home and participate so much at their school.

We just signed the boys up for T-ball for the first time.  In our old town they couldn't play until they were in Kindergarten.  In our new town the kids start at four years old.  The group is 4-6 year olds.  So, it will be our first time playing but they will be the older kids in the group. We will see how it goes.  I am hoping we can keep a batting helmet on Cormac without knocking off his implants.  He wears a bicycle helmet with no problem so I don't anticipate any issues.

Yesterday, we had a very small dusting of snow.  The first snow of the season and it's mid February!  The boys noticed it and were looking out the window.  I caught this shot of them.  By the way, Cormac is actually the tallest...not sure why he looks the shortest.  Maybe Ciaran and Colin were on their tippy toes.

Discouraged, pissed and I don't know what else...

I had my first meeting with our school district to start transitioning Calleigh from Early Intervention to Preschool.  Yep, PRESCHOOL??  This time is going way too fast.  Currently, Calleigh receives Physical Therapy once a week, Developmental Intervention once a week and Speech Therapy once a week.  She gets an hour per week of each therapy.    She will qualify for district preschool because she is still testing 40% delayed in Gross Motor skills and over 30% in Speech.

The next step is to see what our district has to offer for Calleigh.  It is such a different experience from when Cormac aged out of Early Intervention.  I NEVER wanted him in a district preschool.  He was doing so well and was above his age level in speech.  I thought it was a waste for him to receive PT, OT and things he didnt.  He NEEDED to be around positive speech models in a mainstream school setting.  Plus our old district didn't have an integrated program.  They only had a self contained program.

Our new district offers a self contained class and an integrated class.  The self contpained class also mixes with the integrated class daily.  She would have access to one on one Physical Therapy and also one on on Speech Therapy. 

I absolutely HATE the idea of her starting school at three years old 5 days a week for 5 hours a day. (This is the program) I feel like a total failure as a parent.  I feel I should have been able to do something to catch her up.  I am not one for a pity party but today really just did me in.  Today I wish I wouldn't have three children with IEP's in school.  Today I wish Calleigh would be attending a typical preschool PK3 program for two days a week for a few hours.  I feel she is being robbed of such a special time in her life.  She is just at the age where we are starting storytime at the library, enrolling in gymboree classes, going to morning play group.  But what does Calleigh have to look forward to ?  Nothing.  Her Mom dropping he off at school for 5 hours when we could be doing things together.  It's seems unfair and today, just for today, I am going to let myself be really pissed off about it.

My Heart

My heart SWELLS with pride when I listen to Cormac read...

My heart SKIPS a beat when I see Calleigh run across the room...

My heart nearly BURSTS when I see how much my kids love each other....

My heart feels like it's BREAKING if any of my kids are in pain....

My heart BEATS a little faster when Ciaran tells me he just wants to cuddle with his Mommy.

My heart gets ALL A FLUTTER when Colin tells me how beautiful I am...even if it's 30 times a day.

My heart still gets CAUGHT in my throat when I think about how blessed I am to  have been chosen to be the Mom to these four amazing children.

But most of all because of them....

My heart if FILLED with LOVE every day. 

Ten on Tuesday

1.  It is Catholic Schools Week at school.  Lots of fun things to enjoy.  Tomorrow is red, white and denim day.  The kids don't have to wear their uniforms.  The boys will be wearing some red and white Valentine outfits.  It's also a half day!  I love half days.

2.  Tomorrow is also the Neptune seminar in NYC!  I am looking forward to seeing some familiar faces I love and meeting some new people.  It's a huge turnout from what I hear...80 people!!  Cormac is going along with me.  He is very excited and I know will be a great help to me with me duties.

3.  Yesterday, Ciaran and Cormac's teacher of the deaf took Colin with them for a little while.  To say he was excited in an understatement.  He thought it was so "cool".  She doesn't pull them out of class often but he always wants to go with them.  She called me after school to tell me she could not be more impressed with the three of them.  She said they are all very advanced for their age and are sweet loving boys....love.

4.  Today was GORGEOUS.  Over 60 degrees and sunny.  We hightailed it home from school to make sure we could spend optimal time at the beach playground.  The boys rode their skateboards or scooters.  We buildt some sand castles.  We made a few new friends.  A great, great afternoon.

5.  Calleigh is being evaluated for her transition out of early intervention.  When they met her in September when we moved she was at about 11 months across the board and her actual age was was close to 26 months.  In 5 short months I am thrilled to say she has made HUGE advances.  While she is still delayed in her gross motor skills she is now at about 18-24 months. She had just barely started walking when they met her and now she is running! Cognitively she is AHEAD of her actual age.  WOO HOO!  She is still speech delayed but I have not gotten the official report. 

6.  I am in a little denial my babies are approaching SIX years old in April.  I love the little people they are but am sad they are not the babies they were.  Each day I am amazed at how quickly they have grown.

7.  Fun.  I have been really trying to focus on having the most fun I can have with the kids.  The days fly by and I really want my boys to grow up with the memory of time we spent together as a family.  I have always told them "Family First".  They truly live this motto and it warms my heart.

8.  I know I have sung their praises before but I have to say not a day goes by I am not forever grateful for Summit Speech School.  They have changed our lives forever in ways I cannot even put into words.  One thing for parents is to find a great support system and Summit has been in integral part of our support.  Our new teacher of the deaf continues with this amazingness.

9.  Many things have fascinated me watching the boys and Calleigh grow up but watching Cormac fully reading just blows me away.  He can just read anything now.  I can honestly cry just listening to him.  I was told learning to read can be very difficult for deaf/hard of hearing children.  I am happy he does not struggle with his reading.  It has posed some problems...Frank and I can't spell in front of him any longer because he know what we are spelling!  And I have lots of activity books and I like to use them as a listening activity.  Color the biggest flower yellow, cirlce the smallest square...you get the idea.  Well, now that he can read the instructions it is no longer a listening activity!

10.  My reservations are made for the AG Bell Conference in Arizona in June!!!!  I am beyond excited.  Frank and I will be attending together.  We have not been away together I think since our honeymoon without any kids!!  We have our babysitting in place and are set to go and meet some people who I feel like I have known forever but will be meeting in person for the first time!!!  LOVE LOVE LOVE

You are who you are

I have talked to many parents about hearing loss and cochlear implants since we began our journey. I have talked to lots of people since Ciaran got his hearing aids. As a parent we only want what is best for our children. What we want most is for our children to just be children. To listen. To speak. To not be different from other kids. To fit in. One of the first concerns parents talk to me about is about how other people will treat their child. Will they be teased? Made fun of? Left out? I know I had ALL of these thoughts about Cormac's future. Would someone want to be his girlfriend? In the grand scheme of things and focusing on teaching our children to listen and speak these little questions are always in the back of my head.

 Kids can be mean. Kids can tease. Kids can say hurtful things when they don't even mean to and they also say them intentionally. As I parent I am trying to teach my children to be understanding of others differences. Not everyone is the same. It's what make us unique. Some people need glasses to see some need crutches to walk others need cochlear implants or hearing aids. I want my kids to be OK with who they are just like Frank and I are proud of the little people they are and the bigger people they are becoming. We think they are perfect just the way they are. Our hope is other parents are also teaching their children to embrace their differences. To think about how they would feel if they were the child who was different.

My experience so far has been nothing but positive. We have yet to experience any teasing. We get lots of questions and my kids are not afraid to answer any question about their hearing devices. Cormac has been explaining his implants for years at this point. He says it very matter of fact "I am deaf. When the magnets are on I can hear and when they are off I can't hear." Plain and simple and easy for people big and little to understand. I realize my kids are only five. It could get worse as they get older. My hope is they continue to be the awesome kids they already are and people will realize their hearing loss in no way defines who they are as a person. It will always be a part of who they are but not what they are.

All that said, yesterday we went to pick up Ciaran's new ear molds. He picked BRIGHT green and BRIGHT blue swirls. He LOVES them. Cormac got so excited while we were there he got himself measured for a set of ear molds. He picked blue and red. (He didn't want Colin to feel left out. Ciaran's favorite color is green, Cormac blue and Colin red. Cormac thought Colin needed to be represented in the mold colors) While we were there with the unbelievably AWESOME audiologist Colin told her he wanted "fake" hearing aids because he thought they were so cool. (See, it's all in perspective...it's all how they see themselves.) Well, Colin left the office wearing giraffe print dummy hearing aids with his own set of huggies to hold them on! Obviously, he can't have molds since he has no hearing issues.

Today, they were so excited to go to school. Ciaran had his hood up so he could "surprise" his friends. I walked them to the school line today because I figure I had to explain Colin's new hearing aids to the teacher. (she thought it was adorable and got a chuckle out of it). Ciaran walked up to his best friend, Ryan, and showed him the molds. Ryan's response "whoa, dude, those are TOTALLY cool". Colin was a little shy but couldn't wait for his friends to notice his hearing aids. Little Gabby was behind him in line and she said "Colin, are those FOR REAL?? Colin said " no, they are fake but I love them." She says "I like them too". Cormac was going on and on about how he ordered red and blue molds. It all seemed so....NORMAL.

A perfect afternoon

Last week, before the stomach bug wreaked havoc on the house, I had a wonderful afternoon. The boys got home from school, I put Calleigh in for her nap and I turned my attention to the boys. We were playing some games and doing some cuddling when Ciaran says" Mom, I think you look a little tired and you should go lay down in your bed" I am suspicious at this time and give him a questioning look. He then whispers something to his brothers and the other two get all excited and start telling me to go lay down. I figure, how bad could it be?? What could they be up to? Should I pry more into their little plot or should I just go with it? I decided I would just go with it. I go into my room and lie down. A few minutes later the three amigos come into my room carrying a Tupperware full of my favorite cereal and some diet coke (my all time favorite). It was so sweet and thoughtful. They said they just wanted to me to relax and have a nice snack. Then they told me they just wanted to cuddle for a while....I obliged for a while and eventually we all drifted off to sleep for a nap. We woke up when Frank got home from work and found us all snoozing in bed together.

I couldn't think of a more perfect afternoon (unless Calleigh was snuggled in the bed too!)

Nice to hear

I had to stop at school today even though they were all home sick to pick up Cormac's FM system. He is going to try and use it at basketball to see if it helps. The acoustics in the gymnasium are terrible. The coach said he would wear the FM if it would help. I'll let you know how it goes.

When I dropped into the classroom none of the kids were there because they were in art class. His teacher says to me " I have to tell you Mrs. Checkit (their new TOD) pulled me aside to say she is so impressed with Cormac. He is doing amazing and she is so happy to be working with both kids. She said she can't believe how ahead of the game his is! SHe is just getting to know Cormac and I am glad he is feeling comfortable around her.

Their classroom teacher commented on how his reading has taken off like crazy. She also said Ciaran is trying so hard. She can tell he does NOT like to get things wrong so he gets frustrated if he can't read a word but he trying super hard. I have noticed in the last week it seems to be clicking for him and he doing way better with his sight words.

So, other than the fact the kids are puking...a great way to start the weekend. LOL

Explosion

Calleigh has had a language explosion in the last week. I mean she just says everything all of a sudden. It's amazing to hear and makes me so happy. She used to never repeat words when you said them and now suddenly she repeats EVERYTHING. I am so thrilled I cannot tell you. In some weird way I am just as excited or more excited than I was when Cormac started talking. In my heart way down deep I knew Cormac was going to be fine. I knew he would talk. I knew from his first reaction to his implants it would take lots of hard work but he would succeed.

With Calleigh things have been so unpredictable. It seems every time we took a step forward we took two steps back. We never knew what to expect. We still do not know what to expect. A link was never established between the many health concerns she was born with. (Click on the link to Calleigh's story above) No syndrome could be found which is great but also because we don't know the cause you can't predict the future. The not knowing has been a struggle for me. I would much prefer to know what the problem is and come up with a solution.

Cognitively it has always been apparent she understands everything. She has never seemed any different in her comprehension than anyone her age. That said, she was so delayed in meeting her big milestones. (sitting, crawling, walking, running, talking). We waited for 18 months before she could crawl. It took until 26 months for her to walk. Now, I can officially say she is running. She might look like she had a few too many cocktails now and then but she is running.

Her personality might be the cutest I have ever witnessed. She is funny. She is silly. She gets mad quickly. She laughs from way down deep. She kisses me at least 500 times a day. I am NOT exaggerating. She walks up and kisses my legs, arms, hands..whatever..with a big kiss noise. She is loving. She has temper tantrums.. She loves to color. I cannot even say she loves music because it is more than that. Her reaction to music is too cute for words. She dances all day long. Her dimples are humongous. Just like Colin when she smiles her whole face changes. They both have something about them when they smile. I swear their eyes twinkle. There is no way on earth you could ever stay upset with her once she smiles.

She cannot say her own name without it being followed by a squeal of delight. I hope she always loves her name the way she loves it now. She loves her brothers but gets aggravated with Ciaran when he won't leave her alone. She bops him on the head when she has had enough. Yes, I know she shouldn't hit him but when she does it I crack up because I would bop him on the head if he was in y face as much as he is in her face.

While I can't predict the future I am feeling pretty confident Calleigh's future is going to be typical of other kids her age. We still have the heart issue lingering in the future but we will cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, I am going to rejoice in all the accomplishments she has made and continue to challenge her to keep moving forward.

Wordless Wednesday

Funny Boy

You see my smiling sweetheart? In this picture he was messing around saying to his brothers "I am not listening to you." Notice the fingers in his ears??? Well, I say, "hey, little dude, you can TOTALLY still hear them since you don't even hear out of your ears" To which he starts cracking up and says, "I know, I am messing with them" and he proceeds to pull his magnets off his head still cracking up.

A typical Mom

The last two weeks have been so different for me. Calleigh was on a break for two weeks from services. The boys were back in school. For the first time ever and I mean ever in 5 1/2 years I felt like just every other Mom. I was able to take Calleigh to Storytime at the library. We went to a play group. We did our shopping and we played and played and played. All of that without having to worry about a therapy schedule. Most of her therapies are scheduled in the mornings so it doesn't allow us the opportunity to do those things. In the afternoon she naps. It might have been one of the most relaxing weeks of my life.

Keep in mind, Cormac had therapy from birth and it continues BUT it is now done at school. Ciaran gets the same but his is done at school too. For some reason it just hit me this week. After the craziness of the holidays to have two weeks off of NOTHING. No commitments. Except to get the kids to school. Well, it was just plain wonderful.

I know we are back to the grind next week. I am not saying I mind and I know it's necessary. Calleigh also seems much happier the past two weeks. She is doing GREAT. SHe seems more and more like your typical 2 year old (except she is miniature). LOL SHe knows knows lots of letters and numbers. She know some of her colors. She is starting to talk more and more. She is a little chatterbox.

Who knows? Maybe she needed the break too!

Stable

That is a fantastic word to hear when you are the parent of a child with hearing loss like Ciaran. His late onset loss with NO EXPLANATION can really make you panic. I am not one to panic. If I did I would probably be dead by now with all the things we have dealt with in the last few years.

We switched Ciaran's audiologist to some one more local since we moved. I was very hesitant about switching because it was a huge deal to find someone capable of aiding him in the first place. We are VERY lucky and have a great pediatric audiologist only a few minutes from the house. I met with her first and discussed Ciaran's unusual hearing loss. I was very impressed. She came highly recommended and I was willing to give her a try after her taking time to meet wtih me (at no charge) to discuss his hearing.

We had our appointment on Tuesday and I am happy to report he has no change in his hearing since April. Yep, since April when they first found the loss. This is just fantastic news. It doesn't mean he won't have a change or drop but we are encouraged because it does not APPEAR to be a gradual loss that will continue to get worse! YEAH FOR CIARAN!!

We ordered new ear molds. He chose a swirl of bright green and bright blue. Trust me, you can't miss them. When we first ordered his aids I was not sure how he would feel about them so we ordered just clear earmolds and his hearing aids are skin tone. He now want his hearing aids to be blue but I explained we won't be buying new aids ANY time soon. I have to find really strong stickers to put on them. The stickers made for his hearing aids fall off too easily.

It was a great appointment. Calleigh was surprisingly cooperative even though we were there for 2 1/2 hours and I am so happy with the new audiologist.

On a side note, I often wonder if this blog serves any purpose. I continue to write it because I want to have it for the kids when they are older. But while sitting in the new audiologist office I was told Ciaran's records did not get faxed over by the old office. I was told they really just need his latest audiogram. Hmmm... I pulled up the blog on my smartphone, searched for audiogram and voila...up pops the picture I posted on my blog a while ago! If it serves no other purpose it avoided me having to reschedule my appointment. Gotta love modern technology.

An Spring Day in January!

We were blessed with Spring like weather in January. It was unbelievably beautiful. We started the day at basketball. I have to say the boys are coming along. This is their first attempt and they are enjoying it. Cormac played the whole time today and did really well.

After basketball, Frank took the boys on a hike while I stayed with Calleigh and did some housework.
They had a blast. They sent me this picture while they were hiking. Holding ice when it is nearly 60 degrees out.



The came home and rode their skateboards in the back yard. I went for a run and knew I had to go and get the boys and head up to the boardwalk/beach. It was too nice. They rode their scooters and I rode my bike. They were barefoot on the beach playground. We build some sandcastles.



My Mom and Richie came down for dinner. The kids were super excited to see them. Maggie made some delicious BBQ ribs and chicken.

The boys were so tired they were asleep in only a few minutes. All in all it could not have been a better day.

Oh, and I will end with the ultimate in cuteness. Calleigh learning early how to be a good shopper!

Flashback Friday

Well, not too far of a flashback but this is one of my favorite pictures of Calleigh. She was 6 months old. It was taken almost exactly 2 years ago.

A little look back.

I was going through Cormac's binder of information looking for a report to give to his TOD. I came across a report from this first TOD from 13 months post activation (he would have been 2 years 5 months old)
It had samples of his language. Here is what he was saying:

Mommy has a red pocket too.
I have a red triangle.
There is dog food.
I want two doggies.
That one's square
Circle...right there.
I hear mama
Where the other red sock? (he used to skip "IS")
Mommy, I want drink juice...big boy cup.

His receptive language includes nouns, many action verbs, attribute words, names of many people and some prepositions (on, in, under, behind, on top of, around). In addition to understanding many words, Cormac incorporates these words into his expressive vocabulary as well. Cormac consistently responds to simple questions, yes/no questions and "who what and where" questions. Cormac follows directions involving attribute words. He can discern two familiar attribute words IE he can find the small red triangle among many different shapes with varying colors and sizes. Cormac can identify all the letters of the alphabet and all the sounds they make!

It said lots of other things but this is just an excerpt. I love looking back to see where he was and how far he has come!

Now, on to a few funnies I have heard. Some are duplicates from Facebook but I want to make sure they make it into the blogbook so I apologize for the repeats.

We were driving home from a birthday party of the boys BFF from up North, Kennedy. Very seriously Colin says "Mom, I don't know what I am going do. Two girls want to marry me" I say "who Kennedy and Reese?" He says "yes. I know what I will do. I am going to close my eyes and dream about it". I say "Ok." A few minutes later he says " I think I know what to do. Wait? Can I marry both of them?' I said "No, well at least not in NJ". He says "Ok, I am going to have to thiMy more". Ciaran chimes in "Mom, I will marry you" At the exact same time Colin and Cormac say "she's already married"

Ciaran stayed home sick from school. After 5 hours alone with me and Calleigh he says "Mom, I really like being home with you but I am getting Yonley for my brothers". I knew he misses them. Colin and Cormac on the other hand were just fine at school.

My mother in law was ripping up the old mail. Colin says "why are you doing that?" She says "because I don't want anyone to be able to see my personal information" Colin says "what, you don't want everyone to know you are on a diet?" I nearly spit my drink out on that one!

Colin: Dad, I could really use an after dinner mint. That bread sure was garlicky.

Cormac: Mom, your skin is very dry like mine. We both need dry skin therapy. (apparently, Cormac read the lotion bottle!)

That's all for now. Hope you are enjoying your New Year. We started our New Year with an ear infection for Ciaran...Boo

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I want to wish you all a Happy, healthy and peaceful New Year. 2011 brought many changes to our family. It had lots of ups and downs. Highs and lows. We moved to a new place. While we love living at the beach and our new school we miss lots of people and things from our old town.

Calleigh started walking in 2011 which is a huge milestone. She is now RUNNING! She continues to make huge steps in her development and we know she is going to be fine. I am praying we have no set backs in 2012. We still are waiting for the second hole in her heart to close but we are pretty sure it won't close on it's own at this point. I don't plan on fixing it until she is a little older but I don't have full control over the decision. I am hoping to avoid it until 2013.

Ciaran was diagnosed with hearing loss in 2011. To say it came out of left field is an understatement. We are still dealing with the diagnosis. Ciaran has done really well considering his age when he had to start with hearing aids. Some days he says he hates them. Some days he says nothing. We take it day by day. His hearing has been stable since his diagnosis so this is a positive. He is doing well in school and is a pretty well adjusted kid. Ciaran prefers math over reading and has a real knack for it. His reading is coming along just fine but he doesn't really enjoy it.

THE NEPTUNE was FDA approved in 2011. This is really life changing for Cormac. As the worlds first swimmable processor it will give Cormac access to sound he has never heard before. He will hear in the bath for the first time. He will hear in the pool for the first time. There will be a lot of firsts for Cormac once we are able to get our hands on the Neptunes. We are praying we can get them approved by our insurance. I plan on taking lots of video of him experiencing all these amazing "firsts" with his Neptunes. Cormac continues to amaze us with his speech and language. He loves school. He is fully reading. He has lots of friends. He plays soccer and basketball. He is just a typical kid. This makes me sooo happy.

Colin continues to make us smile with his sweet little personality. He is never without a compliment for me and anyone else. He thinks many things are "beautiful" and gorgeous". He still gets upset because according to him "there is nothing wrong with his cochleas" and that makes him different from his brothers. He doesn't like they get to get special services from the Teacher of the Deaf at school and he doesn't get to go. He is a smart little bugger. He surprises me with how much he actually knows.

Much love to all of you in 2012!