Elliott's Journey

Apologies all around...

2011-01-30T06:50:00.000-08:00

OK....now it's REALLY been awhile since my last post. Apologies all aound, but I won't even give you an excuse this time! Bottom line, Elliott's progress is amazing and he started a local mainstream preschool down by our house. He has friends galore and even a few girlfriends! We couldn't have imagined he would be so successful with his Harmonies. His little brother was born in mid-October and he is doing fabulous! His name is Dominic and he passed his newborn screening test as well as a follow-up ABR we insisted he have just be confirm the newborn test. I could go on for paragraphs, but want to keep this post short and sweet. I promise to post at least once a month from now on! (Don't worry about the pic...Elliott didn't hit Dom, I just snapped the shot at the perfect time!)

2010-06-19T19:32:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been awhile! Elliott IS going to be a big brother in October and what can I say...life's been busy! Anyway, I wanted to share this video of the car ride home after our recent vacation to Tennessee. It's just a typical kid with a fun imagination playing in the backseat with his grandma; but that's my point. You would never guess / know that Elliott is profoundly deaf by listening to him speak! The vacation went great considering the 100 degree heat we sat in through three night of concerts. Elliott was a real trooper and has fallen in love with Kelly Pickler (a country music star.) He was waving to her, blowing her kisses and calling her a "hubba hubba!" He had a pretty big following in the crowd sitting around us and people were shocked that he was "technically" deaf. He even had a few twenty-something guys behind us entertained. They wanted to take pictures with Elliott, give him high fives and talk to him throughout the three day event. As parents, we couldn't believe that in all that noise we were able to hold a normal conversation with Elliott without having to raise our voice. There was a huge crowd, feedback from the overheated sound system and a helicopter flying overhead and he heard just about every word we said! We are chalking it up to being wonderful parents...but suspect his recent upgrade to 100% T-Mic (thanks AB!!!) had something to do with it!

2010-03-23T06:51:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share Elliott's latest ice skating video. He's making great progress considering two weeks ago all he would do was sit on the ice. He talks about hockey non-stop and wants to skate "like the big boys" so we had him try it on his own. The staff at Midwest Training and Ice is fabulous and help Elliott every step of the way. We're so proud ans still shocked that a child with vestibular issues like Elliott can stand up on ice! Usher's will not stop Elliott, just make him work a bit harder....

2010-01-31T15:55:00.000-08:00

Elliott had a blast ice skating today with mommy, daddy and Papa T! He wasn't scared at all (especially since last time didn't go so well!) and was pretty eager to get on the ice! We were bummed because he couldn't take his hockey stick for balance, but he tried! He did a few laps with daddy, a couple with mommy and even one with daddy and Papa T. We didn't layer him up with a ton of clothing so I think that helped him have more elbow room! We are considering signing him up for skating lessons, but aren't sure about the whole helmet situation with his implants. I'll keep you guys posted on that. We finished off the afternoon with a trip out for pizza with all the grandparents. What a fun day...

2010-01-22T05:50:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to show all of you Elliott's new SkinIt featuring the Chicago Blackhawks! Funny how Lightning McQueen is now a thing of the past...

2010-01-12T07:15:00.000-08:00

What fun Elliott had in the snow with Daddy on Sunday! I have always been nervous to let him play in the snow because of his CI's. I know AB's are very water resistant and warrantied as such, but I was still nervous! We put on a headband and an Under Armour hat to keep out the moisture and it worked like a charm! He wasn't 100% in his snow boots, but neither was Mommy! Chief even came outside for a bit and we all rolled around in the snow and threw it at each other! We made a mess coming inside and had to shake everything out in the laundry tub; there was snow everywhere!

2010-01-03T12:15:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays! Christmas was an event (as it always is) to remember! I don't want to even talk about how many presents Elliott got or how long it took me to sort through old toys and clothes to make room for the new ones. We did the smart thing this year and went with mostly educational toys. Any of my CI moms need to buy Listening Lotto games for your children. They listen to a CD and place markers or point to the different sounds they hear. We have Sounds Around the House which covers telephones, dogs barking, ovens beeping and a lot of other things! We also bought Sounds on the Farm and Sounds from the Environment. How amazing that with AB's awesome technology (HiRes 120) Elliott can hear a bird chirping on a CD!!!!!

You know he had to get lots of CARS stuff as well as a few more John Deere items that he surprisingly didn't already have! We capped off the Christmas weekend with a trip to Nashville to watch the Chicago Blackhawks kick the Nashville Predators butt!!!! Elliott loved the game and proudly sang the song they play in Chicago when the Hawks score. He didn't care that we were in enemy territory...he sand it all by himself!!! When I asked Elliott if he got everything he wanted to Christmas he said, "Yes, I think so, but I want a brother like T. (one of his friends from school.)" Ok Elliott...we'll see!!!

2009-12-02T06:05:00.000-08:00

Hello! I just wanted to share Elliott's recent Rock Band experience. His cousins brought it up from Mississippi when the came to visit over Thanksgiving and Elliott (in true rock star fashion) took to it like a magnet! He grabbed the drumsticks and started pounding away. This was quickly followed up by his grabbing the microphone to sing along with daddy during a rousing rendition of ACDC's Thunderstruck. I was so proud. He has also learned something new that he likes to share with everyone. While looking through one of his Cars books, he asked me why Ramone was "up on pipes" and then "low on the road." I explained to him what hydraulics were and that some fancy cars (we call them hoopties) have hydraulics to make them go up and down. He has spent the last two days telling everyone he comes in contact with that Ramone has hydraulics to bounce. He told a complete stranger this yesterday at a store and she couldn't believe he was deaf and wore cochlear implants. She said she has trouble saying that word sometimes. At least he left a good lasting impression....

2009-11-23T04:41:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share a moment of laughter...

Skin-Its!!!!

2009-11-16T05:45:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share a pic and let all of you know how great the Skin-Its are! Thy aren't available on AB's website yet so you have to order them through the manufacturer, but they should be on the AB site soon! When they first arrived Jeremy and I both said, "15 bucks for stickers!" but then I put them on and understood why they cost more. They are made of a heavy plastic that withstands tough stuff. We have had Elliott's Lightning McQueen Skin-It on for over a month and it has showed no signs of wear or tear. We are still using critterclips and toupee tape for retention purposes and the Skin-It hasn't budged! One draw back is that they are a single use only, so we don't change them as often as we like. We will be ordering a Chicago Blackhawks and Mikey Mouse one soon...Even though Elliott knows his left and right, he now proudly declares his right Harmony (cochlear implant) as his Lightning McQueen ear, not his right!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T11:01:00.000-08:00

Speed...I am Speed! Elliott had a great Halloween which started off at a friend's house for a birthday party. Elliott and his friend had a blast and he even got to bring a cupcake home to decorate! Trick-or-Treating was fun...I couldn't believe Jeremy and I even got him to say trick-or-treat at a few of the houses. We made sure he said thank you to everyone. He even made one of the neighbors laugh when after saying thank you (the first time), Elliott told her "thank you again for the candy. It's cold so you better shut your door!" She was laughing so hard and couldn't believe how well his language is progressing. Yup, we're amazed too! We capped off the evening with a trip to Marcella's for deep dish pizza and garlic rolls. A sweet and successful Halloween indeed!

Chicago HLAA

2009-10-25T08:27:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been awhile, but what can I say...we've been busy! We had the HLAA Chicago Walk 4 Hearing last Sunday and it was a blast. The weather was a bit chilly, but at least it was sunny. A lot of my friends and family came out to support me which was great. My entire family including all grandparents came and AK (aunt karen) even drove up from Tennessee again...guess she must love me huh?!? Some of Mommy's friends came too and it was great to see "aunt" beth and esmeralda! Mommy and I even got to meet a family that mommy has been mentoring for awhile. Everyone was so happy to get together and the pictures were great! We met Kerry from Advanced Bionics too, (the company who made mymagic ears) and she was really nice too! Talk to you all again soon! Look for the upcoming Halloween pics,it's my favorite Holiday!

John Deere Explosion in Elliott's Bedroom!

2009-09-19T07:02:00.000-07:00

It's so hard to believe that my little man is three. Where does the time go? Besides a very successful party, Elliott also discovered how much he loves the song, "Big Green Tractor" and sings it whenever possible. He even has the melody down that follows the lyrics. One of the best parts of the weekend came when Elliott discovered the John Deere tractor decals that were put up on his walls (thanks grandma and poppa T) and he yelled, "There's tractors on the wall! Look at that big one on my door! Oh, look there's another one!" and so on for several minutes. He also received a John Deere hamper (thanks nana and poppa) and loves to tell everyone that dirty clothes go in the big tractor hamper. Oh yeah...he received about 20 tractors from AK, Mr. Brad and a lot of others, Elliott says thank you very much...I just feel like John Deere exploded in his bedroom! It is truly amazing to me that a child born profoundly deaf can appreciate music and the simple things in life as much as mommy and daddy. It is truly a day to celebrate!

2009-09-06T12:17:00.000-07:00

Elliott's big birthday bash "weekend" started last night! Many of you know that we live in a fairly small town in north central Indiana. There is a real cute local business called the Chocaolate Shop styled after a 1950's diner. They have old fashioned sodas, root beer floats and all types of treats. On Saturday nights they have a DJ out front with a classic car show. Of course Elliott loves the cars, but he had a blast rockin out and dancing to the oldies! I couldn't decide which video to post so I posted them both! Elliott has some great moves...hope you enjoy!

Elliott's new video

2009-08-08T18:34:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry his new video took me so long so post. I have talked with several families and parents and want to ease your fears a bit by inviting you to watch this video. I don't think I have to say much; he's the proof that cochlear implants work! Please feel free to ask me any questions you may have.

July 4th

2009-07-29T05:13:00.000-07:00

I had to share this photo and Elliott's experience with fireworks for the first time! I know he's had his cochlear implants for previous July 4th's, but he was always asleep by the time the fireworks went off. This year was such a new experience for him. Of course we didn't let him actually play with any fireworks, but let him see everything from smoke bombs, "look mommy, that's a blue one" to rockets shooting in the air, "that's a big boom!" He was more excited then he gets seeing his beloved tractors. Our good friends from Lafayette even bought him a kid-safe glo-stick and he waved it around like it was a sparkler. I sure hope I'm not encourgaing him to be a future raver! (Whch I guess would be ok as long he didn't party there and only went to dance?!) I was worried that the pops of the fireworks would be too loud for him, but nothing seemed to phase him thanks to AB's internal "sound adjustment" that prevents sounds from being too loud to damage anything in his ear that actually works! (Just kidding) The best part of the evening came when someone actually said, "be careful that's not too loud...you wouldn't want Elliott to blow an ear drum!" There was a moment of silence and Jeremy and I started cracking up. Granted we wouldn't want Elliott to go through the physical pain of a blown ear drum, but it's not like he would lose his hearing! A lot of people forget he's deaf because of the implants. BY the way, don't tell Elliott he's deaf. (This is something we're trying to explain to him now so he understands how important it is for him to take care of his "ears." ) Elliott will say, " I have magic ears mommy and daddy" and refuses to believe that he can't hear. I guess this is a battle we will tackle down the road...

2009-07-25T04:49:00.000-07:00

Jeremy and I took Elliott to the park a few weeks ago and he loved it! He is not exactly the shy type and asked us to go on the biggest tallest slide right away! I was aprehensive, but Daddy thought, "sure, let him try it." (At this point I should have thought twice) He climbed the stairs no problem and sat on the edge waiting for us to tell him it was ok. He started to come down the slide and he went sideways! Arms flailing, legs up and one lost hat later he flew into my arms at the bottom. He was upset because the slide was a bit more than I think he expected. I guess this is life lesson #7 for him...the things that look the most fun can sometimes be the most dangerous! He had a cookie and life was better...the slide experience a memory. As we were leaving the park Jeremy asked him if he wanted to go on the big slide again, (and I quote Elliott) "No Daddy! I don't like that big slide!"

2009-06-11T06:06:00.000-07:00

Elliott had a blast gardening with Daddy this past weekend! He helped haul flowers, vegetables and plant in hs "tractor" and even helped plant some in the ground. It was a great chance to make a mess and get real dirty! He has also learned a new favorite saying, "No Mommy! I don't like that!" Of course he says it everytime we try to ask him to do something that he doesn't want to!!! He has developed such a mind of his own that it's almost scary. His speech and language are developing so quickly that it amazes most people he was born profoundly deaf. He speaks in complete sentences now and even speaks better than some of the three year old's we know! How exciting to see him progress like this. As parents, we couldn't be prouder of our special little man!

Indianapolis HLAA Walk

2009-05-09T14:01:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Today was the WALK. TALK. RUN HLAA event in Indianapolis and we had a blast! Of course Elliott relaxed in the stroller while the rest of us actually walked....but it was all for a great cause. Elliott was the second place fund raiser with $1343.00! He got to meet Ms. Indiana as well as a few politicians. Even though he didn't know who they were, it was great that they met Elliott and saw what a huge impact Advanced Bionics cochlear implants have made in his life! We're all VERY tired now and we have no idea how we are going to stay up to watch the Blackhawks game tonight!

P.S. Told ya we were going to have a ball with his hair!!!

We're excited about tomorrow!

2009-05-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Elliott's first HLAA walk in Indianapolis! We have our entire family going down there with us. Elliott's grandparents, aunt and so many others helped us raise over $1200.00! So far, he's the number two man! We're driving down tonight to have a celebration dinner with the family and then resting up for the 2 mile walk tomorrow. I can't wait to post the pics so all of you can see what we're doing to him tomorrow!

Hint...if you think his hair looks crazy like this....just wait!!!