She HEARS! and other exciting news!
First, a brief letter to our blog readers:
If you are reading this, you are most likely more than just curious or bored, but are a Katie-fan, one of her cheerleaders, who want to see her succeed in life. For that, I really cannot thank you enough. We are wild about our Kate. But we are so touched that so many others are, as well. Thank you for caring about her and embracing her in your hearts, and wishing her well, and praying for her. When I see some of you at the park, I literally see a LOVE for Katie in your eyes, when you look at her (Thinking of you, Helene, Dondrea, Rachel, Tara, Cristin, Christina... too many of you to mention). Do you know how that makes a mama feel? In an often cold and disappointing world, it is truly a blessing to be loved and embraced by your community (locally and globally).
THANK YOU!
Love, Me
So for those of you who only read my
blog, and aren't my Facebook contacts, I apologize because I've kept you in the dark for a few
weeks. A couple hours after my last blog post, on Memorial Day, THIS STORY happened:
---
She HEARS! And just
like, that, as clear as a bell, like many other confirmations we've had that
she can hear a tiny bit (re-acting to the vacuum, loud music, and alarms
without visual cues and singing tunes back to me that I had loudly sung in her
tiny ears) Katie impresses all of us AGAIN! She was leaning back in her chair
dangerously, and I went up to her and said loudly in her ear, "No, no, no, Katie." Mom, Doug and I did a double take as she sat
up defiantly, tilted her chair back again and as clear as a bell chanted in her
own voice, "NO, NO, NO", "NO, NO, NO", "NO, NO,
NO!" with a huge grin on her face... I've never been so excited to hear a
child say "No" to me!!!! This means, most likely, that she is in the
estimated 85% camp of children with her condition of Bilateral Microtia and
Atresia. She most likely has intact inner ears and has only conductive hearing
loss because of the cartilage and tissue blocking sound from travelling to her
inner ear, instead of sensorineural hearing loss (non-functioning or damaged
inner ear). This is fabulous news, once confirmed by a doctor soon, because it
means BAHAs (Bone Anchored Hearing Aids) are all she may need to hear, instead
of the much more costly and complicated cochlear implants. (That's my quick
explanation). I love her the same either way but I'm thrilled for what this
means for her!
---
AHH!!! We were so excited!
We
started singing to her, loudly in her ear, at night more and more, too. She is
starting to focus on my signing as well. The other night, I gave Katie her nightly baby massage and sang her
3 usual songs in her ear. She always smiles and laughs, but at "Jesus Paid
it All", she pulled my hands around her shoulders, in front of her face,
and waited, motioning for me to sign the song for her. She loves the signs for
"Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow." The
"snow" ASL sign delights her.
When we sing, she listens carefully
and often sings the tune back to us. Doug even started singing to her too!
Doug had never sung to Katie before and I
encouraged him to. After Cara had gone to bed, he sang "Jesus Loves
You" in Katie's left ear and at each chorus, I sang simultaneously in her
right ear. It was her first "surround-sound" experience. She
was in heaven, she grabbed Daddy by his face and drew him in to sing
again, and pulled me close too. There's nothing quite like the experience of
her wrapping her little arm around you and "singing" along to the
tune. I delighted in sharing that experience with Doug. It's seriously moments
like these in our marriage that take our breath away. Our time with Katie and Cara in the evening, bonding with them is really the highlight of our day.
Here she is focusing on our singing, and drawing us closer!
She just loves her nightly surround sound duet!
And now for a VERY exciting announcement!!!
Due to the generosity of a new friend, Sonja,
who also has a sweet son adopted from China with the same condition as Katie,
we get to borrow a BAHA (the expensive hearing device she needs) starting NEXT
WEEK, until she gets one of her own in a few months.
We are not positive
yet if our insurance will cover Katie's BAHAs or not, so we may need to do another
mini-fundraiser, to cover part of it. (Nothing at all compared to the adoption
process fees!)
The thought that my baby is about to be able to hear me way more clearly, and
start more social engagement, in a matter of days from now, makes me cry! I just
can't believe it's so close!!!! Be watching for a video in about a week, folks!!!!
It may not look like much to anyone else, but for this family, it's a miracle. Katie is actually staying on the bed for reading time and letting me sign a book to both of them. AND she's paying attention. Triple miracle.
Tonight she pulled her lounging chair to the best patch of setting sun in the living room and is cuddling with her beloved blocks-- (I love her quirkiness!)... (and yes, she's in just her diaper, after an unfortunate pudding disaster!) ;)
Next week is also Katie's educational meeting and we are anxious to get the ball rolling with finding all the best resources for her. I still have ALOT of phone time to continue to figure out if her medical and special hearing tests in July will be covered with our insurance. Please pray for me as I continue to navigate the murky and perilous waters of our insurance policy! I'm determined, but often spend an hour a day on the phone, setting up appointments and inquiring about coverage for tests, etc.
We are thankful to the Lord for all the WONDERFUL things He is doing in Katie's life! She is blossoming more and more and more!
Thank you again, from the bottom of this mama's heart, for cheering for her!
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