Rainy Days

School days

Look at all the fun toys that Sydney gets to play with at her Parent/Infant class! Sydney & I go to a Parent/Infant class two days a week. During the hour session the teacher brings out various toys and we talk about the toys, make lots of sounds and have a great time. Many babies with her degree of hearing loss (mild/moderate) get a monthly home visit where a teacher comes out to the home to work with the infant & track progress. After doing some research and a few sleepless nights we decided to opt for the more "intense" (for lack of a better word) program. I don't see any harm in doing more. She enjoys it and it's good for me too. When she actually starts speaking we can reassess her needs. We're not only new to parenting but in addition to all the tings new parents have to learn we got swept into the hearing loss tornado. At the beginning we were bombarded with information from doctors, audiologists, teachers, the state, our school district. It's been meetings and phone calls and tests and paperwork and...tons of it! It was tough at the beginning but going through this has made me a better person. A better mom. I know how to fight for my child and to keep bugging the hell out of people until I get what I want. It's been an interesting road. Le Chemin de Vie!

Sydney & Ms. Linda playing with one of her favorite toys.

The teacher will ask her to "open", "close" and to turn the handle "around". We spend 45 minutes to an hour working with her on listening skills, sounds and words. She has a great attention span. She's been able to complete a 45 minute session since she was 4 months old!

"Push"

The airplane goes "Ahhhhh Ahhhhh Ahhhhh". Sydney was flying her airplane just like her teacher.

After school we will go to the park or to have lunch. Then it's home for a 2 hour nap. If I'm lucky!

Home from school and waiting for DaDa...

Daddy's home with lots of kisses for Sydney...

And all is well in the world...

Warm tea

I did something I said I'd never do. I (dun dun dun) joined a mom's group (gasp). I haven't gone to any meet-ups but I RSVPed for a stroller walk & lunch at the mall next week. I think I'm going to cancel. It's not like I have all this free time anyway. I babysit on Monday, Sydney has two days of speech therapy a week and I'm lucky if a week goes by without a trip to the doctor. On my free days, I try to clean up, go to the park or run errands. This week I have no free days and a teething, separation anxiety stricken baby to boot. I'm on the verge of throwing a mommy tantrum. So back to the mom's group. I may (out of morbid curiosity) still decide to go. I just think that what I really need is a day off. Even a few hours will do. I really don't find walking around the mall with other moms and their cranky babies and talking about "milestones" much of a break. Ugh, what was I thinking?

I love my daughter and I have the best job in the world...and I'm not complaining. (OK, maybe I am complaining just a little)...I don't know what I need. Maybe it isn't new "mommy friends". Maybe it's just some silence, a warm cup of tea and time to sip it before it gets cold and the cat sticks her face in it.

Back in business

Monday photo shoot

Billy giving Sydney a big bear hug. She adores her older cousin.

My little hammy

Beautiful day...

Baby Gia & Billy

On Mondays I have the pleasure of watching my sweet niece & nephew. This means I am looking after 3 babies under the age of 2! Yes, I know! I'm crazy! It's a challenge but I love those babies! It was so beautiful today so I decided to venture outside for a little picnic/photo shoot. It was quite the adventure wrangling three babies & trying to get them to pose for the camera. Sydney is such a little ham. I'll get the other two used to seeing their crazy auntie with the big camera. They'll be hamming it up in no time!

Flashback Friday

20 weeks pregnant - before I blew up like a Macy's parade balloon.

Update to the previous post

Woody just pooped the missing piece of ear mould & tube. :/

Woody is in BIG trouble!

Valentine's weekend fun

My funny valentine...

Valentine's day breakfast...

Little pieces of heaven...

The photographer & her muse...

Uncle & soon to be *officially* auntie & Sydney Bear...

Loves her baths...like mommy

Tootsies...

Swinging outside while daddy & uncle Greg put up the fountain...

The finished product. Paradise among the weeds...

Happiness is...

So here it is. Connexin 26. This is the cause of Sydney's hearing loss. After 9 months of wondering, we have an answer. On one hand, I am free. I can stop blaming myself and over analyzing my pregnancy. On the other hand, it is devastating because it means there is a 25% chance our future babies will be born with hearing loss. Additionally, there is a possibility of Sydney's hearing loss being progressive. I try not to look for the worst case scenario and I try to take it one day and a time...even when it's hard. I know things could be worse. Every parent wants so much for their children. Ten fingers and ten toes are not enough. We want so much more for our babies. We want the whole world! I have allowed myself to cry and it has been so freeing. I'm sure there will be more tears to come but for now I am okay. We are all OK. More then OK! We are wonderful...and so thankful to have so many people that care about us. I really want more babies - even if it feels as though I can not love another child as much as I do Sydney. :) Am I scared to have more? Yes, a little...but I will cross that bridge later.

Happy 9 months!

Sleeping peaceful...for now!

Thank God for Ferberizing! We are getting closer to having Sydney's sleep problems solved. When we moved to the new house I decided to put an end to co-sleeping & finally get Sydney into her crib. She's a very flexible baby & it wasn't too difficult of a transition but her sleep habits were inconsistent and it took anywhere from 5 minutes to 2 hours to get her to sleep. I'd have to rock her to sleep or get her to fall asleep on our bed & then transfer her to the crib. This was becoming exhausting. When she was sick I brought her back into our bed for a few nights and it really screwed up both our sleeping. When I tried the crib again she wasn't having it! She is going through the separation anxiety stage & she'd wake up & cry. Stephen or I would rescue her & bring her back to our bed. I knew this couldn't go on any longer when she woke up & crawled onto our nightstand while I was in the bathroom. I found her on the nightstand with my earrings in her mouth a my necklace in her hands! I was in the bathroom for literally a minute! It became to dangerous and we both weren't getting much sleep. We both have dark circles under our eyes to prove it!

I have heard many success stories regarding CIO (Crying it Out) but it is also frowned upon by some. It's a pretty controversial subject & what might be right for one baby might not be right for another. I did very thorough research on the subject and decided to give it a try. I did try the less drastic no cry sleep solutions approach previously and it did not work for Sydney. I (we) were desperate to try anything! I decided to start trying it the day Stephen was out for the night. He can't handle Sydney crying for even 1 minute so I knew this was going to be tough for him. The first night she cried for 20 minutes, which felt like an hour! Ugh, it was tough to hear her. The second night she cried (hard) for 15 minutes. Hearing her made me cry! I came in at the scheduled times to reassure her & by the second visit she was asleep! Night three it was 5 minutes of fussing, night four 3 minutes of fussing and then last night it took 1 minute for her to fall asleep. Getting her down for her naps is a little harder but she has stopped crying and only gives a little fuss. She is waking between 6:30 & 7:15 am again! I know that during this process we may regress, but so far so good! It really was much easier then I envisioned and I don't believe she is "scarred for life" from the process. She is able to soothe herself which I believe is very important. I'm not going to stop rocking her to sleep when she needs it...or when I need it. :) I'm just glad we're both sleeping again. I have to admit that I do miss her in our bed. Sometimes I wish I could bring her back or climb in the crib with her. I miss napping with her but I know the safest place for my little daredevil is in her crib. It makes me sad because it's just another step closer to toddlerhood. I can't believe she's almost 9 months old!