Are the hearing aids helping?

Everyone keeps wondering whether or not the hearing aids are doing anything.... here is your answer :)

We had a great trip to the audiologist today, and H fell asleep on the way home so I will try and update everyone while I have time!
We thought we were going in to get new molds for the ears since he outgrew his by the time we went to pick them up, but apparently they were not in yet. GRRR! It's okay though, these seem to be doing the trick, especially with the toupe tape holding the main part behind his ear.

We did get to do a sound booth test to see if the audiologist noticed any type of reaction from him. I was holding him facing outward, and there were noises coming from both directions. On the left there was also a light up winnie the poo, and from what I am told he would look at the light up toy when they would flash it, and then when they turned it off and put the sound through, he would look that way again. I don't think it was mere coincidence because there were two audis and they said they tested high and low frequencies multiple times and he looked that way multiple times. I tried looking at his reflection in the mirror, but could not tell myself whether he noticed the sound. They both said they got more than they were expecting, so that is great and means he is getting some stimulation to the brain through sound.

My pressing question was, does this affect his candidacy for the CI, but they said no. What he hears is very little in comparison to the amount of sound the CI will allow him to hear. Once we get the new molds in, hopefully they won't fall out as much. Thanks to our sitter for constantly putting them back in, I know it is a hassle just from the past two weeks.

We had a first last night after mass. A older man sitting in back of us was rubbernecking to see the HAs as soon as mass ended. He then tapped me on my shoulder and asked "Is that baby deaf?" (in a nice way though) I smiled politely and said yes, and he wanted to know if that was why he had the HAs on, and I again nodded with a smile and said yes. Since April I have been dreading moments like these, especially the first time someone would ask. I turned around and thought, wow that was a first... and as I tried to fight back the tears I couldn't help but get choked up. To my surprise I gained my composure in about a minute or so and thought, this is my training for when he gets the implant. I know that each time someone asks, it will only make me stronger. (being in church I'm sure helped also!)

I am posting a few updated pictures for those family and friends who are not on facebook. I also added a video of Hunter doing tummy time, a big thing in therapy these days to help him hold his head up. We are getting a lot of action when he is in the mood, but not getting him to hold it up completely all the time. Little by little, we are making progress. There is another video of him "talking" from yesterday. We are thrilled with all of the noise he is making, it is not very common for deaf babies to make so much noise, so we are two very pround parents! (I haven't figured out how to turn the pictures just yet, working on that)

It's my 4 month birthday!

I'm not so sure about this rice cereal mom!



Me and cousin Eli!