Mappings and AV Therapy- 8 Months Post CI Activation

This past Wednesday my friend Lauren and I started out early with Hunter for a mapping appointment in New Orleans followed by an AV therapy appointment in Baton Rouge that afternoon. I have to give a huge shout out to H and an even bigger thank you to Lauren because he did SO well the entire day. (for those of you who don't know or haven't gotten the pleasure of experiencing our long car rides lately, Hunter is just not a huge fan to say the least!) Our ride there was about 2 hours and 20 minutes, and I think it also helped that he had just woken up, we had Barney on the DVD player, his Barney stuffed animal, and iPad in tow! Whatever it takes.... right?

In the picture below is our angel of an audiologist, Ms. Tanya Andrepont from Ochsner's in New Orleans. She was very satisfied with the mapping levels that Hunter is on for now. She hooked his ears up to the computer and did a series of beeps to get him to drop the blocks in the box when he heard the beeps. Of course he just wanted to drop them all in and subsequently pour them all out, but he showed off his ABCs and his numbers, so she was smiles from ear to ear! (Thanks for all the footage, Lauren!)

Waiting to go into the sound booth.

Ms. Tanya did a longer series of beeps and sounds through a microphone on the other side of the window in the sound booth to see if Hunter could localize the sounds and turn in the direction from which the sounds were being permitted. We did this on our last visit and he didn't react up to par, but this time he turned for every single one! I was so excited that he was turning towards everything, but for some reason I had a feeling he would do well. I was telling Ms. Tanya how every time he hears something new or out of the ordinary he points to his ear, perks up and says "Her dat" (I heard that). And he does it even when the refrigerator starts to hum on or when the freezer drops ice. He can be reading a book or playing on the couch and he will always point those things out. Now get ready for it because I'm about to brag.... but Ms. Tanya said Hunter is the posterchild model for Cochlear Implants! I was floored. Music to a CI mother's ears! She is always so sweet to us and loves Hunter, but this was the most amazing news I have heard since he got his ears. She was so impressed by his progress. My little angel, all of his hard work has definitely started to pay off!

Here's a small video from the audiologist to give you an idea of what she was doing.

Now on to AV therapy. As you can see from the pictures below, we have a good ole time every visit. Hunter hasn't seen the student teacher in a while, so basically all he did was make sweet eyes and flirty faces to her the entire time!

Even showing off his abs!

We could not have asked for a better day. I was semi-dreading it, I'm not going to lie. But in the end I know we will always get through it.