Hearing update

As a grant writer I often get to write about social workers/mentors/teachers who provide services to those in need but didn't really feel the impact until I experienced it firsthand. On Thursday we had a home visit from Multnomah County's Early Intervention and the Columbia Regional Hearing Program. The Early Intervention people provide services for kids from 0-3 (this is all free of charge--well it's tax supported so technically we pay for it). They quickly ruled out any kind of development delay after Collin showed off his skills:

Transfer a rattle from one hand to the other--check.
Roll over from back to tummy and the other way--check
Smiles--check
Coos, babbles, laughs--check

It was apparent that the main services we needed were through the hearing program to ensure that Collin continues to develop speech and language. Carol from the hearing program will accompany us to all Collin's audiology appointments, help us set goals, link us to other help we might need, etc.

Later that day we went to get a hearing mold made for Collin where he got some foamy stuff shot into his ear. He handled everything well and gave lots of smiles to the delight of the three women working there. They snapped pictures and insisted on putting his photo on their bulletin board. We were happy to comply. (Who doesn't want to hear that their baby is damn cute?)

They had lots of funky colors to pick out for the ear mold--I went with the sparkles. When Collin is older he'll get to pick them out himself. The hearing aid unit that attaches to the mold was much smaller than I expected, it looked like a blue tooth and I immediately felt more at ease. I bet kids will barely notice it. Now making sure he stays on his ear and he doesn't stick it in his mouth should be interesting...

We get a loaner aid for four months before we have to pocket up one ourselves ($500 - $1500, most likely somewhere in the middle) which insurance doesn't pay for. Because why would hearing be deemed important for developing ears? (On a side note, apparently there's legislation pending in Oregon to mandate all insurance companies to pay for hearing aids for children!)

Collin has another hearing screen in late September per the recommendation of the Ear,Nose,Throat specialist we're seeing. He said sometimes the hearing will actually improve--nerve endings or something. And Collin will continue to get periodic hearing tests in case anything changes. We'll hope for the best but even if Collin's hearing stays the same we're fortunate that we have services and caring people that provide support!

Uh leather or flowers or silver?

Four years ago Mike and I were in a little town in the middle-of-nowhere Scotland with some of our closest family and friends to celebrate our marriage. A child was in the back of my mind; way, way, way in the back of my mind. We spent our days in Scotland drinking too much, hiking, and avoiding the dozens of sheep that occupied the sparse roads. I was 23! Without a job, living in a cheap apartment, a year out of college. Mike was about to start his career as a police officer. It seems so long ago yet in the scheme of things, it was really just the other day.

Last night we went out for our four-year wedding anniversary at El Gaucho to dine on some delicious steak. Our friends who are expecting their first babe watched Collin and were shocked to see us return about an hour and a half later. Sad I know. We originally thought we'd see a movie but after dinner we were both exhausted. In our past life we would've gone to a bar, had a couple more drinks, stayed out past midnight without a second thought, but now sleeping in our comfy bed sounded much more appealing (especially when you have a 530am wake-up call who demands food).

I laugh when I hear about people who get pregnant to save their marriage. A baby can be a huge obstacle that's placed between two people whose lives used to only revolve around each other. Thankfully our marriage has stayed strong and we had the chance to go on some baby-free adventures before Collin. I've learned what real love is in my marriage with Mike. It's not some fairy tale where you live happily ever after that's for sure. It's work, but it's worth it to wake up next to the person who helps things make sense in a crazy world. And I couldn't have hoped for a better father to my son.

Vote for Collin

I could never be one of those "stage" moms that obsessively drags their child to photo shoots, probably in the hopes of living vicariously through them. Come on, how much fun can it be for a little kid to stand in long lines for model shoots or auditions. That said I will completely contradict myself and ask you to vote for Collin for American Baby's cover contest so Collin (er mom and dad) can possibly win a trip to New York for a few days and Collin can have his shot at fame. And money that goes into his future college fund.

I have to say Mike and I produced a pretty cute kid and I can't help but look at the other baby entries with a competitive eye (please don't shoot me for sounding so shallow).


Click here to rate the photos

America thanks you

A visit to the Oregon Coast

We had our first overnight trip with Collin this weekend at the beach. The nifty inflatable travel crib blew up with ease and Collin slept pretty well in it (except for waking up at 4 am to party). We stayed in the sleepy town of Manzanita which seems to be populated by the over 60 crowd. It's just a short distance to Cannon Beach and was nice for lounging. Both Mike and I enjoyed reading for the first time practically since Collin was born. We also walked around, did some shopping and of course showed Collin the ocean. Though with the wind blowing in his face, I can't say he had much enthusiasm for it.

Here's a few pictures of our trip:

Roll Over!

Yes I realize the title sounds like a dog command. However watching my little guy evolve from a sleeping, pink faced bundle to a robust babe that can move around is quite amazing! For a while Collin has been flipping from his back to his tummy only to be stuck with his arms and legs flailing, then suddenly he mastered the art of flipping the other way! The way he kicks his legs and moves around, I think he'll be crawling in no time. It's a little scary. I'm holding out hope he's the next David Beckham.

Check out the new trick:

Collin's first outdoor excursion

Pre-Collin when we went on a day trip we grabbed our backpack and jumped in the car. Today when we went 1.5 hours away to hike around Silver Falls for a couple of hours, this is what we brought:
1. A bunch of diapers
2. Wipes
3. Extra onesie
4. Blanket
5. Baby backpack for carrying Collin
6. Stroller
7. Water and granola bars for us

Anywhere with a baby involves preparation and more diapers than you think necessary (especially when you have a kid who gets at least one blowout a day). I also feel like I'm now chronically late whenever I go anywhere with Collin. It's amazing how just as I feel like I've got everything together and I'm all set to go he'll grunt and I'm running upstairs to change him. Or he screams in hunger. Or I realize I forgot the wipes.

Today, we hiked around Silver Falls, which is a beautiful setting and perfect for an outing with baby as it's not too challenging--mostly flat with some hilly elevation but nothing that hard. Still it's a pretty good workout when you strap an almost 14 lb baby to your chest.

Collin's eyes got big as he peered at the waterfalls for the first time. He passed out after about an hour and got a little bit burned on one of his cheeks. It didn't seem to bother him so we're hoping it doesn't start to itch. And of course Mike and I felt like irresponsible parents who are setting up our son for skin cancer. Sigh.

Here's some photos of the day:

First glance at a waterfall

Already!?

Everybody says babies are easier at three months--I was skeptical. What, like some kind of magic switch goes off and the baby suddenly realizes that there is more to life than eating, pooping and sleeping?

Well it's true.

Collin is much more content than he was even a month ago and life is suddenly ready to be explored. He smiles, giggles, bats and kicks at his toys, sucks his thumb and has a new trick of blowing spit bubbles. He likes hanging out on his back preferably to stare at things that move like fans or mobiles. And he even rolled over from back to tummy! Mike casually mentioned this two days after it happened--hello milestone?! He also did it for my dad/grandpa so I know one of these days I'll catch him at it. Of course he still has his meltdowns and cranky times but overall he seems to be liking this baby phase. And I hope I'm not jinxing this but he slept 9 whole hours last night! I woke up at 630am, stared at the baby monitor and hoped my son was still alive. Then I heard him stirring and went to check on him; he gave me a big smile and some coos. Sleeping through the night makes everyone happier!

He spends time with grandpa a couple days a week which allows me to actually work, and there's the added benefit of him bonding with my dad. We also hired a babysitter to come over once a week while I'm home. The balance between family and work is starting to get easier.

We go for Collin's second attempt at his follow-up hearing test on Wednesday (he has to be asleep for the test and last week decided shrieking would be more fun). Hopefully he'll stay asleep and we'll get some results. He definitely reacts to sounds so he doesn't seem to be getting any worse. He also has an appointment with the ear/nose/throat doc at the end of the month. My little guy may have a hearing aid in just three months. Hopefully we'll get some clearer answers, stay tuned...