today is day 4

Today's tip of the day at the John Tracy Clinic was "Good morning Lings!" It was a reminder to practice the Ling sounds (ah, oo, ee, mm, sh, s) with your child every morning to make sure that they are hearing all the sounds of speech. Although we do Ling checks at home, we never used to do them in the morning (but rather at bedtime), so that was a good reminder.

Today was Lucas's best day so far (and should have been). Earlier in the week, he was having trouble transitioning from one activity to another, but today wasn't as bad. He seemed to be slightly less attached to his blanket and bear today, even being completely separated from them at lunch. I really dislike that he's dragging them around with him everywhere, because he doesn't do it at home, but if it helps to bring him comfort, then I am okay with it. He has even taken a nap e.v.e.r.y d.a.y at school this week. At home, he will only sleep in his own bed, but there must be something in the air here that all the kids are napping! I snagged this shot really quickly while Lucas was sleeping:

I think that the experience books that they created for us to share with our kids about their classroom routines and teachers/classmates are really helpful to Lucas. Not only am I reinforcing what his day is like, but he can also talk to me about the pictures and tell me who his "friends" are. Here's a glimpse at what the books look like:

He apparently is quite a character in class, making up his own rules sometimes. The teachers told me that he would try to get me to come back sooner by counting to 3 and saying "mommy?" He also let them know that someone else had a dirty diaper the other day, by saying "I smell stinky diaper". If only he would tell on himself...

We're noticing an improvement in his vocabulary already. He announced "I'm ready!" before we left for the beach yesterday, and his sentences are coming out more completed, including filler words like articles and prepositions that he seems to usually leave out. The songs they sing at school are also sticking with him. Every morning during circle time we sing a welcome song, and Lucas is starting to sing it too! We sing "where, oh where, oh where is Lucas... (x3)", then he sings "right here in our circle". Thoroughly impressed. He also knows the names of all of the kids in his class. He even awoke this morning and said "friends?", as if to ask if he were going to go to school today.

Tonight before bed I talked about his day with him to see what kind of information he could provide and then I guided him through the other events of the day. He said "1, 2, 3 mooommy, daaaddy" (that's what they do at the end of the day to call the mommies & daddies back into the room to pick them up). It was pretty funny that that's what he decided to share with me.

Today in our sessions, we did a lot on audiology. We got a demonstration on how the hearing aid equipment works, the types of hearing tests that are done and how to read an audiogram. My heart was a little heavy today talking about hearing levels and audiograms. Although I was interested in and grateful for the information, I somehow still mourn the year Lucas spent without any sound (even with his hearing aids) because of his truly profound loss. Before implantation & activation, we never really got any behavioral results to plot on an audiogram. I always hoped that every time we visited the audiologist, that we might be able to fill in something as evidenced here, here, and here. Without his cochlear implant, I'm not sure Lucas would have ever learned to listen and speak because he has no residual hearing at all to use. None. It's just another reason why his CI is such an incredible miracle for him. Really, there is no other word I can use to describe it. It is a medical miracle.

Later in the day we learned about different language assessments that are performed on our kids, when, how and why. We had another session with Lucas's SLT, Ms. M, and he wasn't too cooperative (mainly due to it being at the end of the day and he being totally done for the day). I hope that next week is better for him, but today he just would not play a ling game, even by being bribed with stickers.

Tomorrow we are done at noon, and then we are off to Long Beach to visit the Aquarium of the Pacific. I can't wait for all of the great new language opportunities that will arise!

I read a quote posted on the wall from Mrs. Tracy today that I've been thinking about all day long, so I'll close with this thought: "Everything a child sees and hears. everything he smells, tastes and touches, everything he experiences contributes towards language." ~ Louise Tracy

rewind to day 3

Sorry for no post yesterday, but I was totally spent. Since Lucas slept so poorly on Tuesday night, I was extra tired last night. When I put Lucas to bed, I fell asleep with him, and I didn't wake up again until late. I'm a bit more refreshed today. I think Lucas is adjusting to his schedule now, and his bedtime routine only took 1/2 an hour tonight!!! I still had to lie in bed with him until he fell asleep though. That's okay, I'll take it.

On day 3, Lucas separated a little bit more easily from us, and he didn't seem to be calling for me every time I watched him through the 2-way mirrored observation room. I was a little stressed out on Tuesday, because that seemed to be the case almost every time I looked.

We had sessions on receptive language, the anatomy & physiology of the ear (very interesting!), and the Parents Advise Learning Support (PALS) program. If you haven't ever looked into John Tracy Clinic's free distant learning courses for parents, and you have a child between the ages of 0 & 5, you should definitely do so. When Lucas turned 1, he got a special birthday letter, and every lesson we completed was followed up by a very personal e-mail. It's definitely worth your time, energy & effort, and I promise that you won't be disappointed.

We were also briefed about the sibling program. Although we have no other children (yet...), it was interesting to hear about all of the activities that go on with this program. It sounds like the siblings are getting just as much out of the school as the preschoolers. I'm so happy for the families with older siblings to have the opportunity to participate in this program!

The biggest thing that stuck with me today was the concept of "integrating listening into your child's personality." Obviously listening does not come naturally to our hearing impaired kiddos, and if we want them to acquire listening and spoken language, we need to do just that, to integrate listening into their personalities. I think Lucas is well on his way there, and I'm quite happy with that.

Tonight, we also went to Santa Monica to hang out at the beach. We stuffed Lucas, Leah & Nolan into the back of our Nissan Versa rental car and off we went to the beach! We all had a great time!

Then we stopped for *what else* but Mexican at Gilbert's El Indio. We really lucked out at this local gem, and it was most excellent. Thanks goes to Nate's iPhone for the recommendation and our handy GPS for getting us there. I'm not sure what we'd do around here without our trusty Garmin. It is very, very helpful. It's one of those gadgets you never knew you needed until you got one. Now I can't imagine traveling (or going on local Craigslist runs) without it.

We look forward to heading back to the beach this weekend!

JTC, day 2

This will be a very short post, with more updates tomorrow. Lucas will not go to sleep. His day went pretty well, until he awoke from his nap and wouldn't stop calling my name. I think he's afraid I won't be here when he wakes up, just like this afternoon. He won't go to sleep with me lying in bed with him, in the bed next to him, or even rocking him. I'm taking a break right now, and Nate's on "get Lucas to go to sleep duty." But, I'm headed back into his room again soon.

This evening we enjoyed spending time with the families on the lawn next to our apartment. It was nice to get to know some of them better. Today at the John Tracy Clinic, we met with his speech and language teacher, and had an audiological consultation, in addition to support group and lectures on language acquisition, communication methods and bilingualism. It was definitely a full day. We're all pretty tired, and hoping that Lucas goes to sleep very soon. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

minor adjustments

Day 1 at the John Tracy Clinic was very successful. We were a little worried about how Lucas would transition, but he did just fine (indicated by the fact that no one came to retrieve us). Lucas even took a nap during rest time. We'll see how day 2 goes! We were told today that sometimes day 2 is tougher than day 1, because the kids are anticipating the separation. We're still hoping for the best.

We learned a lot of introductory information today about what the next 3 weeks will be like. We were introduced to all of the staff, and got a brief history on the clinic, including the life of Mrs. Tracy. We were given a tour of the facility, which is quite large. We were given our intense schedule, which includes a parent support group, talks on various related topics, an adult & school age panel, guest speakers, sessions with speech, audiology and family counselors (those upon request), among other things! We were given breaks to check in on our kiddos through the observation booths. I took this picture through the window (Lucas is wearing yellow):

We are enjoying our time immensely, but are still getting used to a few minor adjustments...

1. We're living in a USC apartment, and I feel like I'm in college again (not a bad thing to me). We have to use our swipe card to get everywhere - the main entrance, the elevator, the hallways. We feel very secure though.

2. We're so glad we decided to rent a car for our entire stay. It's been well worth it already. But, this car's lights do not automatically go on, and this evening I drove half way home from my errand with them off. Oops. Thank goodness it was only beginning to get dark.

3. Although we don't completely live in the country at home, it's an adjustment to live in a big city, especially with a car. And the freeways are another story altogether. They are very efficient, but a little scary. I'm used to the Schuylkill Expressway, which is four lanes divided. Here, there are many 10 lane divided highways.

4. I'm used to being able to talk on my cell phone whenever I want to while I'm driving. Here in California, it's illegal to talk on the phone while driving. In PA, it's not. It's a good law, but I'm not used to it.

5. Nate and I are very accustomed to being able to speak to each other in Spanish all the time while we're in public, because no one knows what we are saying. Not here. We've opted for German, but Nate doesn't speak German that well, so we've opted for baby German.

6. Our little apartment is spacious, but I'm not used to one floor living. The door knobs are also the french door type kind, and Lucas can open all the doors, including the one to his bedroom. He scared me half to death when he came to our room at 4 AM and crawled into bed with me. But... I loved it. He can't do that at home.

Things to which we are adjusted:

1. good Mexican food

2. non-humid 70+ degree southern California weather

3. spending time with families who get what we're going through, and understand why we're here

4. special family time

In addition to all of the logistical information we learned today, I gathered two main points about the John Tracy Clinic. The first is that their services are free to all of their families, thanks to 5 million dollar annual fundraising efforts and donations. Isn't that amazing?!? The second is that the family is the most important component of JTC's philosophy. They know they can do wonders with our children, but if we don't carry through at home what strategies are utilized at school, then the efforts will have less effect. The parents are just as important, if not a little more important than the kids here. This is what sets them apart from the rest. I just knew it would be a special place.

gol!

Today was a happy day for Lucas's daddy... he got to watch Spain win its first WC title. We hung out in the 3rd floor lounge with some of the other families to watch the game. We were really excited to meet families from England, Ireland & Canada, as well as from all over the US! Tomorrow we will meet everyone!

We attended the John Tracy Clinic summer session orientation today, to meet his teachers, other classmates and familiarize ourselves with the school. We met Lucas's teacher for the next 3 weeks, Ms. B. We also met his speech and language teacher, Ms. M. There are 4 boys and 2 girls in his little class, along with a teacher, 2 aides and a volunteer. That ratio is pretty amazing, I must say. Lucas got to finally meet Nolan too, yay! They're in the same class.

We got a detailed schedule, a list of items to bring with us tomorrow (including a lunch), and some general information about what to expect. We are a little worried about separation from us tomorrow, and nap time from 12:30-2:00, but we're hoping for the best. He seemed pretty comfortable today, and enjoyed playing both outside and inside with the other children. We'll see how it goes!

After orientation we headed down to Redondo Beach to meet up with my friend. We were hoping to go to the beach for a bit, but it was really cool, so instead we got our fill of yummy Mexican food. We just can't get enough, really. Lunch and dinner today were Mexican. It's a good thing that Lucas loves his "rice and beans." He will certainly be eating a lot of it over the next 3 weeks!

4 times, by the way. Lucas was up 4 times last night. The last time before the actual morning came around, we heard him at the main door to our apartment, calling my name. It was as if he thought we had left him here. I showed him where we were sleeping, and he went back to sleep in his bed. At 7:30 he toddled into our room, gave me his blanket, then toddled off. A minute later, he came back with his green monkey and crawled happily into bed with me. It was so sweet.

So far, so good tonight. I laid with him in bed until he fell asleep, because I feared he would be out of his bed in 30 seconds looking for me anyway. He was out pretty quick.

Tomorrow should be a very exciting day! Bis dann!

settled in sunny LA

Here we are, settled in sunny, not super hot, not at all humid LA. That's my kind of weather. It's been a long 24 hours, but we're so glad to be here!

This was Lucas's first airplane trip, and boy was he excited! Somehow we made it with all of our crazy luggage and a toddler. This piece of equipment was indispensable and I'm so glad that we bought it for the trip. Lucas sat contently and comfortably while we waited in line to check our luggage, waited to go through security, and waited at baggage claim. We carted him everywhere else in it too. Many, many people commented too about its convenience!

Lucas was seriously a trooper all day. I just wish he would have slept last night. He was totally unsettled in our hotel room in Baltimore. He would not go to sleep, and although I slept right next to him, he woke up every 2 hours very upset about his surroundings. I would have to rock him back to sleep and start over. When we woke him up this morning, he announced, "I not sleepy anymore." I'm not sure whom he was trying to convince, haha.

Almost as soon as we took off in the plane, he was asleep. No complaints here. He slept for about an hour. The rest of the time, he was pretty content with the dollar store toys I bought to keep him occupied. The stickers were the best. The lady in front of him was not excited, as he constantly nudged her seat with his feet. I made sure she could at least hear me tell him to stop several times, but it was a lost cause, and irritating. We sat in the very last row, which was pretty convenient. With about an hour to go, we let him get out of his carseat and stretch his legs a bit. He just stood in the aisle and didn't try to run up and down, so that worked fine.

My friend, Laurie, was kind enough to pick us up from the airport. Her timing was impeccable, and she pulled up just as we were finishing getting our luggage. We somehow figured out how to stuff all of our bags into her Prius, and we headed to the apartment. We were pleasantly surprised at its spaciousness, and the USC student who greeted us was so friendly and helpful. We are staying in a 2 bedroom furnished apartment equipped with a full kitchen. We were welcomed with kitchen supplies, a letter, some information about nearby stores, etc., and the cutest bear for Lucas. I love the little CI. It was a very warm welcome. I tried to get him to pose with it, but this is the best I got:

I remembered reading this post, so I went back to check it out for a grocery store recommendation. We checked out Ralphs, and were very pleased with our choice. We also stopped at the One Dollar Warehouse, to which we will likely not return. The GPS found it for me right by Ralphs, so I thought it sounded like a good idea. I've learned that not all dollar stores are created equal, and I'll stick with my dollar tree. We may be looking for one of those tomorrow, because I know they do exist around here!

We've run into several John Tracy Clinic summer session families already, and everyone is so friendly! We met Emily first, as we were both checking in at the same time. She and I had *met* through the blog/FB world. We haven't seen Leah yet, although I knocked on her door to say hi. Leah's blog was the very first HL blog I ever found, so I'm really excited to meet her. We meet everyone else tomorrow at orientation! We also plan to watch the WC final in the common room (we don't have a tv), and go to the beach!

Thank goodness we have a good wifi connection, as I've been told that not all of the apartments in the building do. I really need to catch up on my sleep. Here's hoping Lucas sleeps through the night too.

*update* I was just about to publish this post, and I hear Lucas awake. We was scared, crying and shaking. I stayed with him in bed for a bit, and he fell right back asleep. I fear we're in for a long night though. I hope that he adjusts quickly to his new bed!

let the countdown begin...

Countdown to what, you might ask? Why, our trip to the John Tracy Clinic, of course! One week from today we head to sunny Los Angeles! I think we finally have everything together. All the paperwork has been sent, hotels have been booked on both ends, and I found a great car rental deal last night. Now, we just have to pack! That will be the tricky part.

I remember sitting outside at Laurie's wedding in Southern California last May and talking about coming back this summer to attend JTC. I was only dreaming about it, and I can't believe that it's actually going to be a reality! I am already really grateful for this amazing opportunity. I've been getting even more hyped up about the trip from this blog I found, thanks to Leah!! It's fun to read about some things that we have to look forward to.

Summer really began when my last grad course ended last Friday. Lucas and I have been having a lot of fun spending quality mommy/Lucas time. I've been dragging him around with me everywhere, which I don't always do when Nate's around. It's been kind of fun. Lucas has also gotten to spend a lot of time with his cousin, Ryan! We spent a couple of days at his house last week, and then he and Aunt Kristin came to visit Oma & Opa (and us, I like to believe) this week.

They're so much fun together these days, because they look forward to seeing each other, and they no longer practice parallel play exclusively. They actually play together and pay attention to each other! I hope these boys grow up to be best friends. And they're only 1 month apart.

But, I also had a lot of bad luck this week. First my car battery died, and then it was towed to the wrong garage. A few days later, my car was egged and mustard was smeared all over it. Very deliberate. Then, a tree fell on our house (causing very minimal damage, thank goodness). Today it was removed. I'm so happy that Nate is coming home tonight! I can't wait to see Lucas's excitement tomorrow!

I hope to blog every day from JTC! That's not a promise, but a strong wish. I also want to tweet while I'm there. You can follow me on Twitter @mommytolucas. I will have to approve your follower request, but please do request to follow me! The more followers I have, the more motivated I will be to tweet!