Hearing aids - the first days

It has been hard to find time to sit down and reflect on Vivian's first days.  I wonder why?

Hear are a few more pictures and details from the actual appointment.


I like this picture a lot.  It captures the fact that she is hearing the sound of Mr. Yost's voice and turning towards it. 

The little animal that Mr. Yost is holding is Otto the otter.  He is the OtiKids mascot that came with Vivian's hearing aids.  Otto has his own little set of hearing aids that velcro to his ears.  It has been fun to watch Stella and Hudson play with Otto and his hearing aids.  They enjoy getting to play with them and touch them.  It seems to satisfy their curiosity without having to touch the real things.  Hudson, in particular, has taken quite a liking to Otto.  He calls him Otis, the bear - don't argue with a three-year-old. 

Here is a view from the back.  How cute is her little bald spot with the hearing aids sticking out on the sides?

This is a good look at the whole hearing aid from the side.  You can see the clear ear mold, the tube that connects the pieces and the actual hearing aid that goes behind her little hear.  The pink part houses the microphone on the top and the battery compartment that rests on the back of her ear. 

Since Wednesday we've had many positive experiences of her reacting to new sounds.  Today I was working in Stella & Hudson's room while listening to Miles Davis.  She was laying on Hudson's bottom bunk with her head turned toward the CD player, eyes open and stayed perfectly still for about 10 minutes.  It has also been fun to watch her realize that the toys on all her baby apparati make noise. 

The days haven't been without some challenges.  Like on Thursday night when she was laying on the floor while we were making dinner.  Within a few seconds she'd reached up to her right ear, pulled off the hearing aid and brought it straight to her mouth.  I'd honestly never thought about the fact that she could
A. choke to death on one of them
and
B. slobber all over a $3400 piece of sensitive technology.

Also, she seems to get tired more quickly with the overwhelming noise that accompanies two adults, a 6-year-old, a three-year-old and a cat.  As a side note, you'll notice I didn't mention the fish.  That is because
A.  Red fire scale didn't make a whole lot of noise
and
B.  she died this week and has been put to rest in the City of Bozeman waste water treatment plant.

Our next appointment is in a week and a half. My guess is that she will already need to get fitted for new ear molds.  We will also do some more tests to make sure that the amplification is appropriate.  For now, we will be keeping track of her reactions to different sounds and trying to keep the little things safe and sound so they keep providing our sweet girl with the best sound possible.