Mission Accomplished!!! ;)

My goal today was to remain in my PJ's all day....I did it!  I was very productive around the house, but I was also a bit lazy at the same time!  The kids and I had a nice day hanging out, playing, doing laundry, watching movies, re-orgainizing a few things and just hanging out.  I am happy with this day!  What an amazing blessing to get to just hang out with my 2 little munchkins with no pressure to do anything specific.

Ecrissa is doing well.  She is hearing lots of things and responding to them sometimes.  This is what we hope for.  We hope that she will begin to learn that sound is around her all the time and that it is something to pay attention to.  She doesn't respond to everything, but it's not expected that she would.  There is a change in her that I began noticing right away.  I noticed that her anxiety level has decreased.  Ecrissa has always had some issues with anxiety.  Many of her behavior issues stem from this fear of the unknown, fear of what's going on around her that she doesn't understand and can't access.  Imagine, for instance, being in a room and everyone turns at the same time to look towards the door and all of a sudden the door opens and someone walks in. We all heard the knock on the door, the owner of the home say "come in", the door handle turn, the door open and the person say "hello".   Ecrissa misses all of that.  Her eyes dart around to keep an eye on her entire environment so that she is not surprised by an event occuring without warning.  I noticed right away that her anxiety levels have decreased.  I see this through decreased head turning, decreased eye darting, decreased body movements and just a bit less restlessness.  Now, she's not perfect of course, but I noticed this right away.  The speech therapist at her school was also noticing that Ecrissa seemed "calmer" and her face lit up when I said that I had also noticed that she seemed less anxious, "YES" she said, "she is less anxious, that's what it is"  I'm hopeful that this is allowing Ecrissa to understand the world around her and that she will begin to feel safe within her world, her surroundings and her new abilities to recieve sound.

Jaryse is awesome!  He's such a patient little guy.  He deals with his sister's deafness, new hearing ability, and behaviors so well.  He is such a helper to me and is often giving me kisses and telling me that he loves me at random moments.  Those little random moments are so special to me!

We took the time this morning to watch some of the videos that we've taken over the years.  It's amazing to see how much they've grown, to hear their little giggles and Jaryse's early words! I'm so grateful for these video's.  I'm glad I could take them and now share them with Jaryse and Ecrissa!

I'm feeling more rejuvenated after a "stress free" day!  I'm a lucky momma and so grateful for all that I have.

Saving the world......?

As I sit here to type this, I can hear the deep calm breaths of my sleeping children.  They are nestled all cozy and sweetly in their beds, sleeping so peacefully.  I am filled with Joy.  The sound of their breath in this quiet apartment overwhelms me. 

I've had one of those days.  One of those days where nothing really went wrong, but it seemed that around every corner there was some sad story.  Children in Los Angeles that aren't recieving medical care, or therapeutic intervention.  Thousands of children that don't have homes and are in the foster care system.  Millions of sad stories coming out of Haiti.  And here I sit.  Or so it feels.  I work daily with children with special needs, and I poor my heart out to them.  I love them.  I pray for them.  I take care of my munchkins that I was so lucky to be given the opportunity to be their mommy.  I love them.  I adore them.  I would gladly give my life for them.  I try to help others where I can.  And yet, I feel so helpless.  There are so many hurting.  So many suffering. I feel that my daily life seems so insignificant to others whose lives are so full of suffering.  I feel like I work and work and work and yet, still there are so many that I cannot help.   I know now that I will never "save the world".  Oh, I used to think I could.  When I was growing up in a small farm town (which I thought was the whole world), I used to think that I would really do something great with my life.  I'd save the world.  There would be no more hurting.  No more suffering.  No more pain.  I knew when I was a young girl that I'd adopt, and that, would be just the beginning.  The beginning of no more suffering.  Well, it took one trip to Haiti for me to realize, I wasn't going to save one family, let alone the world!  That is when I realized that it will take God to save the world.  And as I sit here right now, feeling so overwhelmed with the suffering, I realize, God sent His son, to save us.  We may have earthly troubles, earthly pain, and earthly suffering but when we have Jesus living in us, we are saved.  Saved!  He came to save the world.   I am so grateful for that.  I am so grateful that I do not have to worry about saving the world......He already did!!!!!!!!!

I know that God is using me.  I know He has me right where He wants me.  No matter how badly I want to do more.  No matter how insignificant my daily life seems to me.  I know that I am doing just what He wants me to do.   I am praying tonight for all of those suffering earthly things that they might feel the saving powers of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Happy Valentines day......

Ok, so I'm a few days late!  But, the kids and I did celebrate Valentines day with luvs and hugs and candy and church and dance and lunch with Mia and Ashley!!!!!!  YAY what a great day!

Both kids are doing great!  Ecrissa is tolerating her Cochlear Implant so well!  I'm amazed.  She seems to be interested in the sounds around her, although, not necessarily interpreting the difference between the different sounds.  We go back to the audiologist on Friday and I'm sure we'll learn more then!!!! 

It's been a great week so far and I'm such a lucky momma!!!! 

Day 2

This is Ecrissa today!!! She is such a trooper!  Look at that smile!  This is a smile that I've never really seen on her before.  I don't know how to describe it, but this smile is different!  This is her "sound" smile!  She seems so delighted by these noises!!! 

So, I'm sorry for the delay, but here is the basic run down of what happened yesterday!

Ecrissa knows the audiologist and the office and was quite comfortable to get out all of the toys!  This picture shows her taking out her left hearing aid, preparing for the testing.  She's such a big girl, she knows how to take it out and shut it off!  She's learning so much.

This is the device, at this point the wire that you see is hooking the device to a computer, allowing the audiologist to program the processor.  There are alot of technical terms and I'm not up on all of my Cochlear Implant terminology yet, so please bear with me!!! :)

THEN......the BEEPS

That was Ecrissa's face when she heard the first beeps......Quickly followed by.......

This amazing smile that shows how awesome she thinks this input is!!!!  Just look at it!!!!!  I could stare at this face all day!!! She's so interested and intrigued and excited!!!!!!  She then, immitated the beeps that she heard with her voice!  We were AMAZED!!!!!  Usually children HATE these first sounds, they cry, they are afraid, and they often freak out.  Not Ecrissa!  She thought it was awesome!!!!!!  She smiled and smiled and smiled!  She played with a toy zylophone and smiled and smiled and smiled.  A few times, the audiologist would shut off the device to see what Ecrissa would do.  Ecrissa would be hitting the toy and smiling, and then all of a sudden (when she didn't get the feedback) she'd make a funny face, shrug her shoulders and put the toy down and move onto something else, with a look of "well, that doesn't work anymore".  By the end of the session, she was actually looking for the device to be on and would make gestures to tell the audiologist that it wasn't working and that she wanted it back on.  This is a MIRACLE!!!!!

Today she has tolerated the implant on now for 8.5 hours and it's only 3pm.  She's doing AWESOME.  She has been banging on drums with that awesome new smile of hers and she's been much noisier in her play overall.  Each day is a new gift and I'm so grateful for this opportunity for her!!!!  We have a long way to go in terms of her understanding the sounds that she's getting, interpreting those sounds, learning how to listen and then eventually being able to make use of those sounds and speaking herself.  But, she is one step closer!!!

Ecrissa modeling her very stylish Cochlear Implant!!!!!!!

Welcome to the world of sound....

Ecrissa is 4 hours old.  That is how many hearing hours she has....roughly!  We spent 2.5 hours at UCLA today turning on her Cochlear Implant.  It was such an amazing thing to watch.  Right now, I'm exhausted and I can hardly keep my eyes open!  I'll blog tomorrow all the details of this amazing time that she and I had.  I'm just amazed at her! 

We also celebrate 11 months home.  I am grateful everyday to the Lord for His blessings and today was FULL of reminders of His presence in our lives. 

More tomorrow PROMISE!!!! 

g'nite

Remembering God's amazing abilities to answer prayer

So, today is another one of those days that I am remembering my life 1 year ago.  I'll actually never forget it!!!  The kids and I were still in Haiti, just a couple of short weeks after finally getting the signature that we had waited so long for.  I was having a good day, things were "normal" for us, but I was really hoping for a miracle.  I had kept my phone on me all day waiting to hear if their passports had been released from Haitian Immigration.  By early afternoon, still no call.  "Bummer" is what I was thinking.  I knew that this particular day was the earliest they would be released and that it was more likely to take a few more days, but I so wanted this miracle to happen!  I was driving through Petion-vile to go to do therapy with a little girl and had enough time to run a quick errand.  As I was driving, I looked at the clock, and realized that the government offices would be closing within minutes and since there was no call, the likelihood of receiving that call was very small.  I began to pray.  Begging the Lord to make this miracle happen.  Telling him that HE could keep the offices open later, that HE could put it in the man's heart to print them and release them today, that HE could make the man picking them up to go and check one more time, even though it was too late in the day. HE. COULD. MAKE. THIS. HAPPEN.  I pleaded with the Lord until I parked my car at the store.  I ran into the store (forgetting my phone), asked the lady if she had the item I was looking for, she said no, I returned to my car.  I didn't even shop.  As I put my car in drive, I noticed I had a message.  I listened.  IT WAS THE CALL!!!!  The message was from the guy checking on my passports, he had them in his hands.  WE GOT THEM!!!!!!!!  Unbelievable!  The Lord did it!!!  HE DOES IT!!!! HE answers prayers!  Sometimes He answers them slowly (like waiting 20 months for a signature), sometimes He says no or wait.  But on that day, HE said YES IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!!  I cried and shook and praised and smiled and laughed and rejoiced all by myself in my little white car.  I'll never forget that feeling.  Not only the feeling of thrill for recieving the passport, but for that amazing feeling of God answering my prayers!

Today, I sit here right now with my son napping and my daughter snacking and I rejoice again.  I also mourn.  I know that the Haiti that I was living in 1 year ago no longer exists the way I remember it.  The child that I was on my way to do therapy with is no longer on this earth, she did not make it through the devastation of the earthquake.  I am so devastated for those people.  I miss Haiti and I love Haiti.  I continue to pray for all that are in Haiti.  So, today, I thank God that He does answer prayers and I am reminded to never cease praying.  I will continue to pray.  And I believe, He will continue to answer!