Rachel's cochlear implant turned on for the first time

Rachel's cochlear implant was turned on for the first time Monday September 23!  It was so exciting to see her hear sounds and to see how she reacted!  When it was turned on she hid her face, but she was smiling!  She has not heard many sounds before so this is all new to her.  With time she will become familiar to sound and hopefully she will learn to talk.  She will be getting speech therapy at the Center for Hearing once a week to help her toward talking.  We are so happy that she finally has this wonderful technology for her to hear.  This will be great for her and we look forward to all that she will hear, learn and experience.

Audiologist putting the outside sound processor on her

Audiologist and I practicing putting on the head piece

Below is the video of when the cochlear implant was turned on.  She was hiding her face, but you can see she was smiling.  So wonderful to see her reaction!  

More pictures of Rachel wearing the outside part (sound processor) of the cochlear implant. 

Kayla is 21 Months

Here is an update on my active, fun-loving, outgoing youngest little girl!  I can't believe she will be 2 in just 3 short months.  I still remember the day she was born.  Why does time have to go so fast?!  Kayla is just growing up so fast with all the things she is doing now.  She is becoming miss independant!

I have several pictures of Kayla this month.  She cooperated well for her photo shoot and I couldn't narrow it down to just a few.  I'm venturing out with my photography - I took these pictures in 100% manual mode!  I usually use aperture priority or sometimes shutter priority mode.  With my new camera (got it back in March), I even have been guilty of sometimes using the automatic mode which is not the best to do if you want professional looking pictures.  I am happy with these pictures seeing I took them using manual.  I definitely will be using manual more often.  It's not as scary as I thought it would be.  I edit all my pictures using Lightroom and I make them colorful and sharp, but for some reason Blogger makes my pictures look not so colorful and somewhat grainy.  Not sure how to fix that!?

On September 9, Kayla weighed 22 lbs, 12 oz.  Not sure how Kayla stays so petite because she loves to eat!  She is somewhat picky and won't eat some things, but on the most part she eats good.  Of course she prefers the not so healthy foods (junk foods).  I do limit those foods.  She loves her mandarin oranges and applesauce.  She is a bread eater and loves waffles, pancakes, raisin bread, rolls, etc...  Kayla is doing so well using her kid size forks and spoons.  I also switched her sippy cup to a 24 month + cup.  No more sippy cups with the spout for her.  She loves her new cup!  

    

Kayla's language continues to develop and progress.  She is adding new words to her vocabulary all the time.  She continues to use her sign language as well.  Kayla is going to be a non-stop talker!  Kayla's favorite words lately have been "NO" and "Mine".  Very typical for this age.    

Kayla pretends play that she is talking on the phone with her toy phone.  She really gets into it and acts as though she is having a conversation with someone.  It makes me laugh!  

Kayla has gotten into climbing!  She is taking after her sister Haley.  They are both daredevils.  Kayla likes to climb into her high chair as well as onto other things.  I have to watch her and Haley closely! 

Kayla gets so excited when Rachel and Haley's therapists come to work with them as well as when daddy or I come home.  I've never seen such pure joy and excitement in a kid before. 

Kayla has made some small progress in the direction to potty training.  She signs potty as well as likes to sit on the potty.  So far she has used the big potty one time!  I'm so proud of her!   

Kayla hates to take her naps and go to bed at night.  She puts up a fight, but once she is down she will sleep 1 1/2 hours for her naps and about 12 hours at night.  

Kayla is so full of energy, but is so loving and sweet.  When someone is leaving our house she will tell them bye, bye.  She also loves to give hugs and kisses.  We love her so very much and continue to thank our Heavenly Father for her and her big sisters.    

Rachel's Cochlear Implant Surgery

Rachel had her cochlear implant surgery Thursday September 5th!  She finally got it!  We are happy to announce that all went well with the surgery and that her cochlear implant is in!  Read below for more details of her implant surgery day and the pictures.

Rachel's surgery was scheduled for 7:30 am on the 5th.  We had to be at Texas Children's Hospital at 6am. It was an early morning for us, but Rachel did well with the early wake up call.  Once we arrived at Texas Children's she enjoyed the toys while we waited for her turn to get checked in.

Playing in the toy car

Here is Rachel after she was checked in and assessed.  All ready to go to be taken back to the operating room.  Her doctor/surgeon - Dr. Vilela decided to put the implant in her right ear.  The right ear is her worst ear and the one that gets infected the most.  Dr. Vilela said that the surgery to put the cochlear implant in will also help to decrease the ear infections.  We hope down the road that she will be able to get her left ear implanted.

Rachel and daddy

Her right ear marked for surgery

She was taken back to the operating room and we went to the waiting room to wait and wait and wait.  We were told the surgery would take about 3 or more hours.  It took about 3 hours.  Dr. Vilela came out to talk to us and told us the surgery went well and the cochlear implant looked good.  They did a test while she was still in the OR and the implant is working (just not activated/turned on yet).  Once she was taken to the recovery room we were allowed to see her.  Rachel was sleeping when we came to see her, but she soon woke up more and was fussy.  Rachel usually doesn't do well with anesthesia, but this time around she did better than she had in the past.  She just wanted to be held - totally understandable.  Sweet Rachel was a trooper!

This is how she was when we first saw her

  

Daddy holding her

 Finally after an hour or so she was taken to a patient room.  The doctor wanted to keep her overnight for observation.  We knew this was going to happen.  I think with Rachel having a history of being so premature, the doctors get a little nervous sending her home after surgery.  Cochlear implant surgeries are typically a day surgery procedure.  Once we got to her room, Rachel continued to sleep off and on.  She was out of it.  She was also very nauseous and kept retching.  She was given a pain medicine in the recovery room that we assume didn't sit well with her on an empty stomach.  She was given nausea medication and finally able to get the nausea under control and feed her through her g-button.

Rachel still sleepy from the anesthesia

Rachel waking up some, but still out of it from the meds

After Rachel got a feeding, she started to perk up and started acting her normal active self.  Since waking up in recovery, Rachel had been trying to pull off the head bandage.  So once she was more awake she finally got that bandage off.  She is so persistent/determined and strong that its hard to stop her.  The problem with this was there was a drain tube from the incision site sticking out.  Well guess what happened once she could get to that drain tube - she pulled it out!  Rachel just doesn't like anything on her head that bothers her.  The doctor was called and he was ok with it.  Thank Goodness there were no complications from her pulling out the drain tube. (Next set of pictures are a little graphic - so warning!)

Drain tube still in before she pulled it out

After she pulled out the tube

Rachel did well overnight at the hospital and was discharged at about 10am on the 6th.  She is home and doing well.  She was acting almost 100% her normal self.  Rachel is a trooper and made it through this well.  We are so proud of her!  Her cochlear implant will be turned on September 23rd.  We look forward to that day and hope and pray that she will have a good experience when she hears sounds.  Also I forgot to mention that we chose the Advanced Bionics cochlear implant.  Cochlear implants are just amazing and I am so grateful for this technology!

Incision site healing well

Rachel glad to be home

Cochlear Implant surgery rescheduled

Today August 29 was suppose to be the big day for Rachel's cochlear implant surgery, BUT she has an ear infection in both ears.  I'm so bummed about this happening.  Rachel has not had an ear infection since May and then all of a sudden her ears get infected right before the cochlear implant surgery.  Such bad timing, but the GOOD news is that her doctor was able to get her scheduled for surgery on September 5th!!  That is just a week away.  So we don't have to wait too much longer.  Yay!!!

Haley & Rachel's 1st Day of Preschool

Haley and Rachel started a new year of the preschool program for children with disabilities (PPCD) today.  This is their 2nd year to be in PPCD.  I can't believe how fast they have grown and that this time next year they will be in Kindergarten!  As for this school year, they are in a great preschool program.  They are both attending the same school as last year (Lakeshore Elementary) and have the same wonderful teacher.  The girls and I love her!  This will be a great school year!

Haley, Kayla and Rachel

Girls getting on the bus

Kemah Boardwalk Adventure

On August 10, we and the girls went with a church friend to Kemah Boardwalk.  Kemah Boardwalk is 20 miles from downtown Houston and is home to lots of waterfront restaurants and amusement rides.  This is where Thomas and I had our first official date back in August 2006.  So the Boardwalk has lots of memories for us.  We have been here with the girls before, but this was the first time the girls rode several carnival rides.  Haley liked the rides, but Rachel and Kayla were a little more scared.  They had fun nonetheless.  Good times for all!

I didn't get as many pictures as I wanted of my girls riding the rides since I rode along with them on the rides.  Here are some of the pictures I did get.  

Daddy riding along with Haley in the jungle bouncer.  She LOVED it!

Thomas on the Drop zone ride.  He was nervous on this one. 

Riding the train - Rachel and daddy pictured 

Thomas feeding a stingray at the stingray exhibit

Kayla upset with the Gorilla behind us.  Of course it wasn't real, but it did sound real.

Rachel & Haley 4 yr old pictures & stats

I took and edited some additional pictures of Rachel and Haley in their birthday outfits.  I did these pictures in the same birthday outfits because I was finally able to locate a blue/turquoise wall background.  My original idea was a blue/turquoise background versus a white background, but I found this location after their birthday occurred.  Its never too late for more birthday pictures.

Also Rachel and Haley had their 4 year old check up and immunizations on August 14.

Rachel's stats:                                  Haley's stats:
34 lbs, 12 oz (49% ile)                  25 lbs, 6 oz (0% ile)
3 ft, 3.75 in (51% ile)                    2 ft, 10 in (0% ile)
BMI is 55% ile                                 BMI is 54% ile

Rachel is appropriate size for a 4 year old.  Haley is still below the lowest part on the growth curve for weight and height, but overall she is proportional.  Haley is my little petite cutie.

Haley & Rachel

Rachel making a funny face.   That's Rachel!

Haley & Rachel

Haley

Rachel

Haley & Rachel.  Love the backs of their shorts

Haley & Rachel