Frustration

OK, I'm mostly writing this to get sympathy and maybe some suggestions from other HOH parents out there.
I'm feeling some major frustration with the audiologist we are working with. I adore her and she is awesome with Miles but trying to schedule time with her is awful! We set up appointments almost 4 months in advance only to find out that she has meetings on both days we scheduled and now has to change them. Since we are now only looking at two months in advance, we can't find any time before March!!! I only work three days a week so one would imagine that we could find something on the days when I'm off but she doesn't work on Mondays, and Tuesdays are when she has her meetings. I'm seriously considering switching audiologists if not switching practices altogether but this is the only place in the entire Bay Area that focuses on children. Arrgh!!!

Episode 50 in which mama earns a medical degree

I had to take Miles to Urgent Care on Thursday night because he came home from daycare with goo running out of his ear again. I knew this was coming. I saw it building with my otoscope but also knew that I would have to wait until it got yucky to bring him to the doctor. When there, I presented all the information to the urgent care doc and said, "Do you think I might be able to call in the symptoms next time this happens so I don't have to spend $20 and countless hours coming in to be told what I already know?"
The doc said that all made sense to her and was willing to write me a prescription with refills, seeing as how we have the otoscope and are obviously knowledgeable about what to look for. However, she's not my regular pediatrician so we'll have to see what she says.
Who knew I'd become such an expert on ear infections?

Are we ready to play?

When Miles was first born, Jeff was a little disappointed that he was just a blob. He asked me when Miles would be ready to "play." As evidenced by these videos, I would say that time is now.

Musical Genius

A John Cage-like composition by father and son.

Miles turns two!

This happened about a month ago so it's kind of shameful that it has taken me this long to post pictures and whatnot. But it was a month long festival of events. As it should be, for such a delicious and sweet boy as this!

On his actual birthday, his dad and I fed his train obsession by biking down to the train station, taking the local light rail into San Jose, biking around the city and then taking Caltrain back north. He was so happy. It took us almost an hour to get to San Jose but he was as content as could be, looking out the window, smiling at all the people who came on and off the train. We found the bike trail that runs along the river in SJ and biked around until we came to a park that had fountains for playing in. Then off to Caltrain and home in time for a nap.
The day was finished nicely as it was one of those incredibly hot days, an anomaly for Northern CA. We went to the pool in our complex and there was another family there, celebrating the birthdays of both their sons. We were encouraged to come in and get food and drink. They had a bouncy house in the back of the cabana. Miles went in happily for the first time ever and eventually went down the slide.


The following day we opened presents and he got to have his birthday cupcake with candle (he refers to such treats as "happy cake."

The following Monday, his daycare provider had a little party for him at the end of the day. More "happy cake."

Two weeks later it was my birthday and, since it was his father's Back-to-School night at work, he and I celebrated with dinner and cupcakes from Safeway. More "happy cake."

Next, we had a 2 x 20 birthday party to celebrate the two milestone birthdays (and the wonderful coincidence of the math.) More "happy cake," swimming and presents.

And finally, the day after, we had a group birthday for all the kids in his playgroup.

From now on, I think he will be very disappointed if the birthday celebration does not go on for multiple weeks.

Miles is off to school!

My big boy is off to school on the school bus. He has been going to the Early Start program in Santa Clara since the beginning of the summer and had started up again with me taking him there and bringing him back. But now, he is taking the bus once a week. It comes to our house, takes him to school and then brings him to daycare after the day is over.
Yesterday was the first time he got picked up at home and did the whole day without me. He was very excited about going on the bus but when he realized that I was going to leave, he gave me a look that said, "Are you sure about this?" His teachers report that he got to school with nothing but smiles, had a great day (though another DAMN runny nose), and our daycare person reported that he was all smiles when he got to her and, amazingly enough, was still awake. School takes a lot out of him.
I went with him today which was nice for him but certainly not as exciting as going on the bus.

A Little Summer Goes a Long Way

Summer has been great. I love not working and having time to be with Miles, having some time to myself and paying attention to the smaller things.

Miles started his Early Start program here in Santa Clara County. We were given the choice of the auditory/oral class, where they only speak to the children, and the total communication class, where they speak and sign. I guess I knew this was a controversial issue but I had no idea just how loaded it was. When I visited the two classes in the spring, I chose the oral class because the children in the class had the strongest oral skills and I wanted Miles to have those good models. But once we had been there for a week or two, the teacher told me that, come fall, I wouldn't be able to sign to Miles while in the class. Not that she has any problem with it, but she explained there were major legal battles over the issue. She then suggested that I check out the TC class.

As was the case in the spring, the children there had little in the way of oral skills. But, I was reminded, there will be many changes in clientele in the fall and things may change radically. So it came down to my own philosophy of what I believe is best for Miles. I chose the signing class. I'm sure I will hear from many of the HOH community, but I chose based on what we do at home including what I know as an educator- children learn best when they are presented with multiple modalities for learning. Also, he will only be at school for six hours a week so he will have plenty of time with strong oral models at all the other hours of his week, especially with his parents.

Will all choices of his education be so fraught?

Meanwhile, we spent the summer perfecting the "staycation" concept. Miles has become completely obsessed with trains so last Saturday we biked down to the local train station, took the train a few stops, biked to some local parks, took the train home again and biked back. He was totally amazed that you could actually go inside the train.

The grandparents came to visit for a week plus a few days after a trip to Oregon. It was really nice for Miles to spend more time with them as we are so far away. Plus, it meant that Jeff and I were able to go on a few date nights. Always good for the marriage. We spent plenty of time in the complex's pool and got some cute video and photos.

Early in the summer, my husband totaled his bicycle, luckily without any damage to himself. It then necessitated him purchasing a new bicycle. He was so tickeld with it that we then bought one for me. Since then, we have had all sorts of family bicycle outings and I have taken my bike out for a few long rides all by myself. It's nice to have a new physical outlet that challenges me and gets me outdoors.

Back to school soon- I'm trying to pack in as much as possible in the short time left.

After all the sadness of this past year, it can be hard to feel grateful. I recently heard a segment on NPR about a man who went from praying for things, to praying to get out of jams and finally, after a bad motorcycle accident, went to a prayer that goes like this: "Thank you, thank you, thank you for this life."
I am tapping into the gratitude for fresh food from the farmers' market, trips out with my family, the sunshine that warms the tomato plants, the crisp green leaves against the crisp blue sky. It fills my heart and keeps me from despair.