Happy New Year!
It's been just over two years since Isobel was diagnosed with her hearing loss. Two years since we began this journey to help her hear, understand what she hears and speak with clear, understandable speech.
When I look back to beginning of this blog (when the posts were frequent) I am amazed at just how far we have come. This time two years ago I was standing at the back of the room saying ooo, ah, sh and so on and she would put a cube in a bucket when she heard the sound and then repeat it back.
All is going well, we work through the games and activities and Nick invents more along the way. Isobel's speech is improving dramatically, new phrases, sentences and vocabulary everyday. Her speech is not always perfect, she can be 'sloppy' but she is also self correcting and correcting by imitation very well. We still have a long way to go, we are pushing for her to catch up with her peers, and to be consistently understood, especially by people who don't talk to her very often.
We had a great Christmas, we visited Mickey and his friends again. This time we were lucky enough to bump into Tinkerbell, along with many of the Princesses. As you see, lipstick marks to prove it. This time it was Estella in awe of the Princesses, she seemed to lose her tongue and couldn't answer any of the questions. Fortunately, Isobel was on hand to help her out by filling in the blanks.
She recovered quickly however, when the opportunity to goof around presented itself! It seems all photographs must now be accompanied by this mouth pulling, tongue stuck out version. The humour of children!
And so we settle into the post Christmas and New Year celebration routine of school, clubs and therapy. Of Course, I can't forget that someone has a birthday just around the corner!
These girls are growing up fast, and still loving their story time with Daddy. This time though, they are telling the story.
Let's hope that 2014 has the same great impact on Isobel Ears as 2013 has.
