Christmas Day ...part deux

On Christmas Day around 2 in the afternoon we headed over for MORE fun, presents and dinner with the rest of the family. This included Brandon who had spent Christmas Eve and a few days before it over at my parents house doing some painting for them. Norah had a hard time staying out of Brandon's stocking but she reluctantly turned it over to him with the understanding that she could help him go through it. Being the super big brother that he is he gladly obliged. We all had a great time and we were showered with many gifts. It was good to have everyone together.
We are so thankful that we finally have Norah home with us. Her first Christmas was spent warm, full of treats and good food, getting way more presents than any one kid should have, able to hear what is going on around her, and surrounded by her family that loves her.

Merry Christmas Everyone

Norah’s first Christmas was wonderful, It didn’t take her long to figure out the present part of Christmas. We still have to go to grandmas and grandpas house this afternoon so she has more fun to come. Getting the referral for Norah last Christmas was a wonderful gift, having her home for the last 9 months has added to the joy and laughter in our home ever day.

We have truly been blessed by this child.

Norah's dilemma

If only there were a way to watch the cartoons that I LOVE and make sure that Daddy is paying 100% attention to me.....


























If only.......















I'm a GENIUS!!!!

Keeping Norah busy.

We took Norah to a church Christmas celebration and she got to ride a pony, go on a hay ride, and ride in a ride that in hindsight dues not look so safe, check out how close her hand is to that spring.

Anywise she and Lori built a gingerbread house too. It turned out to be a perfect blend of Norah’s favorite things cookies and candy. Norah has been playing a lot with her voice these last few weeks more then ever before and her and I are working hard on identifying the ling sounds every day. With good progress, her speech therapist wants to video her next week because she is doing so well.

Norah finds a friend, or more so the friend finds her.

We went to the Dillion International Christmas party because they had invited the local FCC to come celebrate with them. A good friend Kammy K. got volunteer of the year for Dillion she does so much for the people in our local FCC group too. Kammy was one of the people that brought us meals when we got home from China with Norah. She was the right choice for Volunteer of the year in our book.




Norah, Lori and I went to go get in line to meet Santa and there was a family waiting that had a girl the same age as Norah. She saw Norah and came right up to her and asked Norah her name. We told her that Norah was deaf and had just started to learn how to speak but that she could talk with her hands. She noticed Norah had made the same necklace as she had at the craft table and reached out for Norah’s necklace. Norah tried to back away for a little bit but this girl kept coming in close and showing Norah her necklace too. So Norah relaxed and started playing with her. She grabbed Norah by the hand and they were off to play and let there parents hold their place in line. It was such a delight to see Norah interacting with this girl even though they could not communicate with words or signs, they ran around playing with no problem.
I know it will not always be this way, as Norah gets older the gap in her communication with her peers will grow faster and faster. This will lead to her being left out of things, that will be painful for her and painful for me as a parent to witness. We will work hard over the next couple of years to lesson that gap that will build between her and her peers. Only time will tell where we end up with as Norah’s communication skills but For now I sit back and enjoy how two four year olds can still run, play, laugh, and giggle without words.
We hope to get the girls together for Chinese New Year to play.




HAHA! Norah wouldn’t turn around for the traditional photo with Santa. She was so fascinated by Santas beard, poor Santa had to hold onto it.

Norah did you get in to mommy’s Bert Bees lipstick?

Ha-ha when we give her cap stick she puts it on the same way but it is clear, good thing she showed us before she got on the couch!

Nice look Norah and yes I know you want to look at the photo in the camera.

Never a dull moment I love this kid!

Christmas Pictures 2009

Update on Norah’s cochlear implant progress.

Sheep dress up


Norah’s last test was between 60 and 40 DB with speech recognition at 35 DB, Well this week her hearing test was 35 to 30 DB with voice recognition at 30DB. That is a big jump in the right direction.
She did her best to blow the test too; she was just not into it that day after we had already had speech therapy. She wanted to play more than do a hearing test, she is four so

what you going to do?
Still big kudos to Miss Norah you have come along way in a short time.

Norah lets Lori baby her.

Since we got Norah she was not into being swaddled like a baby. She has an aversion to being held that way. She is very loving and likes to give hugs and kisses, but can only stand to be held close for short periods of time. Unless it is morning then you can get some good snuggling in with her.
Something about the cradled baby position makes her feel uncomfortable and she will quickly move away. So last night Lori went to get Norah PJs and I got her out of the shower, she was freezing. Lori dried her off and wrapped her in a blanket. Lori had things to do but she was so happy that Norah was letting her cradle her like a baby so she played along and called me into the act.

"Oh my what a pretty baby you have I", signed to Lori. Norah then signed that she needed a bottle, so I got her one of her baby bottles and she played the part of little baby and let Lori cradle and rock her.

It was sweet. I think it did them both some good.

Looks can be deceiving.

At first glance it looks like a sweet child sleeping in her car seat. While that is true, you must see how Lori and I see it. First, Norah never takes a nap at the house she goes 90 miles an hour all day, everyday until she just face plants it into the mattress at around 10 or 11 at night. So the fact that she falls asleep in her car seat is a cruel joke on Mom and Dad because we would like to have a nap too at home in a nice soft bed, not heading down the Highway doing 70.



Second, you must know what I had to pry from her hands to get this shot, that's right diet coke. It may not be the best thing for her but at least we are balancing it out with good old water. We have too or that is all Norah would drink.

You know you let your girls habit get out of control when Mom and Dad are sitting on the couch and their toddler comes down the hall in the morning with her eyes still closed and she signs soda-pop, like she wanted a little of the hair of the dog that bit her. Lord help us!