Hamilton's First Dentist Appointment

A few weeks ago, Hollister and I went to the dentist, each for a cleaning. We attempted to have them look at Hamilton as well. He was not buying into it.

Hollister needed some work done and we were referred to a pediatric dentist. After seeing them for Hollister's inital consultation, I was able to schedule Hamilton an appointment. Being a pediatric dentist center, they know all the tricks of the trade to get little ones to cooperate.

As Hollister was having a procedure done, Hamilton and I were taken to a room with comfy sofas and chairs, no "dentist seat". There were toys and since the whole center is done like an airport there were planes everywhere. He was thrilled by this.

Hamilton got extremely shy, but the assistant talked to us for a long time and Hamilton seemed to warm up. Then the hygentist came in. They had me place Hamilton on my lap facing me. I leaned him back onto the hygentists' lap and she did the cleaning. It was fast and easy. He let them look in his mouth, count, clean and apply flouride. It was awesome! The dentist came in next to check his mouth and once again, he allowed him to touch him. They really know what they are doing.

Since I was actually part of the exam I didn't get pictures of it. I noticed a huge mouth in the room and told Hamilton to stand by it for a picture. He was totally into it. I've told you before, he's a ham!

\

His check up was perfect and he has no issues right now. They told us to keep doing what we are doing. Whew!

Softball tournament

This past weekend in Elgin was Western Days. Its a pretty big deal here in our small town. They hold several tournaments including volleyball, washers, and softball. While chatting with some people at closing baseball ceremonies a few weeks ago, Trevor decided to throw a team together. We were pretty much a "rag tag" team.

Co-ed softball rules include five men, five women on the field, you bat 12, and you can have 14 on the roster.

This was our team. (Minus one, not sure where she was when I took this)

We know most of these folks from baseball,  a few from school and even some new people we met the week before the tournament. The tournament was a two game elimination.

We played the first game at 9am on Saturday. We won! 12-1 in 4 innings. They have a ten run- run rule. We were totally pumped. We did not have high expectations, but winning sure was fun. Several of our players did get banged up a bit. (out of shape old folk)

Our second game was at 3pm. Yep! The freaking hottest part of the day. And it was H-O-T! We lost that game, pretty badly too. Losing is not as much fun.

Our next game was at 6pm. Lose and go home. Win and play at 8pm. After the second game, we actually lost 2 players to injury. They just couldn't continue. We lost this game as well and we were done. I think we were relieved a little, it was hot and 7:00pm. We'd been there since 8:15am.

 After he hit the ball, watching it and running.

 Waiting on 2nd. He did make it home and score.

                           The bracket. You can't see it, but we are the "Beavers", cuz we just don't give a damn!

 We stayed and watched the next game though. The kids were tired and hungry. We went home, showered, ate and headed back for the championship game that started at 10pm. Yep, we are that nuts.

I am so glad we went. It was quite eventful. There is a lot of drama that goes on in Elgin and we saw it first hand. Small town politics. Trust me, it was funny, but a mess as well. Before the game ended, the cops were there. They almost called the game. But after the team won, another game had to be played because it was a double elimination and both teams had one loss. So, it was decided to play a second game. Well, that game never finished. More drama, cops back out onto the field. Game called. We jetted out of there, knew there would be fireworks, but I think the cops controlled it. Kind of comical now.

The softball was amazing though. Both teams were good. We would have been so out of our league. We had fun and Trevor intends to keep playing. I think my softball days are over. I had fun, but I am not cut out for sports. I know my limits and its okay.

Temporary Baha

Hollister received his temporary Baha yesterday.

He was fitted and they adjusted all the technical stuff they had to do. Then the fun was picking out the color he wanted. He chose a jungle band and a green face with a soft black battery door. Unfortunatley he didn't get that one today. They are ordering that one and we will be called when it comes in. No expected date. But thankfully, it is covered by insurance 100%. Just so thankful and relieved by our insurance this year. I have decided not to complain about health coverage anymore. We have reaped the benefit tenfold this year.

So, this was in the Dr.'s office last week when he tried one on Hollister. I had forgotten that I took pictures when I posted the long boring post about the actual Baha Implant. Look closely you will see a tan band around Hollister's head. It is a velcro strap and the Baha is attached to it. The Dr. has stepped away from Hollister and is seeing if he can hear him. He could.

Poor Hollister. I happen to catch this picture as the doctor was checking inside his ear. He endures so much with his ears, sometimes he lets out a little cry. Ears are very sensitive ya know!

The demo is so much nicer.

This box has the case for the Baha, batteries, and extra battery covers. These are changed out about every 6 months. We won't need to use these, but they are there. The small clear button looking thing in the back of the box is a sound checker. This is what we will connect daily to the Baha and check that it is working. It allows us to make sure the device is working and to hear what Hollister hears. It is really cool.

This is the Baha itself. Small, but powerful!

This clip is attached to it so it doesn't get lost. We attach the clip to Hollister's clothing.

This is the headband. The Baha attaches to that manila piece in the middle. The headband is adjustable.

And this is what it looks like on.

Hollister has worn it for several hours and we had a few adjustments, but not many. The main thing is, he can hear.

So, whenever the permanent one comes in, we'll let you know!

Cast Removal

After 30 days it was time, time to get Hollister's cast off. Part of me thinks it took forever, part of me thinks the month flew by.

May 21st, the day he got his cast put on. See the beautiful baby blue color?

June 21st... Check out the difference!!!!!

 Hollister had his classmates sign the last day of school. Most of those are faded now.

Daddy made sure his was deep and dark and stayed forever.

 This was from the ear Dr. the day of his surgery. There's a K in the middle for Kemper, his last name.

 Really hard to see, but this was Mrs. Geiser, his kindergarten teacher. She was the very first to sign his cast.

So, the removal process. The nurses were awesome. They explained everything first because this is a saw and it was loud.

 Pliers to take the cast apart.

                                                  The whole process toook about 5-7 minutes.
                                                                     No more cast!

                                                And, the dirty cast. Yes, we get to keep it!

Next, they took xrays, then we saw the Dr.

Everything looked good and healed. We will see him in six months just to see how his growth is progressing. He had to take it easy through the weekend and then full steam ahead. He was a little sore for the first day and still held his arm like the cast was on, but now, all is well and he is running around like a boy with lots of pent up energy!

So, as we were leaving, we passed The Ronald McDonald House. The boys saw the actual "Ronald McDonald" and were thrilled!!! They had to take pictures with the owner of their favorite french fry place.

Father's Day

Father's Day was June 17th. Nine days ago... so I am playing catch up, as always....

For Father's day we took Trevor to see Madagascar 3. Funny how it kind of becomes about the kids really. But it was fun!

Before the movie, Hollister and Trevor played a little air hockey.

Afterward we ate at Texas land and Cattle. YUM!

Then home, for some picture taking.

Those are 3 lucky boys. Their Daddy rocks!

A Baha Implant

WARNING: This is an informational entry. It may be boring.

I am writing about this more as a reminder for me and as an update on our hearing saga.

Yesterday, Hollister had his two week post op appointment with Dr. Kemper.
The moment he saw the Dr. Trevor told him Hollister can't hear. He immediately ordered a hearing test.

Hollister can't hear. It is so difficult at home for him and us. Even in the car, he asked for the radio to be turned up and it has to be at rocker decibels for him to even hear the beat. I think he thinks we can't hear either. I can't imagine what he must be feeling.

So, the doctor comes back and says they are having a hard time testing his hearing because he is "down". Thank goodness the doctor understands that this is not normal Hollister behavior. He assured the audiologist that he was not being defiant, he is honestly struggling. So, they took a different course and it worked.

The good news is, Hollister has hearing in BOTH ears. Yes, the left as well. The doctor is actually "mystified" by this. He also said this is a game changer. Where we thought we were pretty much through doing anything with the left ear, now we are not. This is really good news.

So, he proceeded to attach some odd looking headband onto Hollister. Attached was a small electronic box. Then he started talking, even whispering. Hollister could hear him!!! He even heard Hamilton at some point and jerked his head in his direction. That was such an awesome response. One we haven't seen in weeks. He asked Hollister which side he could hear from and he responded, both. Dr. Kemper told Hollister, "Your hearing will come back, its just going to take time." I am not sure he really gets that, but Dad and I do. We are so relieved.

Then the doc looked in his ear and did some doctor type stuff. He said it is still very swollen in there and he prescribed another dosage of steroids. He is trying to speed up the healing process because, remember, this is his "good ear."

The doctor has told us his goal is to restore Hollister's "good ear" (right side) to completely normal hearing. Now, this will take time and probably be until six weeks after his second surgery on that side later this fall.
As far as the left side is concerned, there are options. At this point though, we do nothing until the right side is repaired. Well, sort of. (If you aren't bored to tears, keep reading)

Back to the headband. The device is called a "Baha Implant." You can click on this link to go to the page with this info and pictures. I copy/pasted the stuff I wanted to know and remember. The red is the technical stuff.

What is a Baha?
The Baha is a surgically implantable system for treatment of hearing loss that works through direct bone conduction.
Baha is used to help people with chronic ear infections, congenital external auditory canal atresia and single sided deafness who cannot benefit from conventional hearing aids. The system is surgically implanted and allows sound to be conducted through the bone rather than via the middle ear - a process known as direct bone conduction.
How does a Baha work?
The Baha consists of three parts: a titanium implant, an external abutment, and a sound processor. The system works by enhancing natural bone transmission as a pathway for sound to travel to the inner ear, bypassing the external auditory canal and middle ear. The titanium implant is placed during a short surgical procedure and over time naturally integrates with the skull bone. For hearing, the sound processor transmits sound vibrations through the external abutment to the titanium implant. The vibrating implant sets up vibrations within the skull and inner ear that finally stimulate the nerve fibers of the inner ear, allowing hearing.

Baha for Unilateral Deafness (this is what Hollister has)

The Baha, now an FDA cleared solution for unilateral deafness, provides a completely unique benefit. The Baha device is placed on the side of the deaf ear, transfers sound through bone conduction, and stimulates the cochlea of the normal hearing ear. The Baha effectively transmits sounds from the bad side to the normal ear and ultimately results in a sensation of hearing from a deaf ear. Stereo hearing results in improved understanding of speech, especially in background noise and aids in the localization of sound.

Congenital Hearing Loss (the kind of hearing loss Hollister has due to the cholesteatoma)

Congenital conductive hearing loss caused by a malformation of the middle or external ear resulting in a missing or incomplete ear canal (external auditory canal atresia) are effectively managed with a Baha

This is a picture of the electronic device. The one Hollister tried was attached to a headband. The doctor is looking into getting him a temporary one so that he can actually hear. Not soon enough for us.

                            This is a picture of what a permanent one would look like.

This is what would be implanted surgically if this is the route we see fit for the left side.

For now, we will have one with the headband. He may need this when school starts as well and after his second surgery during his recovery. I am so relived by this possibility. I can't imagine him like he is now during school. These steroids make him crazy. That is my description. He is hyper and his mood is challenging for sure! I would rather him not be like that in school if possible.

So, that is what we know so far. We should have a temporary Baha by the end of the week. We will see the doctor again in two weeks and go from there.

Hammin' it Up!

I know, this picture has awful quality, but it is funny. My boy Hamilton, well, he is a bonafide HAM!!!

Check him out, just being funny and knowing it too!

This little guy is funny. I mean really funny. He is 2 years 7 months old and he brings a smile to our face all day, everyday.

He is completely obsessed with 2 things. One, his Daddy and two, baseball. He loves baseball, and I do mean LOVE.

This is him with a pencil behind his ear because guess who puts a pencil behind his ear when he is working?  Yep, Daddy!

He is constantly trying to hit anything that resembles a ball with anything that resembles a bat. He is also in love with the idea of being a catcher. He loves to dress up as a catcher and try and catch a ball. He will spend forever getting dressed in catcher gear and after every hit or catch, undress and do it all over. He has even been known to use a Darth Vader mask as a catchers mask. He is very imaginative.

He also loves music. He sings a lot. His new favorite song is Glad from the top 40 radio and he knows most of the words. Don't try and sing it or dance to it, he will let you know, "THAT MY SONG!" He sings the ABCs and counts but not in consecutive order.

This is him hitting the ball. After he hits it, he says "I hit it". So proud of himself.

This is him running. I don't know if its his short legs or what, but I think he is hysterical when he runs. He is fast too!

He is such a great talker and uses complete sentences. He has had such an advantage with having an older brother close in age. He officially potty trained himself! He was ready in May and just asking at day care to go potty. They asked me if I had started at home. I said no. They were shocked. He has truly picked it up with great ease. Since I am not buying anymore diapers, I am saying that he is officially potty trained. I don't even put a diaper on him to drive long distances. This is the earliest any of my children have stopped wearing diapers. We are officially out of diapers, forever as parents!

And so his Daddy doesn't get upset that I posted our child in his underwear or on the toilet, here's a back shot.... Come on, I gotta have something here!

Closing Ceremonies

Even though baseball ended a few weeks ago for us, closing ceremonies were Wednesday night. For Hollister, this means TROPHY time!!!

And once again, Hollister is wearing a ski cap to the baseball ceremonies.

His March surgery was the day before OPENING ceremonies. The latest surgery was 2 days before CLOSING ceremonies.

Getting his trophy from the league president.

Trust me, he is NOT as happy as he appears. It is hot and he is thirsty. But, he does know what to do when I pull my camera out.

Same Song, Different Verse, No... Different Side

Hollister had his 3rd surgery Monday. His 3rd, Tympanoplasty/Mastiodectomy, but this time on his right ear. This is the "good ear." This is the ear he CAN hear out of. The doctor once again thought the surgery would last about an hour and a half.

This is him before the surgery with his new friend, Junction Jack, the Astros mascot.

Once again, the surgery last three hours.

There was no cholesteatoma in the inner ear which is good. There was a huge part in the mastoid though. Much larger than he anticipated. He spent a lot of time trying to save the hearing bone, but was unable to. So, he now has a second titanium ear bone in place. This means another surgery. He will need to go back in and make sure it is in place and that all of the chloesteatoma is gone.

This is not what we wanted to hear, but it is what it is. The surgery will be around September or so. For now, we wait. We wait for about a month to get a true hearing test and see what % hearing loss he has. We thought after the surgery he would not be able to hear at all and we prepared him for that as much as we could. But, he CAN hear. We have to talk loud, but he can hear. This is promising to us. We will wait for the packing in the ear to dissolve and the healing process to continue.

                                                                          Post op

Trevor trying to make him smile.

Eating a Popsicle after surgery. Always his favorite part. 

 He's not as mad as he looks. He's just ready to go home.

The surgery went well and Hollister once again has been incredibly strong and hasn't complained at all.

Now, I must keep him corralled so that ear piece doesn't move. Wish me luck!

The First and Last

                        August 22, 2011                                                 May 31, 2012

He still has the same backpack and lunch box, but went through THREE pairs of shoes! He has definitely gotten taller. He is standing on the same brick from August.

He really has grown up quite a bit and even though he is still extremely shy, he has "come out of his shell" as they say.

Gift making time

While wasting time on Pinterest, I found the cute clocks to make as teacher gifts. There's a lot on Pinterest that I see and want to do, but it never turns out quite like what I saw. This time, I knew I could do it!

Start with a cheap, inexpensive clock from Wal-Mart. Seriously, $3.97!

Then, use all that extra scrap booking paper and stickers that never get used for actual scrap booking.

I made one for an assistant principal that is retiring (no numbers needed) and one for Hollister's kindergarten teacher. They were fun and so easy to make.

Here are the finished products.