San Antonio Zoo!

We went to the zoo the week of Sophie's birthday. She was still free since she wasn't 3 yet. We went with the Coopers. We had so much fun! Tanner LOVED the animals! He had so much fun that he had to take a little nap during our zoo adventure!

Tanners 1 year pictures

Yes, I know I am super late in posting his 1 year pictures....however I did get them taken right before he turned 1 so that counts for something. I was super happy how the pictures turned out! He is just my little bunker boo! Funny name I know but it just sounds fun saying it and he giggles and smiles so much when I call him that.

A New Dentist in Town!

Hey Logan, Utah pals I hear there is wonderful new dentist moving to town. Call now to set up your appointment. Dr. Baldwin will be starting the beginning of July. I hear he is a great dentist who does amazing dentistry....not to mention he is pretty cute and I hear he has a pretty cool wife too! LOL! No, on a serious note we are super excited to be moving back to Logan. Both growing up there we feel its the best place to raise our family. We have loved our time living away but are ready to be back near family. This past year a great opportunity was presented to us and is allowing us to get back to the valley. He is competant is many areas of dentistry. His office is scheduling him right now so if you are in need of some dental care or your basic check up and cleaning call today! We are so excited to move back HOME!!!!

Tanner's BAHA

Tanner has Unilateral Hearing Loss or SSD (Single Sided Deafness). When he was born he failed his newborn hearing screening at the hospital. We were optimistic when they said it happens alot and usually its just fluid in the ear and will come out. So, 2 weeks later we took him back again and he still didn't pass, yet they said it was most likely still fluid. So, 2 weeks after that we went back again...and the Audiologist at the hospital mixed up the ears and diagnosed his Left ear was not hearing correctly...so we were so confused. On May 8, 2009 I took Tanner to Sunshine Cottage a school for hearing impaired children. They have a Newborn hearing screening program so our pediatrician highly recommended them. I sat down still feeling optimistic that it was just 'fluid in the ear'. It was a 3 hour test and he was asleep for all of it. At the end of the visit I was told the results in his right ear were not good. As they went on to explain to me what they found, it still really didn't hit me that my child has a hearing impairment. Then we left and as I put my sweet 1 month little boy in the carseat it hit me. I began sobbing and felt so helpless. Now I know it could be a lot worse and have a lot worse problems but no parent at any time likes to be told their child has something wrong with them especially something that is lifelong. So fastforward a 6 months. We took him to get a C-Scan done on his head to see if there was anything that would show up concering his ear structure. We got the results back and sure enough he did have some anatomical issues with the structure of his ear. He is missing part of the semi-circular canals in his right ear (balance canals). Has enlarged vestibular openings and shortened ear canals and a slight hole in his left semicircular canal. So, there were have it. We finally knew why he had profound hearing loss in his right ear. So, the past year we have been going to Sunshine cottage as part of their Parent-Infant program to learn strategies and techniques to help Tanner be a good listener and make sure he is meeting milestones both physical and language. Because of the severity of the hearing loss a hearing aid would not be beneficial. And since he has good hearing the left ear he is not a candidate for a cochlear implant in the right ear. So, when he turned one were informed about the BAHA (Bone Anchored Hearing Apparatus) hearing device. If you want to know more about the BAHA check out this website http://www.umm.edu/otolaryngology/baha.htm#a. The BAHA intenso would be worn on a softband because he is not old enough to have it implanted. So, we are currently in the Trial process to see if it is helping him. I have seen a huge improvement overall in his behavior. He seems to be more coherant and alert and babbles more. Since Language development is so crucial at this point I am willing to do anything to help him listen and hear better. The BAHA uses bone coduction to give him the sensation that he is hearing out of both ears even though he is really hearing out of only his left ear. The following information is taken from the website http://www.umm.edu/otolaryngology/baha.htm#a (I take no credit for the following words) I just wanted to give an overview of what the BAHA is.

"One ear does not provide adequate hearing in many situations. Patients with severe hearing loss on one side, but normal hearing in the other ear have difficulty understanding speech in background noise (such as group conversations and restaurants) and determining which which direction sound comes from .
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.

Another great website is http://products.cochlearamericas.com/baha

So, we are currently in his 4th week of the Trial and I have been so impressed with it so far. We have done some audiological testing and have seen good results. So, we'll see at the end if this is the route we'd like to go for Tanner and his hearing. I am sad to be leaving Sunshine Cottage here in San Antonio but I feel so blessed that Logan has a similar program called Sound Beginnings that Tanner will be a part of. Here are some cute pictures of our Little Tann Tann wearing his Baha softband!

A Trip Down Memory Lane

So a couple of weekends ago our little family decided to go on a road trip back to Beaumont, Texas where I spent 6 years living going to college and teaching school. It was so much fun to visit the places I spent a lot of my time. We left early Friday morning and drove 4 1/2 hours. We got to Beaumont around 1:30 pm and checked in our hotel. Then we did a surprise visit to my Bingman Elementary where I used to teach K-5 PE and 1st Grade. It was so much fun to see some of my work buddies. Then we went to Travis' work at the Court reporting agency. That was seriously the best job for a college student. He was their runner. Which meant we had yummy left over food each night for dinner. He would get to take home the food left over from the depositions that day. Great when your a poor college student. Then we went to dinner at Elena's my favorite Mexican restaurant in college. I was sadly dissapointed. Either I have been spoiled here in San Antonio or it was just a bad night for Elena's. Beaumont itself looked pretty good considering it has been through some horrible hurricanes (Ike and Rita) the past couple of years. Then we went to bed early. Saturday morning we went and visited the Lamar University campus. WOW! It really looks great. They built a brand new Athletic complex that was high class. We met with the volleyball coach and he took us on a tour of the facility (which was the McDonald Gym when I went there, old and smelly) but now it is so fancy. The volleyball team has its own gym they play in. I think I would still rather play in the Montagne Center though. It was so much walking around and driving around campus. It was such a walk down memory lane. Then we drove over to the new football field/arena. Lamar is bringing back football this fall. It was such a great feeling to see the campus growing and going in the right direction. I am proud to say I am a Lamar Cardinal! Then we went and visited with my #2 mom Phyllis (Nanny Fe-Fe as Sophie calls her). She was my mentor teacher when I student taught and we have been so close ever since. Then we went to lunch to my other favorite restaurant Chedders. Then we went back to the hotel and went swimming. That night we went to Travis' favorite restaurant called Sartin's Seafood and had all you can eat BBQ crab and 3 lbs of Crawfish mmmmmm my favorite! Then we went grocery shopping and got our 5 year supply of TEX-JOY steak seasoning. Sunday morning went to our old ward. It was so much fun seeing some of my old Young Women girls. They are so grown up. Then we finished the trip with a delcious lunch at Nanny Fe-Fe's house on the way out of town. It really was a special trip and makes me so sad to be leaving Texas. I really have grown to love Texas and deep down inside I am really sad to leave, but so excited for our new journy ahead.

Hangin' out in the hotel room!

Eating at Elena's (check out my hair from the humidity....don't miss the humid Beaumont weather!)

Tann Tann loves Mexican food!

The renovations of the football field...I remember running the stadium stairs for conditioning...good times! The new athletic weight room, training room and football locker room are at the end. I remember when there was just this small little red brick building the was all old and moldy that we used to work out in.

The Campus!

Sophie and Fe-Fe

Fe-Fe and Tann Tann

TEXAS BLUEBONNETS

Well since this is our last Spring here in Texas after 11 years I guess I needed some pictures with the Texas state flower...THE BLUEBONNET! They really are beautiful wild flowers. So, after we had family pictures taken we decided to go and take pictures in some bluebonnets.