It has been (almost) 3 months since Hattie's implant was activated. Time has gone by very fast and there have been lots of fun changes! Hattie turned 1 over the holidays and started walking. I feel like we went from raising a baby to a toddler in a matter of days.
Hattie is doing great with listening and hearing. Everyday, it seems, she is able to understand more and more of what we say to her. She is understanding a lot of basic phrases: "where is your blanket", "where is your belly button", "say bye-bye", etc.
The biggest, and most exciting, progress is that she has started saying "Dada" with comprehension! It started with babbling "dadadada" that turned into "dada" that turned into her saying "Dada" when looking at Kevin or pointing to him. Even though she is still working on saying it consistently, I am counting this as her first word :) I'm so proud and thankful for Hattie's progress and the support we have received from her doctor, audiologist, auditory verbal therapist and, of course, family and friends. I tried to catch her saying "dada" on video. It isn't as clear as I would like, but the best I could do ;)
Next up for Hattie is surgery for her second implant. Surgery is scheduled for next Friday, February 1st. We are laying low right now to keep germs at bay, hopeful that Hattie (and all of us, for that matter) will stay healthy. We are ready to progress with surgery and have it behind us, so we can completely focus on her therapy.
We ask for prayers for our Hattie girl and the doctors and staff that will be in the OR during her surgery. We will keep you all updated on Hattie's surgery and recovery. Thank you for the prayers and love you all continue to bestow on our family; we are truly thankful and blessed.
