All about us

I've decided to create a blog, to outline our story for everyone.  We have already been through so much and I feel the journey has now just begun yet again, so here we are.  My husband and I have the most wonderful 3 year old little boy anyone could imagine.  What a miracle we were given in him and everyday he brings us such joy and amazement.  On September 19, 2007, we welcomed our lil bundle, Jacob, into this world after a slightly uneventful pregnancy, complicated with polyhydramnios, at 37 weeks gestation.  Two days later, Jake failed his newborn hearing screening.  At two of months of age, Jake was diagnosed as deaf.  We were devastated.  With no history of this in either of our families, we did not understand how/why this could happen to him...to us.  But, me, being the person that I am, within a month of his diagnosis, I had already researched everything I possibly could about deafness, found a wonderful ENT and had already begun Early Intervention for him. 

Here we are, 3+ years later, two cochlear implants later....many, many therapies later.....too many doctors and doctors appointments to even name......and the list could on for days......but we have a son who hears EVERYTHING we say.  So much so that we can whisper to him from the other room and he hears us, much like a normal hearing child.  Everything is falling into place.  Developmental issues were and are still present, but each day we make progress in that area as well.  Things really couldn't be better.

And to top it all off, I'm pregnant with another boy....due April 29, 2011.  We are prepared to have another deaf child....since we don't know what caused Jake's deafness to begin with, we are told that are odds are 1 and 4.  However, when I went for my 20 week ultrasound, we were told something unimaginable.  Our baby boy was diagnosed with severe fetal hydrocephalus (fluid in the brain).  I went for an MRI and they diagnosed the baby with aqueductal stenosis...one of the most common forms of hydrocephalus.  We were told, in so many words, that most parents in our situation terminate the pregnancy.  We were told to expect the worst....severe brain damage. 

I was devastated.  My husband was devasted.  We had already been through so much, or so we thought, and now this??  I consider myself to be a religious person and immediately turned to God with the "why us, why me, why him" questions.  Every day that passed, I could feel him getting stronger and stronger and kicking inside of me and I knew that I wanted him, however things were going to be.


I know its not going to be an easy road for us, but I do know that this is the road that was meant for us.  I just hope and pray that one family can have two miracles in a lifetime.