I am writing this quite late and need to head to bed as i have large amounts of school reading to catch up on tomorrow, but i wanted to sincerely thank every one of you for offering your prayers on behalf of Corrina and our family. Having supportive family, friends, and even people we have never met praying together with us truly makes the difference between feeling empowered and feeling lost, lonely and overwhelmed in the midst of a difficult decision making time. We thank you.

On Tuesday morning we visited the Central Speech and Hearing Clinic which promotes Auditory-Verbal therapy for children who are benefiting from hearing aids or cochlear implants. The clinic itself was clean, bright and inviting. The staff (made up of audiologist, therapists, and parent coaches) are warm and respectful, and we felt they provided us with alot of information as well as great personal testimonies (a number of them have children who use either aids of implant and have received speech therapy).
As we had done alot of research prior to our visit there was only a little more information that we received. For instance, if we choose to have Corrina implanted (yes, this sounds awful and odd), the surgery could take place in as little as three months. Therapy sessions will be only about one hour per week, and the processors that are now available (completely funded by the government. I love Canada!) are very advanced and have many hearing level functions, can get wet ( very new!!), are small and discrete, and even have a plug in for gadgets such as ipods! You can find very detailed and interesting information here regarding the type of processor Corrina would have and all the nifty functions it has! I know Claire will enjoy that link! Browse around a little; the technology is so neat.
I am a little behind in my studies and finding it hard to concentrate at school as many decisions loom over my head. We would like to make a decision soon, but of course don't want to rush into anything. I have been asking God to help me focus on staying concentrated on school when i need to (i have 4 classes right now fyi) so that when i am home i can fully concentrate on being with Corrina and Dave. Please pray for this. As well Dave is a small bit behind in work, although i believe he got himself mostly caught up today. We will be having a small group meeting with the Youth tomorrow night (a regular thursday night event now!) and Dave would love prayer for concentration as well.
Corrina, as always, is very happy. She had a great time at daycare today, and was apparently especially happy. The workers just love her, and some have mentioned to us that they are praying for her. They take great care of her and we are so blessed by this as well. The director did some research and found that Corrina, because of her disability, is eligible to have a sort of TA/EA with her at day care during the week. This would provide some extra one on one time and ensure that when we are not able to be with her to encourage her speech that someone would be taking extra special care of her and her speech development needs. We aren't sure if this would be full time, or just a few hours a week, but i believe it would help tremendously in hard work we have ahead. We appreciate Canada today, and all the systems they do have in place to support their citizens. I never realized how much our social system can do to help when the need is present. I hope that others in even worse situations feel a similar support from the government.
Thanks for reading my unintentionally long report.
J

What we Know

On Friday we had our hearing test with little Corrina. Let me just say that she did marvelous! In order to get an accurate reading the children need to be quiet and still; so in the case of a baby, asleep. We had Corrina skip her morning nap and we picked her up from daycare at 1:00. She fell asleep in the car and thankfully we were able to carry her into the Hospital without waking her up. The audiologist attached the Electrodes behind her ears, and one on her forehead. She hardly stirred for this. Apparently the Electrode on her forehead was just to monitor her sleep, which reported that she was just about as asleep as can be! We are so thankful.

As many of you know already we were given the information collected from the tests that day, and Corrina is indeed Profoundly Deaf. I'm not talking hard of hearing here, but DEAF. This is not the same problem that Dave and his brother Mark had as children either. There is a small chance that a hearing aid might help her hear, but as she hardly has any residual hearing i doubt those will work. When they ran the tests they used a complete range of sounds from very low tones (her right ear may have had a small response to a very loud, low tone; if a jet engine flew directly above her head she may hear a slight sound), to high pitched noises, and everything in between. I believe the loudest that their speakers could go was 115 decibels--around the volume of a jack hammereven at such a volume she did not respond.
As a family we have a few options. There are two different types of speech/hearing/communication therapy available: one deals with teaching children to communicate using sign language, lip reading, and other techniques (Canadian Associate of the Deaf). In that case the children would use a hearing aid if it helped, or just remain deaf and learn to communicate through signs, etc. The other therapy utilizes what is called a cochlear implant.
A cochlear implant, in short, is "a surgically implanted electronic device that provides individual with the sensation of hearing by bypassing the damaged part of the inner ear." (taken from web link above) Once the implant has been put in (through surgery), Corrina, Mom and Dad would attend weekly (up to 3/4 times a week) speech therapy sessions which would teach her how to listen, understand, make words and speech, and talk! This program has the goal of integrating people into the hearing world, whereas the other program has the goal of teaching people how to communicate in the deaf world/culture.

How we feel: overwhelmed! There are a lot of choices and decisions to make in the next week. Corrina is still sweet, charming little Corrina. That will never change. However we do need to start something soon because she is at the age where she would be learning language. Because we are finding this out while she is still quite young we will be able to help her sooner thus she won't be too far behind those in her age group. Her challenges and developmental delays would be much more significant if she were older. We are so thankful to God that we have friends and people around us that helped us to see that Corrina might not hear, and supported us as we went through tests and such. We have much more to come and we know that we will need to be very supportive and work very hard to help Corrina learn to communicate, but we are willing. She is precious and important. We love her!

a few new links

I have added these great links:

bobs red mill (whole grain food and recipes; good muffins!)
Kiddley (everyday ideas for you and your kids)
wisecraft (a great craft site i have been snooping on for some time now!)
Pure Style (simple style and decorating; i think JK the blog snooper will like this one, and Sue you too!)

That should keep us all busy for some time! I have muffins in the oven (a recipe from redmill, using wheat bran, ground flax seed, raisins and applesauce; i'll let y'all know how they work out!), a baby napping in her bedroom, no supper to make (gilmore girls night at The Girls, which means they cook a simple supper and we dine together. I love tuesdays!), a pile of laundry to put away, not too many school readings calling my name, just a few, and warm thoughts in my head (bet ya thought i was going to write heart... well hearts don't think, they just pump blood... warm blood in my heart just doesn't sound to nice to me. Life sustaining but not nice.)

Hope you enjoy my wed wanderings!

One Year Old

Most of your know: CORRINA IS ONE YEAR OLD!
Happy birthday Baby Girl!


She is our marvelous little gal, who we love love love! We didn't throw a big bash for Corrina, but we did have a few friends over for visiting and cupcakes.

Thank you to everyone for lovely thoughts and wishes for our not-so-wee little one! We appreciate your friendship in our lives!
For a great report on Corrina's abilities and the joy she brings please link to "Mom Colvin" and read her latest entry! She says it very well!

I am trying to use flickr again to share ALL our photos, not just the good ones. I hope that sis claire enjoys this, as she is a flickr guru! You can click on the Flickr collage at the side to see more!

And this is our official Shout Out to Sara, without and H! We know you are out there... lurking!

does she hear what i hear?

Corrina had another hearing test today, and again the results were inconsistent and she still has liquid/congestion in her ear, so one of the tests was unable to be performed. We were referred onto the next phase of testing because the audiologist thought we were benefit from further testing. The nest set of tests will repeat what has been done, checking for liquid levels and drainage, checking responses to noises coming out of speakers, plus they will place electrodes behind Corrina's ears, put little headphones into her ears and check exactly how her brain/inner ear responds to noise/sound. She has to be asleep for this test. I will post closer to the date, but please pray for us on Jan 26th, next friday, as we take her for this test. We will skip her morning nap in hopes that she will sleep while there so we can test her accurately. Sleep is required because in order to do this test the child has to be very still and quiet, so obviously with a baby, asleep!!
I am not really worried about what the results will be, hearing or not. There are a few programs that have speech/hearing therapy for children her age. One even has a little preschool program so she could interact with other children that have hearing impairment. I am not worried about the costs because i am sure we would qualify for government support. Corrina is such a clever child, i doubt that this would hold her back. It would be a challenge, yes, for the whole family, but challenges build character and strengthen hope in God (Romans 5:4).

On the pretty side of life, we have our wonderful photos back and i would like to share a few!

I went to school

I went to school today. I got to the building, and took the elevator (small school, with few stairs. i want to take the stairs ONE FLOOR down, but can't find them. dumb) to the basement. I left my coat, mitts, hat, scarf in my locker and went to the third floor. I left my lunch (in a pink bag) in the fridge that i was told i was allowed to use. I went to the second floor (if i could find those stairs i would be like 5 lbs lighter already), and went to class. We all introduced our selves, but really, the person sitting next to us introduced us. I was the only new person in the class. The teacher forgot to let my partner introduce me. Ha.
I sat, and learned (every the teach said i had already read in the text book. i hate that). I went and got my lunch and hid in the library and read for my wednesday class. my baby is crying now in her crib (corrina play time is over i guess)

I went to school.

Janie

From Ontario

We arrived for a visit in Ontario on tuesday. It is friday night now. The time has gone by so quickly, but has been so great. It is so nice to have more people around a table, see Dave go off with guy friends for an evening of games and hanging out, eat delicious food and spend time with Chris and Mary (grandma and grandpa), see Corrina getting to know her family better, and visit lots with D, S & J

I don't have any pictures to upload. I will have some when i arrive home though!

Tomorrow we are having a Christmas style turkey lunch. FYI Dave was too sick on Christmas to actualy eat the food, so Mary offered to make a meal. We had wanted to do this anyway so we are thankful that we can gather with some friends and chow down. I am sure we will have pictures and a report on this when we get home as well.

The feilds are brown and green, not white. The sky drops cool wet water, not frozen, six pointed crystals. Very nice!
I am going to finish off making my little quilt. It is doll sized, and cute. Now i have the skills! Can't wait to do some sewing in the spare time i will have (in two to three years, when i am done school)!
Sorry this little report isn't too exciting for y'all, but that's that.

Will i learn?

Here is a list of things i am hoping to learn in the next, let's say, MONTH:

- to make a simple quilt, with the help of the world's best Mother-in-law, Mary! (she really is the most amazing women, such a prayer warrior, full of wisdom, great to just chat with, and talented at making quilts and Christmas pudding!) - where to buy real wool felt in canada... any leads? I have looked at most of our fabric stores, but am unsuccessful. Is there a store where you live that sells real wool felt? Or any good websites that you know of? -to toilet train Corrina. I am not too serious yet, but i would like to start making toilet sits part of her day! Exciting! I guess the day care will be doing a majority of the work, but i will do my part too. -to prioritize my time at school (YES, I am back at school now. I even have an assignment that i am going to work on this afternoon while dave hangs with babe) -to make soup. What is your favorite soup recipe.. leave me a comment/link please!

I could make a few more up, but i think that is enough for one month.
If you are reading this and would like to consider yourself tagged, please throw up a list of what you want to learn in the next month

I have a Pumpkin Spice Latte waiting for me in the microwave. Why there you ask? Well, i keep forgetting to drink it and it gets cold. Now's the time though.

Just for laughs

Me and dave had some adjustments made on our faces.. now we match better!

Dave didn't really like the change.. and he wanted big hair, so the next logical step was...

And i just love teeth...well mine at least

Really when it comes down to what i really want from life.. well, i just want to look like an alien... working on the green thing still..


we were having a little too much fun with the 'photo booth' on our new mac! Come take a picture of YOURSELF at our house if you want!

were on our way...

A song: We're on our way, we're on our way, we're on our way, on our way to GRANDMA AND GRANDPA's farm (well, house really)!

We are taking an impromptu visit out east. West Jet seat sales, gotta love em!

See you there, maybe?!