Big Boys Don't Cry...

...they go to school.

First grade is not the same as kindergarten.

My pep talk?

Remember who you are.

Remember that you have a Heavenly Father that loves you and a mom and dad that are here for you.

You'll make new friends.

The first day always sucks.

I'm not sure if my children are just miniature, I mean I'm certainly not a "petite" girl, but Talin looks the same size as the kindergartners and the 1st graders all look like giants. I hope the boy can hold his own.
His nerves were getting the best of him. His new teacher looks like she's eighteen. None of his friends are in his new class. We're hoping for a miracle.
First day went okay, but he claims he was bored and has no friends. First day always sucks.
Today is the second day. It WILL get better.

Caleb in his cute church outfit that Aunt Amy gave him. The outfit fits in length, he's just still a little slim. I've never seen a baby with so little chub as this one.
My solution to cute little pants that won't hold up?
Wrap a belt around him twice.
It totally worked.
And it was totally ridiculous.
I'm not sure what I'll do when Caleb's constant entertainment goes to preschool in two weeks.
Met his teacher today. He will be the big man on campus. The oldest, and most likely the biggest in his class. Total opposite of what Talin is dealing with. Everything is opposite with those two.

What he lacks in brawn, he'll make up for in brains.
I think 1st grade is going to be wonderful for his little mind. He's constantly reading, creating and coming up with great ideas. He's going to do fabulous.

Now if only this little bit would drink a bottle on his own...

Good news:
Weight - 11 pounds 12 ounces

New surgery date - Nov. 25th

Yeah I know, he looks like the kid that gets beat up on the play ground everyday. It's a sad new device, and I'm starting to wonder where my baby is, with all the tape, tubing and now lovely khaki headband.

Here's the deal:

The ENT specialist out in Iowa City thinks that he has a working cochlea, and that his hearing loss is due to the structure of his ears, or I should say lack of structure. That because his ear is closed, not formed all the way and there is no ear canal, that he might have a working cochlea in there.

Solution:

A bone conductor hearing aide. It sits on the bone behind his ear and vibrates the sound through the bone, into his cochlea. Now if his cochlea is not damaged (fingers crossed), this would give him normal hearing, the way you and I hear, not the way a deaf person hears. If he were dealing with a damaged cochlea (deaf), then the hearing aide would only be able to magnify distorted sound for him. Kind of like Charlie Brown's teacher. Wa...wa...wa...wa...

So we go back to Iowa City on Sept. 10 & 11th.

The 10th:

Genetic testing

The 11th:

Neurological hearing test to see where the damage lies inside his ear.

Now if the bone conductor hearing aide is what he ends up with, don't worry, he'll only need to wear the head band for the first five years of his life. Then when his skull is thick enough, we'll drill it into his head behind his ear.

So there's the update!