Learning to read

This is Rhianna reading her favourite story book at 13 months hearing age.She had no prior access to sound before her left CI was switched on and used signs and gestures to communicate.She's currently emerging into 2-3 words level.
Though her speech and language is still delayed,she has progressed and continues progressing at an amazing speed.
She is currently attending speech therapy,occupational therapy,reading class and music class and enjoying every moment of it.


p/s: Sorry,I'll put the video caption as soon as I figure out how .

Hotel / swimming

We were in Malacca the historical city of Malaysia last weekend.Rhianna has gone on quite a number of short trips since she was old enough to walk.But this trip was more meaningful since she now has the words to all the wonderful things that she saw.She could also demand ask for things or activities that she wanted to do.

All the way on the 2 1/2 hour drive,she was clutching the map to the hotel studying the hotel picture and the swimming pool..Oh,she was also holding on to the fully inflated turtle ring float (she was so ready to jump in the pool!) and hugging her baby doll (her current best friend).The first half hour was fine as she was asking me the names of the new things she saw on the map.The next 2 hours was a different story altogether.

As she was getting more and more impatient, all vocabulary seem to vanish from her lexicon and her answer to any questions asked was only one of either words.

Hotel / swimming

"You want to nap first?"  - "No,swimming"
"You want to come out with me and buy drinks?" - "No, hotel"
"Why don't you put down the float?"  - "No, swimming"

When nobody asked questions,she started whining using the two words alternately repeatedly...We had to endure that for 2 hours straight...

Beside the nightmarish car ride,we had a wonderful time exploring new things and providing her with new words.Now, if I only I can find time to turn the photos into an experience book...

The beautiful hotel at night

Fun and free spirited girls..Of course when the ride was over,the littlest one cried.

Then, she got to ride a pink scooter..solo this time

With the well travelled best buddy having lunch

The one thing that could make Rhianna eat her vege, pick up her toys,take afternoon naps and do all the impossibles..SWIMMING!

One year ago...

I'm actually pretty late with this one.Rhianna celebrated her first hearing birthday on September 15th 2010.

One year ago..we were all very hopeful (still are) about her future..but we never thought that we would see her talk so much, so soon...this girl can talk and she talks all the time...sometimes clearly,sometimes with sound errors (then again,she's only three) and sometimes in jargons (still!).She talks to the cats,to her dolls,to herself, basically to all animate and inanimate objects.

Once, we went on a 5 hour road trip with a few friends and everybody swore that the next time they travel with Rhianna,they'll be bringing their mp3 players with earphones.Seriously, I think she's making up for the last 2 years without sound.Now that she discovered her voice,she needs to hear it all the time.

I'm not complaining..I love her sweet voice.Especially when she calls me mummy...Other mothers might think that it's no big deal..but I'm a mother of a deaf child and to hear her speak, is so,so sweet.

We have seen a lot of progress this past year.She can now hold a simple conversation,answer questions and tell me what happened in school in her sometimes broken sentences.
She's even learning to read and she can sight read a few of her story books even without pictures.
She was always very cheeky and charming but with verbal ability,her personality blooms even more.She makes friends more easily and she teases and jokes all the times.

Though her speech and language skill is not yet on par with her hearing peers,she has made tremendous progress in just one year..from a nonverbal child who signed to a chatterbox who loves songs and silly rhymes.