Jillian's Little Special!

"Our little star's" web sites has been updated!
If you missed the program from Saturday night or are out of the viewing area you can view the special on

http://www.abcactionnews.com/

-click on Health
-click on "Cochlear Implant helps a toddle hear"

This brings you to the picture of Jillian and her story posted.

To the right of the article shows a small T.V. picture screen "click on Play" and you can view her special!

Also to the left of her (written) article shows a link called:

On-Air Links:
-click on Links and Info
-click on "Cochlear Implants"

this brings you to some informative web sites, including Jillian's Blog and also the web site ( http://www.rhyanshope.org/ ) that has selected Jillian for the next candidate to been given her second Implant with the funds that will be raised!

About a week ago, my Mom picked up Isabelle to go shopping. I took advantage of Izzy being gone and interacted with just Jillian. She of course had her processor on as always and brought her into the toy room.
Isabelle was given this awesome play house for Christmas, from her Grandma (Candy) and Aunt(Maranda and Paulina) In each of the rooms of this house the appliances make noise, the phone rings, the tea pot on the stove whistles, the and the babies bedroom plays nursery rhymes.
Jillian responded to all of the noises. She picked up the phone after it rang and dances to the nursery rhymes! It brought a big smile to my face, tears came to my eyes knowing that she could hear these sounds. Whether they're the same sounds as you and I hear on a daily basis, she heard something to get her to react to what she was playing with!

Some may ask....If she can hear out of her one implant why isn't that enough?
Would it be okay for you or I to be born with ONE hearing ear?
I wear glasses and contacts, would it be okay if my Mom or Dad said you can see out of ONE eye??

Our Little Star!

Jillian's, ABC News Special will be shown on the 11 O'clock evening news, Saturday the 26th of April!

For all of you that aren't able to view the local news, you will be able to view it (the following Monday, afternoon) from their web site: http://www.abcactionnews.com/

Jillian's one month of progress!!

I know I'm way over due with updates!
I need to make this more of a priority to take time out and write about Jillian's progress and updates!
It's been a crazy month and every evening that I feel as though I have time, something else arises or I find myself exhausted and going to bed way too early! "No excuses!"

In the last month we celebrated Easter and Jillian's new experiences with sound!
I feel as though she is hearing some tones and responds to us on occasion!
She is at the age or old enough to know her rights from wrong!
She knows that every time she puts something besides food in her mouth that it's not allowed, she immediately looks for our responds! I'm not sure if she hears us or that she knows that she is not supposed to!?

The success I have witnessed, has been when I walk into the room as she is highly focused on a toy or cartoon and I say her name or start talking she looks my direction! So you can tell that she hears a different pitch from the TV or hears our voice when focusing on her toys!
It's amazing that there is even a responds, I'm so used to taping her on her shoulder to let her know I need her attention!

We still focus on explaining everything to her, what she is eating, the water running, the rain, the dog barking and why we do the things we do.
Her new found fun, is every night when I have to take her processor off to go to bed, she thinks it's really funny to take her pants and diaper off! This little game takes place five to seven times a night and no she never gets tired of it!
My challenge is trying to explain to her that this is not okay, as she laughs back at me and the minute I go back downstairs it's all off again! So I found at the Gap, (summer) pajamas that are one peice and feet-less! She has not yet figured out how to take them off! She's smart, give her another week!

Our biggest challenge with the CI is getting it on her and keeping it on!
She enjoys taking it off or shaking her head back and fourth so that it's hard for us to put on!
It's as if she enjoys the silence of peace and quiet! (but then again, which one of us don't) Again she finds this amusing, knowing that Dad and I are consistent with making sure that she wears it all waking hours!

She is very "hard headed" at her age (which isn't a bad thing) she knows what she wants!
She started her occupational therapy and the Doctor seems to think that it's not so much sensory, it's a behavior thing and will get better as she can hear more! Which is always positive thing to hear!

Before ending this update, I want to Thank each and every one of you, for viewing her Blog!
Before sending out the mass e-mail pertaining to her donations at http://www.rhyanshope.org/ she had 24 viewers! Now there have been a total of 165! The web site asks for only one dollar, but I ask that you send it out to all your family, friends and co-corkers!
Every dollar helps towards Jillian's second implant!
I Thank You and so does Jillian!!!