Speech Therapy for Mariel

I know how frustrating it is if your 1-year and 9 -month old baby can't even utter the word "mama" but it would be easier to understand when you know that she is profound deaf. Basically, she can't hear so she don't know that sounds exist. She would look at our lips but she might just be wondering why our mouth is opening even when you are not partaking food. 

For her, she opens her mouth because she was about eat and that is the reason why she eats a lot - as in everything. 

  

But on May 15, I enrolled my Keiichi in Casa del Nino and inquired if they have an inhouse speech pathologist that could help Mariel in her speech therapy but unfortunately, they don't have one. They suggested that I contact Trails Center in La Marea, San Pedro, Laguna but they don't have any slot anymore to accomodate my child, unless I enroll her in their class perhaps. So I remembered taking note of Maria Lena Buhay Memorial Foundation, the only oral school for the deaf here in the Philippines which is located in Blue Ridge-B, Quezon City. I called the school and viola! I was give a call back on that night and we scheduled Mariel's first speech therapy. 

The first session was just a warm welcome and orientation for Mariel. She doesn't like to put on her hearing aid which made the session almost impossible to handle since she needs to hear us speak and label things. What we just did is to let her hold our throat as we say MAMA, MOO, AWW, KOKAK, etc or feel the air coming our of our mouth everytime we say PAPA. I know she was sleepy but what made the session a success is her willingness to see our mouth moving, coloring pictures when asked, trying to move her oral mechanisms even if no sounds are formed and her courage to try a lot of things - except of course at that time, wearing her HA. 

According to Mrs. Buhay, Mariel has a graet chance to talk because she makes sounds and she imitates our mouth movements. Just tonight, she started trying to say "mama" which she can sometimes say when she is crying. She also puts her little hands on my throat as I talk and feels the vibration. I do wanna cry but it is not the right thing to do. 

At least in our end, we have started a milestones that will surely made a difference in our lives. QC is indeed that far from Pacita but I did finished in Diliman so I can't see any reason for my child not to attend therapy sessions in Libis. 

I am now working in Convergys, Nuvali, Sta. Rosa and I am glad that my day off is on Fridays and Saturdays and I can accompany Mariel in QC. I will try to post more pics soon and perhaps, more milestones of Mariel. 

Cochlear implant is not a priority anymore since I don't wanna take the risk. If the speech therapy could do good to Mariel, then that is what we will have.

Mariel and Keiichi's Day Out

Just posting pics from my kids day out in Festival Supermal in Alabang. Taken in Pixie Forest. 

Those are not matchboxes :-)

Be Very Busy

Why so? Simply to divert attention, to pass time, to just move on - these are my reasons.

It's impossible not to feel pain especially when you lost someone so important in your life. Moving on means having to live your life unaffected by loneliness and longing and for me, the best way is to be occupied most of the time.

Right after finishing my caregiving course in San Pedro Manpower Development Institute on March 20, I started training for Convergys Philippines in Alabang on the 23rd. I will be assigned in Nuvali, Sta. Rosa and I must say, I am really excited and eager to earn (money, experience, fun, friends...you name it!) :-) The Convergys Nuvali building is such an spectacular site - it is situated in an "eco-zone", the building is eco-friendly and a colleague told us that you can see the Tagaytay skyline from the building. It also has a lagoon and I must say, I remember my walks in the UP Science complex area in Diliman during my college days - from NIGS or CS to the Math Building, when I went there to submit my documents. The place is so relaxing - the trees, the lagoon, the green grass, the landscape.

I still have lot of plans but I think I have to learn what to prioritize. Right now, my top priority is to be in a job where I can grow as an individual and be financially independent.

My family are now adjusted with my schedule and I hope to be more productive now that I am earning my own money.

To wrap up, I want to share something that struck me yesterday from our trainor Mark. "One is the master of one's happiness", "learn to have fun in every task you do" and "ENJOY! Look at the brighter side of life." all the time...

For latest pics, you can view most in flickr or in my friendster account.

Iel walks at 1 year 5 months

At last! Mariel can now walk unaccompanied. We know that her vestibular sense (read: balance) was damaged to some extent so we did not expect her to walk alone so soon. She also knows now how to hold a pen - in tripod grip- and scribbles only in paper! She won't write unless you give her a piece of paper.

She is also fixated to her own possessions - she knows her own bottle, her own place in the dining table, her own toys. She even boxed her Ate Keiichi when her ate sat on her cart. She shows different emotions now and starts showing her temper. Pag galit, nakabusangot at nananampal. Pag masaya, nakangiti o natawa pero nanampal pa rin hehe Para din siyang hapon na mahilig magbow ng head. And she even want you to bow your head too in recognition, pauso nga niya ang forehead kissing e hehe

Above is her walker/cart. We havent reassembled it yet because it's quite high for her. She cannot touch the floor if it's in a cart shape. When tired, she just remove the toy pad and sit in the compartment. That's how creative and resourceful she is :-)