Set Your DVR

  You know how you buy a new car that you thought was so unique and then suddenly you see that same care EVERYWHERE? I guess having our lives changed by E's hearing loss is working kind of the same way. We have suddenly noticed hearing aids, cochlear implants, and signing everywhere. This of course is a good thing! Did you ever notice that there are random ASL signs thrown in on the show "Blue's Clues"? I don't know why they pepper them in the way they do and they are few and far between, but they are definitely there. I happened to catch an advertisement yesterday for a new drama on ABC Family. The show is called, "Switched at Birth" and features a story about two teenagers that were switched as babies and their parents find out when they are teens. The interesting thing is that one of the teens is deaf. I will be setting the DVR to catch this one because I am VERY curious to see how the show approaches this. With the popularity of Marlee Matlin and shows such as "Switched at Birth", I am hopeful that we will begin to see many more deaf or hard of hearing actors and actresses. I don't know why I didn't already know this, but I just recently learned that the HULK, Lou Ferrigno is hard of hearing. Maybe this is common knowledge and I've just been under a rock?

  E has added a new sign to his list. He has understood "play" for a while, but just recently started signing it himself. There are a few others that he tries to do, but does not yet have the finger dexterity to accomplish. If you show him the "I love you" sign, he will stare at your hand, stare at his own little hand, then flash a smile and hold his hand out toward you as if he is certain he is telling you the same thing. E has definitely locked in on the idea that we talk with our hands. He studies his hands constantly and will stop everything to watch intently if you are trying to sign to him. I love watching the wheels turn as he figures out each new sign and the way he claps for himself when he has mastered a new task :-)