I’m Patty, welcome to my blog!
This started as a space for me to share my artwork, crafty projects and recipes. It has morphed into an online journal of our daily life of having a child with hearing loss. If I’m not chasing hearing aids, I can be found behind my camera, crafting, gardening, thrifting or cleaning teeth…I’m a dental hygienist too.
This my whole world, Elisabeth Jane:
She is named after my sister Colleen and my Grandma Hughes’ middle names. Her dad picked her nickname, it’s Isla. We pronounce it EYE-La, it’s a Scottish name and it goes with Schuette, which is no easy feat. She was born June 8, 2010 and has rocked my world from day one. I barely remember life before her arrival!
Elisabeth was born with severe to profound hearing loss in both ears. She started with hearing aids but they didn’t help her to hear spoken language so we decided to try a cochlear implant in just one ear. It worked so well for her, we decided to have the other ear implanted when she began removing her implant device to put it on the other ear. Communication and language are incredibly important so she is learning both English and American Sign Language. Making educational choices for a tiny baby is much more difficult than one would think. I felt it was important to give her all of the tools to communicate and to express herself even if her “ears” weren’t in.
This is my husband Chris:
He is an insurance adjuster and a musician, he writes at indiebear.com. His sense of humor and his distraction tactics have helped ease my tightly wound personality.
Here is Indie and Bear, our beloved mutts.
These two were our first kids. They have adapted well to the addition of a mini human. Indie is a sweet and snuggly dog but turns into a twirling nut-case when it’s time to eat. Bear is a gentle giant and loves children, he is also a total mama’s boy.
Thanks for stopping by!
