Here is the lasted news...
Austin is doing incredibly well. He is officially three months old as of April 4 and has become quite the ham. A couple of the pictures below can attest to that.
At this point we are seeing improvement in every area of his development on a daily basis. He loves to play all of the time and requires to be seated upright during every waking hour so that he can keep tabs on everything that is going on.
He actually accompanies me to the office every day and has become a real asset to our business. He is a very hard worker...you know answering phones, paying the bills, fetching lunch...he really gets after it!
On a more serious note, one thing that I have not written about up to this point has to do with his ability to hear. I have mainly avoided this topic for the sake of my own sanity, but I now feel comfortable explaining what is going on.
Austin has been diagnosed with Auditory Neuropathy (also known as Auditory Dyssynchrony). The theory surrounding this diagnoses is that he can hear sounds at full volume, but due to the misfiring of the auditory nerves, the sound he hears may be distorted beyond recognition.
Now before anyone gets upset, let me tell you this.
We believe there is nothing wrong with his hearing. He has begun to coo and mimic both the "O" and "OOO" sounds as well using "G" and "M". His pediatrician is also a little skeptical of the diagnosis.
However, we still must follow it closely just in case, which means more trips to Dallas than you shake a stick at!
So, your thoughts and prayers are certainly appreciated as we continue on this journey of ups and downs (but mostly ups) and are reminded every day that God truly does bless us in ways that we have not yet imagined! If you scroll down you will see what I mean...
-Ricky
p.s. These pictures are in chronological order.
Can I help you?
Fell asleep holding his pacifier...
Hanging out with Daddy...
Goofing off with Mommy...
Still goofing...(one of my favorites)
Making new friends...
Calling it a day...
