Happy One Month Hearing

Today (or yesterday, depending on which ear we're talking about) marks one month since Matilda's cochlear implants were turned on. We have seen such a difference in what she can hear (which I guess isn't hard, given that she could hear almost zero with her hearing aids). She is responding to all the Ling sounds, turns quite frequently when I say her name, always turns when I say "where's Daddy", is fascinated with the sound of the microwave and yesterday heard rain for the first time (we're in a little bit of a rain drought here).

I've been a little down though - I think that I have such high expectations of how things *should* be, that reality doesn't match up. We had a bad MAPing appointment this week, which probably didn't help. Matilda didn't respond well to quite a few electrodes in her right ear (actually she didn't respond at all). She was really distracted, and she did have an ear infection, so I'm praying that this is the reason and that next week we'll be back to normal. Does anyone else have one ear that is consistently worse than the other, despite being implanted at the same time?

I'm also trying to decide whether to put E, one of Matilda's older brothers into pre-prep next year. He is not eligible for the kindy program near us, because his birthday is in July, but I could get him into a private program. Pros are that I would have more time to do things with Matilda, and maybe some sanity time, but cons are the cost (just over $50 per day) and the fact that E doesn't want to go and I feel guilty sending him. So, still undecided on that one.

Upside is that we have therapy today, after a month's break. I feel like I need some guidance so it will be great to go.