Tanner’s Ears…

Many of you knew Tanner got tubes put in his ears last October.  Here’s his story that lead up to that point.  His speech was delayed, and I just thought “well, maybe he’ll just be a physically active boy more, no big deal”. 

 TANNER’S HEARING (if you want the details, they are here in blue, or you can just skip this part): However, I had taken him in 3 times to get his ears checked, each time the doctors said his ears were fine.  It wasn’t until I brought him to a foreign doctor, an ‘ENT’ that she said (within 3 minutes of looking at his ears) “wow, he’s got backed up water for the last two years!  One of his eardrums is even blue, and recessed, it doesn’t even move.”

She set up surgery right away, the following morning.  He was to fast over night and not eat breakfast (b/c of being under anesthesia).

That morning, we kept him way from food until the early afternoon, about 10:30.  While we were putting on shoes, he found and ate 3 cheerios (about) out of the diaper bag!  ARGH!

So they delayed the time for another few hours.   Tim was a great sport about it and didn’t complain about missing work at all.  We just spent some one on one time with Tann at the markets around the hospital. 

Update: the surgery was successful, and his vocab has already doubled in just a few short months.  He has started cleaning and picking up toys happily, he can have tons of interactive imaginative play with friends.  He has a strong desire to do what’s right.  And over all, just a happy little boy, which is what every parent wants most.  You are such a trooper Tanner.  It just breaks my heart to think of how resilient kids are and how they just deal with what ever comes their way.  You are truly a stalwart little 4 year old Tanner, we are so proud of you.

… You stinker, ate those Cheerios, lol.  But because he did, we got to hang out and see all of the following with Tanner at the markets while we waited to digest the 3 Cheerios.

This is what we saw…

Bamboo poles.  These are used in construction.  They literally make latters around buildings while they are being built.

 

These huge bags have hundreds of fish, cheek to cheek inside.  You can see in the far right bag.

These are tons of turtles for sale.  There are ones smaller than quarters, and range in every size from there.

 

More fish.  Tons.

These crickets don’t look very big, but there are some up to 4 inches big that we saw!  People buy them because of the beautiful ‘music’ they make.  These ones are particularly lucky… at $3 USD each.  There are also areas that ‘fight crickets’ here in China.  Whod’ve thought?!

Little frogs.  When we lived in Castle Rock, I bought Tim an aquarium that we put on our little penninsula.  He would just sit in his big chair and gaze at the tank when he got home from work.  We had two of these little guys.  Then we had this big ol’ eel that was a ‘Chinese Dragon Fish” that we named “Kang”.  Our frogs disappeared.  Kang was the culprit.

Here is Tanner before surgery.  He is saying “AAAAAAAGH!” really loud, it reminds Tim and I of the sound Lloyd Christmas would say “Wanna hear the most annoying sound in the world?”  But when Tanner does it we absolutely crack up.  He hasn’t done this much since getting out (now that he can hear how ‘charming’ the sound really is, lol).

Here is my little guy right after surgery.  Wow, never thought it would be so emotional for me.

 

Here’s Tim making a mockery of me being such an emotional wreck.  Seriously, the most supportive man ever.  Isn’t it funny how husbands know just what to do when tension is almost more than a Mother can bare.  Love this guy.  Love all my guys.

 

Here’s to better hearing Tann the Man!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaggggghhhh!