90% of my parenting is done through the medium of song. I like to start 'em young. Based on a gut feeling, I sang Beautiful Boy to Little Man from 16 weeks into the pregnancy. When he was a colicky little baby, Hubby and I could always rely on a song to soothe him in the end.
Little Lady's 'Bump Song' was Moon River and I continued to sing it each night as I rocked her to sleep - until, that is, she began to sing it back to me aged just two.
I've made up songs about princesses, knights, teething, earthworms, buzzy bees and how long it takes to warm up a bottle. I use these songs, and many more, to soothe, to entertain and to explain.
So far, it's served us pretty well. The kids make up their own songs now - admittedly sometimes about what they're doing on the toilet - and I've even had a four-minute argument about getting out of the bath with Little Lady, entirely through melody.
I love that this house sometimes feels like the set of a musical, and that the kids love it too (although poor Hubby ranges from amused to confused). I like to think that when they grow up, they'll have memories like I do - of singing along to 4 Non Blondes with my three siblings in the back of a Fiat Derby, or me and my Dad trying to hit the high notes with Diana Ross on our way to get my braces tightened.
In short, singing is a huge part of our daily family life. So I'm sure you can imagine our shock when we were told that Little One hasn't heard any of it. Our little cutie is moderately hearing impaired.
Introduced only in the last 12 months, Ireland's maternity hospitals are now performing newborn hearing screening. Failing this initial test at 24 hours of age is no real cause for alarm - day old babies are most often quite congested, which interferes with their hearing function temporarily. Even after failing a second hearing test, it never occurred to us to worry. It was only through listening to the two audiologists (the lovely Martin & David) as they recorded Little One's auditory centre responses - or lack thereof - at his third screening, that I realised something was amiss.
After two more afternoons of intensive testing, we have a very clear picture of his hearing ability - all the better to address it properly with the early intervention that these diagnostic tests allow.
So the road ahead is a little different for our family than we initially expected. Little One will have his first hearing aids fitted next week, then we'll begin the task of teaching him to listen, and to help develop the auditory pathways in his brain which are so far neglected. To help him develop speech, we'll all have to work on speaking clearly while face-to-face - something that doesn't always happen in a busy household like ours.
I won't deny that a few little tears have been shed, feeling foolish while reading Roald Dahl or dancing beside the kitchen radio. But whatever way you look at it, we are very lucky.
Our little boy is healthy. He has received audiological care on an 'emergency' basis thanks to the new screening and early intervention guidelines. We will get information and support in how best to help him learn the things that other kids seem to pick up by osmosis, and there is no reason that he can't attend a mainstream Creche and school.
Life is good. We will all learn together the best ways of teaching, playing and interacting with Little One - in much the same way that we have adapted our parenting to suit Little Man and Little Lady's different personalities. The one thing that won't change is the fierceness and depth of the love every member of this family shares.
Oh, and the excessive singing. Sorry Hubby!
