Ethan Medical/Adoption Update

Several have asked about Ethan's adoption status as well as his hearing loss, so here's the latest on both fronts:

ADOPTION
After many disappointments and odd decisions by the court, parental rights were finally terminated October 3, 2007. We were told that the adoption process should be completed 1 to 6 months from that date....well, here we are almost 7 months later and only in the beginning stages, so we're not getting our hopes up on the timing. However, we do know that at least the process is moving along as we are in contact with his adoption caseworker in Colorado. We're hoping that Ethan will be legally ours in no more than 3 months...that will be a day of great rejoicing in the Plair home!

MEDICAL
It has been determined that Ethan is deaf in his right ear with no possibility for treatment, so we have stopped using the hearing aid for that ear. The left ear, however, has residual hearing which is amplified by a hearing aid which seems to help quite a bit. We are not pursuing anything drastic like a cochlear implant until he is older and more objective testing can be done. We have been encouraged that he is at least trying to say about 10 words and that he understands a few spoken words.

Other than his hearing loss, he is a pretty healthy little fella. He may have asthma which he is being treated for and is responding very well. He also has a swallowing dysfunction for which we must thicken all his liquids, but we hope that he'll grow out of.

We are so thankful for the joy he brings us...he is truly a gift from God. He explores everything, loves the outdoors, and is so sweet with Levi always kissing and petting him (though he is having to learn that Levi can play with "his" toys too!).