the scoop on Coop

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One little boy's hearing loss journey

We're so glad you're here

In October 2019, our son Cooper was diagnosed with full sensorineural hearing loss in both ears as a result of Waardenburg Syndrome. After an array of emotions and lots of processing, we decided to share Cooper's journey in hopes of educating others about hearing loss and offering hope to those in the same situation.

We know it's scary to walk this road, especially at the beginning. As new parents, we found comfort in other's sharing their stories of hearing loss and children. Because of that, we wanted to do that for someone else who is on this same path. We're here to share the good, the bad, the difficult, the rewarding — all of it.

Hello, Holland

The path to embracing your child's hearing loss

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Available in e-book and paperback

the scoop

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An End To The Waiting Game

By Beth Leipholtz | May 27, 2021

I have been holding my breath since January and finally, I can let it out. If I'm being really honest, I've been holding my breath since we learned of Cooper's...

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All The In Between

By Beth Leipholtz | March 3, 2021

It's been a minute since I've sat down to write an actual blog post about what's on my heart. If you're not a parent of a child with hearing loss,...

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Merch Now Available!

By Beth Leipholtz | January 15, 2021

Who doesn't love cute, inclusive apparel? Check out our new merch shop for a little bit of everything.

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I Have Super Ears Onesie

$18.00

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My Superhero Calls Me Mama Women’s T-shirt

$35.00 – $37.00

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Love Always Wins Toddler Short Sleeve Tee

$17.50

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"Parenthood is about raising and celebrating the child you have, not the child you thought you'd have. It's about understanding your child is exactly the person they are supposed to be. And, if you're lucky, they might be the teacher who turns you into the person you're supposed to be."

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Lately nothing makes me recoil more than seeing po

Lately nothing makes me recoil more than seeing posts with lines like “loving every second” or “enjoying every single moment.”

It makes me pause and consider and wonder, is that how it’s supposed to be? Should I feel guilty? Am I supposed to live and breathe for every waking moment spent with this child?

I mean damn, I love this kid. But I do not love every moment. Not by a long shot. I don’t love the meltdowns ending in throwing himself on the floor. I don’t love changing poop diapers. I don’t love when he winds up and punches me in the cheek then cocks his eyebrow and waits for my reaction. I don’t love when trays of food get dumped on my clean floors.

And guess what? That. Is. Okay. That. Is. Normal.

You are not obligated to enjoy every moment with your child. Not even a little.

What you are obligated to do is to demonstrate grace in those moments, to display compassion and patience, to take deep breaths. You are obligated to show your human side, not your super mom side, to walk away when necessary.

And, above all, you are obligated to come out the other side of those moments with a child who knows in the depths of their soul that you love them more than life, even when you don’t love every moment.

Communication has always intrigued me. Whether thr

Communication has always intrigued me. Whether through writing, speaking, images...there’s something about it that has always sparked a passion for me. I spent my high school years exploring it, then four years of college majoring in it.

But none of that — no amount of classroom hours, no amount of communication theory — has taught me as much about communication as you have in two short years, sweet Coop.

Before you, I thought hearing and speaking were integral parts of communication. I thought language development was natural, easy even. Before you, I never thought about facing people so they could see my mouth when I spoke. I never peeked at people’s ears when they asked me to repeat something, wondering if they were maybe aided.

Before you, I didn’t know just how much could be communicated through the twinge of an eyebrow, the lift of a corner of the mouth. I didn’t consider that vibrations could be felt and that hands could be used to communicate full needs and wants.

But most of all, I didn’t realize just how transcendent love really is.

Even though now you can hear me tell you I love you daily, I know you understand it more when I kiss your forehead or hold your little fingers. I know you know the sign more than you know the words. When we rock in the dark each night, you without hearing or vision to rely on, I know you feel the vibrations on my throat, the beat of my heart through my chest, and that is your safety net.

These two years feel like both a lifetime and a quick blink. You blow me away with your intuition and ability to adjust to the world around you.

Thank you, Cooper, for being my best teacher and opening up my world every single day. You make me better. Happy birthday, sweet boy.

Happy (almost) birthday, you (almost) 2-year-old!

Happy (almost) birthday, you (almost) 2-year-old! You kept it spicy as usual. ❤️

Cooper the Mini Yooper.

Cooper the Mini Yooper.

Living his best life in the UP.

Living his best life in the UP.

I had a moment as Coop was playing by the water, p

I had a moment as Coop was playing by the water, picking up rocks, lost in his silent world. I just watched him, and my eyes welled up — the only reasons being love and gratitude. I feel so damn lucky to be walking this journey with a 2-year-old as my best teacher. If you’d have told me that in the early days, I wouldn’t have believed it. And yet.
………….

Anyway, two things. We are on our first official road trip so it’s been an ears off day for this dude. While there’s no right way to approach language, it’s days like this that remind me that this dual language approach is right for US. Cooper can still communicate even when he can’t hear.

I did try slipping his CI on in the car seat but it fell off right away. When it did, he pointed and signed “more” which was amazing. Unfortunately they just won’t stay in place. Grrr.