Wow! It's been awhile!

Hi Everyone,

I hope all is well in your life and your families. Our Family we have been so busy. Mostly lots of FUN stuff so that is fun! So most of you know I sit on the board for AG Bell Utah Chapter. I'm the Parent Section. Which I got to tell you I love helping these families. I love talking to the Deaf adults and ask them how do you hear with your implant. What does it sound like? Do you like Music? Is Music enjoyable? What kind of music to you find enjoyable with your implant or implants? I love how I've grown so much! I'm not even sad one bit about my son being deaf! Anymore the first two months of Gavin's life it was hard for me. I cried a ton! I doubted the Dr's, I would bang pans together let them hit the floor even when Gavin was sleeping just to see if the noise would wake him up. It never did! I would just cry! After two months of crying. I thought to myself well I can keep crying about it. Which isn't going to change a dang thing or try to figure how as much as I can about deafness the methods that are being used. I learn from reading websites(good ones), I read about the deaf culture as well, I learn which Dr's in Utah are the best, I learned how to find people that were going through the same thing as me. I made a support system for myself of professionals I trust, family, friends, AG Bell and many other resources. I'm glad to be seeing other families and meeting more people. I'm not here to say Oral is for all deaf people because some can't even get the implant or wear aids cause the nerve isn't there or some other medical reason. So they sign. Or even if they choose sign that is fine. We all have figure out what works for our children and families. Their is people out there that tell me to sign. I say no! Yes it is a hard road from 0-4 but my child will talk to everyone and hear normal levels of hearing people. I know this is real! I have seen it in over 50 kids and Adults now. It is real. My dream is my Son Gavin will talk and listen. He will understand what is going on. He hears so much. It floors me! Gavin is deaf! He hears the birds!! He hears a mom telling her toddler 5 tables down from us while eating lunch @ Costco. Point to you nose, Point to your eyes! Gavin was doing it. I wasn't even paying attention to this mom. All the sudden I see Gavin pointing to his eyes! His nose! My girlfriend Heather (who is pregnant WOO HOO!) and I were like HOLY COW! He is hearing that and it wasn't like the Mom was yelling this real loud it was quiet. He hears beeping that is so quiet I barely can hear it. I have Normal level of hearing! People can't tell me implants don't work and that my son won't talk clear enough to be understood, and he is just parroting back and isn't even understand what I'm saying to him. I say BULL! They don't know. I have videos to prove it. Check it out!

Let's see back to the fun stuff we have been doing. We have a all year pass to the petting zoo. The last two weeks we have gone 3 times. Gavin has rode a pony and milked a cow. Saturday we when to the annual AG BELL WALK TALK RUN event. Which was cool! Gavin and I got donations so we could win a prize! We got $502.00. We took second place. The first place won by $20.00 bucks but oh well. We still got the Seven Peaks water All Day passes(2 of them) So we will go hang out their this summer in the water! Also I found out this product called It Stays(is for diabetes to keep their socks up. Works really well for keeping implants and hearing aids on. It isn't a tape. It is a liquid that wipes on with a brush and washes off with water and soap. We have gone to the dinosaur museum, helped Jason and Tosha move into their new home, 2 or 3 nights out walking around getting donations. The Bartons in my ward gave Gavin $100.00 donation. I couldn't believe it. So I got them a shirts and a hat for the Walk Talk run! I applied for Gavin to get a scholarship through AG BELL for a Music class(KinderMusik). Because music helps kids learn to listen and language. It develops kids ears to listen! That is what AG Bell is learning to listen and speak for deaf people. So I'm excited! Gavin told me yesterday Happy Mom for Mother's day! Church was good. I really enjoy teaching the CTR 5's. I'm learning more than they are I'm sure! Life is good! It is getting warm! NO MORE SNOW! Yea!