A decade later...

September 6, 2001, I sat in a room with Todd and our 14-month old baby girl, her grandparents and one of my dearest friends watching from another room, and signed to her "listen". "Listen" - how do you explain that word to a deaf child? It was a word that meant nothing to her at that time, but she seemed to still and pay attention nevertheless. No one in that room knew what to expect, but it's a day that I'd wager none of us will ever forget. After a lifetime of utter silence, for the first time my daughter heard me say "It's me, your mama." She turned and acknowledged me briefly with widened eyes, but quickly signed "more play" and went right back to her toy. She couldn't be bothered and I think that pretty much sums up her attitude toward all of the difficulties she's encountered in her life. "I've got more important things to do, ma."

This kid has been a roller coaster ride since the day of her birth and continues to be. While it's hard to admit this when I'm at the peak of a thousand foot drop, with my stomach in my throat and my head telling me 'this is crazy and scary', I wouldn't have it any other way. She's not what I dreamt of when I thought about being a mommy to a little girl. No, she's more than my brain could have imagined. A decade later and she's taught me to dream new dreams, ones with their own version of beauty and perfection, and for that I could never repay her.

This video (pardon the quality) was taken 13 months after Sis first heard.