Haiku #23 Another Language

As many friends and family know, two of our three daughters were born with hearing loss.  They are not completely deaf and since they had family all around them who spoke English as a first language, we encouraged the English first and ASL (American Sign Language) second.  We spend so much time going to the audiologist and tweaking hearing aids, and seeing genetic doctors, it is usually my middle girl who patiently goes along or goes to grandma's when we are stuck figuring out all these loose ends. She often asks us when she gets to pick out her own hearing aids.

I talked to a friend about how bad I felt for my middle girl.  I didn't want her to feel left out and sad.  She reminded me that hearing loss would be the other girls' thing, but ASL would be OUR thing. Our family thing.

From the beginning, ASL has become our thing.  We have done baby sign language with all our girls and today, I started to see my third daughter very clearly sign "milk" as I fed her a bottle, or clap her hands together to ask for "more" instead of the fingertips touching.  I learned just this week that babies babble signs with their hands just like babies babble sounds for their first words. My youngest is getting it!

 It just boggles my mind how amazing sign language is.  My oldest still knows oodles of signs and when I have seen her get upset or angry and she refuses to talk to me, I sign and her heart melts a little and we can connect.  My middle girl is also the one who loves watching Signing Time DVDS the most and walks away knowing all the obscure signs for "closet" or the phrase "Nice to meet you!"

We never really know what might happen with the girls' hearing and there is a definite chance that it might get worse and they lose it all together.  That is why ASL has been such a sweet gift for us.  I really became aware today of how many signs I use on a day to day basis and though they are small, they help me be better.  When I'm signing, I tend to not yell as much! But, at least, at night I can simply sign, "I love you" and my girls understand me no matter what their hearing is like.

I Love You
by Kate Cowan

My ears might fail me
but your sweet little hands, won't.
We can always speak.