HollyAlonzo – Never Giving Up Hope

I don’t write much anymore—not even on Facebook. I spend a lot of my time reading and learning new things. I am learning to use my ABI more and more every day. I am taking sign language lessons from a deaf-blind woman not far from me. I am told I am a good teacher. I not only work with Isaiah to teach him the basic things every child needs to know, but I also help him learn it in the form of sign language so he can communicate with me. His mind is completely open to creativity. He is excellent with English and he is getting really good at signing, too.

Isaiah is so smart. He’ll be 3 soon, and he is far more advanced than most kids his age are. I think he has spoiled me. IF I ever had another child, I doubt he or she could compare to him. He’s really a great kid. I don’t think that parents get this lucky twice in a row. I doubt I’ll have another one anyway because of the NF2 factor.

I have started to pick up a few things Isaiah says with the ABI. If he gestures or signs as well, I hear his tiny little voice and can usually pick out the word. I showed him the sign for “all day” and he picked up on it right away. That’s usually what he does. Show him a sign once or twice, and he has it–even if I don’t ask him for a few hours or a couple of days. When I finally do ask him how to sign that word, he will show me–correctly.

I’ve also started signing to him without using my voice. At first, he kind of hesitated. So I would supplement a little with moving my lips. But now, I am having to do that less and less. Today, I signed to him, “Do you like to play?” He signed and said, “yep. Allllllll DAY!” It’s SOOOOOO cute when he exaggerates his “all day.” I can hear that tiny voice saying it. It gives me a smile. I am showing him simple phrases in sign language like: “What’s your name?” “My name is…” “How are you?” “I’m fine.” “See ya later.” He already knew several of the basic signs from the whole time I have been teaching him–since he was around 6 months old. Now, he is learning more of the basics and learning to build simple sentences. He and I are able to talk more now. He might sign “drink” and then point to the kitchen. I ask what he wants to drink and he might hesitate. So I sign, “water? Or milk? Which one.” Then he’ll sign back to me that he wants water. He prefers it when you give him a choice.

Today, he also signed his ABC’s for me and counted to 10 in sign language. A few of his letters don’t come out exactly right, but that’s just his tiny hands. I know what he is trying to make, and with time he’ll be able to make them all perfectly.I am amazed at how quickly this kid learns. I believe I’m going to have a difficult time with him in school. I think he’s going to get bored because he’s going to pick up the information so quickly and the other kids will need more time. I know that is how I was in school. I was ready to move on and the teachers would stay on a particular thing for a long time to make sure EVERY kid understood it. So I would often get bored. I am also going to have to make sure he gets challenged in school. I’m not sure how to do that, though.

We have several print/braille picture books to read. But, there is one in particular that he wants to read all the time. He doesn’t really want to read the rest of them. Even this morning, I asked him if he wanted to read. He said, “Yes, Bedtime Book.” I said, “again? We always read that one. It’s not bedtime. Let’s read something else.” But noooo. It has to be his “comfort book.” It’s “Goodnight Moon.” He likes me to read it while he points out the pictures and signs what he’s seeing. One day when we finished it–it was sometime near noon–I said, “Ok. Let’s go to bed.” He jumped off my lap and said, “No way! Let’s play.” I said, “well, you wanted a bedtime book. Doesn’t that mean we have to go to bed now?” He said, “No, I just like it.”

He’s such a cute kid and well-behaved as well. Now, I can communicate with him better, and sometimes even hear his voice and words. I am so thankful for that. Thank you to every single person who made it possible for me to get this ABI. I use it from the time I wake up until the time I go to sleep—excluding the time I am in the shower or swimming (which I don’t do much anymore). I LOVE this thing! I don’t know what I would do without it.