Maya is signing!

It has been a fabulous summer so far! Our greatest excitement revolves around Maya's new signing skills! After 7 years of signing to Maya, showing her pictures, and giving her tactile input, and hoping for communication to be expressed through sign language, we have finally begun to see Maya consistantly sign. Maya will now spontaneously sign "more" for any of her favorite vestibular/ sensory activities (swinging, spinning, bouncing, jumping on the trampoline, bubbles, and even occasionally tasting). Maya has been healthy for 1 year now and her growth is taking off! Signing, tasting, smiling, engaging in toys and interesting objects, approaching people she is interested in, riding her trike and then there are even the not to so fun events like bed time, where left to her own devices she will pull out her trach, wrap herself in all her bed time tubes, reset her feeding pump machine, open her feeding tube port so that food spills all over her bed....but of course we will take it all, as all these new behaviors are signs of developmental growth.

Another wonderful aspect of Maya's expressive communication is her sisters' desire to communicate and engage with Maya. Addy (almost 5 now) takes great delight in Maya's expressive happiness...loves giving her favorite toys, helps me every night putting her to bed and give her medicine, and always hugs and kisses her before the lights go off, and often says "Mom, Maya would like this" or "Mom, Maya is coming too, right?" I love our family bike rides, where all three girls can participate, or tire swings that fit 3 perfectly and the girls are always thrilled with Maya's love of swinging and spinning...when I stop, all three of them take turns signing "more" to ask for another round of tire swinging.

Maya triking followed by Teya

At Chamber's Bay ...despite Maya's expression, she does love the wind!

On our Father's Day hike...Addy showing Maya a flower

(she would sign "flower" just so that she could then watch Maya sign "flower" in return)

Addy loving her sister...

This summer has already had some wonderful highlights:

Biking at Chambers Bay (Addy started riding a 2 wheeler in the spring and Teya keeps up on her training wheels).



Time with the Roystons (Matt (my big brother) has accepted a call to pastor a Presbyterian Church in Juneau, Alaska) we are spending every moment we can with them before they move in September.


Maya, Grandma Fran, and I attended the Biennial CHARGE Syndrome Conference in Orlando...we learned a ton and made friendships and connections that are priceless! We also had a blast with Burke and Max (our buddies from Washington who also have CHARGE) and their parents...it was a terrific eperience!


Addy went on her first backpacking adventure with Dean and some friends...she loved hiking, setting up camp, swinging from trees, playing at the lake, balancing on logs, and good old time with Daddy...she will definitely be backpacking again soon!


Our family attended our annual neighborhood/ small group vacation in Cle Elum...12 adults and 18 kiddos (all 7 years and under)...what a blast!


Teya took every chance she could to bury herself in sand (or in this case have Daddy bury her). This goes along well with covering her self in water, dirt, peanut butter,among other substances!


Lots of time with the big Kelly Cousins while Babu (Dean's mom) and Giampa visited!


Lots and lots of Babu hugs!


Next week we are off to Sunriver with the Royston side of our family...this has been such a dramatically better summer than our last two...what a gift for our family...we feel truly blessed!