Where do I begin? I’ve launched this site as a hub for all of the different hats I wear… my graphic designer hat, which is typically a straw fedora. My e-commerce hat, which is usually one of my Surfbird trucker caps. Then there’s my teambuilding hat; I haven’t worn this in a while, but that would be a silly wig of some sort, I think—which isn’t a hat at all, but we’ll let that slide.

My latest hat is that of an author. I don’t know quite yet what that hat looks like. Maybe a drivers’ cap, or let’s go way out there with a deerstalker like what Sherlock Holmes wears!

Okay, enough of the silliness. The real reason you’re here is to read what I’ve written. After that sentence, you’re probably already regretting that decision. The fact is, I’ve always enjoyed writing. In 7th grade, I won first place amongst all 7-12th graders in a creative writing competition. Whoopee! That was only 25 years ago.

Most of my attention has been focused on my career as a graphic designer. So I’ve preferred layouts, colors, and font types over penning an award-winning novel. Last year, that all changed.

In early 2018, my wife gave birth to our 2nd child — a beautiful baby girl named Esther Lila. She was named after a biblical princess and my paternal grandmother — both strong and courageous women of faith. It wasn’t until a couple of months later that we learned just how important her name is.

Esther was born with profound hearing loss — and if you’re not familiar with that term, it means she’s completely deaf. That was a hard diagnosis for us to swallow, and to be quite honest we’re still choking on it. She now has bilateral cochlear implants. So with the help of hearing aids which sends signals to implanted chips, she’s able to hear sounds and communicate. It’s quite a fascinating thing!

She’s approaching 18 months now, and loves recognizing the sound of airplanes, cars, birds, and her mamma’s voice. She can also speak a handful of words. Her most recent favorite phrase is, “oh, yeah!”

So yes, here we are. As Anne Berit and I watch Esther develop and interact with her big brother Aiden, I’ve been spurred to share our story about our journey — our journey as a family of a child with cochlear implants. It’s a story filled with fears and challenges, teachable moments and accomplishments, failures and prayers.

Thank you! Thank you for supporting me and my family on this journey by reading along. In addition to my blog, I’m already working on books! I’ve finished the manuscript for a children’s picture book, of which the protagonist is inspired by Esther. I’ve also started an adult non-fiction about faith, which actually started as a teaching series in a young adult small group I lead years ago. I’ve also started an adult non-fiction about faith, which actually started as a teaching series in a young adult small group I lead years ago.

Subscribe to my blog, follow me on Facebook or Instagram, and hold on to your hat. It’s gonna be a bumpy ride!