So Happy!

I can't really explain to yall what I'm feeling... but I'm going to do my best to try.

I should be stressed... I'm taking 5 classes, doing practicum, working, planning my wedding, about to enter the work world in a horrible economy.

But I'm not. I'm oh so happy.

William and I finally figured each other out I think. We are so happy with each other right now. Despite our uncertainties about the future, we are finally on the upside of the engagement blues and realizing that we have so many good times ahead of us. We genuinely make each other smile and can talk about anything. We get why we misunderstand each other. Which eventually will lead to less misunderstandings I hope. We are ready and so excited about getting married.

I'm also very relaxed about this semester and our planning. I'm excited about my practicum. I'm working with kids with cochlear implants that were just turned on. So they have newborn hearing. I mean the magnitude of that is just amazing. They literally heard their first sounds ever just over a week ago. AWESOME. I'm also going to be doing assessments with my supervisor. They are mostly follow up assessments, but will be really good experience. Wedding planning... It's going well. I feel like I should be done. And I am mostly. But there are some things that you just can't do until a certain point.

I had dinner with my future sister-in-law Amy tonight. She is so great! I know I'm very lucky! I love how she is always so encouraging. She very positive. And despite the fact that she is older (and probably wiser), prettier, skinnier than me she always make me feel so good about myself. I really wish that we were going to be able to live near to each other... however... welcome to life in the military! Oh well... we will make the best of that!

I've Got Attitude!

So today is 175 days from our wedding.  It is so close... but so far at the same time.  It is so much closer than the 727 days of engagement that we will have endured when we finally get married.  But yet as I watch all the people get married in may, june, july and august I can't help but be extremely jealous that I still have 5 months to go.  

This week was my first real week of practicum and school for the summer.  I already had my first test (which kicked my butt) and I interacted with my first adult client on Wednesday.  My specific client didn't show up, but I helped a fellow clinician diagnose her client.  I am very excited about Monday though.  My client is a very young adult (read same age as me) with a Traumatic Brain Injury.  Now at first I was very weary about this client.  My supervisor preceded telling me who my client was by saying "Now Peyton we are all going to support you.  Don't worry we will get you through the semester with [client].  You see, [client] has a little attitude."  After she said this, two of my friends erupted in laughter... and you can bet I knew why.  I let off a huge sigh of relief and replied, "We will be great for each other then, because I do too."  Later my friends confirmed that they were thinking how perfect it was that I got that client.  Both of my friends are quiet, sweet individuals and I am definitely neither of those things.  Not to say I can't be a nice person... but let's face it, I do NOT put up with other people's crap! And quiet... HA! I'm the girl that spoke up so much in class that all my professors new my name the first week of school.  I even had one professor deny me the opportunity to answer questions aloud until several other people had attempted.  So anyways, back to my client.  Now I'm ready... I've got my game face on and when they show up on Monday I'm determined to preform a successful assessment and get some real work done this semester.  This client has been known to sort of attitude their way out of things.  Well... not with me!

This weekend, William has a training operation with the National Guard. He's going to be at some base in Texas, but right now I can't remember the name... oh well. I've got some homework to get done, but other than that I'm going to work out, and hang out with megan, taylor and the kids. This time next week I'll be on my way to Houston for my first shower which I am extremely excited about! I really cannot wait! It's going to be so fun to see all my friends together again... maybe for the last time until my wedding and even then I don't know if everyone will make it!

Alright, Lucy (the dog in the picture below) keeps biting my hand... I take it she wants to go outside! Have a nice Friday folks!

2nd day of the rest of my life!

So as many of you know I'm in graduate school at UTDallas working on my master's in Speech Language Pathology (SLP).  Today was my 2nd day of my 2nd semester of grad school.  I can't believe that when this semester is over in only 7 weeks, I will only have a year left.  It's so exciting! This semester I'm taking dysphagia (in non-SLP terms that means swallowing disorders) and Auditory Verbal Therapy.  I'm also doing two practicums.  In one I'm working with an adult client with Traumatic Brain Injury and in the other I will be working with children with cochlear implants in a very fun camp setting.  The auditory verbal class goes along with my cochlear implant practicum.  Anyways... all of this was to say that I'm soooooo excited about this class and practicum.  I love kids and I LOVE kids with cochlear implants and hearing impairment.  I know it seems so strange but these kids really hold a special place in my heart.  Most of my SLP friends know that deaf children pulled my heart strings so much that I moved across the country to pursue this very degree, just so I could work with them.  So here I am in my 2nd semester of grad school and I get to drool over the population I love so much!!!

Here are a few pictures of a cutie with a cochlear implant.  These kids are simply amazing and I'm so honored to get a chance to enter their lives.  I can't wait to graduate so that I can work with them every day!

Photo from hearingpocket.com where you can buy clothing to accomodate CI's

If anyone has questions about cochlear implants or anything SLP related please send them my way.  I'm not certified yet but I'm always willing to talk to people about what I'm doing or direct them to people that can answer their questions!