BEAVER DAM, Wis. -- A Beaver Dam family is celebrating a special anniversary this week. One year ago this week, three brothers received cochlear implants.

WISC-TV and Channel 3000 reported on Coltin, Riley and Casey in February 2007 when they received their implants, and recently visited the family again to see how the boys are doing a year later.

For the Mueller family, Feb. 2, 2007, will always be a monumental day in their lives. It's the day three brothers were able to experience a miracle together. The boys, who were all born deaf, received cochlear implants, and heard the sound of their mother's voice for the first time.

The last time the Mueller family shared its story, Casey was the "child of the week" in his second-grade classroom, and his older brother, Coltin, and the youngest, Riley, were playing games.

"They're confident. They love their friends. They're so excited about going to school," Brenda Mueller said.

Their mother said their life has always been as full and rewarding as any parent could hope for her child. She said the boys' being deaf has been a gift because it gave them a place in a special community.

But Mueller said she wanted to give her boys choices and opportunities that only hearing people can enjoy. So, all three received cochlear implants.

A year ago, the boys experienced sound for the first time. The new sounds were a little scary at first. They were loud, and the boys said it even hurt a little to hear them. After a few minutes though, the boys relaxed and talked about all the things they wanted to hear. It was a moment their mother waited 11 years for, WISC-TV reported.

"I'm excited and a little overwhelmed, because we worked hard to get here. It has been a long, long year. And I wanted everything to happen so fast, and I know this will be a long, long process," Mueller said in February 2007.

A year later, the boys are making lots of different noises that Mueller calls baby babble, but not many words yet.

"People ask me all the time, 'Are they talking yet?' And I laugh because it's almost like they thought they were going to get that implant and like two minutes later they were going to go, 'Hey mom! I'm so glad you did that to me. Now I can speak,'" Mueller said.

But that's not the reality. Muller said cochlear implants are a lot of hard work and it's a journey where no one knows the outcome.

But the boys have all said their first words. Riley said "stop," and on Mother's Day, Casey said, "I love you."