Tuesday, December 06, 2011

Jamie's baby-signing skillz

As reported yesterday, Baby Jamie has started signing.

Our family's baby-signing repertoire is pretty simple.  We have kept it to the basics: "eat", "milk", "more", "all done", "help", and have also added our own versions of "hot", "sharp", and "snuggle".

"Hot" is an outward-facing palm of the hand moving back and forth, frontwards and backwards. "Sharp" is the pointer finger of one hand poking into the palm of the other. This sign is my personal favorite, as Diego made it up when he was just a little guy in response to a pokey-sharp cactus. It made perfect sense and so we went with it. "Snuggle" has simply been a palm to the cheek, mostly me asking Schtinks if he wants "milk" and "snuggle".

Just last Friday, Schtinky signed "hot", "sharp" and "milk" consecutively, in perfect form no less, in under one minute.  It is like the synapses connected and the signs suddenly gushed forth.  Up until that point, he signed "more" and "all done" correctly and in context, and did his own version of "milk" (I knew what he meant).

Since then I've had little mini-conversations with him about either the hot stove or a sharp cactus.  I will bring it up asking, "Remember when we went down to the basement and Dada lit the fire?", to which he will respond with the sign and saying (in a whisper), "Haaaaahhh, haaaaahhh".  Or "remember that sharp cactus?  Ouch!" and he'll sign "sharp" with the fattest little finger and sometime even sound like he saying, "aaaaawp, aaaaaawp".  (Again, in a whisper.)  And sometimes he brings it up all by himself.  Adorable.


Studying his big brudders in action.
Just look at those fat toes, like little peeps. 
And that little pinky finger!
♥♥♥

It has been so fun to see some of the inner-workings of his mind.  I love seeing him sign "hot" and hearing the little whispering "haaaaaahhhh" when we walk by the basement wood-burner or I turn the stove-top on.  It is exciting!  And precious.

And . . . he's also started giving slobbery kisses.  It is all the rage in these parts.

Now, dinner.


1 comment:

C. Shirk said...

Such fun reads, all these posts. And those pictures! Babies are just amazingly adorable. Schtinky looks like he got the twinkly eye gene all the boys have. And the chub. Wow! That pic of Truen blowing out the candles is so sweet. Jamie dying for a better view and Diego in costume. You spend a lot of quality time with your babes even if it feels like you are only ever fighting that losing battle with housework. And those amazing lists of milestones you keep! You'll look back on all these posts and realized you focused on the right things. In 10 years the house might still be messy, but your boys and husband will be well loved.