First Sign and First Word

On Saturday, April 21, Eli did his first sign language sign - "more." I wasn't sure if I was going to do sign language with him simply because I didn't have the time. But about three or four weeks before, I decided to give it a shot. He picked it up very quickly! It took Tali a very long time (a couple of months) before she got the hang of it.

So on that day, Eli signed for more strawberries. Eight days later, he said his first word - "more." As with most milestones, I missed it. H was sitting at the table with Eli, who was signing for more when he also said it. I didn't get the pleasure of hearing his first word until three days later.

Unlike Tali, who couldn't wait to speak, Eli only speaks when necessary. So his one word is only used occasionally. When I get it on video, I'll post it. For now, here is a video of him signing.

Papa's 90th Birthday

One of the few good pictures with Tali.

My favorite picture.

Tali eating the bread brought for the ducks.

Tali asking for some of Aunt Ilana's drink.



The goose that crashed the picture.

This past weekend we celebrated Papa's 90th birthday. Tali had a great time at the family events.

On Saturday, we had brunch at Commander's Palace, one of the best restaurants in New Orleans. Tali tried many new foods and enjoyed them all. She had garlic bread for the first time and couldn't get enough! Tali ate pancakes, which she liked once I added syrup, and she sampled my bread pudding - yum! But her favorite food was ice cream. Although she had never seen or eaten it before, she knew it was something good from the moment they put the bowl on the table. Tali was playing on the floor when the bowl was set down and she immediately ran over to her spot to sign for help and that she wanted to eat (yes, she's smart enough to make baby sentences at 16 months - as long as they involve food). Then she went to the corner to try and climb in her high chair! We put her in, strapped on the bib and Tali was in heaven. She loved the vanilla ice cream with strawberries.

Between courses at Commander's a group of musicians came in to the room to perform. Tali enjoyed the music and particularly loved the double bass. The first time they played, I walked her over to the bass and placed her hand on it to feel the vibration. The next two times they came into the room, she walked over to the bass herself. She had such a great time at Commander's and was very well behaved for the entire three hours.

On Sunday, Papa's actual birthday, we went to the park for family pictures. Tali wasn't so cooperative for the pictures as there were many more interesting things to see and do. About halfway through she told me she was hungry and thirsty. Since I was unprepared (bad Mom!), she had some ice from Aunt Ilana's iced coffee drink and some bread that Aunt Sue had brought to feed the ducks. Tali chased the ducks, walked up and down the steps, pet the dogs, played in the grass and dirt, and tried to take a swim in the water. She had a blast!

Eat

I'm still working on sign language with Tali. I decided to teach her "eat" next - a good one for the girl who eats all day long. I haven't been doing it as regularly as I should so it took a while. But last night H was eating a rice cake and Tali wanted some. First, she asked for help and then she asked to eat! The sign for eat is actually making your fingers into a beak and then tapping them to your mouth. Tali got the basic idea and we knew what she meant.

Help!

It's been about a week since Tali began signing "help" and she's now gotten pretty good at it. She asks for help when she closes a door and cannot open it, when she wants to play with the keys, when she wants her blankets from her crib, etc. Basically, she asks for help all day long (yes, it can get tiring). Originally, it was hard to capture video because I wasn't sure when she'd ask. But I did get some of her on Tuesday evening asking for help with her bathroom door. Enjoy!

Note: The sign for help is actually both hands hitting the chest, but clearly her other hand was occupied.

More?

Back in May, H and I took a baby sign language class and I started teaching Tali how to sign the word "more" in June. They say it takes 8-10 weeks for a baby to learn her first sign so I stuck with it. After about 10 weeks, I gave up. She didn't know how to clap (the sign for "more" is very similar) and didn't seem any closer to picking up the sign. I worked on it often and it was very time consuming so I felt a bit defeated but it was exhausting.

Then, about a month later H convinced me to try again. So once again I started doing "more" with her every chance I got. About 8 weeks later, we went to visit friends of H who have a brilliant son. They were talking about how they tried to teach him sign language and he never picked up on it. So I figured if this little boy couldn't get it, then I shouldn't feel bad that Tali didn't seem any closer to picking it up. So, once again, I stopped.

But today we had a breakthrough! H was giving Tali her lunch while I finished preparing ours. He started doing "more" with her and she signed back! I didn't believe him (he's tricked me before, telling me she was signing) until he continued to insist I stop and watch. This time, he was telling the truth - she finally figured out the sign! While it's not perfect yet (never is when a baby starts), she gets it. We did it again with her snack, dinner and in the bath - just to make sure it wasn't a fluke. So I'll continue with this for a week or so before I introduce a new sign. Hooray - my baby can "talk"!!

Baby Sign Language

I think Tali needs to communicate. There's no way she's crying this much just for the hell of it. She wants to have a conversation and tell me what's bugging her. My solution? Baby sign language. Babies can start learning sign language at six months old (tomorrow!) and therefore have the ability to communicate much earlier. Sign language actually improves a child's speaking vocabulary and has also been shown to improve IQ. And, Tali has no tricks. Jackson can do so many things and Tali's biggest trick is smiling at strangers. She needs some new material. 

We took a baby sign language course about a month ago and I started signing with Tali on Sunday. Babies can only learn one word at a time and the first word you teach them is "more." The way you teach a word is to use it verbally and do the sign at the same time. There are many opportunities to use the word "more" so I am signing to her when I feed her ("Tali, do you want more food"), when I sing to her ("Tali, do you want more singing"), when I make faces, when I pour water on her in the bath, etc. Most of the time, she thinks its funny. 

It can take 8-10 weeks for a baby to learn the first sign since she first has to understand that she's being taught something and then develop the coordination to do it. But once she learns that first sign,  the next signs should only take about 2-3 weeks each. Once again my patience will be put to the test. For the next two or more months I will repeatedly use the word and sign for "more" without any sort of response. Around the end of August I will start carrying the video camera everywhere in hopes of catching the first (or second) time she asks for "more" on her own. Then it's on to the words "eat" and "milk." After that, the possibilities are endless. She could tell me she needs a diaper change, she needs help, she sees a giraffe, etc.