New Signs

Yesterday was a banner day for Hopers. We have been showing her a few "baby signs" for many months now, hoping to communicate with our little pumpkin. I began with the "all done" sign whenever I fed her in her chair, starting at six months. It's done by holding up both hands (palms up) and then turning them over (palms down). We say "All done!" and make the sign when we get her down from the chair. A few weeks ago, she started doing the sign (more like, wiggling both hands in the air and looking at us intently, but I'll take it!) whenever she was finished eating. Less frequently, I was also showing her the "more" sign that we had taught Noodle when she was a baby. It's done by pointing at the opposite palm. It was a little harder to be consistent on that sign during feedings because, obviously, I only have two hands and they are usually filled with a bowl of food, a spoon, a washcloth to catch flying food, a phone, my lunch, my 5-year-old's peanutbutter and jelly sandwich, a computer, a basket of laundry, a trash bag...wait, what was I talking about? Anyway, yesterday, we were playing "Drop the Kids Into a Giant Pile of Pillows" (available at your local superstore) and they were loving it. Hopers missed a few turns as Noodle was figuring out new ways to propel herself into the pillows. Suddenly, we realized she was standing there, watching Noodle and pointing her finger into her palm repeatedly. I picked her up and said, "Hopers, you want more?!" and she made the sign again. It became a new game of "How Many Times Can We Get the Baby to Do Signs in Exchange for Fun". I was amazed because she had adapted the sign for her own use to a different situation than the one I had shown it to her in. MY GIRL IS SO SMART! And as if that weren't enough, in the car, she clapped her hands along with the radio for the first time when she saw Noodle and Me doing it. Real claps. I was so proud.