It's A Sign!

Alex did his first "real" sign today--a la Baby Signs book from Auntie Cate. He, like so many little ones, signed the word for "more." I think it's the first sign that most babies do, because there are not many things a baby needs to communicate except for "more."

So far, Alex has created a fairly useful set of impromptu signs--ones that we understand, and that make sense, but that he kind of made up/picked up himself. This is the first one we tried to "teach" him that might be understood by other baby-signers.

Just for kicks, let me tell you about the other "signs" he has done....

Up until now, his sign for "more" was to clap. And it was effective. He usually got what he wanted: clap=more cheese, clap=more grapes, etc. This also extended sometimes to other situations. We'd be unbuckling him to get him out of his carseat, and he would clap.

Instead of the conventional "finished" sign that we have shown him, Alex used bye-bye for things he did not want, or to say something was over. For example, he would throw the green beans off the tray and wave bye-bye. Or as I brought something towards him he didn't want--a shirt, more oatmeal, etc. he would express displeasure with bye-bye. Or he would fight me as I put diaper rash cream on a nasty diaper rash while crying and waving bye-bye.

There was the obvious arms-up-in-the-air "pick me up!" sign. And then if he wanted something that he could see he would do a "come here" sign--hand out, palm up, fingers flapping against his palm. This is a sign that I would give him a lot--come here and get your shoes on, come here and sit in my lap for a story, etc. So I guess he picked this up--"Milk Cup that is on the counter and out of reach...(hands both up, opening and closing) come here to me!" And, it usually worked :-)