Signing wave at less than three months?

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November 30, 2009

Okay, I think this guy is a budding signer. But then I think he’s awesome at everything, so….

I’d been showing him the sign for wave (among many other signs). Most of the time, he just stares blankly and there is no way to know if he even is getting anything out of it. Other times, he gives these delighted grins because he likes me making nice, exaggerated actions. Nothing remotely like comprehension.

And then he goes and does something that totally blows me away. I was showing him words on the computer, and when the word wave was read out, he opened his fingers wide. Okay, not what we call a wave, but exactly what happened with milk happened thi time. On some unconscious level, I must have realized he was making that action with regard to “wave”, because I spoke with him as though he was doing it on purpose.

That was just babble.

Then, I was fooling around with him, and I waved my hand around, and he opened his fingers wide again.

Then this morning, when his massage woman was leaving, we do this thing where she says by to him, and I get him to stick his tongue out. He did it. She kept saying “ta-ta”, and nothing.

Later, I was telling my MIL about how I think he signs wave at times, and the minute I said wave, he opened his fingers wide again!!!

Not bad for my smart baby *brag* He will be three months old after two days.

So apparently, he understands the word “wave” and the action as opening his hand (haven’t really seen him waving it), but doesn’t understand its meaning. Doesn’t understand that we wave bye to people – guess why? We’ve never waved bye to people – I only show him the signs – I don’t use them for him….. He also doesn’t understand “ta-ta” is the same as wave.

So, what I need to do is wave hi and bye to people myself for him to see the context for his new trick.

Categories: baby development, baby sign language.

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Two month old using sign language

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November 19, 2009

Okay, Nisarg is definitely using sign language. I’d thought so earlier.

Since then, he’s signed “milk” a couple of times more. I’d been trying to get a video, but he does it rather absently, and when I approach with my phone in hand, he starts interacting with me, waving and sucking his fist. Finally, I was able to capture the tail end of it as he got hungry when my mother-in-law was holding him….. Its not very clear, he does it just once, but check out his right hand. He was doing it with both when I came close and stopped :(

Things got ugly real fast after I shot this. We had a crying session. I guess he didn’t appreciate me just sitting there watching him when I could feed him.
He does it quite well. Maybe I’ll get a better video in a day or two.

Categories: baby development, baby sign language, infant communication, proud mama.

Two month old signing milk?

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November 19, 2009

Okay, its likely that I’m over reacting, but twice (for sure, and once unsure) since yesterday evening, we’ve seen Nisarg opening and closing his fist deliberately – the sign for milk. Both times I responded by offering to feed him, and he was hungry and fed well.

I show him the baby signing time video often because its bright and has music and stuff. He enjoys the music, and watches on and off. I had never thought he was paying attention. Perhaps he isn’t. I also do the sign for milk while I’m feeding him. That is something he definitely notices, as he is always looking intently at me as he feeds. I think he has realized that the sign for milk is accompanied by or followed by a feed.

Now, the question is if this is a coincidence or deliberate?

Everything I’ve read about baby sign language indicates that babies don’t start signing till they are 6 months old, as they don’t have that kind of coordination till then. On the other hand, Nisarg is definitely opening and closing his hands when he is hungry. It is not a very proper opening and closing – more like an uncurling of his fingers and curling back – neither does he make a proper fist, nor does he make his fingers completely straight.

It is quite likely that I’m imagining things.

On the other hand, a friend who runs a developmental toys library made an insightful comment when I told her about Nisarg letting me know when he wants to pee. She said, “They are telling us a great many things all through. It is about how observant and intuitive we are.” She thought it was a sign of my sensitivity and attention that I picked up his cues and we had a day without wetting a single diaper.

So I like to think that Nisarg is making the sign for milk. Whether he is actually trying to tell me, or simply hungry and remembers that sign as associated with feeding, I don’t know. He does it quite absently, like he is when he is talking to himself. As opposed to when he coos to us. So I think maybe he remembers the sign when he is hungry, without actually signing for us as such.

I’ll try to shoot a video and post it here, and you guys can tell me what you think.

Update: I tried this time when he did it, and he got distracted and started interacting with me…. So no go. Will try again when he does it.

Categories: baby development, baby sign language, development, infant communication, milestones.