Adorably signing “more” to see Scout fetch the ball again.

So I’m now super late in getting this post up, and then HuffPo just had a post about signing with your baby, but this post has cute Harry pictures and video.

I don’t even remember where I first heard of signing with your baby/toddler, but I always knew I wanted to do it.

Not only is it a great way to communicate with your baby before he learns to say words, it’s also just ridiculously cute.

(Aside from what works for us, I am pretty uneducated about signing, so I am hoping some of my smarter friends will chime in below.)

We started with the basic signs (milk, eat, all done, please, thank you), as these are the signs they did in the infant room in Harry’s school. For other signs, I just looked them up online. (Signing Time has a great app with a few dozen signs with video examples, as well as a few music videos, but we have never watched or used any Signing Time DVDs. But I know a lot of kiddos who love them and have learned how to sign from the videos.)

Most babies are able to learn signs before they learn to say words. And just like they babble before they speak, they “babble” in sign language too.

Harry was doing things that I thought were signs before he was signing for real. They’re eager to communicate with you, and you with them. So before they can hold a converation, this is the start.

Signs he knows (most used in italics):

please*
thank you*
daddy*
eat
more*
milk*
all done*
ball*
bath
book*
phone
bird
bee*
fish
dog*
potty*
up*
wash hands
shoes*
water
hot
friend
yes
no*

*Signs he now pairs with the word. (So he will sign and say “more,” for example.)

Signs he recognizes but doesn’t sign back:

help
hurt
sorry
sing
happy
cat
wait
gentle/soft
dirty

We started when he was very wee. I’d sign milk every time we gave him a bottle, and his daycare teachers would as well. I think he was about 10 months or so when he first signed it back.

The first sign he started to do with real frequency was more. He started by tapping one finger into his palm (actually what he is doing in that above video).

And after his first birthday, it was like a sign explosion. It’s to the point now where he is able to pick up a new sign in just a day or so. My biggest hurdle is just first teaching myself.

And the million dollar question: do you think they cut down on tantrums?

Yes, I think so. He can ask for what he wants (he signs “more” when he wants me to sing, because there is a song that uses the more sign, so it’s sort of his general please-sing-a-song-mommy word/sign), he can tell us when he wants his water or milk; he can tell us when he’s all done; he can understand what I’m asking for when I ask him to get his shoes or tell him to wait or that it’s time for a bath. And the kicker is, he can answer me back.

I also think it’s helping with the development of manners, because I can ask him to say please and he can say please (before he could actually say it).

Now that he knows yes and no, I can ask him a question, and he can answer yes or no with signs. It’s pretty remarkable.

Do you sign with your baby or toddler? If you have tips or tricks, or just want to share why you love it, I’d love to hear it!

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Welcome to my personal confessional.

• I’m working five days this week, and even though it’s only Wednesday, I feel tired about it already.

• Hulu is awesome, but it also means that I get sucked into shows I haven’t watched on regular televsions, and then I watch ALL the episodes practically at once. I basically watched three seasons of Community while I had Hand, Mouth & Foot. (Good times. But seriously; that show is really clever.)

• Related: I really did NOT want to like New Girl, because Zooey Deschenel is just too twee, right? But I do. I really, really like it.

• This is a real confession: I have to close my browser and walk away from many a Facebook/Twitter/Instagram photo of kids incorrectly strapped into their car seats. It’s a sickness, I know. Everyone has one thing they’re crazy about, right?

• And now this isn’t really a confession, more of an update. Joining in with the #shereadstruth Bible reading plan. Follow along on Twitter or Instagram. There’s some good stuff there.

• I thought that getting a blog redesign would make me want to update; I can’t say that it’s working. Wonk wonk.

What do you got?

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Alternate title: yes I am that far behind.

Hey, jump on in my time machine, and let’s go back to Easter 2012!

I used a Design G insert, because I had a lot of pictures this week. (A theme with me.)

Left side of the spread + front of the insert:

Left side (all Easter pics):

Front of the insert:

Back of the insert + right side of the spread:

Back of the insert:

Close up of the right side:

I’m going to get caught up. I’M GONNA.

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Harry,

This feels like a big milestone. One and a HALF? We’re halfway through your first second year? Insanity.

But the proof is right in front of me. You are a toddler boy. Even when I try to cradle you in my arms, you’re all long limbs and pointy elbows.

Taking pictures of you these days is tough! You’re too quick for my real camera, which is too old and slow for your speed, and as soon as I pull out my phone you are trying to get your smudgy little fingers on it.

But I still try! And luckily I managed to capture a few that show you at 18 months. Goofy grin, awesome hair, mouth full of teeth toddler you.

I say this every month, and probably will always say it, but you’re so fun right now. You learn a new word every day (I’ve lost count of how many you know), and you pick up new skills daily as well.

You’re in a bit of a daddy phase. It’s your favorite word, and your favorite sign, and if he’s around, I’m chopped liver. I’m trying to not take it personally, and it really does warm my heart to see you two together, but sometimes it does hurt my feelings. I think it’s because daddy never uses the bulb aspirator on your, nor does he ever wipe your face.

You love cars—toy and real. Yesterday we spent the morning at the park, and you would point at every car and truck that went by. “Car! Truck!” Fridays are garbage days, which meant there a few garbage trucks to point at too. “Whoa!” you’d say.

You still love to eat, but you’re becoming more discerning. Certain foods you used to love, you now shy away from. (Like sweet potatoes and avocado.) You can also now ask for certain items, and if we don’t guess correctly, it’s no bueno.

Aside from your bout with Hand, Mouth & Foot virus a few weeks ago, you’ve been well recently. No ear infections, and finally thankfully praise God, your diaper rash is gone. We are not 100 percent back into cloth diapers, but at least 80 percent of the time, you’re in cloth. Yes!

You’re our sweet buddy, and we love you so much. You are the best.

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)

• Will “read” board books on his own — Oh yes. You love to look at books. The other day we were FaceTiming with Sarah and the girls and Molly showed us one of her books. You disappeared into your room and came out carrying a book! You walked over to me and sat down and started reading it. It was so cute.
• Scribbles well — Yes. You love to color, and you love when you get your hands

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)

• Strings two words together in phrases — Yes. You love to say “go car go!”
• Brushes teeth with help — Not really. You just chew on it.

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)

• Throws a ball overhand — Yes. You’ve been throwing a ball for months.
• Takes toys apart and puts them back together — Sort of? You like to dump all the animals out of the LP Noah’s Ark and then put them back in.
• Shows signs of toilet training readiness — Some. You love to say and sign potty, and you’ll sit on it, but no potty action.

Always,
Mama

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I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that I have one of the greatest moms in the world.

She is gorgeous on the outside, yes, but more importantly she is beautiful on the inside. My mom shines Christ, and it is what makes her so beautiful.

I could spend hours telling you all the things my mom has done for me (and continues to do), but now that I’m a mother myself, what stands out to me the most is the example she set with her attitude about motherhood.

I never got the sense that we were a bother or a bore or a chore. I never got the sense that she wished she’d made another choice or that she wished she could be somewhere or someone else. I knew, even as a very little girl, that my mom didn’t just love me because she was my mom, she loved being my mom.

I pray that I am able to show Harry that same attitude. That he knows that not only do I love him, I love being with him. I love being his mom.

I am so grateful.

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It’s been a nutty few weeks with sickness and alternate schedules and long hours, so this was the first Harry Friday in what feels like a long time where we had nothing on the agenda.

Harry woke up a bit early, and we snuggled in our bed while Aaron got ready for work.

Typically, we run errands in the morning, since he goes down for his nap between 12:30 and 1 pm, but since he woke up early, and I wasn’t feeling motivated to get myself ready for the day yet, I decided I’d let him nap before lunch. So we hopped in the car and went to our local Caribou for a breakfast date. He’s such a big boy now, he’ll sit in a chair and eat so well.

We shared a lemon bread and a yogurt, and he charmed everyone around us.

We stopped at the playground on our way home. For such a beautiful moning, I was suprised we were the only ones there, but it was nice to have the run of the place. He loves the playground!

He went down at 9 am without a peep, and napped for 2.5 hours, which allowed me to get started on laundry, do a few more chores, and get dressed. When he woke up, we went to Panera for lunch. He’s such a good dining companion. A messy companion, but good company.

After lunch I took him back to the kids’ hair place for another trim. It was still too long and, let’s face it, mullet-y in the back. So I had her trim it up even more.

He wasn’t a fan of the blowdryer this time.

There was frozen yogurt eating, and Target shopping, and playing outside with Scout:

And the best part — clean PJ’d boy reading (new!) books with daddy.

Some days are just good days, and this was one of them.

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[If you're here from E, Myself, and I, welcome! I'm Johanna, 30something mom to a 17-month-old toddler, and a Minnesotan.]

• Sometimes I embarrass myself with how crabby I get about my, let’s face it overabundant, blessings. Tonight I was feeling so down about how I feel like I cannot keep our house clean, despite my best efforts, and I was on the brink of a spiral about it, but luckily I was able to check myself.

• We are finally back in cloth diapers.  I’ve used Grapefruit Seed Extract in the wash a few times; should I use it every wash going forward to make sure the yeast doesn’t come back? (This isn’t so much a confession as a way for me to ask.)

• I had the most vivid dream last night that I was nursing a newborn baby. It was so real. Oh, how I wish.

• I don’t know if it’s because I was 34 before I became a mom, or because we waited for awhile, or if it’s just my decisive personality, but there are (so far) very few things about the way that I parent that are different from the way I’d planned/anticipated. Except one: I always said I’d never let me kid wear dirty or stained clothes. Hahahaha! Harry is a messy eater, and he goes to daycare, and he loves to be outside. Stains? They’re just a way of life around here. (That said, I don’t let him go out/out in clothes with stains. Just to daycare and around the house.)

• I am so behind on Project Life. I’m pretending like the mess on our dining room table isn’t really there.

• I pray and praise on my commute home from work, and I sometimes “write” blog posts as I drive. Earlier today I read an emotive post written by a birth mom and a beautiful post from an adoptive dad, and they both made me feel a lot of feelings, but sometimes I spill it out out loud to myself, (and to God), in my car and the words never make it here.

• Being a working mom is hard sometimes; too little time for everyone. (Mostly myself.) But it’s only when I let in the noise of the world that I question it. When it’s quiet, when it’s just me and God, I know that I am right where He wants me, doing the exact work He’s created me to do.

What do you need to let out?

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There is nothing more meta than bloggers blogging about blogging, but here I go.

Life has a way of happening, whether you blog about it or not, and life has certainly been happening around here.

The same day that Harry got his haircut (two weeks ago already!), he came down with a 103 degree fever, and sadly for us all: Hand, Foot, and Mouth disesase. Oh, it was miserable.

Post-fever bedhead:

I stayed home with him on Monday, and we snuggled and watched a lot (A LOT) of television:

By Wednesday, he had blisters on the outside of his mouth.

And by the weekend I HAD IT. Adults rarely catch HFM, but I do like to be special!

It was seriously awful. I felt like a monster, what with the throat blisters and all.

And then, because I’m a crazy person, it was time for our garage sale.

May 2 was our fourth anniversary (what!), and we celebrated by setting up for said garage sale. But at least there were cupcakes!

I was able to do a little garage sale-ing myself, and got Harry a slide for outside and a Little People barn. Not bad for $16.

On Saturday, my dad and stepmom came into town for a quick visit. Love how much my dad loves Harry. Harry has some devoted grandpas. Of that there is no doubt.

I am about a month behind in Project Life, and my house is a disaster. (Truth.) And of course it’s been nothing but crickets around here, this blog where I never blog.

I’ll do better. Maybe by June.

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The back of Harry’s hair was starting to look less cute babyish and more scraggly mullet, so we decided that it was time.

Haircut time.

We went to a kids’ haircut place, rather than just a regular salon, because I didn’t know how he’d do, and I wanted stylists who were used to crying kids, in case that’s the way it went.

Luckily, it didn’t.

(My only complaint is that each station had a little TV, which I asked her to turn off.)

It was pretty long!

She gave him a comb to hold, and had him look down at a toy when she trimmed the back. He was such a good little sport.

We wanted to keep it long, so we just asked her to shape it up and make sure the back wasn’t so scraggly.

He didn’t even mind the blow dryer:

Such a little man:

Now on to the next adventure:

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Harry dear, 17 months is here.

I say this every month, but every month it’s true: you’re so much fun!

You just love life. You are joyous. I’m grateful every day (every.day) that the three of us belong to each other.

So many new things this month; here are just a few.

You love to point out babies. If you see a baby on packaging or on a card or something, you point and say “Baby!” You also love to look at pictures of yourself and say “baby.” It is too much.

You’ve transitioned to the toddler room at daycare, and we also made a change in your weekly schedule. You now go to school three days a week (instead of four), and your grandma watches you here at home that fourth day.

The toddler room was a big change, but you’ve handled it beautifully. For one thing, they sleep on cots (cots!) and you took to it without much fuss. It’s also a more structured day with lessons and activities. But the best part is, you get to go outside every day (weather permitting) and play on the playground. Oh, how you love to be outside!

You and I take a walk to the mailbox every day when we get home, and if I try to make you go inside before you are ready, you let me know. Your daddy and I have taken to treating you like we treat Scout with having to spell the words o-u-t-s-i-d-e and w-a-l-k if either of you are around.

New words in your vocabulary:
shoe
hello (o?)
nose
thank you (dee do)

You don’t have too many new ones, but you’re using the ones you do know with increased frequency. And words that used to be partial (“mo”) are now said clearly and in full (“more”).

You’re also mimicking a lot; just last night you repeated me when I said “pretty,” as you were inspecting my necklace. You also love to copy my movements and facial expressions. You can do all the motions to “Wheels on the Bus,” even! (Our go-to song when you’re crabby or need distracting. Your daddy and I have even made up lyrics like … “the CB on the bus goes breaker 1-9, breaker 1-9, breaker 1-9.”)

New signs:
bath
Daddy
phone
bird

I am so glad that we decided to sign with you. It’s immensely helpful with communicating, and you’re to the point now where you are combining words and signs. Like you’ll say “more” and sign “please,” when you are requesting “more please.” I haven’t read any studies or followed any research about it, but I know it is helping you with language development. It has to be!

It’s hard to tell looking at these pictures, but you’re in a bit of a shy phase. Well, I’m assuming it’s a phase. It could just be that you’re shy! You don’t mind crowds (you love to run around the church lobby), as long as no one is honing in on you. As soon as someone you’re unfamiliar with pays attention to you or tries to talk to you, you either bury your face in my neck, or you drop to the ground and “hide.” Your daddy calls it your “fainting goat” move.

You still love music; we listen to it all the time, and I think I caught you singing the other day. We were in the car, and I was signing along to a worship song, and I noticed that you were piping up from the back trying to match me. You know me, I cried. I hope you are always quick to offer up songs of praise!

When we say your prayers at night, I of course still pray on your behalf. I don’t know what I’m doing most of the time, Harry. That’s just the truth. I bumble along, and I trip over my words, but oh I hope God gives me the right words to pray for you and with you every day. And I pray that it will be as normal and natural to you as smiling; that talking to God will come as easily to you as laughter.

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)

• Uses six words regularly — Yes. Many more than six.
• Enjoys pretend games — Does “I’m gonna get you” count? Then yes.
• Likes riding toys — Yes. You love the Y-Bike and this little train that your grandparents have.

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)

• Feeds doll — You love your little doll, but you’ve never tried to feed him.
• Speaks more clearly — Yes. Your words get clearer every day.
• Throws a ball underhand — No, but you have a wicked overhand throw.

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)

• Dances to music — Yes. You love to sway and bounce.
• Sorts toys by color, shape, or size — I haven’t seen you do a lot of sorting, but you know, for example, that your blocks go in a certain basket or that the Noah’s Ark Little People animals all belong together.
• Kicks ball forward — Yes. You also think it’s high comedy when the grown ups in your life kick a ball.

Can it ever be said enough? We love you. We. Love. You. I pray that no matter what life brings your way; no matter what pain, trouble, or trial, that you will always rest in that. First that God loves you; to hell and back, the Creator of the universe loves you and pursues you. And then that are two people in the world (and really, so many more) who love you full up all the way to your toes.

Here’s to month 18 my darling boy,

mama

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