Millie learns a new sign

Over the weekend, I taught Millie a new sign. I don't know if it's certainly an American Sign Language sign but nonetheless, she knows it now.

If you ask Millie how to praise God, she raises both of her hands and smiles. Isn't that how we all should be? Praising God with a smile on our face, with a child-like spirit and attitude!

And now, every time we sit down to eat, we all hold hands so we can say the blessing. It's sweet.

Observant/Independent

I've been noticing lately that Millie is becoming more observant of her surroundings. She remembers where everyone sits at the dining room table (and even at Nana and Papa's house too).

She remembers certain parts of a book we read a lot and will do the signs relating to the book. For example, in her Fire Engine Book, we will get to the part where we actually see the flames, and she'll say and sign "hot" and then say and sign "pain." We get to the next page where the fire has been put out and the firemen are going home and there is one that has dirt on his face and she'll say and sign "bath" and "bed/tired" and "milk" b/c I've told her that he probably goes home and has some milk before he goes to bed. It's just fun seeing her practically read the book to me, so to speak.

She also is becoming very independent. I will try to help her get dressed and she'll whine and say, "Me" although we know she is just trying to say "Millie". But she wants to do it by herself. Sometimes she does get frustrated and we have to remind her to ask for help, but most of the time she is successful.

Millie is using sentences now

Last Friday night, while Millie was taking a shower, she accidentally pooped in the shower. So I had to get her out quickly and she was a little upset over the whole matter. But I calmed her down and told her it was an accident. But the rest of the night, she had to tell everyone that she "pooped in the bath". And that, she did. She did the sign for "poop" and the sign for "bath" and as far as I'm concerned, is saying a sentence!

On Sunday, we went to church and she was ready to go to the nursery. We were getting out of the truck (Jacade dropped us off) and she quickly told her daddy, "Bye-bye." No crying from this baby. I went to pick her up and she wasn't really interested in going anywhere. She was perfectly content with staying and playing. Of course, she finally came to me. But Abbey, the director, was just stunned and confused. Thanks Millie for making it easy and fun to go to church. What a relief not to have to feel bad when you drop your baby off.

And this morning, Millie was drinking her milk and the teddy bear was sitting on the bed with us. And Millie decided to share her milk with the bear and pretended to let her bear have a sip. Then she stopped and did the sign for "share." Wow, she totally understands. I truly believe that the sign language has improved her language skills and made her a smarter baby. And it really wasn't difficult to teach her the signs. I just learned them for looking at books and then showed them to her (repeatedly). And now she uses them in conversation. It's a win-win for everyone!

Millie is quite the observer

I think Millie has a photographic memory....

She can watch me do something a couple of times, and then she is repeating the same behavior. For instance, we have a device that we use to turn the Christmas lights on to where you don't have to plug/unplug every time; you just step on this device and it turns on/off. Well, I've held her just about every time that I've turned them on and the other night, she went over to the tree and decided to turn off the lights, using her foot to press the device. Smart little booger.

She had some thawed dark cherries at Nana and Papa's house (she didn't want them to begin with and then had some of the juice and was in heaven at that point). On Sunday, for lunch, she had some more cherries that I bought at Publix on Saturday. Jacade was feeding her each cherry and when we told her they were all gone, she said, "Juice." She remembered that she loved the dark cherry juice.

She is just so smart and is soaking everything up right now. We've been trying to emphasize that instead of whining, that she use her words (or sign language) and most of the time she will do a little whining, but use the sign language or try to say whatever she wants. So this morning, at 3:30 a.m., she was awake in her room, crying and I went in and she was standing in her bed, doing the sign for "eat." So I got her up and gave her some Cheerios and then she went back to bed. But I was so thankful that she did know the sign language and I knew exactly what she wanted. What a relief, even if it was 3:30 in the morning and I was exhausted.

Millie is talking more and more every day

Millie has really started talking a lot more lately and doing more signs too.

Her current words (speaking) are (as of 17 mos):
Beep Beep, Car, Shoes, Milk, Dada, Mama, Mawt Maw, Mops, Pops, Papa, Nana, Please, Bath, Bus, Ball, Bella, More, Blake (the little guy that she stays with every day), Book, All Gone, (and my mind has now gone blank).

She is also identifying things in pictures and either saying or signing them. It's amazing how much her brain is soaking things/ideas up.

Right now she loves: cars, buses, motorcycles, horses, dogs, books, taking a shower, milk (what kid doesn't), beans, mostly all fruits, shoes.

Right now she dislikes: sometimes getting her diaper changed, brushing her teeth (well, she doesn't hate it but she won't do it either), having to come inside when she's not ready to.

Millie learns two new signs

Millie learns a new sign, but I didn't teach it to her. Andrea, her babysitter, did. Andrea said that yesterday Millie did the "play" sign. Andrea has been showing them the sign during the day, and she said that Millie did it while they were all just sitting together. Way to go Andrea and Millie!

I've also been trying to teach Millie the "pain" sign. How exactly do you teach a child the sign for pain? That's what I was wondering too. But she would fall down and bump her leg or arm and I would do the sign for "pain" and point to whatever she hurt. The other morning, unfortunately, she had a little bit of a diaper rash (she just got over a severe diaper rash from an upset tummy) and did the sign for "pain" and pointed to her diaper. Yeah, she did it. She is one smart child. The "pain" sign is especially helpful if your child has a tummyache or an earache or some other kind of pain. A little less crying in the end (maybe) and you'll know what to do for them.

Millie learns some more signs

Over the long weekend, Millie learned some more signs:

shoes
socks
bunny
frog
motorcycle

Mawt Maw (Debbie) kept her on Saturday so Mommy could do some work and I got some things done. Made some magnets and journals, and was able to tidy the house and do some laundry.

On Sunday, Millie and I went to church - we were there for a long time - because Mommy had to work in the walkers (in the room with Millie). Then she went to Mawt Maw's house and Jacade and I went out to eat (just the 2 of us), went bowling - I won 2 out of 3 games - and we played video games. We had a great time.

Then on Monday, Jacade fixed breakfast (Millie usually likes eggs, but she wouldn't eat any) but she did eat applesauce. And she and I did stuff around the house and she took some good naps. We went to the park and she walked around and swung in the swing and went down the slide.

We also went to Daddy's new office and Millie helped rearrange everything! She would find something on the floor, take it to Jacade and say, "Dada, dada" and start yelling his name if he wasn't immediately paying attention. We also ate pizza for dinner, including Millie. Tried to give her a mushroom but she didn't like that.

And now, it's Tuesday and back to the daily grind..... She went to Ms. Andrea's today and was eager to eat her oatmeal for breakfast.

Will Millie talk sooner or later?

I was talking to someone at church last night about Millie doing sign language and her comment was that she thought it was a good thing, but that kids that learn sign language often talk later than kids that don't.

I thought about that on the way home and I don't think that's the case with Millie. She is already talking (not extremely clear) but she can say a handful of words. But she can also sign about 15 words, which I think is quite an accomplishment for a 15-mo. old. She is learning manners before she can actually talk on consistent basis. And she picks up on things so quickly.

This morning I was showing her another sign for dog - sticking your tongue out and panting and I showed her two times and she was trying to do it. She wasn't sticking out her tongue but she was trying to pant. She's quick about everything.

Only time will tell for when she will start talking on a regular basis but I am happy with her progress so far. She's a smart girl.

Signs Millie is doing and other things too...

I wanted to write on here the signs that Millie was doing (at the time) so I wouldn't forget. People say to write everything down because there is no way that you can remember everything. I am adding some more on Monday (8/18) because she did several more over the weekend.

Signs Millie can use:
milk
more
please
thank you
banana
help
diaper change
hi
bye-bye
eat
bed (tired)
phone
dog
water
cracker
bird
book
baby
Tarzan (that's probably not a sign, but it sure is funny!)
daddy
mommy (sometimes)
all done

That's all she is doing right now, which I think is pretty remarkable. She has also been shaking her head up and down to say "yes." She's definitely got "no" down pat but has started saying yes.
She can also say (speak) Dada, milk, more, ba for bottle, boo, Bella, ba for ball.

We have a rocking chair that has become Millie's rocking chair and she likes to sit in it to drink her bottle. So the other day she went and got in the chair but was sitting too far down, so I told her to sit up some so she could drink the bottle, and lo and behold, she pushed herself up. She completely understood what I said and then followed through. I was astonished.

Kids are amazing because of what they can comprehend at such a young age. She is definitely a sponge right now, soaking everything up.

She also likes to help around the house. She likes to help unload the dishwasher; give her a few years and we'll beg for her to do it! She also likes to help put laundry in the washer and bring things to you that maybe belong in the trash or in the sink.

Millie sign language 2

Millie sign language 1

Pat your head

Millie now knows where her head is. I've been singing "Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes" and she now pats her head. She also pats her head when I sing, "If You're Happy and You Know It"

So now I am working on the rest of the song.

And I saw some back teeth coming in (on the top on both sides). Maybe that explains why she hasn't been sleeping that great.