75 words!

If you're happy and you know it, you know what to do!

Momma's girls

Waiting for Mom to get the bath ready.

Wow, I can't believe that it has been so long since I have posted something. I am on here everyday checking for updates of my friends and I get so excited when there are new stories and I haven't been doing MY part!

Things have been fun around home, just soaking in the daily life of Miss Madison. She is signing like crazy and is officially one month away from being ONE! Alysun and Amanda both survived with flying colors so I am sure I will do fine when our time comes too!

Like I said these last three weeks Madison has just been signing up a storm and it seems like ever day she is signing something new that she has understood but not signed back yet.  I wish I had kept track of when things happened.  The best that the researcher in me can do now is to list out where we are at 11 months, after 5 months of consistently signing every day every thing we can possibly think of.  

Here are the stats as of Sept 2008:

There are 201 words on my list of words we are working on. (That I could remember, I am sure there are words I am missing and will think of at 3am!)

Madison actively signs 75 of them!  It is absolutely amazing to me.  I recently demonstrated her signing with flash cards to some friends this weekend and while I am glad she 'performed' on cue, it doesn't even compare to her actively engaging in a conversation with you, albeit one/two/three word "conversations" (For instance, crawling to her room and signing "Music" and "Blanket" and "Book".  Then we put on the music and get her blanket and read.)

There are 59 words that she knows and understands and reacts to but hasn't yet signed back. We move words daily from this list to the first list (Kitty/Baby/Yogurt/Kite were yesterday's words) Keep in mind that some words are definitely clear to understand and some take some flexibility to understand. For instance Bear, Please, Bath all look very similar so you have to take it into context when figuring out what it is she is trying to tell you. Then on the other hand, there are many that are very distinguishing, like when she is eating, it is easy to tell when she is specifically asking for "more" "peas" "please" versus the ugly face she makes when you get a second spoonful of something she doesn't care for. It is also so cute when she really likes something (Dad's meat loaf and mashed potatoes tonight for the first time) when she signs "more" before it hits her tongue!

The remaining 67 words we are still working on and either I don't know them well enough to do them regularly or there are limited opportunities to do them therefore they don't get the exposure like some others. (Example "Rain" - It hasn't rained yet and "Afraid", with the feelings you have to wait for the experience to get it to sink in etc.)

Our weekly signing classes are over and we are on our own but I think we have a handle on it!  The window of signing will be small as when they begin to talk they usually drop the signs unless they are being shy and want to just "talk" to you in a crowd or perhaps when they are upset and can't get the words out.

Our next adventure is Kindermusik.  I heard about it from another Mom in signing class and my Mom said she would take Madison (it is during the day while I am work). They have gone to one class and had a great time. Mom said Madison was the only one fully engaged and laughing and having a great time, she loves her music and dancing with G'ma.  I thought it would be something fun for them to do together and give Madison some additional exposure to other kids, since she has no siblings and no daycare type friends. More on that later.

Developmental Milestones: Madison is fully mobile now, crawling like mad and lifting to stand and just recently, standing on her own in the middle of the room.  She still only has two teeth but the doesn't keep her from chewing all kinds of food. My Mom has taught her to "chew'em and chew'em" and she gum the heck out of whatever is in there! 

I really should wait so long to write, I have so much more to share, but given the hour, I will wait for another day.  In the spirit of Tawny's 30 before 30 list, I have been trying to compile a "Things I NEVER thought I would EVER do as a Mom before I WAS a Mom" list.  I have about 5 so far, so that will be the next post hopefully.

Until then....