Communication

One of my favorite things about being a mom is watching my daughter learn and discover new things.  It has been clear for some time now that Aubrey's receptive language skills are developing well and she is starting to understand many of the things we say to her.  However, only just recently have we really been able to see a huge step forward in her expressive language.  While she is very verbal, she rarely says anything that could be classified as actual (understandable) verbal communication, but she has started using several signs to communicate her needs.  I am aware that she is by no means the first baby to successfully communicate in this way, but because she is mine, it just delights me!  It started with simple touch-correlation signs, such as me saying "where's your head" or "where's your belly" and her touching the appropriate body part.  (Those are the only two that she accurately identifies right now.  We are working on "toes.")  After that, it was as though a light bulb went off for her, and she started to realize that she could get me to understand what she wanted if she did the right motion.   She now regularly signs "eat/food" and "bed" and "teeth" (when it's time to brush her teeth) and "all done / all gone" (finished).  She will sometimes sign "milk" and I think is starting to pick up on "water."  She will sometimes still identify her head and belly when asked, although that trick is old news now and she isn't always interested in responding.

I really am just delighted when I watch her.  She is so wonderful.

Big Girl

After making it through the birthday weekend, Monday was officially ditch-the-pacifier day.  Baby Girl was only using it during naps and at night anyway, but after talking with the pediatrician about the way it was affecting her teeth, we decided it was time to quit cold-turkey.  A friend mentioned this weekend that my blog would be a great resource for new parents because "the Stone's have it all figured out."  But really, I think the truth of the matter is that the Stone's have a really fantastic baby who makes parenting pretty easy.  All that being said, project Ditch-the-Pacifier has gone surprisingly well and far less painful than I imagined.  Monday's nap started with ten minutes of mad baby, and then she passed out cold.  Bedtime was about the same.  The only down side was that normally when she wakes up in the mornings, she self-soothes and lays in bed for quite a while before insisting that we come get her; today, as soon as she woke up, she needed company.  The early morning wake-up, however, meant that we got two naps in today.  First nap started with only five minutes of crying.  The second nap, there were only about two or three minutes of crying, then she started singing along with her musical toy that she went to bed with.  It was stinking adorable.  (She did manage to find a pacifier that had been missing in her bed, so she had that in her mouth at the end of her nap, but I don't think she had it for long, based on the singing.)  The bedtime reaction could barely even be classified as a cry.  It was more the sound of the last-ditch effort of fighting sleep.  I'm really proud of her for adjusting so quickly.  Part of our plan, other than saving her teeth from further spreading, is to have her weaned from the pacifier prior to starting childcare later this month, and that is looking like it will happen!  All in all, a good day.  (Also got another "Tuesday Craft Day" project done with my pal JL, so it was good all around.)